Christmas is over...

...now back to your regularly scheduled program, lol.

I'm sort of sad it's over, but it's a big relief at the same time. I think I got too caught up in the whole materialistic part of it, which stressed me out. The true meaning of Christmas totally flew over my head, which makes me sad because I usually make it a point to focus on Christ during the holidays.

Oh, well. There's always next Christmas, right?

Right?

Holy time crunch, Batman!

I just realized Christmas is exactly two weeks away! I should've known this with the way the kids have been acting lately (sugar-high monkeys, anyone?), but I think I was trying to block it from my mind in order to convince myself I have more time.

I need to get off my butt, yo!

The kids have finally settled down regarding their Christmas wishes, so at least there won't be any last minute, "Hey, Mom! I changed my mind! I think I want this toy instead" surprises. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Ryan, lol!

It snowed the beginning of the week, so the weather has been miserable. Well, for me, not the kids. They would stay outside all day without jackets if I let them. Scott's genes definitely pulled stronger in our kids; no sane Hawaiian would go out into the cold unless absolutely necessary, lol!

Anyway, they go to school right up until December 23rd, then they have their Winter Vacation until January 4th. I console myself with the fact that we're not on B Track for school; those kids went off-track at the beginning of December and with Winter Vacation, they have the entire month off.

I would definitely need alot more Prozac than I already have to survive that!

The Gimmes Are Attacking!

I don't know how, but The Gimmes have infiltrated my kids' brains! It really doesn't make any sense to me, as we don't have the satellite dish on anymore, so maybe I can blame this one on the internet?

Anyway, with only twenty-four (!!!!) more days until Christmas, the kids get increasingly crazier with each new day. Ryan is constantly changing his mind about what he wants, so I'm having to tell him that he'll just have to wait and see AND be grateful. Because, y'know, he already sent off his letter to Santa (and no, Santa will not have his elves dig through the pile to scrap your original letter just so you can send him a second edited one!), and maybe, just maybe, I've already bought what you asked me for, hmm? Because I'm cool like that, lol!

Vanessa sees every commercial she views when she's over at Papa & Tutu's as an indication that she must have whatever the commercial is for. Something will flash across the screen and she'll yell to me, "I think we need that, Mom!" Uh, Snuggies aren't my thing, love. Really, they aren't.

And, although Jeff doesn't really talk (he can but he's still at the point where he doesn't really know what's going on!), he's made it very clear that all toy cars and trucks must be his. Following in Ryan's footsteps with the Hot Wheels collection!

Ethan hasn't really been infected, although he does take notice of the commercials that are constantly being thrown at him whenever we're at Papa & Tutu's. But, I think he'll be fine on Christmas morning.

Hopefully, I can nip this in the bud soon!

Pumpkin Patch Adventure 2009

Just realized how many days are left until Halloween (yeah, I'm slow!), so off we went to the local pumpkin patch for an adventure!

Adventures in Kindergaarten

Am I really that busy that I can't update this blog regularly? *scratches head in confusion* Hmm, I don't think so, so I must be lazy, lol!

Anyway, yesterday I got to go to school with Vanessa; fun times, I tells ya! Her teacher does "Magical Mondays" which has parents volunteering to come in to teach the kids about fiarytales or nursery rhymes. It's only forty-five minutes, so really not too much to ask.

I taught the kids about Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which I think went over well. I had the kids laughing and smiling during th story and the discussion we had afterwards, which is always a good sign right? Some of these kids were really quick on the uptake, which made for some funny answers when I asked some questions.

We made some mobiles afterwards, which the kids thought were pretty cool. I only had forty-five minutes, so several of the students didn't finish, but were excited to take it home to finish with their parents.

By the way, all through this, Vanessa keeps yelling at me, "Mom, I love you!" Which was hilarious; I think she thought she wasn't getting enough of my attention? Also, the boy that sits next to her kept telling her, "Vanessa, you're really pretty!" I'm thinking, crush?

Anyway, the entire class enthusiastically waved good-bye when it was time for me to leave, which made me smile. I think I rocked yesterday, lol!

Ethan's Baptism Day!

I figured I should blog about this while it's still fresh in my mind. Or, you know, since it happened just today, because i'm such a slacker when it comes to keeping this thing updated.

So, like the title says, Ethan was baptized today. I knew at the beginning of the year that he was turning eight and getting ready for it, but today somehow felt like it snuck up on me. One minute he's still 7 yrs. old, the next he's being interviewed by Bishop Gatten! And then, today he stood in the baptismal font with his dad; so mind-boggling for me!

Besides the entertaining conducting skills of Bro. Pace from the Bishopric (I'm positive he's a stand-up comedian in secret, lol!), we were able to hear talks given by Sis. Bonnie Rossi and Sis. Matthews on Baptism and The Holy Ghost, respectively. Short and sweet and easy enough for Ethan (and Aaron Libby, another boy from our ward) to understand.

And then, it was showtime! Ethan went first, and did he look excited! He scrunched up his face in a smile just before Scott dunked him, which made me smile. It choked me up a little, knowing Ethan had made this decision and gone through with it, plus his siblings were able to witness it, too!

While Ethan changed his clothes, we headed over to the Primary room for the confirmations. As we waited, Sis. Binns, the Primary President, read some spotlight info on the boys (she had us fill out the questionaire the night before!). It gave those present the opprtunity to learn more about the boys, which I think was a great idea. My dad was asked to bear his testimony at the end of Ethan's spotlight, which nearly made me cry when he expressed his love for his grandchildren being reared in the gospel.

Once the boys were changed, we went ahead with the confirmations. Scott gave a wonderful prayer that promised Ethan the blessings of knowing the truths of the gospel, as well as having a desire to learn more. It was truly sweet. Afterwards, Ethan jumped from his seat and ran to me, which made me laugh as I urged him to shake hands with his dad, Papa, Grandpa and Bro. Pace, all who had joined in the circle.

We had a luncheon afterwards at the house, with food cooked by Papa and Tutu, of course! After such an exciting day, it was nice to just relax and gorge ourselves with food and good company. As corny as it may sound, spending this special day with friends and family was too perfect!

