The Kids Today

Today - After Lunch

I know I always say it, but time is flying! This is a picture of the kids from earlier today. Notice that they are all in desperate need of a haircut! So, I've been really bad about keeping this blog up to date. I was doing good up until just after we moved. That was almost six months ago. We still have boxes to unpack. It only goes to show that most of the stuff in the boxes are unneeded and I should just get rid of most of it.

Kevin starts first grade on the 7th. I hope he has some of his good friends in his class. We had one of our picnics in the living room today. I was a but bummed as I realized that this would be one of the last picnics we would have together. Once Kevin is in school, he'll be there a full day and won't be having lunch with us anymore. Oh my baby is growing up!

I went shopping this weekend for jeans for Kevin. I ended up going to Goodwill, just like last year. I got him four pairs of jeans, two Levi's, one Old Navy and one WalMart brand. I think I did a great job. They were only $3 each. They look great, no holes or stains. No one would ever know they came from the Goodwill.

Kaela starts up again on the 11th. She will be going back to the same preschool with the same teacher. She is in the older kid's class and will be bringing home homework! She is already copying letters and I have a feeling that by the end of this school year, she will be reading. She's been having a great time playing princess with one of the other little girls from the neighborhood. They dress up in their Belle and Cinderella costumes complete with toy dress heels. Kaela has all kinds of blisters from them, but she still insists on wearing them. I had to forbid her from wearing them because her feet have so many little scabs on them. They look painful. You know if they were her "regular" shoes, she'd be complaining to high heaven.

Kyle, like I always say, is saying more. But, he really really is. He is much clearer than ever and is using longer sentences. I can almost understand everything he says. Including, when I ask if he wants to start potty training, "No potty, diapers." He has fallen in love with the Hummer vehicles he got from McD's. And he still loves his Blue's Clues. It will be fun hanging out with him when the big kids head back to school.

Kenna is talking more and more too. She clearly says Thank You and Please. What a polite young lady! lol She is playing by herself more and more and will hang out in her crib for about an hour after her nap before I have to get her out. I have listened to her by the door and it sounds as if she is talking and interacting with someone in there. Maybe it's her great grandparents visiting. She and Kevin both always seemed to be talking to someone that just wasn't there.

Keith's truck is back on the road. It was out of commission of about two weeks and we finally got it towed to the shop. It was the starter. At least it was something easy. Keith is busy at work as usual. He is antsy for a vacation. We are thinking about heading to Washington for Thanksgiving, although we are not sure what everyone else has planned.

I am doing good. I am finally feeling back to normal since surgery. All this time, I thought the aches and pains I was feeling was just my body getting old. I feel wonderful compared to what I was feeling. I did lose just over ten pounds before my surgery. I've only gained back three. This is the lightest I've weighed since before we got married. My pants are loose and my shirts aren't as tight. So, that was one good thing of having to be on a no fat diet. I was starving and the food was extremely boring, but I lost ten pounds.

As for everything else, things are going well. Stampin' is going good. Tomorrow will be my one year anniversary with the company. My business goals are looking up and I think overall I am doing well at it. I have a workshop next week - my second since I've started! I hope it goes well.

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for reading!

I Must Be Getting Old, Time is Flying!

SU Convention 2006

My First!

So, it is now August 1. Wasn't it just July 1st yesterday??? Anyway, lots has been going on. Let me first start with, sorry about the picture! Instead of a very cute picture of the kids with their Grandma at Disneyland, you are stuck with a picture of me. Why you ask? Well, after a full day at Disneyland and the next day of cute pics of the kids making cookies with Grandma, my digital camera decided to eat my pictures! I viewed the pictures and everything looked fine. I went to upload my pictures and what does my camera tell me? "Memory Card is not Formatted. Format now?" Ummmm. NO! So, thinking Keith can once again save my pictures (yes this has happened before), I gently ease the memory card out and put it on Keith's desk. Unfortunately, Keith, the miracle worker he is, can't seem to recover a darn thing. The disk is completely wiped. *Sigh* Oh well. Maybe when we go back (in five years!), we will have some good pictures.

So, so much has gone on, let me just recap here:

1. Summer is halfway over, the kids are going back to school soon!
2. I have been in pain since I returned from Convention. Chest pain that brought me to the ER. Nothing to worry about, EKG was normal as was the chest x-ray and blood work.
3. Keith's truck is acting up. It's not looking good.
4. The kids are still cute as ever. Seriously cute. I have to brag!
5. After several doctor's visits and another visit to the ER, it has been determined that I have to have my gallbladder removed.
6. I had a great time at Convention.
7. The weather is finally cooling down and our electric bill hasn't been anywhere near what I had estimated it to be. I estimated well over $350. Good thing I was WAY off.
8. Karen came and spent a whole week with us. (Which we have NO pictures of - see above)
9. We got to see Ellie, Colin and Maria for about a day when I came back from convention.
10. Life is good. Despite some small glitches, it is really good.

Okay, that it a short note for now. I will update you all on the gallbladder saga soon.

It's almost Wednesday!

What's so special about Wednesday you ask? Well, I am headed to Salt Lake City for the Stampin' Up! Convention. I can't wait. This will be my first time to travel all by myself since before Keith and I met! Wow! I am so excited. I have been excited about it since I first learned that I was going to go all the way back in May.

Well, I am really busy getting ready. Stampers that attend make these cards called swaps. They basically are ideas and card fronts (a card without the back flap) that show of talent and techniques. We use these to ohhhh and ahhhh our customers. Well, I am making six different designs and brings over 200 of these. I just started a couple of days ago. I still have to pack up the kids (the are staying with Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Ris) and I have to pack up myself! I know, I am the Queen of procrastination. Oh well. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Anyway, should get back to stampin! Here is a picture of the kids from yesterday. They are eating chocolate donuts with rainbow sprinkles that Keith brought them in the morning after running some errands. Enjoy!

Almost July!

