It was a Nice Holiday

So, I have like four posts in the last two months and before that I was doing so good at keeping up the posts. Well, as like everyone, it has been really busy for me since Halloween. Time slows for no one, but for me it seemed to have sped up. With all the stress that was incurred with the car accident, that made Thanksgiving fly by and before I knew it, it was the day after Christmas, even now it is four days after Christmas and then it'll be the new year.

Well, let's see. I think I will spare the details of just our everyday stuff that has taken up most of my time, and recap Christmas.

Mom came down and spent Christmas with us. It was so nice to have her here. The kids were so excited that she was going to be here and they loved all the attention that Grandma showered upon them. They played games and she read to them. The day before Christmas, she walked them to the park and they played there awhile. Afterwards, the walked all the way down to the Dairy Queen were they had lunch and ice cream. Mom brought them a lot of really cool toys, clothes and some PJs. They really enjoyed getting them. Mom's visit with us was short, but I know they kids will talk about it up until Mom's next visit with us.

Christmas eve the kids each got to open one present. On Christmas morning the kids opened all their gifts. They all got some really neat things. Christmas seemed like it had been going on for a few days because the kids got to open some presents early. So, there has been new toys being played with around here for about a week.

Maria and Ris and the kids flew in from the Philippines a few days before Christmas and Mom and Dad continued with their visit there. They were all there for my aunt's 50th wedding anniversary. We didn't go because with McKenna being so young, we didn't think it would make for easy travel. So, we stayed behind.

With Mom and Dad in the Philippines this year, so they didn't host the family party which has been held at their house every year my entire life. I remember them having a party with tons of friends and relatives pre-California days, which was more than 30 years ago.

This year the party was at my cousins house. It was a nice party and we did have fun. We were missing almost an entire branch of the family tree and they were missed. It was weird not having Mom and Dad there, but they did call during the party and spoke to everyone.

Before the party, we exchanged our family gifts. The kids got a ton more stuff, then at my cousins house they got even more! Christmas gifts are for kids, but sometimes I wonder how much is too much. I say that with a bit of guilt as I know that they get so many wonderful gifts because they are loved by so many wonderful people. They are so fortunate to have so many people that care so much about them.

Well, my parents flew home yesterday and they stopped by here on their way home. It was nice to see them. It was weird not having them here. I am glad they are home. They brought back lots of yummy Philippine sweets which got divvied up amongst us all.

Kevin refused any of the sweets. He got sick the day after Christmas with some weird stomach thing. He complained about having an upset stomach right before bed the day after Christmas. Maria and I went to Target to hit the after Christmas clearance stuff and when we got home, all the kids that were asleep when we left, were all awake and Kevin was in a new pair of PJs. It turns out that shortly after we left, he threw up at least a dozen times and was on his second set of PJs. His bed sheets and blankets were a mess and they had gone through almost all the towels. Keith and Mom (mostly Keith according to Mom) cleaned it all up. I ended up staying on the couch with Kevin. The poor thing threw up all night until about 7am the next day. He stayed in bed all day Tuesday and yesterday. He was weak and dizzy. Today he is feeling great (according to Kevin), but he looks like he hasn't eaten in two days - which he hasn't.

So, it is today. I am going to work in the garage, clearing out the tons of stuff we have in there. I hope to get it done this week (what's left of it!) to start the new year off, well, new!

I plan to post on new year's eve. It'll be this blog's one year anniversary!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

A Quick Update

Gosh, there is so much to say since I haven't updated in forever! I will try to update you soon and even post more pictures into the kids' photo albums.

I just wanted to give a quick update on Kyle.

He has had the sniffles since Thanksgiving and last Wednesday, he had a fever. It lasted the whole day and all of Thursday. He was quite grumpy and could not sleep well - which meant neither Keith nor I slept well. He had a snotty nose and was breathing heavily. I had to check on him a few times to see if he was snoring; he wasn't asleep, just breathing heavily. He had not much of an appetite and wasn't drinking a whole bunch. So, Friday morning I called the pediatrician and they wanted to check him over to make sure he didn't have an ear infection. I didn't really want to haul all four kids to the office, so they said I could take him on Saturday (I didn't know they had Saturday appointments!) Wouldn't you know it, his fever broke not 10 minutes after I talked to the doctor.

On a side note (which is actually an important part of this update): Julie came over on Friday and hung out with us.

So, his fever breaks and I think, "Eh, he's fine. I'm not going to take him in." But, come later in the afternoon, Kyle is a HUGE grump. A bigger grump than he has ever been. I figure that he is so tired because of the lack of sleep, that he is beyond sleep and so he is grumpy. Julie suggested that we give him a decongestant so that he could sleep, but we really use meds on the kids unless it is absolutely necessary. So, we didn't have anything in the house to give him. So that night was yet another sleepless and frustrating night. Keith and I decided that we needed to have Julie advise us on which drugs to give him, and that we should have him checked by the doctor.

So, come Saturday morning, after hearing Kyle's restless night Julie says, "So, have you called the doctor?" Julie and I go to the doctor's office. Kyle gets checked out. The doctor listens to his breathing. He is having difficulty breathing. She looks at his ears. They look fine. She looks in his throat. Extremely red, pustules in the throat and very swollen tonsils. She suspects strep throat. A culture is taken. The test (which only took a minute), is negative. No strep. She then says that it's very rare for kids Kyle's age, but she'd like to test him for mono. After the doctor leaves, Julie says that she would be very surprised if it was mono.

Five minutes later, the doctor comes back. Apparently, Kyle is positive for mono. Mononucleosis. The Kissing Disease. Isn't that something high school kids get??? Who the heck has Kyle been kissing?

So, that explains it. Kyle got a steroid shot to help with the swollen tonsils. The tonsils were hindering his breathing along with the nasal congestion. The doctor says to expect lack of appetite for about two weeks and listlessness for about four to six weeks. The mono goes away on its own. We have no clue how he could have gotten it, or from where. She said that the virus can last for as much as six months in you without making you sick.

My poor baby. And just think, I thought he was just being cranky because he was tired. Duh.

The Kids - December 2005

The Kids - December 2005

Last weekend we took pictures for our Christmas card. Here are the solos of the kids. Hopefully I will be able to get the cards out soon! Kevin is looking older and older with every picture I take. He definitely isn't a little kid anymore. Look at Kaela's hair. It has gotten so long and soft. She is losing her "baby" looks too. Kyle is always the jokester. He can't stay still for a picture. I like the way this one came out though. Kenna is now 8 months old! I can't believe it. I was going to originally name this post "time flies". Well, time certainly does fly - just look at my babies!

Kenna Gets Her Ears Pierced

Kenna Gets Her Ears Pierced

Kenna got her ears pierced today. She didn't even cry! They had two techs working on her and pierced both ears at the same time. They said that they have never had a baby not cry. She is so tough!

The earrings we picked out are just gold balls like Kaela's. Don't be concerned with the purple "bruised" look. She is not bruised. It is the marking pen they used to mark where the piercing would be.

If we don't talk to you tomorrow - Happy Thanksgiving! I will update our Thanksgiving tomorrow or the next. I should have some good pics!

Wow! Has it Really Been That Long?

So, it has been more than two and a half weeks since I last updated you on what is going on with us. Let's see if I can recount what has happened. Time has flown by, but at the same time, November 1 feels like ages ago. Let's just recap by family member.

Keith. Working like always. Just hanging in there and is doing well. He stayed home yesterday due to illness. It has taken its rounds among us and Keith always gets it worse than everyone else. But, he is back at work today, so he isn't all THAT sick. Keith says sometimes he feels bored and needs some adventure. He's not sure what kind of adventure, but hopefully we can find something that he thinks will make life more interesting. Any suggestions?

Me. I have been busy with Stampin' Up stuff. I just had an open house last weekend. I have also been selling some of my older stamp sets. The open house went well and I thought a good amount of people came. I had some sales and it gave me a taste of what it is like to actually hold an event. I had fun doing it. I just need to do it locally and with people I don't know! I can see myself being pretty successful at this, I just need some focus and drive.

Other than Stampin' stuff, I have been busy carting the kids here and there and taking care of everyday life. The house is messy, but it's the lowest on my priority list. It is in decent shape and far from being a pigsty.

Kevin. He was sick the other day and missed a day of school for the first time. Soccer is done for the season and starts up again in January. We had a parent teacher conference and he seems to be doing well. He needs to work on his writing skills and his number recognition. He is doing good with his letters and his letter sounds. According to his teacher, he is right were he needs to be. They are having a Thanksgiving feast on Wednesday and I am going to help out. Maria and the kids are going to be here to watch over my kids. I wonder how she'll do with five kids for a few hours?