Plus, now I have tons of food taking up the space in my refrigerator and freezer, lol!

Total FAIL yesterday!

Since Vanessa is starting kindergarten in about 11 days, we needed to take her to the doctor's for her Kindergarten check-up. Total and utterly a complete disaster! It didn't help that Ethan was there, scaring her with stories about how his shots hurt really bad, or that she had to pee in a cup (TMI warning!), but, oh, was she dramatic!

When we were finally called back and put in a room, the nurse needed to take her blood pressure. I think her warning of, "This will give your arm a hug!" didn't work, as Vanessa began to whimper. Then, when the nurse pumped the cuff up, the tears began. I don't know exactly what scared her about that, but, it took me a good ten minutes to calm her down.

And then, once she was calm, Ethan started again about the shots. *sigh* That boy really likes to torture his sister.

Dr. Johnson came in and tried to do the examination, but the moment he put the thrmometer in Vanessa's ear, she totally flipped out! I've really never seen her like this, honestly; it was a bit alarming with the way she was screeching and bawling her eyes out. Dr. johnson took it all in stride, but, sheesh! You would've thought we were going to sacrifice her to Kindergarten God by the way she was acting!

After that (yes, there's still more!), we had to deal with the shots. Poor girl had to get four shots, which freaked her out even more. It took one nurse to hold down her legs, and another nurse and myself to keep her arms and upper body still. I never knew how strong was Vanessa was until that moment! Oh, and her actions must've scared Jeff because he started to cry, too!

When all was said and done, she got a lollipop and a sticker, plus I took them to McDonalds for lunch. Some playtime in the PlayPlace and a Happy Meal later, and she was all smiles. But, I had to make sure, so i bought her an ice cream cone, lol.

Ugh, I still feel mortified and emotionally drained from yesterday. Luckily, I have four more years until Jeff starts kindergarten, so i'll just recuperate until then!

Bear Lake Vacation Pics

Finding shells and Jeff not wanting to get sand on his feet



Braving the cold water for a swim



Playing in the sand

Trying to play some tennis

Bear Lake Vacation

Official first day back after our vacation up at Bear Lake and I'm still tired. Why is it that you seem to need a vacation to recoup from a vacation? The kids? Still going! Why can't someone figure out how to harness kids' energy, bottle it and sell it to adults who really need it? LOL

Anyway, getting to Bear lake was an adventure all its own! First, we had drop off Spud at my parents' house so they could take care of him, then when we got back home, we had to figure out how to stuff everything into the Armada. Don't get me wrong, I love my Armada, but the cargo area doesn't cut it for lots of luggage.

When we did manage to stuff the car full, we settled in for the long drive to Bear Lake...well, after lunch, of course. lol.

The kids did well on the drive, considering we didn't have the DVD players for them (one was broken, the other we couldn't find the car adapter). Luckily, Jeff fell asleep (he doesn't do long car rides very well) for the majority of the drive, and the three older ones amused themselves, then eventually fell asleep.

We got to the condo (right across the street from the lake!) at around five, then unpacked the car. It was quite the adventure going back and forth between the car and the condo, lugging all our crap, but we eventually got everything inside. It was a nice little condo, fully equipped with the essentials (pillows, blankets, dishes, pots, pans, etc.), plus cable tv and a pool.

So, what's the first thing the kids want to do? LOL, watch cartoons. Go figure!

We eventually persuaded them to play the Wii for awhile (at least they were moving around, right?) while i tried to get everything unpacked and situated. That was when i realized I forgot to pack some stuff, like maple syrup and sugar! Luckily, there's a little market down the street that saved me, but I had to pay an arm and a leg!

The rest of our vacation was very relaxed. It was nice not having a schedule and just being able to hang out with the kids. We spent most of our time between the lake, the condo, the beach and the tennis courts. I'll have to upload the pictures of us attempting to play tennis; hilarious!

The lake was an interesting experience for Jeff; he freaked out at the sand. Wouldn't touch it, wouldn't look at it, had to have Daddy carry him the whole time we were there, lol. Made me sad; speaking as someone who grew up in Hawaii and spent most of my childhood at the beach, it makes me wonder, "What's wrong with you, kid?!"

There's also a little shaved ice hut near one of the campsites that we always stop by whenever we're there. The lady that runs it used to live on Oahu, so she gives the "locals" (anyon that's from Hawaii) a discount.Ahh, brings back memories when i eat that stuff!

So, what am I missing? I can't think of anything. We just kicked back, mostly, just spending time together. It was nice being with the kids and not be yelling at them, lol. We'll probably stay in the condo again next year.

Bingham Copper Mine Adventure

Older brother Ben was bored when we went over to my parents house, so we (Ben, older sister and me) took the kids up to the copper mine nearby. I don't know what the "pull" is over a giant hole in the ground, but if it keeps my kids happy and occupied, then I will gladly pay for it, lol.

We watched the giant trucks driving up and down the hole, then took a picture in front of the giant wheel that they have out there for tourists to take a picture with.

Then, it was time for the museum.

I think it's a given that my boys were in heaven! At one point we rounded a corner and in front of us was several display cases of all of the different kinds of trucks and vehicles the employees used. Upon seeing this, Jeff bent down and let out a huge, delighted, "OH, GOSH!" And ran over to it. In his excitement, he bonked his head several times against the case and the drill bit display nearby. Luckily, the case and drill bit are okay, lol.

I tried to get him to look at the other displays, but he always came back to the vehicles display. He loves trucks, if you couldn't tell. So we went next door to the gift shop to buy some souvenirs. Funnily enough, while the boys bought mini CATs, Vanessa bought a plush kitty with a carrying bag, lol.

Lunch from Wendy's followed, where we totally flustered the cashier with our large order (sorry!), then back to the 'rents house to eat. As we pulled up, so did the 'rents (they ran some errands), and unfortunately we didn't have food for them.

See what happens when you don't come on an adventure with us? LOL

4th of July with The Crack Monkeys!