Let them eat cake! Here's Kyle digging into his piece of Grandpa's birthday cake. On the 17th, Mom threw a big party for Dad's 65th birthday. It was a nice summer day, and we had the party outside in the backyard. Dad put up the canopies and we had tables and chairs brought in. Lots of family and friends attended. It was nice visiting with everyone. We even got a lot of the 1st generation cousins to sing Karaoke. I have the pictures, but I think my cousins would not be too pleased if I posted them. It was fun and a great time!

This month has been very busy for me. Kevin and Kaela both finished school. Kevin didn't have a graduation, but their last week of school was all fun and games. There was a Kindergarten carnival. I was able to help out with the help of Ris. She stayed home with the kiddos while I went. Kevin was so pleased that I could be there. A few of his classmates even gave me hugs! They are all so cute!

We went to a end of school year party at Kevin's friends house. A lot of his former classmates and their families were there. That was really enjoyable too. His teacher showed up and the kids insisted that she read them a book. Afterwards, the kids played with water balloons. Kaela got paired up with Kevin's friend Alyssa. It was so funny watching the two girls toss the balloons to each other. Neither could catch, nor throw. They were only standing about a foot from each other, but managed to drop and pop about 20 balloons!

Kaela had a bit of an accident the other day. Keith had to come home early and I took Kaela into the doctor. She slipped on a toy and whacked her head into the side of their wooden table. She slammed her right ear against it and managed to slice it pretty bad. It didn't cut all the way through and it didn't require stitches. The doctor said that it'll leave a noticeable scar. He also said they could recommend a plastic surgeon in her teens years if it bothers her that much. I think she can just keep her hair long.

Kyle is plugging away with the words. He is forming more sentences and you can almost understand everything he says. He seems to be a "big boy" now. But, I asked him if he was ready to start using the potty and he replied, "No. Pee diapers. No potty." Well then, I guess I'll ask him again next month.

Kenny. She is a climbing troublemaker. She climbs on everything. She can get on top of the dinner table and has even started to climb the ladder up Kevin's bunk. She is always on the kids' table and I swear if she could, she'd climb onto the dresser in the kids' room. She likes to make the other kids mad but turning the TV off and running away. I swear she has an evil laugh as she does it.

Kyle has taken on a nurturing side. I think he picked it up from Kevin. Whenever Kenna cries, he goes to her and strokes her hair and says, "Donh cry Nena." It is too cute. He's always finding toys to console her. He brings her her Teletubbies (which were Kevin's, then Kaela's, then Kyle's). He is pretty good at making her stop crying. He doesn't like when I leave her in her crib a little too long after she wakes from her naps and cries. He has figured out (which I am not sure how) how to lift her out of the crib and take her out.

Since Kevin has been spending more time outside with his friends. Kaela and Kyle have become quite the pals. They don't fight nearly as much as they used to just a few months ago. They actually play together. When Kevin comes back in, he just joins right up with them and Kenna too! I can actually find a few blocks of time during the day when the kids are all playing nicely together. I once in a while will hear a "Hey!" but then they seem to be able to resolve differences on their own.

Oh my babies, they are growing up too fast!

Let's see. What else?

Convention is less than 2 weeks away. SU! just released its new 2006-07 catalog and it is awesome! SU! has an incentive cruise for top earners and in 2008 they are cruising to Bermuda. I think I may have to take this more seriously and try to win it. That would be a cool vacation for me and Keith!

Mom is coming to visit for more than a week! Yippee! The kids are so excited to see Grandma again. They got some really cute postcards from her in the mail today and they loved them! They all carried them around the house all day today.

Keith's birthday is the same day that I leave for Convention. I can't say how old he is going to be. He hates when I mention it. lol I don't think he is old at all. He doesn't seem anywhere near 42 to me. Oops! Did I just type that out loud?

Well, I guess that is it for now. I know I keep saying I am going to do better at keeping up with the blog, but life gets in the way sometimes. Good night!

Happy 7 Years!

Us, June 12, 2006

We celebrated our 7th anniversary on Monday. This is a picture of us after we got home. It was past the kids' bedtime, but they still had tons of energy.

I was going to make a card for our anniversary, but I fell asleep (yes, I once again waited until the last minute to do something). By the time he got home, I was rounding out the third hour of my nap. I must've been tired. Keith got me a beautiful card, a really pretty sun catcher and of course some beanie bears. He got me the one named Fun because we always have fun when we go out together. The other he got me was named Dear One. He got that one because he says I am the Dear One. Ain't that sweet?

We had dinner at the local food court area. We had Indian food. It was really yummy. We didn't go out for a romantic dinner, but we still had a nice time. It was nice that we can actually sit in a restaurant with four kids and have a pleasant dinner. All the kids did great and I think the consensus of favorite food these days is Indian.

After dinner, we went to the "big" mall in the area and had ice cream at Cold Stone. The kids love their ice cream! You can kind of see in the picture that Michaela's hair is curled. She got it done at one of the little kiosk/carts at the mall. They were trying to get me to buy a ceramic curling iron. It was a really neat product, but they wanted $85 for it. Uh, no.

Anyway, the night was really enjoyable. The kids had fun walking around the mall and looking at the fountains and all the cool things to look at. Even though we weren't alone it was a really great night. I am not sure which I had more fun on - our first night of our honeymoon, or this night.

Seven Years Ago

Us, June 12, 1999

This was us during our first dance as a married couple. What a fun wedding we had. We weren't there long, we hopped a plane a flew to Seattle. We had dinner that night at Ivar's and stayed at the Westin. We had a nice high floor and a perfect view of the sound. The next day, we went to Victoria and stayed at the Empress. We had a suite that over looked the harbor. We stayed in Victoria for a couple of nights then headed back to Seattle. We still talk about how much fun we had on our honeymoon.

I found a link to our online wedding album that I did back in 1999. I haven't visited it in a few years and I am even surprised that it still exists on tripod. The link is below, but I must warn you that with ever picture you view, there is an obnoxious pop-up ad. Maybe that's why I haven't visited in years!

Our Online Wedding Album - Posted in 1999

New Pictures

I have just added a new photo album. It is listed on the left hand side as "May June 2006". Or, click here.