Kevin made me the cutest card yesterday. He drew a picture of me and him with a big heart in between us. He also drew some sunflowers, a Monarch butterfly and a rainbow. He told me this morning that it was an appreciation card. This one is definitely a keeper.

Kaela. She is doing good. Cute as ever. She is enjoying school and is looking forward to her Preschool's Thanksgiving feast. She really likes school and is really learning a lot. I think by the time she goes to kindergarten she will be much further along than Kevin was.

Kaela is still a girlie girl. She loves her princess stuff and anything that is girl related. Barbie an purses and pink things. She loves all girl things. I did notice though that her tastes are migrating to bigger girl things. She is focused on clothes mostly! Yikes.

Kyle. He's talking more and fighting with Kaela a lot more. The 18 months between Kyle and Kaela really make a big difference behaviorwise in comparison to the 24 months between Kevin and Kaela. Kyle and Kaela fight a lot more than Kevin and Kaela ever did. It is difficult to have to deal with as nothing I do seems to lessen the fighting. They aren't fighting all the time. They do play together quite often. So, it's not like they hate each other, they are just butting heads with some things - mainly toys and when Kyle is bored, he just bugs Kaela to no end.

Kyle's words are coming gradually and I can understand him more and more. He is saying a few words more clearly now and I am finding that I don't have to decipher so much.

Kenna is now officially crawling. She doesn't go all that fast. But you put her in the walker and she flies through the house. I think she doesn't care so much for the crawling. She can get into a seated position from a crawl and vice versa. We have started putting her in the pack-n-play downstairs during the day. She can sit in that thing for a couple of hours with a few toys and you don't even have to entertain her.

Well, I think that sums up most of the last two and a half weeks. I am sure I've forgotten something. If I think of it, I'll write more.

I'm off for now. Hopefully I will be more on the ball and keep you more up to date. Bye!

McKenna is 7 Months Old!

McKenna is 7 Months Old!

Here's the smiley girl posing for her 7 month picture. That is her bear in her hand. Since she has gotten so mobile and can move things, the bear just didn't want to stay put!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

Okay, so I cheated and changed the date. I really am posting this the day after!

Well, the kids had a lot of fun trick-or-treating. But, what kid doesn't??? Kaela was the brave one and so the Princess had to ring the doorbell when the Ninja was hesitant. The kids had only been out about 45 minutes when they came back. Keith hadn't intended on stopping, he just wanted them to drop off some candy because their buckets were filled to the top! But, once they got home, they wanted to dig into their candy, so suddenly they were "tired".

It was a much warmer night than last year and Kenna and I were able to sit outside in just our long sleeved tees to pass out candy. There were some pretty neat costumes. Some of these costumes looked like they cost a pretty penny.

Halloween was fun and we have TONS of candy to eat! Yummy!

Jack-O-Lantern

Jack-O-Lantern

We bought a fat orange pumpkin

The plumpest sort they sell.

We neatly scooped the inside out

And only left the shell.

We carved a funny funny-face

Of silly shape and size,

A pointy nose, a jagged mouth

And two enormous eyes.

We set it in a window

And we put a candle in,

Then lit it up for all to see

Our jack-o-lantern grin.

Life is Moving at the Blink of an Eye

Aurgh. I don't know where the time is going, but it is flying by. We have been really busy, but not doing anything in particular. It is just life that has us busy. So, here are so quick recaps...

The car. It is done. We got it back on Friday and it is so nice to be in my own car again. The familiarity of it is calming. I feel safer in it than I did in the rental car and lastly my dad's car which we ended up borrowing after the whole insurance fiasco reared its ugly head. The car feels great and looks great. They washed it for us and it looks all shiny and new.

Keith. Doing the daily grind. He has no complaints I guess, or rather none that he is expressing. He got the just released, Civilizations IV. It was regularly $49.99, but since we had gathered so many Best Buy bucks from McDonald's, we got $42 off. I suppose we could have gotten the game completely free, but to get the Best Buy bucks, you had to have large fries or a premium chicken sandwich from McD's. Well, after gathering $42 worth of these things (in $3 and $1 increments and with the help of Maria), I am SO sick of McD's. Of course the kids love it, but their stuff didn't come with the Bucks. At any rate, Keith is now playing the game as we speak.

Me. Well, I am getting ready for my open house on the 12th of November. I have had a few responses to the e-mail newsletter I sent out, so I know at least a few people will be there. I feel like I never have enough time on my hands to do what I want, but yet I feel that the time I do have is being wasted. I feel unorganized and forgetful these days. I am just not on the ball like I feel like I usually am. I think some of it has to do with my disorganized house. The house is a reflection of my disorganized life.

Kevin. He has a loose tooth. He is anxious for it to come out. He is enjoying soccer, but wants to do Karate too. We are still holding strong with the one extracurricular activity until he is older. He has been learning a lot through school. He can now recognize letters by sight. I just wish they would work more with the numbers so I don't have to! This weeks homework they want him to be able to recite his numbers up to 40. I just don't have the patience to do it.

Kaela. She has been peeing in her bed at night. At first I thought there was an explanation as to why - she didn't pee before bed, she woke from a bad dream and then couldn't rush to the bathroom, etc etc - but she did it again for no apparent reason. Back to the pullups. It seems to go good for a few weeks then back to the pullups. Oh well, she'll learn - hopefully soon!

Kyle. He has been fighting and picking on his sister everyday, all day! It is aggravating, not to just Kaela, but for me too. I guess I can referee to my many job titles. Kyle is talking more and I can make out a lot of the words he is saying. He is still bugged by anything dirty and can't stand things that aren't just so (according to his tastes). He is a smart one though. He had a memory like an elephant.

Kenna. She is strong as ever while sitting up. She can move her hands when she is on her hands and knees, but generally gets forward movement by plopping on her stomach and then getting back up on hands and knees then lunging forward, plopping on her stomach then getting up and on and on until she gets to where she wants to go.

Halloween. Keith is going to take the three older kids out and Kenna and I are going to hand out candy. I went out last night to check the mail and it was cold! Last year was really cold, this year looks as though it'll be the same. We are going to carve the pumpkin tonight after we get back from Kevin's soccer.

Overall, there aren't really any complaints. It's all good. Back on the 13th marked the 7th anniversary of our first date. Life is moving at record speed.

Kyle's Birthday Cake

Kyle's Birthday Cake

Kyle had his Hauntingly Fun Halloween Birthday Party today. We had a lot of fun just visiting, eating and taking pictures. We had a good turn out for costumes. Click here to view pictures.

Kaela Visits the Pumpkin Patch

Kaela Visits the Pumpkin Patch

Kaela went on her first field trip ever. She and I went to a local Farm. We had a great morning together. Keith took off from work that day and after we got home we all went out to enjoy the day together.

At the farm, we took a wagon ride tour of the farm. We saw where they were planting a new crop of strawberries and large fields of pumpkins. There was a petting zoo there and Kaela had a great time feeding the goats. Kaela was the most "hands on" of the girls. Some of the girls did not want to touch the animals.

After the petting zoo, we got to pick vegetables. Kaela handpicked green beans, carrots, radishes and onions. She got right in there and got her hands dirty. When we got home, we washed up the veggies and the kids ate them. Kaela didn't like the radishes. It was what she wanted to try first, but she didn't care for them very much.

The whole class got to run through a huge hay maze and then we all stopped to take some really cute class pictures.

Finally, Kaela picked out a family pumpkin. We wandered through the patch until she found the perfect one. Then we went to the vegetable stand and she picked out addition smaller pumpkins for her brothers and sister.

When I asked her what her favorite part was, she said it was feeding the goats.

Happy 200th Post & 2,000th Hit

Well, this is my 200th post. When I started this blog just before the new year, I didn't think I would be able to keep up with it. Going back and reading what I have written, it is fun to see what has gone on this past year.

It is also neat to see that the blog has been visited 2,000 time. This counter to the right is a bit deceiving though in that more than have the hits are mine. But still, I think for a blog that hasn't been thrown out there on the search engines, it does get some pretty good traffic.

So, with that, thanks for reading!

Kyle's is Two!

Kyle is Two!

Here is Kyle with his Thomas the Train birthday cake. We had dinner and then cake. When we brought out the cake and placed it in front of Kyle, he was so happy. Then we started singing Happy Birthday and he had the cutest smile on his face. I don't think he realized that it was his special day until we started singing to him. Notice the yellow frosting on his nose and the red and blue on his fingers. He couldn't keep away from the cake while we sang.