I'm doing my best to stay awake, but I'm still under the effects of the food coma from yesterday's festivities! Ahh, food coma...

So...we had a BBQ yesterday to celebrate the 4th. The weather actually cooperated, too: cloudy in the morning, but hot and sunny by late afternoon. We didn't have to turn on the A/C until early afternoon, but it made the house nice and cool.

Really not much to report: we ate, we talked, we laughed, we blew things up. Well, actually we set things on fire. I'm talking about the fireworks, just to let you know. Some of our neighbors got their hands on the "illegal" fireworks (read: the ones that shoot up high in the air), and regaled us with their spectacular-ness, which made me happy. I like big "explosions" on the 4th; who doesn't?

The kids were having a blast: Ryan and Ethan took it upon themselves to douse the fireworks after they were done, just to make sure nothing was left hot; Vanessa directed Scott on where to place the fireworks and when to light them, and Jeff directed everyone's attention to the other fireworks going off by screaming, "Look!" every five seconds. I think I have a bunch of pyromaniacs on my hands, to tell you the truth, lol.

The night pretty much ended when our crack-tastic fireworks from Wal-Mart ran out. Everyone slowly left, leaving us with a heap of food, which can be good and bad. Good in that I won't have to cook until the end of the world (and then, why bother!); bad as in, I'm trying to lose weight here, people! Hahahaha.

I'll try to post pictures if I can ever figure out how to fix them in PhotoShop; 'cause y'know, Mindy hogs all the photography/PhotoShop talents to herself, lol!

Kiddie Pool Adventures

It turned out to be hot today, but luckily there was some wind so we didn't totally die. Do we even celebrate the person who invented air conditioning? "Cause I'd totally worship them. ;-)

Took the kids over to Papa & Tutu's today so they could play in the kiddie pool they have over there (it's two smaller pools joined together, complete with a dolphin spouting water when you connect it to a hose, and a slide in shape of a whale). The community pool that we have access to? No, that doesn't compare at all to the kiddie pool waiting for them, lol!

Let the kids play for awhile (and it was awhile!), then went back inside to rest. I didn't even do anything and I was tires; go figure! When Jeff started to nod off, we said our good-byes and headed back home. Jeff did fall asleep on the way home, but when I put him in the bedroom, he woke up, realizng he didn't have a binky in his mouth. He freaked out until I found one buried under some toys, and then there was two hours of blissful silence as he napped.

Vanessa and Ethan? Hmm, not so much. Spent most of the time fighting over Ethan's Leapster. Once Vanessa saw how much fun Ethan was having, she wanted in on it, too. Except there's only one Leapster. Screeching in the basement is not fun.

Hmm, and now it's dinner time, but I'm lazy. I declare it "Make Your Own Dinner Night!" Cereal is sounding so good right now.

Funny Gems From the Kids

While we were at my parents' house one day, Vanessa walked in on my sister and brother playfully arguing.

Vanessa: What did uncle do, Tata?
My sister: He changed my wallpaper on my computer...again!
Vanessa (nodding): Yeah, he's my bad uncle.

*Cue hysterical laughter from everyone*

Note: My younger brother is always sneaking in and changing my sister's computer wallpaper; it's usually of some korean actress or singer, which annoys her.

***************************************************************************************
The second gem comes from Jeff. A couple of weeks ago, he was playing with Scott on the floor. Scott got distracted for a moment, which prompted Jeff to tap him on the leg repeatedly, calling, "Dad! Dad!" When Scott didn't reply, he slammed his little fists into Scott's stomach and yelled, "SCOTT!!"

It had us rolling on the floor. :-)

Yard Sale Day!

Our community held its 3rd annual community yard sale today, but the weather totally pwned us! Earlier in the week, the weathermen had forecasted (is that even a word?!) sunny skies for today, but, yeah. Didn't happen. It was already cloudy and gloomy when I woke up this morning at about a quarter to seven, and it drizzled off and on while I was setting things up. Plus, it was windy.

Anyway, at the start of it, the kids were over at Papa & Tutu's, so all was quiet. And then, lunchtime rolled around and the Cutler kids hit! They came running as soon as the van stopped and the doors open, which was a hilarious sight.

The kids promptly begged to be able to go around and see the other sales going on, so Scott went with them, while I stayed back to watch over things. My parents stayed, too, and set up the snow cone machine and the hot dog warmer. They were gonna sell snow cones and hot dogs to help Ryan earn some money, but he ran away to find his treasure in someone else's junk.

All in all, it was a decent day, although the kids kept trying to buy back stuff that they'd given me permission to sell. Lol, go figure!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple open House

Hmm, did i spell that right? Probably not!

Anyway, last night we took the kids to the temple open house. It was such a nice outing as a family! When we got there, we were ushered into a tent to watch a short video about why temples are so important to the LDS faithful. It showed some pictures of the rooms in the temple, which got the kids asking so many questions! At one point, we finally had to tell them that we'd explain when we went inside for the tour.

By the time the video finished, the rain was coming down pretty hard, so we made a run for it, which the kids thought was fun. Of course, lol. We then entered the temple and that was when the oohing and ahhing started. The kids were very much taken by the chandeliers, as well as the high ceilings...in fact, I think this is the quietest they've ever been, lol! There was also alot of very impressive woodwork and decor that the kids really liked, which surprised me.

Afterwards we went to the reception tent outside and had some cookies and water while we talked with the kids about the temple. They asked questions and told us what their favorite parts were, which really touched my heart. Oh, my kids can make me cry from joy when they really want to.

Oh, funny note: when we entered the reception tent, we passed by a piano playing some music...by itself. Ethan's eyes got so round and he whispered to me, "Mom! That piano is haunted!" I couldn't help but laugh as I explained that it was one of those self-playing pianos programmed to do that. He looked relieved, lol.

Second funny not: As we were walking back to the car, one of the volunteers pulled up in one of the golf carts that they were using to transport those needed it. Apparently she didn't have any takers, so she offered us a ride. Yeah, you can bet the kids jumped right on that offer! Scott and I joke that besides the cookies, the ride on the golf cart will probably be the highlight of the kids' visit to the temple, lol!

