Fridays+ Monkey Bars= Doctors

This morning after we dropped G-man off at school, the younger three and I went to play on the play scape. As Bee was swinging on the monkey bars, she fell flat on her belly. I heard the smack and saw her laying on the ground. I called to her to see if she was ok, keeping one eye on Timmy on top of the play scape. She hopped up and started crying. Then her legs buckled under her and she fell onto the ground. I called her name and she didn't respond or move. I quickened my pace to her. I bent down and asked if she was ok, to which she didn't respond. I picked her up and carried her little limp body to the bench, all the while I kept asking "Bee are you ok?"

I sat down on the bench with her and asked her again "Bee are you ok." She said "No, my body hurts all over."

I scanned her body and her knee was bleeding but everything seemed pretty ok.

I didn't have my cell phone. So I did the only thing I could think of, go to our doctor's office across the street. I put Bee in the stroller, and Two walked. By the time we got to the office she was "normal." But they saw her right away.

He said she has a stage 3 Concussion and we need to watch her for 48 hours. But that everything right now appeared normal and good.

So I think from now on we are staying off of the monkey bars at least. Just glad they use those super padded floor thingies now.

Triumphs in the little things

After taking the kids swimming, I went into my bathroom to change out of my wet suit and into some dry clothes. I quickly sat on the potty, trying to avoid wetting on the floor. I had a small audience, T-Rex and Two. While defending the roll of toilet paper from being torn into tiny shreds by T-rex, Two started applauding me. "Yeah mommy go peepee on the potty. Good job mommy."

As I sat there, trying to hurry and worrying about T-rex destroying a roll of paper, concerned a little about having an audience, thinking a little about what I was going to fix for dinner, fretting about the small stuff in life and worrying about all I didn't accomplish today, I was reminded to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. I mean really it is a triumph to be able to sit on a toilet and go.

Sometimes I go through out the day feeling like nothing has been accomplished, but today I have seen through the eyes of a three year old that I do accomplish much. I may not get all the laundry folded, or all the beds made, but......

"Yeah Mommy go potty."

Comments Name thing

Hey Help! Many of you have clever and cute sayings where the comment link is on my page....How do you change it??? Help me!

Happy Wedding Day to me!

Ok so its our Anniversary, nine whole years! Crazy how fast the time has gone. I know I probably should write some gushing love sappy piece about my wonderful husband whom I adore, the amazing father of my children, my best friend. But for some reason my mind has been just racing over all that has happened in the last nine years. So Honey I love you! Look at all that we have accomplished since we were married:

1999:

• Eric graduated with his MBA.


• I got my first full time teaching job.


• Duh we got married!

2000:

• Eric got his MIS.


• I had surgery.


• Found out we were pregnant with first baby


• Moved to Austin


• Eric got his first post graduate real job at Norwood.

2001

• G-man was born


• purchased, well start the process of building our first home.


• Traveled a lot to Florida to visit my parents.


• Lost both my grandfather and Eric's grandfather.

2002

• Moved into our first home.


• Found out was pregnant with second child.


• Lost Eric's other grandfather

2003

• Bee was born.


• Eric started working in San Antonio


• I started selling Creative Memories and got into scrapbooking.

2004

• Eric started working in Indianapolis, and then half way through the year stopped working for Norwood.


• Found out we were pregnant with number 3.


• Eric started working independently

2005

• Two was born.


• Eric started working for Hart


• I was introduced to Heritage Makers and switched from traditional to digital scrapbooking.


• Eric's grandmother passed away.


• Eric's parents went on a mission.


• My parents moved to Utah, leaving us with out a place to go vacation to.

2006

• G-man started Kindergarten


• Eric traveled all the time, including many trips to Hawaii


• Found out we were pregnant with number four.

2007

• Had T-rex.


• I got really sick.


• In laws came home from their mission.

2008

• Sold our first home, for exactly what we bought it for six years ago, crazy market.
• I lost my grandmother.


• Moved to Hawaii


• Bee started kindergarten


• Found out we were pregnant with number five.

JUST KIDDING on the number five thing! Just seemed like I had a pattern going on :)

It has been a wonderful nine years and I look forward to many more and all the many things that will happen. I know there are a lot of gaps in my time line, especially because my mind is not fully functioning with a screaming child on my lap.