He got some really nice presents that he really loves. Grandma Karen got him a book and a Fur Real puppy - which this morning he was carrying around in a football hold. Aunt Karensa and Uncle Paul got him a monster truck dump truck which Kyle has become very protective of. If anyone touches it, he throws a tizzy fit! We got him some Thomas the Train books and some Matchbox cars. He had fun putting the little Matchbox cars into the back of his new dump truck. He got a really cool book reader from Grandpa Dennis and Grandma Mary. He got a nice card and some college fund money from Great Grandma the same from Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Orv. His Halloween birthday party is on Saturday. He might get even more presents then!

Kyle has his two year appointment this morning. He is 34 inches and 29 pounds. Wow! 60-70% for weight and 55% for height. He got a flu shot which he didn't like at all. But, all in all he is doing just fine.

Kyle's Birthday Dinner

Kyle's Birthday Dinner

Kyle's birthday dinner was a lot of fun. We ended up not making anything special and cleared out the fridge of leftovers. We ate first then had cake, then gifts. We got some very cute pictures and all the kids really enjoyed themselves.

Our Weekend

We had a full weekend. It was nice.

Thursday Kevin and Kaela were off from school, so we all stayed home together. We didn't do much of anything that day. The kids played and watched videos. I had a lot of cleaning to do as we were having guests on the weekend, but as usual I procrastinated.

Thursday afternoon was a busy delivery day for us. First UPS came by with packages for Kyle's birthday and Halloween. Then the postwoman dropped off more packages for the same. The kids were really excited when they came. We saved one of the bigger packages for when Keith came home so that he could join in on the fun. Kyle was asleep when the boxes came in, so we were able to hide his birthday presents.

Friday Kevin had his first field trip. He rode on a school bus for the first time and had a lot of fun at the farm they visited. He saw an ox, a calf, goats, horse, cow and pigs. There were bees and lots of vegetables. He said his favorite was the calf. His class and the three other kindergarten classes went - two full bus loads! It was really hot that day and the kids and I walked at 1pm to pick up Kevin. The sun was beating down on us and the kids' cheeks were a bit red. I had our big black umbrella that both Keith and I fit under to shade the kids. Kaela walked the whole way home with that thing shading her. It was quite a funny sight. She held it high up on the handle which was so long that it was touching her feet as she walked.

Saturday was a busy day. We finally got the house clean! I let the housecleaner go in the middle of August, so the house hadn't been really cleaned since then. I have been doing a lot of Stampin' Up! stuff, so my things are everywhere in the kitchen. I got all that stuff cleared out of the kitchen and somewhat put away. My counters are once again bare and sparkly white. Keith took the plunge and deep cleaned the guest bathroom and the kids' bathroom. I had been cleaning them, but not a well as I should have. I dusted and spot mopped the floors. I cleaned out the cracks of the couches and the house actually was nice and presentable.

Alma and Scott were running a half marathon this weekend and asked if they could spend the night so that they wouldn't have to wake really early to drive to the race. By staying at our house, it got them closer to the race so that they could rest prior to their run. They brought their kids and we watched them this morning while they raced. Kevin and Joshua had a TON of fun playing together and Kaela and Carolina were stuck like glue. They were all well behaved and had fun fun fun!

It started to drizzle last night and today for most of the day it was raining. Well, rain as in SoCal rain. Not really rain to anyone else! Kevin had soccer and the game wasn't cancelled. I stayed home with the rest of the kids as Keith took Kevin. I didn't feel like bring the kids to sit in wet grass. Good thing we didn't go, Keith said it rained a bit while they played. Kevin did a good job playing. Keith said he overhear one of Kevin's teammate's older brother comment, "That Kevin, he's good!" Kevin really is enjoying soccer.

Well, this is going to be a busy week. Kyle's birthday is tomorrow. We are going to have dinner using Thomas the Train plates and napkins. I ordered him a Thomas the Train cake. It'll be fun I think!

Kyle's birthday party is on Saturday - a costume party. I have not started making the kids' costumes. I think I am going to have a few late nights this week. I am also supposed to make the cake and I haven't a clue as to what we are going to serve at the party food wise! Yikes! I have less than a week. I better get on the ball!

Well, with that said, it is time for all kiddies to go to bed! Good night!

Practice Drills

Practice Drills

Here's Kevin before the game doing some drills. He is really liking soccer. This past weekend everyone came out to see the game. Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie Ris, Auntie Ri and Ellie and Colin, of course we all were there too.

Kevin can get pretty aggressive. When they are getting ready to go for the ball, Kevin roars and then runs. He reminds me of those Vikings on that credit card commercial. He does pretty good at stopping the ball. He just needs to concentrate on going after the ball and staying with it. He's not bad for it being his second game.

Hmmmmm

Hmmmmm

I'm not sure what to make of this picture. Kaela enjoys watching Kevin's soccer games, but in this picture you'd think differently. We asked Kaela if she wanted to play soccer too. Her response, "No. I want to go to ballet school." Again with the ballet school!

Book Hoarder

Book Hoarder

Kyle has a new fascination with these little ABC board books. He plays with them daily. He looks at the pictures sometimes, but spends most of the time piling them up and knocking them over. Notice that he has stuffed a few of the books into his shorts and that he is holding as many as he can.

A Hint of Teeth

A Hint of Teeth

Here is a picture of Kenna's two teeth that have popped out. She is as cute as ever. Keith wants me to get her into commercials.

My Poor Car

My Poor Car

Well, here is the damage. Because of the sun, it is hard to see the damage. I did have better pictures, but my camera ate them! Basically, the headlight is busted, the chrome is damaged, the grill is cracked, the fender is pushed into the tire and buckled and the hood doesn't quite sit right. And oh, the bottom of the fender is damaged too.

Anyway, the insurance process is slow going in that the other party (the guy that didn't stop at the stop sign) has not contacted his insurance yet and it turns out it wasn't his car. We did manage to get a rental thanks to my sister Maria and the car is now at the body shop getting looked over.

I'm just thankful that I wasn't hurt and that the kids were not in the car with me.

McKenna is 6 Months Old!

McKenna is 6 Months Old!

Here's her monthly picture. She is in the wiggly stage. She is sitting up really well now, holding her bottle, starting to crawl and one tooth has broken through the skin. What a big girl!

Soccer Boy

Yesterday was Kevin's first day of soccer. They won 2-1. Well, I think they did. They don't officially keep score. The other team would say it was 2-2, but I think their last goal shouldn't have counted. The goal was made while time wasn't "running".

We rushed there because it was picture day and we were instructed to be there no later than 12:55. Well, when we got there, there were all kinds of kids there and in their respective teams. The red team, the green team, the gold team, the navy team, the white team, but no purple team. Hmmmm we wondered. Then a man stopped us and said, "Are you the purple team?" "Yes!" I exclaimed. He told us to wait there and he would check out the other fields to see if he could find more purples. Where we were, I noticed a few other bewildered parents and kids without team shirts so I inquired, "Purple?" "Yup," a few replied. Finally the guy came back with a whole other group of parents and team members with the coach in tow.

Shirts got finally distributed, but of course the pictures were delayed. The team that had the 12:30 slot were still waiting at 1:20. So the Purple Dragons started practice before their pictures, much to the grumbles of Moms that had their kids' hair just so. Just what we want, sweaty kids and sweaty shirts in the sports pictures. Well, all was well as the coach didn't really work them too hard. They learned stops and kicks as the ball came towards them.

Finally it was their turn for pictures. All the kids were so adorable. Kevin had his classic disappearing eyes, I'm trying to hard to smile for the picture smile. But, cute nonetheless.

The game was fun. Imagine 12 4-5 year olds, 6 in gold shirts, 6 in purple shirts, all in a heard running after the same ball. Kicks and pushes to get the ball. There aren't goalies in the division, but the coach put two kids to defend the goal. Kevin was one of the in the second quarter. He took his job very seriously and even stopped a goal. Yippee!!

There were some shining stars on the team. They look like they are a good team with a great mix of kids.

After the game, we went out for ice cream and then to the park. That, as always, was a fun time.

Today at morning hellos in his class, Kevin announced to the class that he started playing soccer today. I asked what the other kids said about that. He said that because he is now playing soccer, the kids are calling him "Soccer Boy." "I think that's a great nick name," Kevin says proudly.

The Girls

The Girls

Check out Ris' website and click on their respective pages. They could be twins.

Ice Cream Kids

Ice Cream Kids

The kids eating ice cream before swimming last Sunday. Kevin had a green cone, Kaela had a pink one and Kyle a brown one. All of them eating, what else, chocolate.

It's, what?!? How hot????

So, I am driving around today running errands and picking up kids and boy, is it HOT. Well, yesterday was hot (98) with Santa Ana winds. We are having huge brush fires in the county. Today is HOT with no winds.