We went to my parents' restaurant afterwards for dinner, and spent some time with them. The kids haven't seen them since Tuesday night, which is such a long time, you know. ;-) It was the perfect way to end our night!

Jeff and the Pink Eyebrows Adventure!

Jeff woke up this morning with pink eyebrows.

Yes, you read that right. Pink eyebrows.

Apparently, when I tried to clean him up after last night's bedtime adventure with pink Trix yogurt, I totally missed his eyebrows and a bit of his forehead. The yogurt dried overnight, and ta-da! Pink eyebrows.

Jeff was so not amused when I cleaned him up again.

Always before bedtime!

Since it's bedtime, I was being a good mommy by taking Vanessa up to her bed. But, as we passed the kids' bathroom upstairs, Jeff showed us that he had other ideas about going to bed. His idea? Taking some Trix yogurt (don't know where or how he got it, since the package is way up high in the refrigerator; must've stashed it earlier) and smearing the entire frontside of his body.

Fun times.

Too bad I didn't have my camera or I would;ve taken a picture. Who knows how much emotional blackmail a parent can inflict by threateningly waving a photo of a half naked toddler smeared with pink yogurt? I'm kidding!

The clean-up of the lil' monkey was quick and easy...the bathroom? Well, I'm so not going to deal with it right now. Just more stains to decorate an already stained bathroom carpet. By the way, whose bright idea was it to put carpet in the kids' bathroom anyway when we built the house? Hmm, yep. My finger's pointing at Scott, lol!

Anyway, now I'm sitting in Vanessa's bedroom, watching an episode of The Backyardigans and scratching my head in confusion. The episode is based on an adventure in Hawaii, but what the heck does "Huka Pele!" mean? 'Cause y'know, I'm from Hawaii? And I think I'd remember learning to yell "Huka Pele!" everytime I was angry. But, I don't. So, I'm just going to accept that the creators just made it up.

Also, if it's a Hawaiian-themed adventure, why are The Backyardigans singing songs with Indian (as in from India) and polka tunes?

Weird.

Not what we wanted, but we'll deal with it!

Currently, we're on A Track for year-round school. Which means we're the first track to finish school; I believe their last day of school is June 12. The rest of tracks (B,C,D) finish at the end of June. We really like the schedule for A Track and were hoping to get assigned the same track for next year.

Not happening.

Apparently, since our neighborhood has joined the school's boundaries, we're kind of isolated and in a weird location. We're close enough to the school to be within their boundaries, but because of current conditions of the roads surrounding us and leading to the school, our kids are bused. So because of that, they want to have only one bus pick-up he kindergarteners in our neighborhood, all at once, just to save gas, I guess.

In essence, all the incoming kindergarteners in our neighborhood have been assigned to D Track, afternoon session. Makes sense, right?

Except, with us being on D Track, it means my kids have a relatively long summer, as D Track kids are the last to go back to school. Their first day is August 25th, I think. So, my kids get released from school June 12th and don't return for the new school year until the end of August.

Excuse me while I cry.

I'm rambling again. Anyway, my point is that this is all Vanessa's fault for being a kindergartener! ;-) We probably would've gotten A Track again, but, she's going to kindergarten, darn it! LOL, totally kidding!

Like the title of this post: It's not what we wanted, but we'll deal with it!

The Ol' Bedroom Switcheroo!

Last week we decided that Ryan needs his own room. Mainly because he and Ethan sharing a room is really not ideal. For anyone. I can only take so much of, "Ryan! Stop it!" or "I don't know, Ethan!" spoken in screeching voices. I'm already partially deaf in one ear thanks to Vanessa's screams and Jeff's imitation of happy monkeys.

We did manage to come up with this: we move Jeff into the room with Ethan, and let Ryan have Jeff's room. That way, Ryan will have the privacy he needs, and than and Jeff will have the body heat and the feel of a person that they crave. Side note: since they were little, all of my boys liked sharing beds with others. I guess it makes them feel not so lonely; I dunno.

The only thing is now I have to repaint Jeff's room because I don't think Ryan is too fond of the baby animals theme we got going in there. I've already stripped off the wallpaper border, and now I have to paint over the brown paint with primer. We bought the primer on Monday, but I still haven't done any preparation to paint.

I don't think I need to tell ya that Ryan's getting antsy.

Just something else to add to my master to-do list! *sigh*

Memorial Day at The Zoo (aka our house)

Ha, I didn't really know how "dependant" I am on having my family so close until today! My parents and siblings went to Seattle to visit my oldest brother during the weekend, so our schedule was thrown off a bit.

First, since they weren't here, I cooked dinner on Sunday, which sent the kids into a panic, wondering what the heck Mommy was doing in the kitchen. After explaining elebinty times that Tutu and Papa weren't home, the kids begrudgingly sat down at the kitchen table, eyeing the dishes as I brought them out. Talk about pressure!

Second, usually on holidays like this, we have a BBQ together, but since it was just us, it really wasn't much. The kids are getting sick of grilled hamburgers, lol.

The day started off lazily enough: the majority of us didn't wake up until 8am, and then when we did, we dragged our feet to get some breakfast. I think it was cereal. I wanted to make pancakes and whatnot, but our gridle died and went to appliance heaven, so we've been making due with a stove one. But, I really want to toss it because he hates when I make pancakes, heehee.

Anyway, after breakfast we lazed around some more, then headed outside to do some yard work, aka pulling out all the weeds that sprang up while we were too lazy to do yard work. Which was often. Scott and I got most of the weeds, while the younger kids played in the yard. Ryan washed the Armada to earn some money, which was really helpful. Unfortunately, Jeff was eating some Trix yogurt at the time and decided the car was too clean, so he smeared some on the front grill. Yeah, all Ryan could do was roll his eyes and wash it again.

In a nutshell, that was our day: doing things that needed to be done because my parents weren't at home for us to bother. Sheesh, what's the matter with them, running off like that? [/sarcasm off] ;-)

Sunny days ahead!

