A House Full of Harringtons

The Best Thing We Never Planned

2012-03-09T13:08:00.001-08:00

As some of you know, and many of you don’t, I will have to change my blog title soon. My new title should read, 1 Mom, 1 Dad, and FIVE kids. Yep, that’s right. There’s going to be another kiddo in the Harrington household. Look out world, I’m pregnant again. I'm popping another one out in July 2012!

To say that this pregnancy is a surprise would be an understatement. But please do not read this and equate surprise with unwanted. Some of the best moments in life are those that are unplanned and uncharted. Jeff and I are so happy about this, knowing that this baby, like all babies, is a blessing from God. Now, I know that some of you are scratching your heads and wondering about all sorts of things, so let's list some F.A.Q.S……..

1. “Five kids! Oh my Gosh, don’t you two know how this happens? Well, yes we know exactly how it happens, and we’ve got quite good at it over the years.

2. “Which one of you is getting fixed?” Neither. We’ve been down this road before and it just didn’t work.

3. “Did you do fertility treatments?” No. This happened naturally.

4. “So this was your own egg?” Yes, I’m only 41 not 50!

5. “Aren’t you worried there’s something wrong with the baby?” Nope. All tests show a healthy baby.

6. “Boy or Girl?” Well, the baby was moving a lot, but it looks like a girl.

7. “How will you ever be able to afford another one?” We just will. You make an effort to afford the things you really value in this life. We value our children more than fancy vacations and big screen tvs.

8. “What will you use for birth control?” None of your stinkin’ business.

9. “Are you planning on having more kids?” We weren’t planning on having this one silly.

10. “Aren’t you embarrassed to be pregnant at your age?” Ummm, let me think, NO. Why would I be embarrassed? I’m not sure why some people view my pregnancy as a failure on my part, something I should be ashamed of. This baby is in no way a mistake. She is a child that was meant to be here. Jeff and I were chosen as her parents, among all others, by God. Nope, not embarrassed at all. I’m proud to be pregnant with another child. My ob/gyn high fived me.

And just a final note: I am not as old as the woman on 19 Kids and Counting. And yes, I know she lost her last baby. But it doesn’t mean that I will lose mine, nor does it mean that I even want to think or hear about it. My heart goes out to Michelle Dugger, as it does to all women who have suffered a loss at any stage. But pregnant women as a whole do not want to hear horror stories, about labor and birth or about the loss of any baby or infant. This has been my public service announcement.

Now on to the Good Stuff……

Want to see a picture of my new little blessing? I knew you did.

There's her profile. I wish it was clearer. But her ultrasound was done on an archaic machine. I picture some poor tech realizing that her machine was broken, and her supervisor telling her, "Well, go grab one of those old ones from the basement!" And then the poor tech did as she was told, and after dusting off the ten years worth of cobwebs, she proceeded to use it on me. I have had other ultrasounds at this facility before, and they were all clear and it was all very modern high tech equipment. Just not that day. This was taken at 19 weeks.

Here is another that was taken earlier at 13 weeks:

Pretty cute, huh?

Ok, I know ultrasound pics are kinda grainy and not always so clear. But we moms love them.

So, that's what's new in my life. We are all excited, except for junior who just doesn't seem to care one way or another. We are still thinking of names although my niece Gracie has already picked out the lovely name of Elizabeth Ella. We'll have to think about that. But there's lots of time to decide.

May you all have unexpected blessings in one form or another. It's the unexpected that keeps life exciting!

Was blind, but now I see.....

2011-12-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

As parents, we think we are the ones who teach our children, that this is our job, our mission in life to make sure they have learned what they need to know in order to become the best that they can possibly be. Let me be honest and tell you that I firmly believe that I am not the only one doing the teaching in my household. My children teach me on a daily basis little lessons that I either managed never to learn, or have long since forgotten.

Over the Thanksgiving break, I took the kids to the zoo. We were having a wonderful time, the weather was beautiful and it was a lovely peaceful day. I felt “in the moment” so to speak. We came upon the lion exhibit. My son asked me where the lions were, and I peered in and didn’t see even one of them. I told him I didn’t know, when a woman, looking at me like I was an idiot, said, “He’s right there!” And wouldn’t you know it, he really was right there, on a rock, almost literally right in front of me.

“Well, I can’t see how I missed THAT,” I said feeling rather silly.

I pointed out the lion to junior and he looked, but complained that he wanted to see him better. I tried using the camera to make the lion look closer, but it was no use. He was melting down, insisting that he needed to see more. I just didn’t understand. He ran to the viewing telescope and tried to look, and trying to appease him, I popped a quarter into the machine.

“I can’t see anything! I’m BLINDED!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

I looked through the telescope, and sure enough, there was nothing to see because it was out of focus. I adjusted the focus, and found the lion in the scope. And what I saw amazed me. There before me was this incredible creature. More beautiful up close than I ever would have imagined. I could see his mane blowing in the breeze and the soft tufts of fur around his neck. And he had eye lashes! Wow. Junior was right. There was so much more to see, so many more details than I was willing to give my time to look at just moments before.