I have been really bad about the blog and I realize that I have only been updating once a month. I just need to organize my time better. *sigh*

There really has been a lot going on. One fun thing that happened on the 10th was we went to see the movie "Cars". It was so fun. Keith, I, Kevin and Kaela all went. We got free tickets for the premiere from AT&T. Along with the tickets, they provided the drinks (huge), popcorn (really huge) and a good bag for each kid. It was really a fun story. The kids enjoyed it and so did we!

We've been doing fun family stuff. Kevin's school had a spring fling that we went to. Stampin' Up! donated a lot of merchandise and I was able to make three nice baskets for the silent auction. We did a great job raising money with them!

We have also gone to the Discovery Science center. We go out for ice cream a lot too!

Kevin has been playing more with the neighborhood kids as we have finally let him venture out on his own. He has met a lot of good friends. His school is over next week.

Kaela is doing good. She is now writing letters and is copying words every chance she gets. She really wants to be a big girl asap!

Kyle is saying more and more (as always) and is getting more clear. He and I would go have bagels with Kenna every Tuesday together. It was fun, but will have to wait until the fall when the olders go back to school.

Kenna is actually saying a lot of words. Me, me, me. Cheese. Daddy. Mama. She is opinionated too. If she is not happy with you, she will yell at you. Ahhh! Ahhh! It is too funny.

Kenna's Bath

We think Kenny Benny is going to be a swimmer just like Kevin. She loves the water and actually pours the water over herself! By the way, did you notice what I called her? We didn't want to call her "Kenny", but it just happened. So, Kenny Benny, or Kenna Benna it is! She totally acts older than 1. She sounds like she is talking - Dada, Momma, please, thank you. She is a chatterbox and doesn't quit. In the car, in the stroller, walking around the house, while shopping. Always saying something! And those smiles. She knows the smiles get attention, and so she instantly has one - for family and strangers alike - if she knows you will pay attention to her.

Is It Really that Cold Kyle?

I had to giggle and grab the camera when Kyle walked into my office dressed like this. Isn't that hat hilarious! It is Kaela's hat that Grandma Fischer sent a couple of Christmases ago. Come to think of it, the slippers are Kaela's old slippers too! He was so pleased that he made Mommy laugh. He liked that he was "all dressed up" and so he wanted to actually pose for the picture. Ain't he cute???

Kaela's First Scrapbook

Kaela's an official scrapper. I'm so proud! *sniffle* She got this scrapbooking kit from Auntie Maria and Ellie and Colin for her birthday. She works in it all the time and has made pages for me, Keith and her sibs. She is so cute when she works on it. She is SO proud of herself and loves to show off her work. I was going to help her with it, but she had her own ideas. I took a deep breath and let her go for it. I am glad I did.

Kevin and Me at the Strawberry Field

With Ris' help, I was lucky enough to be a parent helper when Kevin's class went to the farm to pick strawberries. It was really a fun time. We took a tractor ride and got to sample all kinds of fresh just picked veggies. It was an organic farm, so anything that we didn't consume, we just threw overboard! I didn't realize how different fresh veggies tasted from store bought stuff. We picked a quart of strawberries, but I think we all ate more than that while we picked! It was SO yummy!

Oh Where Oh Where did April Go?????

My gosh! Well, since SO many people have asked if I have updated my blog - including Keith! - I have finally decided to just sit down and do it. I am on the computer all the time, but have for some odd reason (which I can't explain) I have neglected my blog! So, let's see if I can highlight the main points since my last brief update.

• I am going to the Stampin' Up! convention in July. YIPPEE!
• McKenna is walking.
• We went to Washington on spring break and spent Easter with Mom, Karensa, Paul, Grandma, Aunt Joyce and Uncle Orv.
• We saw Dad and Mary on the way home.
• I turned 36! And my baby sister turned 31!
• Michaela is starting to write her name.
• We are still not unpacked from moving.
• Did I mention I was going to Convention????
• Kevin has met with the speech therapist, and she has consulted with me. She does not think that Kevin should be placed in a program for his stuttering because she doesn't think that he has a problem. She wants to wait to see if it becomes a constant thing instead of the on and off stuttering that he has had. She is hoping (which frequently happens) that it will just disappear.
• Kyle is saying all kinds of words and I am convinced that he is going to be the funny guy at school that everyone likes.

I think that is most of it for now. I will try to be more consistent with the blog. Bye for now!

Albums are Updated

I haven't had a chance to write about the kids' birthdays. But, I will!

Until then, I have updated the kids' photo albums. Click the links on the left to see.

A New Picture

Here is a picture to keep you occupied until I have time to write about the kids' birthday parties. I will also be posting new photos in their photo albums (see left side of blog). Until then, enjoy the picture!

rubberstampads.com

I placed a link to my demonstrator website on rubberstampads.com. It is my picture at the very bottom of the page. Look for it. It is a small 40X40 pixel picture. If you click on it, it'll take you to my demo site. I have a special going on right now that if you place an order with me and say that you saw my ad on rubberstampads.com, you get $5 in additional merchandise with any purchase over $25.

My ad has gotten a number of hits and has (it was earlier today anyway) landed me in the top 20 sites. I guess people click on it as opposed to the other ads because they are thinking, "Who the heck is weird enough to post their picture here?"

Check it out rubberstampads.com and give me a click!

Sick As Can Be

Well, Kyle is no longer sick, but now Kevin and Kaela are sick, and I am too. Kenna has a runny nose, but that is it. Keith keeps saying he is fine, but coughs once in a while. Kaela has had a fever on and off for the past three days. Kevin came home from school feeling sick and didn't go today. I have had achey joints and congestion for two days.

So, since we are all sick and burned out, we decided not to do to Disneyland for Kaela's birthday. She took the news rather well. Which actually was no surprise. She (they all are actually) was very understanding.

Kaela did get to celebrate her birthday at school yesterday. She brought cupcakes that we had decorated with Strawberry Shortcake cupcake toppers and sugar sprinkles. We are going to have dinner (she has requested pizza) and cake on Saturday. We, of course, have Disney Princess plates and napkins to help celebrate.