I really need to learn how to manage my time. Or even acknowledge that I have time to do certain stuff, because most of the time it's just more fun to laze around the house, playing with the kids. That's the closest I'm going to get to admitting that I'm lazy, lol.

Hmm, so what's been happening since the last update? Well, let's see...Saturday was an extra busy day. The older kids had sports that day, plus Vanessa and Ethan were scheduled to take pictures for their soccer teams. We had to split up and did it with taking only one car, mind you. I did get to finally see Ryan play, which really blew me away. Last fall he played flag football, too, and he was impressive. But, this time around? Phew! That kid can book it down the field! I think he gets it from Scott, because heaven knows my short, Filipino legs can't move that fast!

We did hit a snag because Ryan's game started a bit late. Which meant it ended later than it was supposed, which also meant Ethan was late for taking pictures. Luckily, when we arrived, his team was just lining up for the photographer, so I threw him (okay, not really!) towards his team, and everything turned out great.

Hmm, and then what? Oh, yeah! We stopped off at Roberts (craft store) to buy some craft sticks and dowels that Ryan needs for his simple machine project at school. Jeff fell asleep on the way, so I opted to stay in the car with him, which took a lot of willpower. 'Cause it's a craft store, filled with lovely, shining, and enticing scrapbook supplies. I think Scott planned it that way, just so I would squirm, lol!

Our neighborhood also had a BBQ to "officially" open the pool. I quoted officially because even though it opened on Saturday, it's closed for this entire week, then will open again on Memorial Day. Interesting, and also frustrating, as this entire week is supposed to be sweat-worthy.

Anyway, the majority of the neighborhood was there and we were treated to some very delicious food (hot dogs and hamburgers), plus a raffle drawing. We actually won a $10 iTunes card, which will come in handy; we've been eyeing some of the cartoon episodes that they have on there, so now we'll have to make some hard decisions. Which really won't be easy because Ryan, Ethan and Vanessa really can't agree when it comes to cartoons.

This week should be relatively relaxing. No sports practices or games this week because of Memorial Day, plus it's supposed to be nice weather-wise. Just put some sunscreen on the kids, have some water handy, and let 'em loose in the neighborhood.

Ah, summer!

We love you, Grandma!

We found out yesterday afternoon that Grandma (Scott's grandma on his father's side) passed away. It was a surprise to everyone, and sad, but joyful at the same time. She'd been lonely since Grandpa died some years ago and she was also having some health problems. I can only imagine the happy reunion they had.

The kids were sad for awhile, but I think they've accepted the fact that she's now happier in heaven with Grandpa. Unfortunately, it's been quite awhile since we last saw her, so Scott and I are feeling a bit guilty as well.

Grandma was a great lady, strong and faithful, and so full of love for her family. She was also very witty and sassy, which made us laugh. We're going to miss her.

Spring is here!

The last few weeks have been very spring-like with the sunshine and sometimes rain. The kids are loving it, mainly because it's not snowing and they can now go outside to play. My kids LIVE for the outside; they'd stay outside if I let them, which i won't because they turn red in the sun, lol.

We also ALMOST got a bunny yesterday, which would have made the kids ecstatic. I say almost because one of our neighbor's bunnies got loose yesterday and decided to go for a hop around the neighborhood. And, wouldn't you know it would decide to hop straight into the yard that belonged to four kids who are DYING to get a bunny! When I was finally able to corner the little fuzzball, the owners finally caught up to it, so I had no choice but to let the little guy go home with them. Ethan was upset with me when he found out I let the bunny go, lol.

It's a good thing, as we don't have anywhere to put the furball, and definitely don't have anything to feed it. But, according to the kids, that doesn't matter, lol. They just want a bunny, dang it!

Now I know how movie stars feel...sort of

Since Mindy (my SIL that now lives in West Virgina) is here for a visit, we gathered at Lisa's (my other SIL) house for a family BBQ. Lisa's fiancee Paul also had family in town so they made it a big shindig with both families, which was fun. Lots of people both inside and outside of the house, and kids running amuck in the back yard.

Towards the end, Mindy wanted pictures of the family, so the next hour or so was spent posing for the camera and being blinded by camera flashes, lol. Fun times. I just hope I didn't ruin any pictures with my ugly cold sore.

It was nice seeing Mindy after so long. We do keep in touch via Facebook, but it's not the same as seeing each other face to face. The kids acted like it was just another family gathering, lol, which is expected, I think. I think we're going to have to make a trip out to West Virgina soon.

Of all the things to happen yesterday...

Yesterday started off as the usual busy Saturday: soccer games for Vanessa & Ethan, and Ryan's very first flag football game. Unfortunately, we had to split up because Ryan's game was scheduled for the same time as Ethan's, at a field about 5-10 minutes away. So we quickly grabbed some lunch from Wendy's (I had to eat my salad with a spoon, lol, 'cause they forgot to give me a fork! Hmm, and a straw for my drink, now that I think about it, lol!), and I trudged along in the wind and drizzling rain with Vanessa and Ethan to one of the park's pavilions so we could eat.

Despite being under the pavilion, the wind was blowing strong, so we were kind of freezing as we ate. Then, poor Ethan had to go out and play his game, where he proceeded to get even colder. We had him wear a long-sleeve shirt under his jersey, but he was wearing shorts, so it kind of defeats the purpose. Vanessa and I sat on the sidelines, trying to keep warm under the one fleece blanket we brought. By the end of the game, it was starting to rain a bit more, so we all but ran to the parking lot so Scott could pick us up (he went with Ryan to his football game).

Afterward is where the "excitement" starts. When we got home, Ryan was complaining about a headache, so we gave him some Children's Motrin (we didn't have any Tylenol, which is what I normally give the kids). About twenty minutes later, Ryan's right eye began to swell, until it was eventually swollen shut. And then, his left eye started to follow suit, so I jumped on the internet to research a possible allergic reaction to ibuprofen. All the articles I read said to take him to the doctor immediately, so off we went to the InstaCare.