For your Viewing Pleasure

Our very own beach Bumble Bee, what out boys she stings!

Little Two loves to dig in the shade.

Dad and T-rex enjoy the nice warm water. Though after swimming in the sea and playing in the sand it took T-rex three hours to be able to open up his eyes. Poor little guy.

G-man with his total surfer hair that he won't let me cut! Looking tan and all locally!

My little clan aren't they so stinking cute!!

Monday Mumblings: Back to School

It truly can't be that time of year! I haven't even seen any back to school commercials yet, you know the ones that either excite you or that send you hiding in the closet with knots in your tummy filled with fear. I am the later. I have never liked going to school. When I went to kindergarten I screamed and cried. First grade wasn't much different other than my mom couldn't take me and made my dad drop me off.

Anyway here in the great state of Hawaii, they have what they call year round school. They do get about two months off for summer. They start on Wednesday.

The kids have their backpacks packed and new clothes for school. They are excited. I should be excited, I mean two less kids to worry about during the day. But I am not. I am racked with fear and sadness and a bunch of unexplained feelings.

As much as I enjoy sending my kids off to school, I am really sad to see them go. I feel like we haven't had enough time together. I mean Bee is starting kindergarten and from now on I will no longer have her home with me full time. She is now a part of the great public school system, only to be returned to me at nights and weekends and vacations. Its a joint custody kind of thing and I want full custody.

But I really can't home school, even with my education background. I am just not organized enough. Truly my grandiose plans of summer reading and learning flew out the window and were replaced by swimming and playing. I so thought that every week we would have a fun trip to the Library, well our first was our last.

Anyway, it will be okay and hopefully my kids total lack of summer mental stimulation won't put them too far behind. And maybe just maybe I will enjoy the little tiny bit of peace enough that I will feel some peace about this joint custody thing.

Facebook vs MySpace

As one friend of mine commented I am a computer junky, I love email. I enjoy chatting. I have a Myspace account which I never ever use anymore, and well a Facebook account, that until recently I rarely used. I still don't use it as much, though this morning I have spent time chatting with my brother and friend Melissa.

However, even though I don't really go to myspace I kind of like the layout of it a little better. Not sure why. And really not sure why I am posting about this.

I do think however it has been much easier to find friends on facebook and have found a lot of friends as of recent.

It just seems that I didn't have as many friends on myspace. So is Facebook more an older person version of Myspace? Did Myspace get the rap of being an unsafe place? Is it a fad? Or is it I haven't logged in to Myspace for several months and all y'all are waiting for my friend approval?

Oh such a random thought mess, to post or not to post? What the heck why not. And hey if you are on facebook let me know!

Back in Austin Facebook was the way we got our sitter to babysit, easier to catch them there than on the phone!

Five O'Clock News is Yesterday News?

We get our newspaper here at around 5 PM, which is 11 PM Eastern time. My question to you is that pretty much yesterday's news?

Yeah that's what I thought!

Form and Fixx: The Skinny Pill

Are you interested in a skinny pill that really works? Would it benefit your life to know of a pill that simply fills up your stomach so your desire to eat LESSENS? Would it benefit your life to know that this pill is made of ALL NATURAL SUBSTANCES and has no stimulants or harmful substances? Would it benefit your life to lose weight and GET HEALTHY?

Not to fill my personal blog about the new Skinny Pill and shakes, but I just wanted to let you know that I do have some samples if you are interested in trying them out. Also my friend Heather started a blog, with a lot of information on the products, click here to learn more. And if you decide to sign up (as either a customer or a distributor they are the same, depending on how you want to go about it.) click here, or http://4760519.myo3world.com to join my team. The blog link joins my friend Heather, not that I mind her getting y'all but I'd love to have you with me. Thanks :)

If you sign up by the end of July the year membership is free, and you can buy the product at wholesale.


Please take a look at the blog to find out some more of the amazing facts about Form and Fixx, and I have to say Fixx shakes are amazingly packed with lots of good for you things, like spinach and other fruits and veggies.

Tag from my sister Aly

4 Places I visit over and over.
1. The swimming pool: the kids don't know that I take them there for me more than them.
2. Costco: our most convenient grocery store
3. The Park: got to get a back yard but not complaining too much
4. UMMM....I don't go anywhere much.