At 11:40a I glance up at the temp gauge in the car. 99. 99? Yup 99. When we lived in WA, my car temp gauge was always within 1-3 degrees of what was displayed in town.

So, noon, about two miles east of where I was when it was at 99. I glance up. WHAT? No way. 102. With every quarter mile it is getting hotter. 103. 104. 105. Man oh MAN! is it hot today. We pick up lunch, sitting in the car with the air con going. Outside temp 102.

We head home. Only about 5 miles away. It cools down. Back to 99.

Even though it costs an arm and a leg, the air con is on.

A New Week

Well, today started off a nice week and ended a nice week.

I woke around 7:15 with McKenna. Kyle was in our bed again this morning, although I didn't feel him climb into bed - not that our bed takes much climbing into. I really had no intention of falling back asleep, but around 9, I went to wake Keith and before I knew it, he was up and I was snuggled back into my blankets.

I finally woke after 11am! But, I woke a bit cranky. I had a bad dream about a dog and driving the Expedition and being conned by the vet. Not sure what that was all about.

Anyway, Keith took Kevin to soccer orientation. Kevin did end up playing a little bit. He is on the purple team which Kevin insists doesn't matter, but Keith said he had to convince Kevin to put on the purple shirt when they practiced a bit today. The rest of the team about a dozen kids are right around Kevin's age, maybe a couple of four year olds and they all seem to be at about the same skill level which is purely beginner. Kevin had to kick the ball to Keith and they ran around on the field a bit. Keith thinks Kevin will do just fine.

I tried to put Michaela in pigtails today, but she wouldn't have it. She insisted on only having one ponytail. She watched Cinderella for the millionth time and watched the Dora DVD Ellie gave her. She keeps asking when she is going back to school. Tuesday and Thursday I tell her. Maybe I should crack out a calendar and cross out the days that go by and highlight the days when she is going to go to school. I think she does better when things are visual.

Oh! Kevin started his first fundraiser on Friday. Expect to see an eCard inviting you to purchase something to support Kevin's school. Please don't feel obligated to buy. We have a catalog and these things aren't all that cheap (but they aren't poor quality either).

Kyle. He has been crying and when I ask him what is wrong, he says, "I don't know." Well, at least we know he is learning things from Kevin and Kaela. Not necessarily things I want him to learn, but learning nonetheless. He is loving his trains and is still lining various things up and cleaning up dirt. He knows "dirty" now and can't seem to not let me know if something is dirty - the floor, the wall, his hand.

McKenna is now sitting up really well and can compensate when she leans. She is also scooting backwards. She walks in her walker and sits up in her swing. Her bottom left front tooth finally popped out (barely) and the right on is headed upwards too. She has been sucking on her bottom lip for relief. When she does it, she looks like that picture of Mom's Grandma Crum. The chin is unmistakably from that side of the family. (Please correct me if I am not using the correct family name.)

Today we all went into the spa. It was fun. Keith had gone in with the kids first and then when Kenna woke, she and I headed in. It was a nice hot 99 degrees. Kenna actually enjoyed sitting in the water. She doesn't usually enjoy baths or showers, so I was surprised how long she was in the water. Kevin, Kaela and Kyle are all dunking themselves into the water and swimming. It is nice to see that they like to swim. Maybe we'll look into swim teams if they seem like they like it that much.

Well, I guess I should wrap it up. It's been another nice weekend.

My Husband is THE Best!

So, the day of the "Red Wine" post was also the same day that LOST Season 2 premiered. OMG! It was a great premiere!

Well, that day Keith didn't call me on the way home from work. Which was odd because he almost always calls me. Anyway, he comes home and has paperwork in his hand, and I can see something stuffed in between the papers. He immediately goes into the kitchen, then comes back out to give me a kiss. I ask him what was in the papers, and he said that there wasn't anything. I knew he wasn't being truthful. He hid whatever it was and laughed as I searched the kitchen trying to find what it was that he had stuffed in his papers. I finally found it up on the top shelf of the cupboard by the fridge.

Well, remember how I've been sobbing on about how Keith denied me purchase of the LOST DVD Season 1? Well, guess what was mixed in with the papers? YUP! The DVDs! Yippee! He left work early that day, went to Best Buy and picked it up for me.

Ain't he sweet?

A Bunch of Guests

Today turned out to be a nice, fun family visit day. Julie came over yesterday to spend the weekend with us sans children. Julie comes to visit every so often for (according to her) a quiet, relaxing time. The kids LOVE when Auntie Julie comes. She reads to them, does Kaela's hair and pays special attention to each kid. And it is nice for me too! She changes diapers, fixed bottles, entertains kids, makes them breakfast when Keith and I sleep in (I know!). I don't tell the kids until the day before because as soon as they find out, the questions never stop. "Is Auntie Julie here?" "When is Auntie Julie going to be here?" "What is taking Auntie Julie so long to get here?"

Then Julie and I get to go out while Keith graciously watches the kids. Last night Julie and I went to a restaurant that gets quite crowded. But, we anted to eat there so we waited. The wait didn't seem to drag. We talked and sat and then were called. We were seated at the exact same table we sat in last time (which was before our babies were born). We were starved and ordered an appetizer. It was a yummy spicy crab Rangoon. As we got our appetizer, the server said she was going on break and that another server was going to be helping us. So, he was great at refilling our drinks, etc. Julie and I waited and waited for our food. After about (I'm guessing) thirty minutes, the server comes back and asks us if we want dessert. Huh? We told him we hadn't even had our meal yet! He said that there wasn't anything else on order for us, asked us what we ordered and then told us he'd put it in right away and make sure that we were at the top of the list. Well, you better put us at the top of the list! He apologized and left. Soon, the manager came by and offered us apologies and free cheesecake for dessert. Then the server came back and apologized again, then the original server came and apologized because she was the one that messed up the order. Julie and I were in good spirits and were happy that we got so many apologies, and well, free cheesecake. We shared a piece and brought the other piece - Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake - back for Keith for watching the kids. We had a great time there, but this morning, I found that in all the confusion and excitement, I lost my credit card. I called the restaurant and they didn't have it. I searched my purse and car. I didn't have it anywhere. I had to call to cancel it. What a bummer.

Well, today Ris, Mom and Dad came up. The arrived in the early afternoon and we all hung out and socialized. Julie and I went to the grocery store and picked up Rotiserie chicken and some sides, but when everyone else got here, it was decided to have steak. It did end up being really yummy. Dinner was filling. Rib eye steaks, gingered carrots, garlic mashed potatoes, Caesar salad and corn. For dessert we had Red Ribbon cake. Everyone left around 8. The kids went to bed shortly after and I cleaned up the kitchen and played on the internet.

While they were here, Dad and Ris took the beliefnet.com Belief-a-Matic quiz. It determines on this set of questions what your best match of religion is. Dad and Ris scored 100% Roman Catholic. When I took the test, I was 100% mainline to liberal conservative protestant. Only 56% Roman Catholic. Julie scored 100% Orthodox Quaker. At least she was 98% Roman Catholic.

Ris was surfing for a new website host and then all of a sudden, things started installing themselves and something weird started running and before we knew it, the computer was being hijacked. All kinds of shortcuts were attaching themselves onto the desktop and it hijacked the task manager so we couldn't stop it. So, we just shut the computer off and Keith is going to look at it tomorrow. How rude is that? It's like a plumber just walking into your house and installing new plumbing to an outside shower. Something you never asked for, didn't want in your house and didn't need.

Well, it was as always a good day.

Red Wine

My parents brought us back a bottle of red wine from Spain. I felt like having a drink. I pulled out one of our wine glasses and I thought, "We need some 'everyday' wine glasses." Not that we drink everyday. Rarely do we drink wine, or alcohol for that matter. The wine glass that I am drinking from has a flared top, very delicate glass and a gold rim. Not really "us". We got it a set of four as a wedding present. They are beautiful wine glasses. I'm scared I may break one. I think I put them on our wedding registry because I thought that one day we *might* have dinner guests. We've never used them for the "dinners" that I had imagined. Good thing we never put fine china on our registry.

I felt like having the wine, just like when I worked, I felt I had to have a cigarette at my 3pm break. All this past year that we have moved back to Southern California, the kids and I have stayed home, only running errands when completely necessary, or when I just had to get out of the house.

With Kevin and Kaela in school, I've been out every week day and have been in more contact with people. Like I said to my friend Julie, "God help me for living in South Orange County."