I got some really cute dessert plates and napkins for Kenna's first birthday party. I didn't go overboard with the whole theme going. I just bought the plates and napkins and then got generic stuff to match. Going to party stores makes it hard not to go wild with the decor. Everything is so cute!

Kevin has requested Chuck E. Cheese for his birthday party. He was been wanting to go so badly. We keep saying that we will take him, but since it is his birthday, I guess there is no getting around it. Not that Chuck E. Cheese is a bad place. It is just hard to corral all the kids there. It can get pretty hectic (an understatement).

I'll update you on Kaela's birthday in a few days. Bye!

Just a Side Note

Last Thursday when we walked to the park, a huge bird with a red head flew overhead. It was fling fairly low. I would guess flying above about three stories up. It was the biggest bird I had ever seen "in the wild". Well, with a little internet searching, I am about 95% sure that this is what we saw. It is a turkey vulture. Since it is a vulture, it was gross to read about what it ate, but looking at it soaring above us was pretty impressive.

Sorry No Pictures

Well, it's been a while since I have posted a new picture. Kevin was asking why he didn't have a new picture up recently. We are still unpacking and I am not even sure where our camera is! I want to take some new pictures.

Unpacking is going slowly but surely. I am doing the best I can with having to just try to do our everyday things as well as find things. Keith helped by watching the kids the entire weekend - which is what he usually does. But, it especially helped this weekend in that I was able to get most of my stamping stuff put away (which means I can start stamping again!). Keith set up his desk and computer stuff on the opposite wall from my desk. We have our office looking pretty nice. It is a blue room - just like the other place.

Aside from the blue room, I was also able to start on the kids' master suite. Did I mention that we decided to put the kids in the master bedroom? They have their own walk in closet for their toys and a whole other closet just for their clothes. Kevin and Kyle are in the bunk bed and Kaela's bed is clear on the other side of the room. There is enough room left over that if we wanted to, we could put our king sized bed in there and still have room to move around with no problem. They have their own bathroom, and it is over the garage so they can be as rowdy as they like and not disturb Mr. Grumpy Bottom Floor Neighbor. There is a huge built in dresser that runs the length of the window (about one and a half times longer than Kaela's twin bed). We are setting up a TV in the kids room - a first for us. We will hook up cable without the receiver to give them access to PBS. We are also going to give up our DVD/VHS combo so that they can watch in their room.

Friday night I went out by myself. The kids and the unpacking were really tough for me last week. I was able to go to the bookstore and get myself a book and a couple of scrapbooking magazines. I am reading "The Time Traveler's Wife". After the bookstore, I went and had dinner and read while I waited and ultimately while I ate. It was fun to get absorbed in the book and to block out all the people looking at the woman sitting all by herself in a crowded restaurant on a Friday night. I would have much rather been with Keith at the restaurant than have my nose in a book, but I really needed to get out. And well, we can't afford a babysitter. It would cost us about $100 just to walk out the door for a nice evening together. Since when do babysitters charge $20 an hour???

Oh well. Sorry again about no new pictures. I will find the camera soon! Good night. Thanks for reading.

Oh. Just quick updates on the kids. Kevin is enrolled in an after school physics class. He learned about force last class. He is the youngest in that class and is really enjoying it. We have decided to take Kaela to Disneyland for her birthday. We are taking Kevin and Kaela, and Ris and Dad are going to watch Kyle and Kenna that day. I think Kyle is sick with Mono again. No fever yet, but he is just grumpy and not sleeping well. I will look at his throat tomorrow. Kenna is eating like there is no tomorrow. That girl eats and eats. Can you believe she is going to be one in less than two weeks?

Okay. Good night again!

Start At The Bottom

of today's entries. They are posted with the latest entry first, so look for the first entry for today and then read going up instead of down. BTW, did you notice we are at 3,000 hits (over that by the time you read this). Enjoy the update!

What's Up With Us?

Well, you've read about the move and the place, so let me update you on us.

Kevin. He has a jog-a-than next Tuesday. He says he is going to run 90 laps. We shall see! lol I am not sure how long a lap is. So, if anyone wants to pledge a per-lap or flat donation. Let me know. If you haven't heard from me yet - you will!

We had another parent teacher conference today. His teacher said some really good things about Kevin, and she is happy with his progress. When he started kindergarten, he didn't know many letters (only V and K) and couldn't count very high (only to 12). He didn't have fine motor skills with holding his pencil. But, she says his counting is great (can count past 100 and can also count by 5s and 10s). He can recognize all the letters and can sound them out. He is even trying to read. His writing skills have improved greatly. It was a great review.

Michaela. This social butterfly has been to two non-relative birthday party. She, of course, wanted to have a birthday party too but we decided not to have one for her or Kevin. Kenna will be the only one having a party - since she is turning one. Michaela is really loving school and is learning a lot from it (and Kevin). She is already recognizing letters and is starting to learn to write. Next school year I am planning on putting her into the older kids class and move her to three days a week. She is still as girlie as ever and oh so cute!

Kyle. He is in that awkward stage when they say a lot of words, but still can't communicate exactly what they want. As a result, he is a whiner. The same as the rest of the kids. He will just break down and cry without even trying to communicate first. Oh the joys. We went to the nearby park yesterday and he totally biffed it on the merry-go-round. He decided that he didn't really like being on it and decided to just jump off without trying to have someone stop it first. Well, you get the picture. Metal playground merry-go-round spinning at top speed. Little 2 1/2 year old jumping off. Not a pretty sight. He's play though. He preferred to hold on to the out side and run to make the thing go round. Well, again. 2 1/2 year old without the sense to let go when the thing started going to fast. Not a pretty picture. Nonetheless, he had fun.

McKenna. Okay. Our little female version of Kyle. She is going to be a trouble maker. AND, I know she can walk. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her walking. When I turned to look at her, she dropped to the floor. Another time, I turned the corner into the hallway. There she is standing in the middle of the hallway, no where near anything that would help her get up into a standing position. She sees me and drops to the floor. I swear she is repeating words that we are saying. Sometimes clear as day. But, when I try to get her to say something, she just babbles. I think she is more advanced then she is leading us to believe.