4 People who call/Text/Email me regularly
1.Eric
2. Mom
3. Dad
4. ummm...again things haven't been ringing much lately HINT :)

4 Favorite food
1. Pizza
2. chicken enchilada with deluxe green tomatillo sauce from Chuys...oh I miss good tex mex
3. A good steak-Aly
4. Hamburger and French fries-good 'ol American girl

4 Places I'd rather be
1. Hawaii-visiting my sister (that was my sister, and I'd rather have her visiting me here too)
2. Asleep in my bed with out kids ( its a little after two am)
3. Most days just at home, I like going out but some days I don't want to fill the "where are we going what are we doing today" order.
4. In a small European town with Eric walking down the cool cobble stone streets admiring the century old buildings.

4 Movies I'd watch over and over
1. Steel magnolias
2. My Girl
3. Girls just want to have fun
4. While you were sleeping

4 Bands/Groups I love to listen to...
1. Lone Star
2. Erasure
3. A good country radio station
4. I don't listen to much anymore, but I love that bubbly song by Kolby Collet?? Don't know how to spell her name.


The 4 People I am tagging are....
Any one who would like to do this because it is too late, or too early I should say to even think straight. But if I were to assign I'd say
1. Katherine
2. Tonya
3. Yvonne
4. Sheri

Bragging Rights

I just wanted to post because I am so proud. But my dad is an amazing athlete, even in his golden or rather more silver age. He just received an email that he shared that I wanted to post. I think it is really cool:

!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS !!!!

The Clayton Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame committee would like to announce that you have been selected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Our last meeting was yesterday and our final selections were made.
We will be sending to you,by mail, additional information. Again, congratulations.

How to not pay your babysitter too much.

Eric, along with other co-workers, have been working hard to get their warehouse up and running, as well as preparing for the up coming elections. It has been a rocky road getting to this point, and now has turned into a full on sprint to get to things done. Because of this rush, I have been hired on to help out a little here and there when I can and when I am needed.

So today I was hired to help finish re tile the kitchen in the warehouse--the place was filthy nasty dirty! In order for me to go I had to get a sitter to watch the kids.

As we were driving back home, I was trying to figure out what I should pay our wonderful sitter. So we decided to pay her basically 1/2 of what I was paid, so we each earned the same amount for the day. Anyway, we had to get the cash from the ATM which y'all know only spits out in $20 bills. So we got the money out and realized that we needed to break it because she'd be making more than what I did.

How do we break the change? We go to Burger King to get a burger. I started to laugh! Don't see the humor in it yet? Well, instead of just paying her the extra money we basically decided to eat it! Grant it we needed lunch, but I couldn't help but laugh. The logic just seemed so silly. I mean really, "lets get a whopper to get change to pay the sitter." Instead of over paying her we ate.

It still makes me laugh. Do I laugh alone?

I was just wondering...

Yesterday as I was walking home from Curves (I actually won a free membership), I decided I should walk the mile there and back rather than waste gas and get a little cardio in. Anyway but that isn't what I was wondering.

As I stepped into the elevator to go to the our floor, I know since I was working out I probably should have hiked the stairs, but I was tired, the elevator doors shut and I could smell very strongly the perfume of the last rider. I began to wonder if the next person getting in would smell my swet and unbrushed morning breath, or would they still smell the perfume?

Want to join me for lunch?

Ok another name that should have been thought about before the restaurant was named in the US. I hear the food is good but again, what more can I say.

Something Mysterious

Last night as we were walking with the kids, Bee and G-man went running along a retaining wall that surrounds the homes in our neighborhood. I try to get the kids to not do this. Usually with many threats and counts, I can get them down. Last night was a little different.



As I said "guys I am not going to even say it. You know what you should be doing.", I heard a loud "crack, crunch."



Followed by Bee saying "I stepped on something mysterious." Yes she used those exact words. Me being one that doesn't like stopping along the way, encouraged them to keep walking. However her pleading of "come see what I stepped on, what is it?" intrigued the whole family. With in a few seconds we were all looking. This is what we found.
Do you know what the mysterious thing is?