No one here seems to follow the rules and everyone looks the same. I can't seem to remember which child goes to which mom because the moms all look the same - trendy clothes, manicured toes and perfect hair driving an SUV too big for their family. Cookie cutter soccer moms. Not only do they all look the same, they all break the same rules. I'll try not to get too bithcy about it, but it has to do with the parking in no parking zones and double parking that everyone seems to be doing because they can't get walk their lazy asses with their one child from the street to the classroom. If I can do it with four children, aged five and under, Mrs. Cookie Cutter Soccer Mom can too.

Okay, vent over. Back to the wine.

Another Nice Weekend

Can you believe it? We actually went out! We went to the mall. Even though it was only the mall we had fun. We went for lunch at the food court. The kids and I had Hot Dog on A Stick and Keith opted for Indian Food. All the kids of course were well behaved and Kyle even sat in a chair as opposed to a high chair.

After we ate, we went to See's Candy and bought chocolate - mostly for me. Keith is such a chocolate snob! lol He practically spit out the piece he tired to eat after dinner tonight. Okay, not practically, he did!

I don't get beanies anymore, unless they are really cute or special. But, I found some Halloweenie Beanie Bears, miniatures. Very cute. I will add them to the house decor for Halloween. Did I mention that we are going to have a birthday party for Kyle that is Halloween themed. Everyone is supposed to wear a costume. We'll see if that happens.

I have been working on a new blog. One for stamping. Check it out. I added a Personal Links section on the left. You can find it there.

Well, it is late and I have to get up early. We have been having a thunderstorm. Hopefully it isn't raining in the morning. If it is, I don't think I am going to walk Kevin to school. We will just drive. *Yawn* Good Night!

Our Cute Girl

Our Cute Girl

I took these pictures of Kenna yesterday. There were so many cute ones I could not decide which to post. Keith suggested to post them all (there were 43!). So, we picked out our favorites. From left to right, my favorite, Keith's favorite and Kevin's favorite. Kaela and Kyle were already asleep for the night so they didn't get to pick! lol

Michaela's First Day

Michaela's First Day

Michaela really enjoyed her first day of school. She did really well! The first picture is of her before we left. She wore this dress because she was supposed to wear something red. Well, her red dress was way too short, so at the last minute we had to go with a pink dress with red flowers.

The second pane is her in front of her class room. The book she is holding is from Kevin. She was going to learn about red today. Coincidentally, Kevin studied about red yesterday and made this book in class. He gave it to her to help her learn about red too.

This last pane is her going into the class room and getting her name tag. The lady pinning her name tag on is the teacher's assistant.

Isn't She Cute?

Isn't She Cute?

A big smile for you. This was taken earlier today as she hung out in her swing. Keith archived some pictures this weekend and some video. It is amazing how much Kenna and Kaela looked alike. They could be identical twins!

My Cute Boy

My Cute Boy

Blurry pictures bug me, but I really like this one. Keith took it on the weekend. The "three boys" were in the blue room where I have about a million loads of laundry that need folding. Well, they all thought that it would be fun to play in the clothes as if they were a pile of fall leaves. They all had a ton of fun as you can tell by the happiness on Kyle's face.

I like this picture because I think it captures Kyle to a tee. He always has such a bright smile on his face and is such a happy boy. He has a way of making everyone happy.

Intelligence

I took a short quiz entitled "What Kind of Intelligence Does Your Child Have?"

Here are the results:

KEVIN: Your Child's Strength Is Logical/Mathematical Intelligence
With an orderly, systematic approach to life, your child can probably excel in activities that include logic and strategy, such as board games and puzzles. Children with Logical/Mathematical Intelligence tend to have a very quick mind and can often bond instantly with computers. And as they get older, these kids tend to gain interest in abstract concepts. Prepare to answer deep and complicated questions like, "What is time?"

MICHAELA: Your Child's Strength Is Interpersonal/Emotional Intelligence
Your little one probably makes friends easily and relates well to other children. Children with Interpersonal/Emotional Intelligence tend to be happiest around others and often get bored on their own. With an awareness of others' thoughts and feelings, your child will probably serve as a group mediator and can take the lead in helping groups of people come to a common decision. Nicely balanced with this understanding of other people is a strong sense of self, with an awareness of personal feelings as well as those of others. People thriving on Interpersonal/Emotional Intelligence are often very successful as adults. They present themselves well to others and win allies by paying attention to those around them.

I think these may be right on. Well, more so for Kevin as opposed to Kaela, but she is still forming her relationships. As for Kevin, I think the way he is now will pretty much be the way he is when he is older.

LOST

They are replaying last season's season finale tonight. Keith says that it would be fun to watch it again.

The entire first season came out on DVD early this month, but Keith doesn't want me to buy it. He never denies me, but on this he has! *sniffle* *sniffle* Poor me!

I have really fallen for this show. I am not sure why I am so drawn to it.

It premiered the night we flew to MN for Paul and Karensa's wedding. Well, the show is about a group of people that survive a plane crash. I didn't want to watch it when it first premiered because well, it was about a plane crash. But, a few months ago, Keith found it streaming online, and we watched it for hours. I was hooked instantly!

It premiere's next week on the 21st. I can't wait.

Kaela Is Starting Preschool & Other Stuff

Kaela had her preschool orientation today and she really enjoyed it. We got there early. I had never been to her school before and wasn't sure how to get there, where to park, etc. It turned out to be really easy and we got a good parking spot on the street. About half her class was at this orientation and the other half were to be at the second orientation. There are 16 kids in her class, mostly her age, but there are about three almost 5 year olds.

We were all waiting outside for the orientation to start and when the teacher opened the door, two little boys immediately went up to the door to greet the teacher. The other kids (all but one) quickly formed a line and followed suit. The teacher was very impressed with this bunch of kids. She said in all the years that she was teaching preschoolers, she never had kids that lined up in front of the door, filing in one by one and saying their names when asked. She said that usually the kids are clinging onto their parents and bury their faces in their parent's leg when spoken to. She said that it looked like there were going to be quite a few independent, strong willed kids in the class (I don't know if that is such a good thing. Imagine a bunch of little strong willed Kaelas all in the same class!).

The parents sat on one end of the classroom (which is a huge room, by the way - an entire portable classroom) and the children played while we had the orientation. It seems like a very fun class and a great environment. They work towards Kindergarten readiness. I am very impressed. Kaela said she had a lot of fun playing and doing things in her class room and is already excited about Thursday.

Now the other stuff. Kevin is of course loving Kindergarten. His open house is Thursday night. More info for us. Both Kevin and Kaela's teachers sent home calendars for the month with all kinds of things and activities and things to remember listed. I am going to have to get myself a binder to keep all the school stuff in. Kevin starts soccer soon and Kaela wants to learn ballet. Wow, we are going to be busy. Imagine how it'll be once Kyle and Kenna start school.

Kyle is saying, "Thank You." It is pretty nice. At night though, he has been escaping from bed and joining me and Keith. It has happened a few nights in a row now. Today at nap, he climbed out of bed and went into ours. I am thinking that he just doesn't like his sleeping area anymore.

Kenna is cute as ever. She sits up in her swing and talks and plays. Ris watched Kyle and Kenna today and said they were both really easy. Ris didn't hear it, but Kyle said, "Bye Auntie!" when she left. Ris has been trying to get him to say "Auntie Ris", but of course he won't say it when asked. lol Back to Kenna, we have her on her tummy on the floor sometimes and put toys in front of her. She is moving her legs and pushing and can eventually get to the toys. She may be crawling soon!

Our Yellow Garden Spider. Not sure if it is the same one in the picture below, but this weekend, Keith found two that were within two feet of each other. They are almost twice as big as the one in the picture. They were HUGE!!!! Creepy, but we leave them alone. The other orb weavers that we are more accustomed to seeing are more numerous now. Also creepy.

This weekend is another neighborhood garage sale. Keith suggested that I go around the neighborhood and give out flyers and things to introduce my business. Very interesting idea. I just may do it!

Well, it is time to wrap up for the night. Kids need PJs, etc. So, good bye for now!

Kevin on His First Day

Kevin on His First Day

The first pane is of Kevin eating breakfast. As you can tell, he is not totally awake. He complained that the sun wasn't up when he woke. I think I'll get him up 15 minutes later tomorrow. We had some sitting around time.

The second pane is Kevin all dressed and ready to g0. He was excited about his spiderman lunch sack and his water bottle.

The last pane is Kevin at his classroom. Keith took the morning off and we all walked to the school. THere were two kids (a boy and a girl) crying, but Kevin did really well.

School Starts in Two Days

Kevin starts his first day of school on Thursday. Tomorrow we are going to his orientation and we will find out which class he is in. Michaela's orientation is next Tuesday and her first day is the following Tuesday. I sure hope they gave Kevin the morning session. It will make for really long days on Tuesday and Thursday if not.