Keith. He got a nice raise and a great employee evaluation. He got a raise higher than the usual and it was initiated by "the big boss". The guy he works with thinks that Keith is probably the best in the country when it comes to what they do. Keith is really enjoying work.

Me. Well, just busy with the move. Trying to get back into a routine. We got a new washer and dryer that just got delivered and installed today. Ris let us use one of her cards. Thanks Ris! She was also here today to receive them while Keith and I were at the conference.

Well, I guess that's it in a nutshell. I can't think of anything major that I may have missed. Good night.

This Move Has Been Rough

Well, after being here a week, we have found that our new place has a few annoying "flaws". Now, it just may be that we are comparing this place to our last. We moved into our last place sight unseen and we got really really lucky. It was a totally remodeled end unit townhome. Of course there were some "flaws" there also, but with us being here only a week, it is a bit disheartening. Okay so, here goes my rant...

Getting various services. Well, this isn't really a problem with the house, but getting services here has been a not so smooth thing. DSL service was delayed as is TV. I had previously written about the fiasco with the satellite. Well, we opted for cable and that hasn't gone all that smoothly. Let's just say that I am not too happy that I have had to miss most of my favorite shows two episodes in a row. Telephone service was fairly smooth although we ended up losing most of our additional features for a few days. Mail and newspaper service have gone smoothly as has gas, water and electric - so far.

Cold. This place is freezing! So, it has been a bit cold here in SoCal. We have had snow in the nearby foothills. But, holy moly it's cold here! We have had to put on slippers and sweatshirts and turn on the heater. We are an upper unit. You'd think that we'd be warmer (the whole heat rises thing).

Along with cold. It takes FOREVER for the water in the kitchen to heat up. It feels like frigid Washington water during the winter.

Okay, the biggest problem. The downstairs neighbor. A nice guy, but complains about the noise. We have hardwood floors. Apparently he's had noise issues with every tenant that has lived here including the owner of this place when she lived here. I have tried to keep the kids from runningor jumping in the house, but this four kids under six, how the heck are they supposed to stay quiet? Well, he has started pounding on the ceiling/floor. Well, I talked to him about it and told him that we are trying to be quiet and this is quiet for us. Even just walking around can trigger a knock from downstairs. Well, I have notified the landlord and she has notified the HOA. Supposedly this guy can be evicted from his place (he is a renter too) if he continues to "harass" us about the noise.

Well, okay, enough ranting. I shall start a new post and put in some nicer stuff.

Our DSL is FINALLY Working

No thanks to SBC. Jerks. I was told that because of a glitch, we would not have DSL until the 27th. Well, I called today to see if the status had changed and the customer service rep told me that it had been "turned on" since the 7th. So, there was a problem with getting the ISP to connect, but after Keith got on the phone with tech support, it got squared away. So, just goes to show that you shouldn't necessarily believe what you're told the first, or even the second time. It may be wrong.

We're Finally in Our New Place

So, we are finally in our new place. I turned the keys in for our old place today. The move wasn't so bad. Keith ended up doing a lot of the packing and moving. Julie and Mike helped us move, as well as, Mike and Scott, Julie's Dad's Wife's son and grandson. We got the standard UHaul and Julie and I packed up most of the remaining stuff while the guys hauled it away.

The move went well, but transferring the services ended up being a big pain in the you know what. We canned our satellite dish because it was just a hassle to get the dish installed because of all the rules for this place. DirecTV also ended up screwing up our order. It delayed us almost four hours from picking the kids up at Mom and Dad's (who, along with Ris, watched the kids Saturday and Sunday night). Also, SBC screwed up. We have our phone service, but our DSL line is not available until the 27th of March! I was finally able to connect today (courtesy of a neighbor's unsecured signal). I had a TON of e-mail.

So, I just wanted to quickly update you. Hopefully I can get this place all fixed up in the next week or so! Bye for now!

Silly Hat Day

Kaela's preschool class had a silly hat day parade in honor of Dr. Suess' birthday. They each decorated a hat and brought it to school. Kaela opted for a huge hydrangea and five different kinds of ribbon all over her cap. She designed it herself and I helped her put it together. It was such a cute parade. They all lined up and marched around the basketball court.

Crunch Time

Okay, I guess this is no news to all of you that know me, but I have been procrastinating with the packing. I have done *some* stuff. Keith is starting to worry. Why do I do this? It does eventually get done and done by when it needs to be done, but I then have to work my tail off. So, it is Wednesday today, and we are going to start moving little things over on Saturday. We were originally going to start moving on Sunday, but the prior tenants were able to get into their new place sooner than expected which in turn moves us in sooner. So, I actually lose a day of packing here if we start moving things over on Saturday. Hmmm. Maybe I should get off this computer and start throwing things into boxes.... Bye!

Her First Steps

Today I brought the kids to Mom and Dad's so that I could go to my client's office. When I get back, Mom tells me that Kenna took two steps towards Grandpa! Well, I have been trying to get Kenna to walk for more than a week now. She is at Grandma and Grandpa's only a few hours, and they get her to take two steps?!? Geez.

So, of course when we get home, I try to coax her to walk. Well, finally as we were getting her ready for bed, she took a few steps towards me. She did it quite a few times. The most number of steps she took without falling was 5. She is on her way!

Are We Going to Have Another Baby?

"Are we going to have another baby?" Kevin asks us at lunch yesterday.

Keith and I look at each other, "Why?" I ask him.

"Because we are moving. When we moved here, we had McKenna," he replies straight-faced.

Hmmm. That is such a good observation on Kevin's part. Keith and I had joked about us having another baby because it seems as though whenever we move into a new place, we have a new baby. Well, when we joked about this, we don't recall Kevin being there.

I didn't even know I was pregnant with McKenna, but Kevin did. Here was that conversation about a year and a half ago:

"Mom, you're getting fatter. I think you are going to have a baby," Kevin said - once again straight-faced.

I reply, "No Kevin, I am just getting fatter."

Two weeks later - a positive pregnancy test.

So, is there something that Kevin knows??? So, what do you think?

Date Night

It's been a long time since Keith and I have been on a nice date. We went out to dinner last month, but it just didn't seem like a date to me. But last night was nice. Typical but nice.