Junior watched that lion for quite a while, finally satisfied that he had seen all the lion had to offer. He was ready to move on to the elephants. As we walked away, I couldn’t help but think about other things that I must be missing. After all, I didn’t even notice the lion sitting on the rock at first. And if junior hadn’t made me stop and take a closer look, I would have missed out on seeing lion eyelashes…..

We walked a while, up the hill towards the elephants when I realized that my mantra, my prayer that I often offer up to God and the universe usually goes something like this…

“I can’t see how I will ever finish.”

“I can’t see how we will ever afford that.”

“I can’t see how it’s going to work.”

“I can’t see how that’s going to make a difference.”

“I can’t see how she feels that way.”

“I can’t see…..”

Are you starting to get the picture? How many times in my daily life had I used such phrasing? And what have I missed because of it? How many things have I looked at briefly, believing that I had seen the whole picture, with all the details, when I hadn’t really scratched the surface? What had I not focused in on?

When I told this to Jeff, he pointed out that maybe all of my “can’t see” mantras had actually become a physical manifestation in my life. “What are you talking about?” I said, grumpily holding the paper two inches from my nose. And then it hit me. I literally couldn’t see all that well. Days spent working on the computer had weakened my eyes again and it was time to get back to wearing glasses to ease the eye strain. You wouldn’t believe what a difference they made when I put them on.

Not but a day later, I had the chance to possibly adopt the cute little terrier that I had seen at the county animal shelter. I was the second hold on this cute little puppy and I didn’t think I had a chance at getting him. I told Jeff maybe it wasn’t even worth going. When he asked why I said, “Because I can’t see why someone would miss out on such a cute dog if they had the first hold.” But then I caught myself. I rearranged my thinking and said, “I can see how someone might not have the time to go back to see him on the day before thanksgiving.” And then, “I can see how I have a chance to bring him home. And if I can’t adopt him, then maybe there will be another one there to adopt.” So, we drove to the animal shelter that day. I repeated to myself that I could see myself adopting that puppy. When we arrived, we found out that the people with the first hold had not shown for their appointment. I had the chance to get the puppy I was so in love with. I adopted him that day. Had I let my “can’t see” attitude take over, I would have missed out on my new puppy. And he is a wonderful puppy. Lesson learned.

So, why am I telling you this? Because the holiday season is here, and I know that other parents like me are going to become blinded by a huge list of to-dos. Buying presents, wrapping, cooking, decorating, parties, and a whole host of merriment that is to be made so that the holiday season is memorable. But is it all worth it? Do we really have to worry about how the house is decorated, or would the time be better spent making Christmas cookies with the kids? Or if you hate to bake, would it be better to buy cookies and take the kids on a drive to see Christmas lights? We run around with our hair on fire, trying to squeeze in all of the things we think we should do for the holiday season. We see the big picture but miss the details, the simplicity of the miracles that we are trying to celebrate with Christmas and Hanukkah.

So this is my hope for you my family and friends…

May grace and peace be multiplied unto you. May you not be blinded by all of the fluff of the holiday season. And if you do feel like things are falling out of focus, just stop and readjust. I hope that each and every one of you finds all of your blessings in plain sight, with full clarity, and with all of the little details apparent. So, remember to kick back, drink some hot chocolate, and treat yourself to that extra piece of rugelach, or a sugar cookie. Then, take a deep breath and really look at all the wonderful things that you have in your life. I think you’ll like what you see. I know I do.

Blessings and Holiday Joy to you all!

Due to Technical Difficulties, Halloween is Delayed....

2011-11-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

I should have posted about Halloween in a timely manner, but due to some technical difficulties, and compatibility issues between the memory card and my computer, I have been a little delayed. I ask that those special people waiting to see Halloween pictures to please forgive me.

The puking pumpkin platter

So, Halloween went a little something like this.....

"Mom....?"

"Emily..?"

"Ok, so we asked Meg's mom and she said no, and we asked Jerry's mom and she said no, and we asked Cassie's mom and she said no, and Chris just asked his mom and she said no......"

"And?" I asked, wondering what it was that all the other moms had said "no" to......

"Could we have a Halloween party at our house? We have it all planned out. Now all we need is a house."

I don't know about how most kids approach a parent about having a party, but it's usually not with the disclaimer that every other parent said "NO".

Relieved that it was only a Halloween party they were asking for, I said yes. And the events that followed were truly amazing. I was told that they had it all planned out, and they weren't lying. Each child had decided their part in the party, what they would bring, how they would share their part of the responsibility of providing both food and fun. Jerry, Chris, and Emily created a Picachu pinata from scratch two weeks before the party. They planned the menu, choosing food that everyone would like. Cassie brought the entertainment of Just Dance, and Just Dance 2 along with extra Wii motes. Chris filled the pinata with candy. Meg brought tater tots and fudge, Jerry brought a dozen helium balloons. They even thought to include transportation. Jerry brought Chris, and Cassie brought Violet. All I had to do was make the living room spooky and put out some drinks and snacks. Pretty easy, huh?