Kenna is doing really well. She can sit up rally well now. She does have some balancing issues, but she can sit up with a straight back. She likes her walker and can maneuver around the kitchen and to the TV room and back again full circle. She has figured out how to unstick herself if she gets stuck on something.

Kyle is doing really well too. He says more words and is very vocal. He talk to us as if he is carrying on whole conversations with us. He is very animated when he talks. He furrows his brow and talks with his hands. It is very cute. All we really hear is blah blah blur na nu blah uh. But he really acts like he is speak perfect English. I just reply, "Really? Wow!" He seems perfectly happy with that. I am not really sure what I am validating when I say that.

Kaela is still singing a lot. Maybe she's inherited a great voice from both her Aunt Karensa and her Grandma Tessie. She sings every time she hears music, sometimes just naturally picking up the music of the chorus which she will hum. Then, when she picks up the words, she full on sings. The theme to the Candyland computer game is her favorite right now. "Candyland is waiting for you. Yummy gumdrops and chocolate treats...." Very cute too.

Well, I am getting more excited about being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. I have scoured the Stampin' Up! website for all kinds of info and tips. I am going to hold an Open House to introduce my business on October 1 down at my parent's house. I don't know anyone up here yet, but I hope to meet more people once school starts and Kevin will be playing soccer. I am excited about it all. I have a lot of work ahead of me to get this business off the ground. I have a website sponsored by Stampin' Up!, but it has personal info listed on it, so I won't post it here. If you want the URL, e-mail me.

There was a big fire near my parents house, and some streets got evacuated (not theirs). Luckily for my family, the ocean breeze blew the fire over the mountain in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, a few hundred acres burned. Fortunately, no homes were damaged.

Keith is doing well. Work is a bit slow and boring right now, but I am sure it'll pick up.

Can't think of any other news right at the moment. So, goodbye for now!

I'm the King of the World!

So Keith and I decided to play Risk tonight. We brought it along with us on our vacation hoping to get a game in. We all know how much Keith enjoys playing Risk.

We started tonight at 9pm. Wouldn't you know it. With the deal of the cards, Keith already has all of the Australian continent and its surrounds. That's an extra two points from the get go. He didn't even have to do anything for them. Of course, I was scattered all over the world.

So the game progresses and I finally get North America. Before you know it, we are battling over Europe. I have most of the continent, but don't quite understand the strategy. He would use Europe to creep into North America. Eventually, I get South America and Africa. Then lo and behold I get Europe! Then I move east to Australia. And now it is mine!

Off to conquer more of Asia. Keith is getting impatient and says that I could have killed him off a long time ago. I suppose I could have, but well, I had no clue that I could have.

So, he is directing me on where to make my next move and how I should kill him off. So I take most of his advice, but it was that I got some lucky dice tonight I guess. So Keith is holed up in one to the K-stans. A roll of the dice. And ta da! Four hours later, I'm the King of the World!

Argiope Aurantia

Argiope Aurantia

Yellow Garden Spider. This spider was in our backyard. The yellow section was about an inch long. As creepy as this spider looks, it is not dangerous to humans. It will cause an itchy bite and a small welt, but nothing serious. It is not the same orb weavers that we have up in the trees. This guy (yes it is male - the females are skinnier and longer) lays low about waist high to the kids. Keith found this one. Kevin found his "twin" about five feet away.

I Don't Usually Like to Do This, But...

I try to keep this blog light hearted and an update to friends and family on what is going on with the family, but I am going to use the opportunity to say how ashamed I am at what is going on with the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

On Tuesday, my sister and I were talking about how people on the news were complaining that no one was doing anything for them. Well, I told my sister that these people just don't realize what is being done as they don't have any forms of communication. They will be rescued and safe soon. Well, poor naive me.

I have been consumed with news about the devastation and rescue efforts. And now I am ashamed of the inaction on the part of the President.

It is Friday - five days after the hurricane and people are still stranded in buildings and are all alone. There are hundreds if not thousands of elderly and mentally disabled people stuck in nursing homes and hospitals - some without any kind of supervision or help. Students at universities are stuck in the dorms without food and water. People are wandering the streets starving and hungry. These are regular everyday people. What can we expect here in Southern California when the big one hits? Or along the West Coast if a tsunami hits? Or a nuclear power plant malfunction? The Southern Region is an example of how unprepared we are to help our own citizens in times of disaster.

The media is portraying the looters as criminals taking TV's and things. But, what the news also isn't pointing out is that some of the looters are just people looking for food, water and meds for their families. It is made to look like lawlessness and free for alls. Many of these people are just like you and me and are just trying to survive. The ones that are making it on the news are the ones that probably would be breaking the law regardless of the hurricane or not.

Anyway, back to our President. I am all for backing him as he is our President, but I believe there should have been a quicker response. The minute the flooding began, he should have had relief headed that way. He cut his vacation short, but not soon enough. He flew over the area to view the devastation. Flew over? Why didn't he land? At least, it would show that he cared. He is going to visit today. Ah huh.

Ugh, I could go on and on. But, I guess I am in one of the mourning phases. I think I have come to the anger phase. I do mourn for all those that have died and those that are continuing to suffer. Please donate what you can to the victims.

McKenna is 5 Months Old

McKenna is 5 Months Old

Okay. Now it is working! Here is Kenna's 5 months picture. Ain't she cute? A smile just for you!

Kenna Turned 5 Months Old

Well, this post was to be a picture of McKenna, but the service I use to upload pictures is currently down. I was able to post the bottom two pictures, but then it decided to give out. Oh well, I wil try again this afternoon.

My Little Darlins

My Little Darlins

Their monthly picture. After I take Kenna' month picture, all the kids want pictures with themselves holding Kenna. Then we do a group picture. This is this month's edition.

Not the Best Picture, But Look at Those Lashes

Not the Best Picture, But Look at Those Lashes

McKenna has the longest lashes. They are long and have the perfect curl to them. All the kids have long pretty lashes. They get them from Keith.

Rest In Peace

Wow. I am so saddened by the recent loss of life throughout the world. Plane crashes in South America and Greece. Famine in Niger and Africa. War in Iraq, the Stampede. The Gaza Strip Conflict. Louisiana (especially New Orleans), Mississippi and Alabama hit by Katrina. Natural and Manmade disasters everywhere.

You just never know when your time has come. There are constant reminders to live life like each day could be your last. Be thankful for what you have.

I pray for the families that have lost someone recently. I hope everyone can find peace.

It's Only Tuesday

But it seems like it should be Thursday. Technically I am writing this Wednesday morning, but it is really still Tuesday since I haven't gone to bed yet. lol

Well, Kevin and Kyle both had high fevers today. I finally broke down and gave them Tylenol when they were really uncomfortable. Not that I was waiting for them to be miserable, I was waiting for the fever to break. It didn't by 2pm so I gave they meds and it worked. The fevers reduced and then I gave them more before bed so that they could sleep.

But, we tucked them all in and then Kaela started making whiny noises. When I finally brought her downstairs at about 10pm, she had finally gotten a fever. She was her self the entire day and I thought for she was going to be fine, but I was wrong. She is now asleep in our room at the foot of the bed. We have trouble sleeping with her in the bed because she moves around a TON.

With the boys being sick, it made for a long long day. Keith came home right at 6pm and made dinner for us. I got a huge headache trying to deal with the sick boys and the baby (who I pray doesn't get a fever). I called Keith around 2:30 to see if he was going to make it home at a decent hour. Well, he did and for that I was so thankful.

I am up late tonight because I wanted to order groceries. But, there is a problem with the website and now we won't have any milk or bread for tomorrow. Oh well, I guess I have to haul the kids to the grocery store. Maybe I will just buy overpriced milk at Target as I have to go there to buy Kenna more formula. It is worth the extra money not to have to go to two different places.

Arugh, Joann's is having another 50% off the clearance price on fabric and then there is an additional 10% off coupon on your entire purchase. Of course I can't pass this up. But why can't I??? It is a sickness I tell you!

I read The Kite Runner. It was a great book and I finished it in less than a week. Big deal you say? Well, it is a big deal when you have four kids to manage! Anyway, I am sad. I am always sad after a good book draws me in. I always want to know more. How does it go from there? What does the character move on to? I feel like I will never see an old friend again. That's what a good book is to me.

Back to The Kite Runner. I must've cried at least a dozen times. It was a well written story. I hate to write much more about it as I don't want to give anything away. I hate knowing too much about a book or movie that I want to see or read. I want to form my own opinions.