Instead of wearing my normal jeans and sweater, I decided at the last minute to dress up. I actually wore a nice blouse and my nice black pants. I think the last time I really dressed up was for Christmas and I can't quite remember when it was before that!

We went to dinner at Pei Wei, a nice Asian Diner which we has fast become our favorite dining place. It is a family restaurant, but we do find it to be too expensive for the kids. So, we don't take them there. I guess it's good to have a restaurant or two where the kids aren't allowed.

After dinner, we went to the mall and walked around, of course ending up at the book strore. We went our separate ways. Keith to the computer section and I to the craft section. Neither one of us bought anything though.

After the bookstore, it was off to the movies. We hadn't been to the movies since before Christmas and were sorry to see that the prices had gone up to $10 a ticket. It wasn't that just before Christmas! I still remember in high school going to Tuesday $1 nights. Oh well, maybe by the time the kids get to high school tickets will be $20 and the "bargain" will be $10.

The movie didn't start for another hour and a half, so we went to Cheesecake Factory for dessert. The wait was long, and the coffee was crappy ($2.50 for a small cup that wasn't even worth refilling), but we enjoy the cheesecake.

We saw Firewall. It was entertaining enough. They did lay it on a bit thick the Harrison Ford is an older guy now, so in his fight scenes, he got hurt pretty bad and even had a few blunders in the movie - tripping in the forest, knocking into a chair as he jumped - those kind of things that would never have happened in Clear and Present Danger or any of the other "superhero" movies he's been in. Overall though, still an enjoyable actor to watch.

When all was said and done, it was 1:00am. We got home just after 1. We hadn't been out that late in a long time. So, thanks to Ris for watching the kids!

We had a nice typical date night. But, I would like to say that after all these years and all these kids, there is still no one that I would rather be with and spend quiet special moments with than Keith. Aren't I lucky?

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was really nice this year. It was a busy day, but we all had a lot of fun. We took this picture right before our 2nd annual Valentine's dinner. A bit of our heads is cut off, but we still liked this picture the best. You know of course that I took more than one. lol

Kevin and Kaela both celebrated Valentine's Day at school. They both received tons of cards and a lot of candy. While I waited to pick up Kevin from school another mom and I were commenting about how our kids seemed as excited about Valentine's Day as they were about Christmas. Although the holidays have been so commercialized, I guess it's not such a bad thing when kids can have some good memories.

Ris came and watched Kevin, Kyle and Kenna so that I could take Kaela to her classmate's birthday party. It was her first non-relative party. It was at McDonald's. There was a really huge play area that went up about two stories. Well, I don't bring my four kids to theses places often because I can't watch all four by myself. So, Kaela doesn't have that much experience in these things. Well, she decided to climb all the way to the top. When she got up there, she took one look down (it was a series of platforms surrounded by netting) and freaked out. Of course she was at the very top (seven platforms up). Well, she would not come down, do here I am climbing throught his gigantic McDonald's plaything to rescue her - mind you, this is in front of almost ever mother in her preschool class. I made it up there, trying to look as graceful as possible, to find Kaela surrounded by five of her classmates. It was so cute. They were telling her that she would be okay and that they would keep her safe if she wanted to stay up there. She opted to come down with me though. The rest of the time she stayed near the bottom. She still ended up having a really nice time.

After we got home, I got read to make dinner. We had steaks, salmon, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots and spiral pasta. I lit candles and put out the rose centerpiece I made last year. The kids got to drink red "berry" juice in clear glass mugs. After we ate (which was yummy btw), the kids opened up their goodies from the grandparents. They got lots of fun little things. Then to close out the evening, we loaded into the car and headed to Baskin Robbins. We all had ice cream. Kevin got his usual "wild -n- reckless" - a green, blue, purple, white, swirled sherbet thing. Kaela got chocolate chip and Kyle chose mint chocolate chip. Keith and I got our usuals. It was a fun little outing.

Ten Months Old

Well, Kenna is now ten months old. I can't believe how fast it has gone. Her top two teeth are out now. You can see a bit of her right tooth in this picture. She is wearing her ballerina onesie from her Godmother Tina. This was her monthly picture with her bear. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Ain't she cute???

We Have a Place to Live

Yeah! Such a relief for me. It is stressful trying to have to find a place to live. We signed the papers last night. We are scheduled to move in March 1st. We have to be out of here by March 9th. The lease runs through the end of June 2007. So, I don't have to worry about having to move again until the end of next school year. That was our biggest concern; that we would have to move Kevin with only a few more months in the school year.

Now, on to more stress of having to actually move. We have to move all our utilities and change our mailing address and all the other pains of moving. But, I have lived in a countless apartments and places for the last 15 years. My gosh! This new place will be the 13th place for me, if you count the moves back and forth from WA to CA separately. I think Keith moved around a bit before we married, but I don't know the specifics.

Kenna turns 10 months today. I shall take and post some pictures. Good bye for now.

House Hunting

So, the house has sold and we have 60 days to vacate. That'll put us at March 30. Well, I think we may have found a place. We are meeting with the potential landlord today. I never really thought it would make a difference one way or the other, but I will finally admit that not owning your own house can be a real bummer. I have a ton of packing and purging to do. We have a ton of stuff.

But, one thing I do get to look forward to is at the stroke of midnight Utah time (so really 11pm) here, I get to preorder some SU! stuff. The new Spring mini catalog has a lot of really cute stuff. I am being good though. I am only going to preorder one set. Well, and two huge monogram stamps. But, since they are single letters, I don't really "say" they are sets. I guess it makes me feel better moneywise!

Kaela got invited to her first nonrelative birthday party. It will be on Valentine's day. Ris is going to come up to babysit while I take Kaela to the party.

Kenna's top two teeth are finally poking though. She doesn't seem to notice that they are coming out. You should see these things. They are huge! lol I will post a picture soon. Maybe tomorrow when she turns ten months! Ten! Can you believe that?

