Too Good To Be True

Do you ever think that things are too good to be true? I do. Wonderful family. Handsome, dashing, and loving husband. Beautiful, smart, sassy, and tender children. Incredible parents. Crazy creative and amusing brothers. Health. A job (s). Enough money to provide for our family, eat good food, and have enough fun to keep ourselves entertained and refreshed. Brilliant friends. Lots of friends. Lots of different kinds of friends.

I'm not afraid of very many things. I get afraid when the good things run circles around the bad. Those moments when I realize that I have most of the things that want out of life terrify me. It makes me think one of two things: either bad things innevitably must start to happen, or that I am off track and doing a poor job of making wishes. Either way I am in the doghouse. I have never thought that bad things wouldn't happen to me, rather I am of the opinion that I don't have any exemptions.

I'm not saying that things are perfect. Just nearly, and only prayers can take care of the remainder.

I'm enjoying it. My kids are little and love me. My husband makes me smile. I feel loved by many people. I feel alive, and happy. And I know that it doesn't last always or forever, so I am grateful now for what I have, and think I have gotten pretty good at looking past all the vast oceans of things I don't.

No point really, other than to say thanks to those of you who make me happy.

Mentionables

Today at school, the LG learned about jobs. He told me that all work is boring, and dad, particularly, works in a really boring building. So, to appear more interesting to his friends, he made up a "secret" (i.e. lie) that dad works at a grocery store. He thought that would make it more exciting.

This past weekend, as we were leaving Grandma's we were backing out and saying our farewells in Spanish: Grandma: "Adios" Me: "Hasta manana, I mean hasta luego" LG: "Hasta my Lego Grandma!" Indeed.

Lucky Number 1

Happy birthday to the Big H! We can't believe he is 1. I think he takes the cake (literally) for passing the "stuff your face with cake" test we give all our children on their first birthdays. No hesitation. Just dug right in and kept going until the whole piece of carrot cake was gone. In fact, there was very little mess to clean up - he shoved most of it right down to his belly.


What a wonderful little boy he has been. He is following in the footsteps quite literally of his older brother and sister, and has been walking for a couple of months now, much to mom's dismay. He is happy, busy, and has a very cheerful smile on his face most of the time. Everyone is enamored by this little soul, particularly anytime he is strutting around the house in his birthday suit - which is frequent these days as he hates having his diaper changed or clothes put on. He is a little monkey, and loves to climb all over everyone and everything. He has started flirting and feigning shyness around new people, and can often be heard chuckling with no provocation which gets everyone giggling - particularly strangers at the store.

He is huge - weighing in at 25 pounds, and is in the 99th percentile for his height. This surprises no one who has actually held him - or watched him shove cake into his mouth. He is solid as a rock, and is helping mom to keep at least her arms in shape. We were really lucky to have both Grandmas and Papa here for the event.





There's something so amusing to me about kids this age opening presents they probably don't care much about (though this year I think everyone did a great job as they toys were played with more than the paper ; ). It was a wonderful party, for a wonderful little guy.



Happy Birthday Big H! We Love YOU.

It's a Preschool Christmas Singalong

Okay, maybe this is something that only parents appreciate. Sort of like people talking about their dogs like other people care, but I find preschool productions hysterical. There are always a few of the following: star performers, troublemakers (usually the LG and usually the funniest to watch unless it is your own child), blank starers, nose pickers (also usually the LG - we're working on this one), missed cue performers or those who are always a few seconds behind or ahead of what they are supposed to be doing. It is the combination of all of the above which makes it hysterical - at least to me.

The LG had his Christmas performance, and I came away thinking that he was perfectly paired with a girl suitable for marriage one day. Just kidding. Okay, no I'm not. I think you can tell a lot about kids when they are 5. Right? I mean, it is reasonable to have their whole lives mapped out at this stage, right? Anyway, you can see what a cute couple they make.



Santa also made a very unconvincing appearance. As parents were trying to get group photos, the LG was tugging on Santa's hat, peering around in his face with a very skeptical expression, and coaching him ("Santa is supposed to say Ho, Ho, Ho!"). In the photo below you can see Santa leaning forward to escape the LG's attempts at pulling off his hat. It was also clear to the BK that the LG wasn't buying any of it. After the LG informed us there was no way that was the real Santa, I had to explain that it was just one of his poorly trained helpers. We're still not sure that he bought any of it. What's a parent to do?