My big disappointment for the evening. Well, a company that I shopped online with through eBay is the fastest growing store on eBay. They are trying to be the first eBayers to get 1 million positive feedbacks. Well, I was so excited that their tally was getting close to 1 million feedbacks. Whoever gives them the 1 millionth positive feedback wins a trip to Hawaii. Well, I had been watching over the last few days and noticed their feedback was getting close to 1 million. Wouldn't you know it, today was getting close to the 1 million mark. So I am gearing up to be the millionth person to leave them feedback. Well wouldn't you know it - I left the 1 millionth feedback for pugster on eBay. I was so excited and I couldn't believe I actually won! Woohoo! Keith and I are going to Hawaii. But, alas. The finer print. They are looking for the 1 millionth positive feedback. I entered the 1 millionth overall feedback (includes neutrals and negatives). Boy was I bummed when Maria pointed it out to me. Keith said he wished that he got me on video how excited I was. Oh well. I will win when the time comes. Maybe I'll write to them and see if the overall millionth feedback is worth anything. But, if it did, it might make me ineligible for the real deal! lol

Okay. It is now past 1am. I should head off. Good night!

Fischer Update

Well, as you can see, I have posted new pictures. What have we been up to?

I got Kevin's school info and he has an assessment with the teacher in the morning. He is going to meet with her (I am assuming the teacher is female) and she is going to evaluate his "strengths and likes". What ever that means! We shall see. Kevin also got his first haircut for school. He looks older. We got his school supplies and of course he picked out a green binder. He is excited about school and is looking forward to meeting new kids.

Kaela has been doing really good with the potty training. Keith just laid into her about how she had to use the potty because we knew that she could do it and had no trouble doing it before. So, that night before bed she asked for underwear and hasn't had to use a Pull-Up since. That was last Monday, or was it Tuesday? When she was in the spa this weekend, she hopped out and used the bathroom upstairs (as opposed to the spa). We thought that was really good.

Kyle is skipping naps more these days and continues to say more and more. Kenna is wearing Mickey Mouse PJs tonight and Kyle exclaimed, "Mickey!" Kyle also knows how to climb right up into hi high chair. It has an extra wide base, so we aren't worried (too much) about it tipping. He climbed right in tonight surprising Keith. I had seen him do it once before. He also just climbs right of out his pack and play in the morning. Good thing Kenna wakes up early too. I don't like Kyle wandering the house while I am asleep. He likes to get into all kinds of things.

Kenna is sitting up. Well, not full straight back, but she sits up by herself if she has her hands out in front of her on the floor. It's a funny sight. But, I remember taking a picture of Kevin like that and that was in October of 2000. Kenna is just a tad more developed than he was. The doc told me she was read to try solids, but honestly, I am not up for trying it yet because that would mean I would have to stop to feed her. The bottle is so much easier and less messy!

Keith's program went Beta. So far everyone seems to like it. It is so exciting. I am so proud.

Julie, Emily and Andrew visited this weekend. It was a nice visit. Kaela adores Emily. Did you know that Emily and Kevin are going to be married someday? Emily has been saying so for a couple of years now. She is exactly 5 months older than him. They play together well and she is a tough chick! She can handle any roughness that Kevin can dish out (which isn't too bad!). Emily takes soccer and karate and is musically inclined. She was in a Stomp band. Kevin wants to play drums, soccer and take karate. They sound like female/male clones. And my goodness are they both the cutest things. They make a cute couple. lol

Keith was brave enough to watch all six kids while Julie and I ran some quick errands. He said they were all really good while we were gone. The kids went into the spa and played for a while.

Well, that's it for now. I am sure I left something out. But, I will try to get back to it soon. Bye!

Kevin Got a Buzz

Kevin Got a Buzz

Kevin got his first preofessional cut today. Keith brought him to place he usually goes to. Kevin did really good and sat still for the Stylist. He wasn't scared at all. I think his haircut makes him look older.

Kaela Smiles

Kaela Smiles

Kaela is so so girlie these days. Her hair is getting really long. Emily was with us this weekend and Kaela wanted to do everything Emily did. Emily brought along some cute hair stuff and Kaela got her hair done quite a few times by Auntie Julie.

Kyle Gets Bored Computerizin'

Kyle Gets Bored Computerizin'

Keith took this picture of Kyle. I was out running errands. Kyle was playing on the computer and decided that he was tired. He just laid down on the chairs and fell asleep.

Kenna and Her Scooter

Kenna and Her Scooter

Kenna has been scooting around in her walker. She can go really fast, especially on the hardwood floors or when we are hanging out in the garage. She can maneuver it pretty well. She can go around corners and around obstacles. She hasn't figured out how to go backwards yet though!

My Hidden Talent

Found a cute little website. Try this one too. These are my results.

Your Hidden Talent

You are both very knowledgeable and creative. You tend to be full of new ideas and potential - big potential. Ideas like yours could change the world, if you build them. As long as you don't stop working on your dreams, you'll get there.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Linguistics Quiz

Okay, try this. These are my results. (Can you tell I am surfing?)

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English

20% Upper Midwestern

20% Yankee

0% Dixie

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Okay, More Stuff to Mention

1) Our darn lights are flickering again!

2) Keith is pretty much over the cold that he got from us.

3) Keith was impressed at how well Kyle did while we were out today. He was really easy.

4) Kaela is weepy and having accidents and I am not sure why. We have tried to be really nice to her and talk to her in a soft voice, but she is going through another one of her weepy stages.

5) We bought Lego 50th anniversary buckets (filled with 500 Legos). And each bucket includes a free child's admission to Legoland. The buckets were $9.99, the tickets are $37.95. Quite a bargain!

6) I have signed up to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. "Finally" is the comment I have been getting.

7) Kenna is drooling like crazy, but still no teeth.

8) Kyle is talking more and using sentences. "Down Mama" "More please" "Blue's Clues" ball, bird, star, car, milk, juice, cheese, bread, owwwww, and lots of other things I can think of right now.

9) Kevin starts school on the 8th. Oh my! Kaela starts on the 13th. I haven't gotten any info for either of them regarding things like when school starts, who their teachers are, what supplies they need, what is appropriate to wear, etc etc. Nothing! You know me. I hate to be so unprepared. I have to know everything that's going on. I am anxiously waiting. I should be getting something this week.

10) School hasn't even started and I am already looking forward to putting up our Halloween decor and our Christmas decor. I love having fun stuff like that in the house. I still haven't completely taken down Keith's birthday decor. It is so much fun to have up.

11) Good Night (again!)

What A Great Day

Today turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be. With it being Monday, I had decided that it was going to be the same ol' same ol'. Well, I got a call from Keith around 11:45am today. He asked what I was doing. I said that I was cleaning the garage (which I was actually doing!). I could tell he was in the car which I thought was odd (he never calls me except on his drive home). So, I asked what he was doing. He replied, "I am on my way home. They kicked us all out."

Well, with the departmental changes going on, my heart sank. The first thing that crossed my mind was that they decided to can the entire department. I further pressed, "What do you mean?" trying to remain calm. "They asked us to leave." So I press on, "Just you?". He replies, "No, the entire building. There's been a bomb threat."

Whew! What a relief. Just a bomb threat. No biggy. Suddenly my panic lifted. All was well.

So, yeah! Now, Keith was coming home early. He wanted to go out and do something fun. So, we all piled in the car and went out to lunch. Then, we headed to the mall. The one with the Ferris Wheel and the Carousel. Of course we did all those. The train was not running though. They are expanding the mall and so things were a bit shook up there. Stores moved and closed and new ones opened and opening. We tried to look for new shoes for Keith and some pants. We ended up not getting anything. I shopped yesterday and went to six different places looking for shoes for Keith and no one had his size.

So anyway, back to our day. After shopping, we had ice cream and then took the kids to the park. They had a lot of fun at the park. We discovered that dinner time is a popular time for the park. It was filled with kids and parents. The most I've seen there at one time (barring there being a party). After the park, we stopped at the grocery store and picked up some steaks.

We gave the kids PB sandwiches and watermelon then packaged them off for bed - which was really easy tonight. Then we cooked up our steaks and Keith and I had a quiet dinner together. And now, I am talking to you fine people (Titanic).

So, that was our pleasant day. Oh, I forgot to say something about yesterday. Keith went to get his hair cut and came home with some beautiful flowers for me. Pretty daisies, a sunflower and other flowers that I have no idea of their names. But they are so colorful and beautiful. Then, Keith watched the kids and I went out to run errands. So not only was today good, but yesterday was nice too!