Kevin seems to be getting in all kinds of accidents. He skinned his knee at school today. He said he ran into the wall. Well, we wasn't even running he said. He sort of just collided with it. Yesterday, I went to take Kevin to school and so I loaded up the car and we all headed over. We parking in the yellow zone and I thought it odd that there weren't any cars in the parking lot. Hmmm. 2 minutes til school starts. Where is everyone? DUH! No school today. Well, Kevin had wanted me to just drop him off and drive away - which I had never done before. He is only five! Good thing I didn't do what he asked. Could you imagine how freaked out he would have been?

Kyle is saying all kinds of words these days, but he seems to be getting on the other kid's nerves a lot more. Karensa and Paul can tell you that Kyle is my handful. But, thank goodness my handful isn't as big a handful as some!

Karensa and Paul are gone now. Paul left Sunday and Karensa left Monday. It was a nice visit even though they got sick! My kids are generally healthy, and hardly sick, but they all have runny noses which I think may have been spread to Karensa and Paul.

Keith is going to be busy at work this week. He has a load test to run and has a big presentation on Thursday. He is going into the office late on Wednesday and Thursday because he is going to be coming home late to run the tests. Hopefully not too stressful for him (or me!).

As for, me, well, I shall be anxiously awaiting my new stamps. I have a ton of swaps to do. I'll be happily stamping!

Watching the Ducks

Watching the Ducks

At The Beach

At the Beach

Today in Carlsbad. Keith and the kids after the kids walked on the beach with Karensa and Paul.

A Nice Day

Well, Karensa and Paul came yesterday so we are taking a break from the whole house search/sell. It was a nice break today from all of that.

We started the day with pancakes for breakfast. Then we straightened out the house because we knew that we would be gone all day and a realtor might come by. Anyway, I don't think anyone came by.

So, we packed a lunch and then we went down to Carlsbad and had lunch by the beach. Karensa and Paul then took the kids for a walk along the water. Kevin and Kaela collected shells and Kyle collected rocks.

After the beach, we headed to the Wild Animal Park and walked around and took the tram. It was Kyle and Kenna's first time there. I don't think Kaela really remembered it and Kevin vaguely remembered some of it. We hadn't been in so long. We ended up buying a membership. Kevin and Kaela got their own passes as they are now old enough.

After the WAP, we went to Mom and Dad's and had yummy dinner. Then we cracked out the karaoke machine. We all had a go at it. Kevin, Kaela and Kyle got a kick out of singing Twinkle Twinkle. Mom and Dad of course sang a few songs. Paul was the brave one and jumped right in. Karensa entertained us with her beautiful rendition of All My Loving. I sang two songs and Keith even sang! Paul, Keith and I even try our hand at singing Twinkle Twinkle! lol

Then, we headed out and now it is time for bed! It was a nice, fun day.

So Many Options

Well, we turned in an app today for a really cute townhome that we saw on Saturday. We think it would be perfect for us. It hasn't been determined who is going to be able to rent it yet, but I guess they have a few applications to look over before the final determination.

Did I mention that looking for a place to live sucks? lol Housing prices are through the roof and as a result, it is not easy to find nice rentals for cheap. But, we are still weighing our rental options.

We talked about moving away from this area and moving closer to Keith's work. Slightly expensive, but if we move more north, and by the highway, Keith can get to work faster with less of a commute. We have also talked about squeezing into a two bedroom and saving more money to pay off bills and then try to save. We've talked about a lot of things. I just hate change and well, these are big changes!

I am trying to keep a light attitude about it all. Those that know me well know that I can get a bit stressed out over things because I like things just so and hate all this up in the air stuff. Well, good thing Keith is so laid back. He helps me to keep calm to and make stressful situations less stressful. Of course other members of my family and friends are helping greatly to keep me calm. I am lucky that there are so many people to turn to during stressful times!

One really nice thing about it is that the house looks wonderful. Maybe if I keep in the habit of keeping the house really nice looking, it'll transfer over to where ever we live next.

A nice thing that is calming my week is that Karensa and Paul will be coming for a visit this weekend. They will be here Thursday actually and we can just hang out and enjoy each other's company.

Well, I should head to bed. Not much news with the kids. Kenna's top right tooth has finally broken through the gum. It looks like it is going to be a huge honkin' thing! lol

Here's A Picture for You

Kaela and Kyle last week while Kevin was at school. This is one of the times when they were best of friends. It goes both way. Best of friends then the next second the worst of enemies. lol I guess that what happens when you are only 18 months apart.

The Latest

Well, sorry I haven't been updating frequently like I had told myself I would. There is much going on (as usual), and we haven't been home much.

Okay, house update. Well, on Monday's holiday, Mom, Dad and Ris came up for lunch and we went to the realtor's office to talk to a mortgage broker. It didn't go as well as we would've liked. We just aren't in a position to buy right now I don't think. So, we are looking for rentals. The problem with that is that no one knows right now if they have vacancies. Most will know better after the 1st of February.

As for the buying, we thought of maybe moving back down to Northern San Diego were the housing costs are about 100k less, but the school district isn't as nice. I want the kids to go to a good school, the minimum requirement being that the majority of students have English as their first language. I don't want my kids falling behind so that the other kids can catch up. Also, I want the school to be safe. How crappy is it to have to worry that your child is safe at school?

Anyway, we are hoping to rent around here so that Kevin doesn't have to change schools at the end of a school year.

As for this house that we are currently in, it has been seen continually since the house was listed on the 11th. We have pretty much been at the beck and call of realtors since then. It is really getting old. The kids are too loud when the realtors come by as they get excited when new people are here. Well, they want to show off their toys and tell them their names, etc. Cute, but these people are here to look at the house. Kinda creepy to me. Anyway, so we have been trying to leave when I know that people are coming over. Also a pain. I have run out of errands to run and now that we are never here, we are actually paying rent to have people look at the house that they are going to buy. If the house doesn't go into escrow soon, I am going to request to the realtor that viewings from now on be by appointment only.

Let's see. The kids are doing well. I have be preparing Kevin in case he has to change schools. He said that it'll be alright. I think I am more worried about it than he is! Kaela is doing well. Same old Kaela. Kyle is getting more and more stubborn as he is finding more independence. Kenna is getting a big honking tooth in. It looks like it is going to be big!