Amount of Sand=Fun at the Beach

So last night as I lay in bed, scratching out sand in my hair, I came to the conclusion that it isn't a good beach day if after showering off at the beach, showering off at the pool, swimming in the pool and showering once you get home, you don't still have sand in your hair and on your person somewhere.

Yesterday after our nightmare car shopping experience, we hit the beach with the kids. The trade winds are up causing the surf to be a little rough and the water to be a bit churned with sand and other debree (can't seem to spell the word right.)

We lathered up and hit the beach. Eric and I took turns taking the kids into the water. Don't know how much you know about surf, because honestly I don't know much, but the waves were breaking right on the sand, crashing their mighty whites quickly down and rushing back to sea. So once you got out of the crash you were in "calmer" waters, bringing at sometimes 10-15 swells. I held a child (with a life jacket on- amazing how it helped me tread during the swells where I could no longer touch) and we would bob up and down.

Every once in awhile I would get the crazy idea to ride the swells in. Mind you as I mentioned earlier they were crashing right on the shore and rushing back out, not making it a very easy ride in, because basically you just hit flat on the sand once the wave crashed. So I had B in her jacket and we were riding a swell in, when it just smashed us on the sand, and following it must have been its bestest wave friend, because it smashed on top of us, and B held tightly on me, riding me like a surf board on to the shore. We both giggled, but couldn't see through the sand in our eyes and hair that covered our faces. And not to mention the sand that crept into every little crevice possible. I mentioned to her that we needed to go back out to "rinse" off.

We were able to rinse relatively well. And at this point I was a little done. But G-man wanted me to take him. I did, and something similar happened, though this time we took G-man's boogie board in so we road that in crashing on the sand.

But despite the hard hits, we had a blast and we kept going back for more, being a little more careful about our transition from swells to land.

And this morning as I cleaned my ears, pulling more sand than anything else, I smiled and thought "Man that was fun."

The Week at a glance

I have recently hit a writing wall, have lost my creative ability. I have been sucked into the tunnel of writers' block. I think I have shut my eyes to my on goings and lost my rose colored glasses to be able to find the humor in raising four kids- in the middle of no where, surrounded by water, sinking perilously into the ocean deep. Well it really isn't that bad. It's just been a very long week. And before I drag myself into a underwater woa is me cave, and get lost in self pity, I thought I should share some of the high lights of this week.

I think we have officially gone from "summer vactioners" to summer dwellers. I think life in paradise has just become life. Don't get me wrong I love driving around and looking at the beauty but life has set in. We live here. We have to grocery shop. Eric has to work.

So for this week.

I might have to go back wards starting with yesterday because that seems to be as far as I can remember at this point.

- We tried to buy a car yesterday. Well we almost got sucked into the buy this car because you won't find a better deal warp and realized that we could find a better deal and that we just don't really want to spend money on a car right now. But we didn't realize that until after spending the whole morning and into the afternoon with the sales guys. Finally Eric said to them "we're done and we are leaving." To which they wanted to know where in the sales did they drop the ball. Our only reply was "we stopped by to look and four hours later, we are ready to take the kids to the beach. We will think it over. If we decide the deal is a good one we will be back Monday. If the car is gone, we will find another."

- We left the dealership and headed to the beach. Which deserves it very own post. Which you may have already read at this point.

-G-man got his cast off this week! Yeah. Though I am not sure it is totally healed. Because at one point while we were waiting in the car for Eric to buy the other car, I grabbed G-man's arm, not any different than I ever do, and he cried. He is also being very protective of it and holds it away from things. So I get to call into the doctors tomorrow to check that out.

-G-man also lost another tooth while we were having his cast off party pancake. It just fell out with a bite. Unfortunately the tooth fairy forgot to get his tooth that he so carefully placed in a baggie under his pillow, that he pulled out in the morning wondering what had happened with the tooth fairy.

-I trained all week, to help train the poll workers for the upcoming elections. I had training every night from 6-10 and decided I am getting too "old" to stay out that late every night. I don't know how mom's work at night after watching their kids all day. Man I haven't been so tired since I was last pregnant. Sure hope I'm not pregnant. Ok random thought. But anyway it was very tiring. But it actually was fun for me to go out and mingle with other adults with out children. Anyway if you have any questions on using and e-scan or e-slate voting machines, I 'm your gal.