On a side note, I went shopping at Target and bought Kaela Pull-Ups. We have suffered some potty training set backs. She is wearing them to bed and during the day for now because she has been having bee accidents. She says, "The pee just wants to come out!" I guess for some reason, she all of a sudden can't seem to sense when she needs to go. Thank goodness she is still doing #2 really well! Okay, TMI. But, I shall leave you on that note. Goodbye!

Lego Creator

Lego Creator

Kevin created this from the Lego set Keith got him after our vacation. This wasn't the one from the instruction booklet, but something Kevin built on his own. I think he did a great job for his age!

The Big Sister

The Big Sister

Kaela loves to get her picture taken with McKenna. Kaela is always holding her and talking to her. She is a great big sister.

Kyle Protecting the Cooler

Kyle Protecting the Cooler

I snapped this picture of Kyle right before our vacation. I put the cooler next to the counter thinking we were going to use it on the trip. Kyle could not keep off of it. He was always standing or sitting on it when it was there.

Smiley Girl

Smiley Girl

Finally a good picture of McKenna smiling. She usually stops once the camera comes out. I caught her at a different angle so she didn't see the camera. She is always easy to get a great smile out of. She can turn any bad day around.

Our Vacation Pics

Cape Lookout, Tillamook, OR

View more vacation pics here.

Okay, So It's Been Awhile

So I haven't posted in forever. Well, after returning from our vacation, I had a lot to do to get the house put back together (which still isn't completely done). We got a new housekeeper and I wanted to get some things fixed up before she first got here. Then we went to Oakland to help Maria get rid of some of the clutter in her house. Now we are home and I have a sore throat and the kids (yes, all four of them) all have runny noises.

I am still working on a journal of our vacation. I have gotten to about day three and it is already three and a half pages long. We did have a lot of fun. I will post a picture with a link to the album I created on yahoo albums.

The new house cleaner. Well, she was late (which I hate), but she said she was confused as to the time she was to be here - even though she was the one that picked it! Anyway, she did a fantastic job and really did clean up a lot better than the other service I used. I didn't realize how dirty it was until she got it all sparkly clean! She spent about 45 minutes in the master bath alone fine cleaning the cracks along the walls and counter tops. Like I said, I didn't know they were dirty until she fine cleaned them! Well, I am sending her a reminder e-mail as she is coming tomorrow. If she is late again, out she goes. I hate waiting around when I am paying for a service.

Maria's. Well, we left here early Wednesday morning (10th). Dad came with us to watch the kids. He was a huge help. He took care of all the kids, but Kenna most of all. She slept in the same room as him and he was the one that tended to her in the middle of the night. I had the three olders in the same room as me. Kyle finally figured out how to climb out of the pack n play and didn't want to go to bed the same time as Kevin and Kaela did. So, I ended up rocking him to drowsiness every night and then I would have him walk to his bed, then he would sleep. Well, it has carried over to home. He doesn't want to just get put to bed and I have to rock him. Last night, Keith did the SuperNanny thing and just kept putting him back in bed every time he got out. Well, Kyle finally gave up and fell asleep. Well, Keith and I watched "The Wedding Date" last night and Kyle came down stairs during the last half hour of it. He crawled into my lap and fell asleep. He woke a few more times throughout the evening. He isn't the only one having sleepy problems. Kaela has cried two nights in a row now about sleeping and she keeps getting out of bed. Last night we just let her fall asleep on the couch while we watched the movie. Tonight she has been told that she is expected to go to bed when we say and that she can not keep getting out of bed. She says she will be good about bed - yeah right, we will see.

Anyway, back to Maria's. All the kids had loads of fun playing together. We stayed home the entire time except on Saturday. They played in the backyard and ran around. All my kids have scraped knees. Kaela has it the worst though. She biffed it pretty hard on the bike. She had a huge scrape on her right knee, left shin and her elbow. But she was pretty tough about it. Kyle got his scraped knees from pushing the dump truck at full speed and then falling. It looked painful to me, but he continued to do it all week.

On Saturday, Joann's was having a 50% off clearance fabric sale. So, of course I couldn't pass that up. We loaded the five oldest into the Expedition and Dad stayed home with the baby. Maria waited in the car with the kids while I picked out fabric. I got ten really pretty designs. This Joann's was about a third of the size of my regular Joann's, so the selection was tiny. But, I was very happy with what I got. After Joann's Maria had to run into Office Depot. After that we went to Ellie and Colin's new preschool.

This was the cutest preschool I have seen! We went to the open house. It is brand new and just opened. The owner/principal has launched preschools before and decided that she should launch one herself. She did a great job. It is in a residential neighborhood, but with the high wooden fence, and the surrounding buildings, it is like in its own little world. The front yard is nice and big and there is a huge sand box. When you walk in the front room on the right is a play area. The room on the left is the science room. There is a kitchen and bathroom and a dress up/reading room. They are going to learn a little bit of Spanish as well as music once a week. There were all kinds of learning games and cognitive thinking games. It was so neat. The kids had a lot of fun trying everything out. Kaela cried when it was time to go (her new thing. She bawled when we were leaving Ellie and Colin's house to come home - I don't want to leave! She says). After the preschool, we had lunch (you don't even have to ask where!). Then to Uncle Dan's fire station. They got to climb on the trucks and see the station. They even got to ride the truck with the ladder. Uncle Carlos drove and Uncle Dan drove the rear section. They all got fire chief hats. It was a fun afternoon.

Okay, the progress on Maria's house. Let's see. Well, we mostly worked on the guest room where lots of clothes were stored. We got rid of all the baby boy stuff and sent a lot of it to Maria's friend Liz. Maria got rid of a lot of her older clothes and a TON of toys. She took two full car loads of things to the Goodwill. We rearranged her front living room so now there is actually room to sit and spread out. When we first got there, there was just a narrow pathway to get through. We also cleared out her hallway. It is completely bare. The kitchen counters are cleared off and the house is somewhat straightened out. There is still a lot to do, but Maria says she is now motivated to clear out more stuff on her own. Yeah! Now, I am going to start working on our house. It isn't cluttered, cluttered, but I want to get rid of some of the stuff that we haven't used in ages.

We got back on Monday afternoon and yesterday I spent most of my day on the computer (was having internet withdrawals). I am going to straighten up today and then back to business as usual.

Okay. Was that a good update? I know, not much on the kids. I have some pictures to upload (just have been to lazy). I will try to get some pic kids up. Bye!

The Fantastic Four

No, not the movie. The Kids. They are such a joy.

Well, we came back last weekend from our vacation and we had a great time. I will tell you more about the vacation in a separate post. This one is about the kids.

They were well behaved and had a great time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They got to eat all kinds of yummy treats. Grandma even made them Rice Krispy Treats. They got to have ice cream every night!

They had fun with their Auntie Ris and did all kinds of neat things. They swam everyday in the backyard. They have some serious tans going on. Auntie Ris even took a dip a few times. Kyle was not as adventurous in the water. Kevin and Kaela were too rowdy for him. Kevin can hold his breath for "a long time" and Kaela can swim around the circumference of the pool without stopping. Ris took them to the park and the beach. Kevin, Kaela and Kyle all ventured into the water (waded). Kaela said the water got into her mouth and it was "yucky".

Kevin made all kinds of neat Lego creations while on "vacation". Keith said Kevin has been a really good kid - which he has - and so we got him a really nice Lego set. Iron Predator vs T Rex. Kevin has made some really sophisticated looking things with this set. Maybe he will be an engineer or designer.

Michaela is officially potty trained. She wears her undies to bed and even when we go out. The day before we left for vacation, she announced that she had to "pee and poop in the potty". And she did! Well, at Grandma and Grandpa's she didn't need much prompting and was able to go all by herself. I guess she will be going to preschool in the fall.

Kyle is more vocal. Today at lunch he held up his french fry and said "Broken". It had a snapped tip. He sounds like he is saying all kinds of things including "Ghost" for every weird noise he hears in the house. He is saying no whenever he objects to something. Time for nap nap. "Nooooooo". He is communicating very well these days and is taking commands/requests really well too. He is pointing to more pictures in his books. If you point to a dog, he'll bark. A dinosaur, he'll roar. A cat, he'll meow. He is going to be talking in no time.

McKenna is now four months old. She had her well check appointment today. She got another round of immunizations (the same four as last appointment). She is 13 pounds, 4 ounces and is 23 1/2 inches long. All her siblings were 25 inches at this age and one or more pounds heavier. She is doing well after her shots. She is sleeping them off. She has gotten really strong and is starting to roll over. She can do it in her bed if she has something to push against, but is getting stuck on her side if there is nothing around her.

Well, that's it for the kids for now. I am working on what to write (a summary) of our vacation and will probably make up an album of pictures. Signing out. Bye!