Ryan was a bit afraid at first, but the nurse and the doctor were really kind and caring, so I think it relaxed him. The doctor thinks it's most likely an allergic reaction to the ibuprofen, but would like us to take him to an allergist to do a skin test. Afterwards, we had to go to Target to get his prescriptions filled, but the stinkers closed the pharmacy fifteen minutes before it's official closing time! Grr! So we went in search of the eye drops the doctor suggested, plus an ice pack (which they didn't have; again, grr!), the hightailed it home for some dinner and rest.

But, now that I think about it, I think this is the firsst time I've ever given Ryan ibuprofen. It's always been the Children's Tylenol, since he was a baby. The only reason we had the Motrin in the house was because one of the other kids (can't remember why); so it looks like Ryan is the only one allergic. So interesting.

His eyes are slowly getting better, after lots and lots of Claritin, cold compresses and eye drops; they're open now and alot less swollen, which is a complete relief to me. It was really hard not to flip out at the sight of his eyes, but I didn't want to freak Ryan out, so I pretended to be the calm, cool Mom. Yeah, but on the inside, I wanted my own mommy, lol!

The day before Easter....Easter Eve?

Am I too young to have a heart attack? I don't know the statistics, but I thought I was having one (or a really extreme panic attack!) when we took Jeff to Supercuts this morning. Little dude desperately needed a haircut (after the third time in one hour of someone thinking he's a girl, yeah, time for the scissors!), so we decided today was the day.

When we got there, at least two people were ahead of us, so we settled down for a wait. Jeff had other plans. It included running around, grabbing some of the hair products off of the shelves and grinning at us proudly. Ha, so I sent Scott chasing after him. Hey, I figured I get him all day during the week, so an hour or so of Scott chasing the little dude won't hurt, right?

Anyway, when the stylist called Jeff's name, my heart nearly stopped. He was already a little crabby from this morning (woke up that way, not my fault!), so I was convinced he was going to scream and cry once the scissors and comb started his way.

To my surprise, Jeff did very well. The stylist was well prepared: she stuck a lollipop into Jeff's mouth before anything else, then plopped him down onto Scott's lap, caped and all. And then...he sat quietly, sucking quite contently on the sucker while the stylist worked quickly; she even commented on how well Jeff was doing, which made me proud, lol.

And then, it was all over. Jeff got down and proceeded to run aaround, proudly showing off his new 'do. Well, as proudly as any 18-month old can, anyway, lol.

Later in the day, we colored and decorated Easter eggs for tomorrow. Star Wars deco for Ryan & Ethan, Hello Kitty for Vanessa, and Kung-Fu Panda for Jeff. It's gotten a bit more creative since I was little. When I was younger, those coloring kits came with the color tablets, the egg dippers and maybe some stands to hold your eggs. Of course, at the time I thought that was the shizzle, but now?

The kids' kits came with the aforementioned essentials, PLUS egg wrappers that shrink around the egg when dunked in boiling water, stickers, glitter and mini posters. Ryan & Ethan's also came with cardboard parts to create a TIE fighter egg (Star Wars), which Ethan calls his TIE Egg, lol. Good times.

Easter dinner is at our house, so a little bit of cleaning was in order. It was really easy since 3 of the 4 kids were at my parents' house (making bunn cakes!), and since they've been home, only the kitchen has taken the brunt of it. But, dinner's not until 6pm, so we have time after church to do some sprucing. Which translates into throwing every stray item into the office and shutting the door, lol.

Good times! ;-)

Sick...again!

Woke up this morning with a burning throat, pounding sinuses and a totally plugged up nose. I thought I'd been taking enough Zicam to head this cold off, but this morning proved me wrong. Ugh!

I think I caught it from Ethan. For the last week or so he's had a hacking cough and a somewhat stuffed nose, but it really didn't go beyond that. And lately, he's been fine. So I'm guessing he passed it onto me, and I passed it on Scott. So, at the moment, Scott and I are competing to see whose cold is worse. I think I'm winning, which is nothing to be happy about. :-(

Also, today was the final day for conference and if I'm honest with myself, I really didn't get to hear any of it. What I did get to hear went in one ear and out the other. Between the kids being themselves and my cold annoying me, I didn't comprehend anything! I guess I'll just have to wait for the conference issue of the Ensign or maybe go online to find the audio file. Hey, with the technology we have now, I'm bound to find something, right?

2-Day Recap

So I forgot to update for the last two days, and even though they're really not a big deal, here they are.

Thursday, April 2, 2009
Vanessa had preschool this morning, so i took the three boys out to do some shopping. Ryan wanted to buy some new cleats for this season's flag football, along with some new socks and shorts. We tried Target and Wal-Mart first, but no luck. So we then headed over to The Sports Chalet (the name makes me laugh, for some reason) and hit jackpot: we found football cleats, socks AND shorts, all in one stop. Ryan just grinned at me and said, "You know, Mom, we should've come here first." *rolls eyes* That kid is such a smart@ss sometimes!

Afterwards (with Ryan sitting happily in his seat and excitedly oogling his "treasures"), we hit the library. I tried to keep Jeff in the kids area with the toys, but he found the millions of shelves filled with books much more to his liking. Plus, there were other kids his size milling around the books, so he wanted to do what they were doing. I mean, they were his size, which facinated him, lol.

Ryan went on a whirlwind, grabbing every single book he could about planets. His class just completed a planets & space unit, which genuinely caught his attention. We're thinking of buying a telescope to use during the summer nights to look at constellations and stuff.

Ethan, on the other hand, went crazy for rabbit books. He really wants a rabbit and decided that if he reads everything about them (caring for them, their eating habits, etc.), then it'll convince me to get him one. The truth is, my sister-in-law had a rabbit she was going to give us, but their dog got into the bunny hutch and had some bunny dinner. So, no more bunny for us. Scott was going to build a hutch and everything (we still have the materials out in the garage), but it's been put on hold. Maybe some time in the future, we'll have a bunny.