-T-rex started "swimming" he likes to go back and forth between adults. He is so cute, he just closes is eyes, shuts his mouth real tight and pops his head under the water. Such a thrill.

-B went out with a friend to see a movie, while we took G-man to the doctors. She had a blast.

(I know this post must have you totally captivated at this point,... I am sorry no wonder the lack of comments lately, see I have hit a writer's block. Just wait for my beach post.)

-Two has become quite the little swimmer as well and is finding her way around the pool. I always get a puff of pride, when people ask how old she is and then state "wow she is good did she take lessons." then I get to say "no I just worked with her." I don't know makes me feel like I have accomplished something you know.

Well yeah that is about all for our week....Oh no....wait....we got couches yesterday! Not super nice ones. Not new ones. Not something I might pick out of a store. But couches! And I have to say nothing makes a house more of a home than having a place to park your rump after a long long week.

Abc tag

Another Tag...ABC tag ;)

A-Attached or Single? Attached

B-Best Friend? eric

C-Cake or Pie? Pie

D-Day of choice? saturday

E-Essential item? chocolate

F-favorite color? Green

G-Gummy Bears or Worms? worms

H-Hometown? honolulu

I-Favorite Indulgence? peanut m & ms

J-January or July? July

K-Kids? 4

L-Life isn't complete without? Gospel

M-Marriage date? july 30, 1999

N-Number of brothers and sisters? 2 brothers, 2 sister

O-oranges or apples? Probably oranges

P-Phobias and fears? listung them....and large crowds

Q-Quote? (I'll do a short one) "because I said so."

S-Season of choice?Summer

T-Tag 3 people - Aly, Mandy, Stephanie

U-Unknown fact about me? I wore a body cast for three months of my life.
V-Vegetable? romaine lettuce

W-Worst habit? picking at things

X-X-ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound

Y-Your favorite food? Hamburger

Z-Zodiac Sign? Aquarius

Cookie Dough Therapy

I love Chocolate Chip Cookie dough. But more than my love of Chocolate Chip Cookie dough is the making of CCC Dough. There is something therapeutic about it. I am not sure why.


But the other day, I told Eric that I wanted to make cookies. Several days in a row I mentioned I wanted to make some cookies. Since we hadn't yet bought all the ingredients to do so and I wasn't in the mood to buy it yet, but really wanted to make them but couldn't. Later, Eric so nicely offered to go to the store to do some needed grocery shopping. I mentioned once more to him that I really wanted to make cookies.

Eric came home with.....no not the needed baking soda, or vanilla, or chocolate chips but pre-made cookie dough. The idea of it already done was wonderful. So I spooned out the cookie dough on the sheet, yes I too took a taste of the dough. When the buzzer beeped and the cookies were done, I ate one, or two or maybe three. But still had an empty feeling that usually making cookies fills for me.

Then it dawned on me.

I don't like eating cookies, even though I do eat them.

I don't like eating cookie dough, though it tastes good.

I like actually physically making cookies! Making them brings me some sort of comfort. Maybe because it is something I am actually doing to bring a little bit of joy to others. I don't know. But I never knew that I took comfort from making cookies more than I did eating them.

Thanks for bringing home the premade cookie dough Eric! Because making cookies is a lot cheaper than therapy!

Why?

Why is it that I bother to clean one room while children are in the next room making another mess?

Why is it that everytime I go out I am asked "Are THOSE ALL your kids?" I mean really do you think my idea of fun is to go to the grocery store with four screaming kids?

Why is it that when you have a baby sitter over and the kids go to bed at 8 and you show up at 10 and the house looks worse than when you left it?

Why is it that I look different in the mirror than I do in my pictures?

Why is it that when I put sun screen on me, I still get burnt in some spots?

Why is it that when you take your kids some where fun for several hours, and when you tell them its time to go they throw a fit rather than just say "thanks that was a fun day?"

Why don't I have the answers to all questions?

Why does T-Rex love playing with cords and pulling out items from all drawers, cupboards and boxes?

Why does it take an hour to clean up a mess that happened in less than five minutes?

Why don't dishwasher's load and unload themselves?

Why must every day start with "Mom"?