Keith is doing great at work and is working on a project that is wowwing the socks off the big wigs. He comes home in good spirits and I can tell he is really happy about how things are going. Next Thursday he has a big meeting to demo his project.

As for me, well, I am trying to keep this place cleaned up. I have had nice comments from realtors and looky-loos saying how clean the house is. My friends and family has been saying that I shouldn't keep the house so nice. If it looks gross and dirty, maybe no one will want to buy it! lol But, I keep it nice looking because even though I probably won't see these people ever again, I would be embarrassed to have them coming into my home with it looking messy. I guess that is my own problem! lol

Anyway. I guess that is it for now. Talk to you all later!

Picture of the Week

Picture of the Week

Ain't she funny? Kenna turned 9 months on the 1st. She had an appointment and got a follow up flu shot. She weighs 17 pounds 8 ounces and is 26.5 inches long. She is right about were her sibs were, but according to the "charts" she is in the 25th% and 20th% respectively.

Things are better these days. Keith's truck has been repaired, but still is having transmission problems. He is feeling a lot better, but has the remnants of a cough.

The kids are fine and doing the same ole same ole. Kevin has started soccer again.

I finally got the house all put together and a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. The house looks GREAT. We have had a few people look at it and a couple of realtors have told me the house looks wonderful. We are considering maybe buying something and today I saw two different properties. Let me tell you, our house looks like a model showroom compared to the two I saw today. Maybe I shouldn't make this place look so pretty. It might sell quick.

The two places I saw today are in our complex. The first, one they want way too much. The house is total crap (sorry). It was always been a rental property and the owner never put work into it. The garage door opener and microwave don't work and the garage door is warped. The carpet is disgusting and it reeks of smoke. The current tenant showed us the bathroom were the wall is rotting away and the owner doesn't want to fix it. The price they want for it I doubt they'll get in a million years. The second place was actually pretty cute. It needs work too, but they aren't asking as much. It faces a large common grassy area and is away from the street. It doesn't have a yard though. It has a small patio in the front.

Well, I guess that is it for now. Not much news, but Kyle is bugging me for food. Gotta run!

Happy Winter

Winter? It is 85 degrees outside. It is HOT. It has been cold, especially in the evenings and mornings when we walk to school. But today, it is hot!. We got all bundled up in our sweaters thinking that it was going to be cold like it has been since school started up again.

Well, it felt not so cool. But 9am it was in the low 70s. By noon it was mid 80s. I had to stop back home between errands to change out of my sweater and into a short sleeve short. I almost changed into my sandals, but I was too lazy to find them.

Hmmmm, What's This Year Gonna Be Like???

Well, it's only the 4th, well, technically the 5th as I write this, and our year hasn't started off well.

Let's see. A short recap.

Keith got ill on New Year's.
We just found out Keith's truck needs a few hundred in repairs.
McKenna is now sick and keeping us awake at night.
Our landlord has decided to sell. We have to find a new place to live.

*sigh*

What else is coming our way? Please don't let this be an indication as to how our year is going to be! I'm going to bed...

Top 100 Baby Names of 2005

Well, I was reading one of my dozens of newsletters I get in my inbox. One from babycenter.com had a link to the top 100 baby names of 2005. Here's what said...

"This year, just two boy's names are new to the Top 100 list: Ben at #97 and Drew at #100. As for girls, eight new names entered the top 100: Kyra debuts at #40, with Cadence, Camryn, Addison, Alana, Layla, Mckenna, and Lucy coming in lower in the list."

McKenna comes in at number 99 for 2005, but notice the little "K". Maybe it'll be the new "Michelle". I see a lot of Makayla's or Mykayla's. I still prefer Michaela. McKenna and Michaela. Not girlie names. Feminine, but strong. That's them.

Happy New Year!

Okay, so I'm a day late. But, I haven't gone to bed yet, so for me it is still the 1st.

We spent New Year's Eve just hanging out like any other Saturday. The kids played and watched some TV. They did their usual riding bikes and scooters, legos, coloring, Kyle played with his cars. Keith and I played on our computers. Not really doing much, but managing to fill an entire day. After the kids went to bed, Keith and I watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It didn't scare the bejeezers out of me like The Exorcist did. It was more thought provoking if any thing. I didn't have to sleep with the lights on. lol

New Year's Day. Today. It rained, as it did yesterday. Today Kevin and I went to church. We saw one of his classmates and her family which was really nice. It was nice in that we had never been to this church and it was comforting to see some familiar faces. So, one of the things I wanted to do this new year was to go back to church. I haven't been going regularly in so long. Kevin hasn't gone much and doesn't know a lot of the traditional things that are done at Mass. There isn't a Sunday school program for Kindergarteners, but next year I plan to enroll him. He was a little fidgety, but not too bad.

Keith is sick. He started not feeling so good in the early afternoon. It is a stomach thing. Poor Keith. I feel bad for him. I don't think it is what Kevin had. Kevin's been over that since Wednesday. I think maybe it was something he ate, although I can't imagine what it could have been.

We had chicken curry for dinner last night. Keith made his own modified version and ate that. I don't think that was what did it though. It is a mystery.

Keith has Monday off and is planning on taking Tuesday off to get repairs done on his truck. With him feeling this lousy though, it might end up being sick time and him not being able to take his truck in.

Kyle is talking more and more. Kenna is finally eating food other than baby food. Kevin's stuttering is present again and it had been going on since Christmas. I am not sure what brought it on. I may talk to the school's speech therapist and his teacher to see what our next course of action should be.

Kaela is as princessy as ever. She is trying to get away with things by flashing her little smile. I made it clear to her today that that was not going to work. She got the hint, but still tries to get away with it with Daddy and Kevin.

As for me, I am just trying to focus myself and trying to see what I want to accomplish for the new year. Still thinking. Maybe I'll post what I plan for the new year.

I tried to take a New Year's picture of us last night, but Kenna was sleepy so it was a no go. I took two pictures and they both came out horrible. Oh well.

Okay, I guess I shall be signing off. Happy New Year!

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.