After the library, we headed over to my parents' house to hang out while we waited for Vanessa to finish with preschool. We ended up staying for lunch (free food!) and then some, but left around three-thirty, so we could meet Scott at home. And then, the house threw up and became messy again. *sigh*


Friday, April 3, 2009
Tonight was Date Night and it was lovely! Scott and I went to the temple (gotta keep up my spirituality, lol!), which made me feel calm and content. We really should be going more often, but we haven't. I blame the kids and Scott, lol.

Afterward, we went to dinner at our favorite restaurant Tsunami's. It's Japanese food that's oh so yummy! And filling. In fact, I got a tummy ache last night because I ate too much. But, it was oh so worth it!

And now, we just finished watching some recorded shows off of our DVR. I will always be a fan of Superman, but the show Smallville is really pissing me off! I hate what they've done with the characters of a well-loved series; it really makes no sense where they've taken the show. Ugh, I better stop now before this turns into a full-blown rant.

New banner!

The new blog banner has been posted and I'm pleased with it. Although, I can't find a font that I really like. So the current one will have to do. For now.

Happy April Fools Day!

Yep, today is the jokester of all jokester days, but I haven't been fooled yet. I'm not putting anything past Ryan or Scott, so I'm kind of on my guard. You never know what Scott is thinking while he's at work, or if Ryan is truly concentrating on his video game or the ultimate prank on mom. You never know.

I just realized I need to create an updated banner for this blog. I love any and all pictures of my kids, but they look different from the ones still on here. Plus, Jeff is now 18-months old and doesn't look like a 9-month old anymore, lol. Vanessa also gae herself a new haircut (I still don't know where she found those scissors!), so her new picture should be interesting! ;-)

It stopped snowing, finally, but I don't dare step foot outside this house. I don't think I will ever get used to to the cold weather here; my kids, on the other hand, have their daddy's hot body heat, making them impervious to cold. So, I've declared today "Stay In Your PJs All Day!" day. And, as a family, we're really good at it, lol.

Oh, no!

The boys are currently freaking out as the XBox 360 is broken. Not working. Refuses to let them spazz out. Oh, no! What ever will we do? Ryan doesn't know what to do with himself and Ethan is constantly demanding to know when Scott is going to fix it. Turns out we have to send it back to Microsoft to get fixed. Oh joy.

In the meantime, I think the Wii will be getting alot more attention for now.

Funny!

So Jeff has been on something for the last few days and it's making me laugh. For example, this morning he's basically "annoying" Ethan and when Ethan grumbles to him, what does Jeff do? Looks at his big brother and says, "Ha ha!" Think Nelson from The Simpsons. No idea where he learned it from as we haven;t watched The Simpsons for a long time and none of us really say it.

Another time he growled, then glared at me when i told him he couldn't do something. He was truly mad at me, it was funny! He looks like my brother Fred when he does that face, which explains why they get along so well, lol.

Now, just take the hilarity of those two situations and multiply them by about ten and you've got the mood of the last several days, lol.

Getting back into the swing of things

Preschool started back up for Vanessa today, although the time changed from 8:30 am to 9:30 am instead. Miss Stephanie, Vanessa's teacher was on maternity leave for the entire month of February, so Vanessa was really excited to go today. She was ready by 9 am and wanted to leave then, but I managed to delay her a bit longer. ;-)

Jeff and are now at my parents' house, since it's right down the road from the preschool. Besides, Vanessa told me, "We're going to Papa & Tutu's after I'm done with preschool, Mom." So, instead of driving back and forth, here we are. There are alot more fun toys here than at our house, apparently, as Jeff has been playing non-stop since we got here. I'm thinking I'll have to buy some Chevron Cars toys for our house 'cause he loves the one Tutu collected for Ryan when he was little.

It's kind of weird having only Jeff with me, but I'm sure I'll eventually get used to to it....like next week, lol63.

Things my kids say at a funeral

On Thursday evening we headed up to Heber (we also slept over) to attend the wake of a very dear family friend who passed away last week. I've known this family since I was little; I grew up with their kids and grandkids in Hawaii. The patriarch, after a few years of failing health, peacefully passed away at his home, surrounded by his loved ones.

I miss him. He was like my grandpa, and quite the funny man. His funeral was quite the tribute to his life.

But, the next time I have to attend a funeral, I think I'll go by myself or wait until my kids are older. Here's some of things they said and/or did during the two days we were there:

Ryan: "Mom, I'm bored." Sorry, hon. I would sing and dance to occupy you, but I don't think it would be appropriate to do so in the middle of a wake.

Ethan: "Why are we going to the funeral AGAIN? We went yesterday." No, yesterday was the wake; today is the actual funeral, hon.

Vanessa: "Mom, I have to go potty!" Said quite loudly, three times in less than five minutes, DURING the funeral service.

Ryan: "I wish I'd gone to school today." Said after the funeral service was over, and while we were waiting for the luncheon to start. *sigh*

Ethan: "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" After he accidentally set off the fire alarm in the church building. In his defense, the alarm was already defective and the slightest movement of the plastic covering set the alarm off.

Vanessa: "If he went home to Heavenly Father, why is he still here?" While poiting to the body in the casket when we said our final good-byes. Okay, so it made alot of people laugh; it was cute.

In hindsight, I can now laugh about these gems. But, at the time, the kids were really truing my patience! ;-)

President's Day with The Zoo

Scott and I actually didn't wake up until 9am this morning; SCORE! It's amazing when you actually get enough hours of sleep, lol. Anyway, after dragging ourselves out of bed, I went and picked up the kids at my parents' house, while Scott stayed home to take a shower and then study. When I got to my parents' house, the kids were outside with my mom, playing in the backyard. Jeff was having a ball following Buddy around the yard (Buddy is my brother's black Lab); so much so that he didn't bother to tell me hi.

I let the kids play for awhile (Jeff refused to come in), while I ate some pancakes. I think it got a bit too cold outside, because after awhile they came back inside, so I gathered them all together to go home. At first Jeff didn't want to go without Tutu, but once he saw the front door was open, he gladly made a break for it, lol.