5 Short Years

Our LG turned 5 over the Thanksgiving holiday. He had been asking about it, dreaming about it, and begging for presents for months, so I was as relieved as he was for it to finally arrive. He was adamant about a Star Wars theme, so the BK and I made a paper mache death star, and I attempted to make an R2D2 cake. Let's just say that although I am glad my sister-in-law talked me out of attempting the cake below the night before...



...I am definitely under no delusions about the final product. That said, he is 5, and only cared that it was R2D2, and none of the other kids made the comments I was thinking in my head like, "wow, that's a funny looking cake", or "did the LG make that cake himself?". As the BK pointed out, however, at least it wasn't as ugly as our wedding cake. Touche.



Anyway, we were happy to have his cousins and a friend there. I am a huge fan of the pinata. Not much else compares to the elation children seem to experience as they try to break something with adults cheering them on. That first whack is always a bit tenuous as they look at their parents to make sure a severe scolding isn't going to follow. That is, unless you are the LG, who never looks at us before he breaks anything. Just another day in the life.



I am always amazed by this child. For better or worse. You never quite know what to expect and he definitely keeps us on our toes and turning grey or balding. A few of his favorite things at the moment (in no particular order):

1. Packages arriving almost daily at the doorstep (yes, thank you Amazon for free 2 day shipping and allowing me to shop from home!!!)

2. Legos

3. Preschool

4. Alone time with mom and/or dad.

5. Playing with friends and/or cousins.

6. Watching movies.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN!!! WE LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU!

Halloween

Trick or Treating. Spooky Ghosts. Creepy Pumpkins. My kids are in heaven this time of year. If you took away the presents, my kids would definitely prefer Halloween over any other holiday. For a weekend or so we had Darth Vader, Chubaka, and a Skunk running around our house. So much fun. Getting them to hold still for a decent picture on the other hand, not so much fun.

Disneyland!!!

It wouldn't be a family vacation for us if we didn't try to wrap too many things into it, so of course we had a few stops along the way. Actually, the BK competed in his first Olympic Triathlon at Lake Powell the weekend before we went to LA. He did a great job, and trained pretty hard so we are really proud of him! He looks great too, especially when holding his LG who was so excited that the "yellow" team won.





We love LA. I never thought that would come out of my mouth. That said, it has definitely grown on me since visiting my brothers who now reside there. The kids have such a grand time visiting their cousins, and a trip to Santa Monica, topped off with a trip to Disneyland never hurt. The pic below cracks me up. It's too complicated for me to explain why we had to take this picture, but we are hoping that 20 years from now they all decide to meetup at the same spot and try to fit their adult bodies on this tiny porpoise.



We were grateful to have actually made it to Disneyland after we ended up buying our tickets from a less than reputable source. Let's just say that if your tickets include instructions as follows, you should probably just walk away:

"It isn't likely that anyone will ask, but if they do, tell them you were there Friday, Saturday, Sunday, not Monday, and today [Tuesday] is your 4th day."

You can imagine our relief, however, to learn that if on the off chance that anyone did ask, and we were kicked out of the park, that the refund policy included "new" tickets being brought to us so we could try again. The thought of explaining to our children how Disneyland turned into jail should have been deterrent enough. Let's just say we aren't that bright.





We probably deserved going on a day when the park closed early, and the "Small World" and "Pirates" exhibits were closed. Because of the close proximity to Halloween, they had made a few "tweaks" to the Space Mountain ride, basically turning into a spook alley with creepy screaming ghosts and demons following you around every corner. Just sayin' Disney, maybe a disclaimer at the gate would have been appropriate, warning us that the ride was no longer suitable for the younguns. Hard to believe that our kids were the only ones with their ears and eyes covered and shrieking hysterically for their lives to end.

Joking aside, it was a great trip. Thanks to my brother and his wife who tolerate us in close proximity, and thank you to Walt Disney for going just a wee bit overboard and dreaming big.