We later ate lunch at Carl's Jr, where the kids played for a bit in the playground; in between bites of lunch, of course. Jeff demolished half of his hamburger in less than five minutes, then wanted to go back to playing. Ethan was caught between his food and playing, so he made a trip back to the table every so often. And Ryan just sat with me and we ordered some ,milkshakes to slurp while we played a game from the kids' combo meal.

And now, we have to decide whether or not to get a cat. Apparently, we have mice in our house and they've been running free for the last few weeks. I saw one run into the laundry room on Saturday, and another one ran over my legs as I cleaned out the refrigerator today. Freaky! So we're thinking of getting a cat. But, it has to be a cat that's older, housetrained, good with kids and doesn't mind having a dog around. Are there cats like that out there? I hope so!

I love it!!!

Having my parents living 5 minutes away, that is. Since it's a holiday tomorrow and the kids don't have school, they decided they wanted to sleep over at Papa and Tutu's. So I actually get to sleep in my own bed tonight. Wohoo!

We didn't make it for the first hour of church today, but we did get the kids to class on time. And Jeff was mellow enough that Scott and I were able to attend our Sunday School class. He became enthralled with a balloon stuck on the ceiling and you could tell he was trying to figure out how to get it down, lol.

Anyway, the house is very quiet. Scott is watching some show he recorded on the DVR and I'm just surfing the 'net. I don't quite know what to do with myself, lol.

I hope the kids behave.

A little bit of everything....

So the boys went back to school last week and there was much rejoicing in the neighborhood because I know for a fact that I wasn't the only one! Very uneventful, as their teachers just threw them back into the learning game, but their backpacks were bursting with papers when they got off the bus. Si tempted to just toss them into the recycle bin and save some trees, but I resisted. Turned out to be a whole crapload of reminders, surveys and whatnot. Oh! That reminds me! I have to check on the boys lunch money balances!

Vanessa's preschool teacher had her baby on Sunday, so she's on maternity leave. Miss Stephanie, not Vanessa, lol. So for the entire month of February, Vanessa has no school. Can I tell you how disappointed she is? She woke up this morning all excited and then turned sad when I reminded her that she didn't have school today. I think I placated her by suggesting we make Miss Stephanie a card and maybe a blanket for the baby.

Jeff is the same as always. No, wait. I take that back. His new thing is to climb onto everything. And, I mean everything. If the top is even an inch or so above the floor, he'll climb it. And, he's such a little monkey about it! At first, it was climbing into his highchair by himself. Then, it was onto the back of the couch. Now, it's anything if he can get a leg up! The other day I caught him getting onto the pool table by leaning an air mattress against it and scaling that. He so reminds me Ryan at this age; very sneaky and creative.

Speaking of Ryan, the boy is officially a sports fanatic. The evidence was apparent on Super Bowl Sunday. At one point, I really thought I'd have to get the kid some counseling if the Steelers didn't win; he got very much into the game. And, he still insists that he wants to play tackle football. Yeah, I don't know. If he does, I don't think I could watch any of his games. I'm trying to convince him to wait until he's at least eleven or twelve, but he's determined. Well see.

Ethan...well, he's Ethan. He's very excited because he realized he's turning eight this year and will be getting baptized. And joining Cub Scouts. So exciting! But, it makes me feel old. Wasn't he just a baby? No? Are you sure?

Is it Spring yet? I'm tired of the yucky, cold weather and the inversion. I need to play outside!

Is vacation over yet?

I love my kids, I really do! But, this off-track vacation has been going on too long! They got out of school on Dec. 23rd for Winter Vacation, then while the rest of the students went back to school on Jan. 5th (I think), A-Track went off-track. It feels like the boys have been home forever! Luckily, they go back to school next week.

It's chaos when all four kids are home together, as any parent would know. My days are filled with whining, screaming and crying for the most part; once in a great while, they'll miraculously get along and play nicely. Once in a great while.

Can school start soon? Please?

Christmas Report

Obviously, Christmas has come and gone, and yet again I am slacking with the update. I don't have an excuse (this time) so I don't know what happened. Anyway...

We woke up to a blizzard. Not kidding. The snow was coming down really hard and the wind was blowing every which way, so you couldn't tell where the snow was coming from. I woke up at about 6am, still dark outside, with the intent of starting breakfast, but being Christmas morning, the kids started to wake up.

The first was Ethan. He looked bleary eyed but ready to tear into his presents as he eyed them from the kitchen. He sat fidgeting on the kitchen stool, alternating between asking what was for breakfast to when we'd open the presents, back to what I was cooking for breakfast (red and green pancakes, bacon, sausage, and hash browns, just so you know, lol). He stirred the green batter twice, then gave up to stare at all the pretty presents under the tree.

A bit after Ethan, Jeff came limping into the kitchen, blinking from the bright lights. He then proceeded to try and climb his way up the stove to see what was cooking, so I had to get Scott out of the bedroom and entertain the little guy. He wasn't too happy about that, plus the lure of presents was proving to be strong.

Vanessa came next, chattering up a storm about...well, the storm, and the presents under the tree, and the stockings, and, hey, mom, when are we opening presents? Imagine her not breathing while she's doing this and you'll get the picture, lol.

We actually had to wake Ryan up, as he was too excited the night before and kept waking up. I slept downstairs in the family room with them, mainly to keep them away from the tree. Doesn't mean he didn't try, though, lol.

So breakfast is quickly consumed, and then the frenzy begins. In mere minutes, my living room floor is buried under ripped wrapping paper, discarded boxes, and brand new loot from Santa and mom and dad. Scary. And, all the while, the storm is raging on, with no sign of calming down.

During "playtime" with all of our new toys, the power went off for about half an hour. I'm guessing because of the massive amount of snow that's falling from the sky, but, what do I know. It could be that someone crashed into a power-thingy or other because of the snow. Dunno.

We weren't able to go over to Papa and Tutu's for more gifts until later that day, but if you just take the present opening frenzy of our house and repeat it at their house, you can imagine what happened.

I'll have to post the pictures later.