The Girls.....

The Whole "Crew"

The Boys

Chris and Picachu

So, they danced and ate, and sang at the top of their lungs in Japanese. If that doesn't equal a good party, I don't know what does. Then, they annihilated the pinata, inhaled helium, ate some more, and they broke out the glow sticks. Just good twelve year old fun.

Now on to the other kids......

This was Jr.'s first year that he was actually interested in Halloween. In all of the other years, he said it was, "maybe pretty scary!" So this is the first year that he was excited about trick or treating and wearing his costume. He was a dragon/dinosaur this year and Katie was a pink poodle. It worked wonderfully that they were warmer costumes, since it was colder this year. Katie was all over the idea of getting candy. She just kept repeating CANDY CANDY CANDY! And Jr., while excited to get candy, really didn't eat all that much. He just liked being out with his cousins. I think a good time was had by all.

Halloween was so much fun this year. It was a blessing to have the house filled with fun and laughter. I am glad that Emily has such a wonderful bunch of kids to hang out with. I am also quite thankful for the house that had the puppet show for the kids. Junior thought it was awesome.

Hope your Halloween was "Spooktacular!"

Was there a disturbance in the Time Space Continuum?

2011-09-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Or was it only me????

I have to ask because the other day I had the strangest thing happen, and although I'm not a trekkie, I have seen enough sci-fi movies to come up with some crazy time/space/black hole/stargate theories. It's either that, or I was abducted by aliens. I swear.

Anyhow, the day was normal enough, I thought. I heard the phone ring and I walked from the bedroom to the kitchen to find the cordless phone.

At this point, the kids were in the living room playing with Thomas the train and the track set.

Jeff was on the phone and asked me to measure something. I walked back down the hallway, grabbed the tape measure, turned and walked back to the kitchen. Measured the kitchen island, and relayed the measurement. At this point the kitchen was empty and clean.

I spoke to Jeff for a couple more minutes as I walked down the hallway, and put the tape measure away. Please bear in mind that we don't live in a gigantic house. You can walk from the kitchen to the hallway in ten paces.

I hung up with Jeff, set the phone down on the counter in the hallway, and turned back towards the kitchen to have another cup of coffee.

It's at this point I see my children. Both sitting at the small table we keep in the kitchen .......both covered in finger paint....the table is covered in finger paint....... and the art board is covered in finger paint.

I stood there dumbfounded.
How did this happen???
How could they have possibly had enough time to do this?
How did they get the finger paint out of the cupboard?
There were no chairs moved.
We were home alone.
Or were we?

I scooped them up, put them in the tub and began to ponder how this could have happened in a manner of minutes. I checked the phone log. It said the call was 3 minutes and 43 seconds. Not long. And there is a view from the hallway into the kitchen.

Hmmmm........

Now let me be very clear.
I wasn't drinking.
I don't take any prescription medicine.
I'm pretty darn sure that I don't suffer from occasional blackouts, or narcolepsy.
And my second personality said she would never let them paint in the clean kitchen.....Just Kidding!

And since I'm sure that I would've noticed two kids finger painting each other as I was measuring the kitchen island, this leads me to believe that something out of this world happened. Maybe there's a black hole in my hallway that I stepped in and out of. Or maybe, like my title suggests, it was a disturbance in the time space continuum. I don't know. But I was obviously not there for a few minutes.

It was long enough for Katie to paint this:

So, what's the blessing in this you ask? Well, the blessing is that they decided to play with finger paints and not knives or matches. That they finger painted themselves and not the entire kitchen. Oh, and that finger paint is washable!

So, if I go missing, look for me somewhere between my hallway and kitchen. I'm almost certain there's some weird time warp/black hole thing going on there. Or maybe, just maybe I'm slowly losing my mind. I guess the last one is the most plausible.

Just another one of life's unexplainable mysteries.

"One bee!...One lousy little bee gets inside and you just lose it!"

Blackouts, Birthdays and Baptism

2011-09-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Wow. Look at the time fly. I was a little sidetracked this month with the start of school and a variety of various activities. So many wonderful blessings were happening all around me, and I didn't have the time to write about it.

Let's start with the blackout. I think of the poor guy who was blamed for the blackout. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was accidental. Maybe it was intentional, but who knows? To be honest, I don't really care. The blackout was a blessing in my book. I thought it was wonderful that the blackout occurred when it did. The kids came out of their hiding spaces, pulled away from their computers and TVs. We had more than enough daylight to look for the things we needed to get through. As I looked, it became very apparent that we were missing a few things to truly survive a long term blackout or disaster. That disaster preparedness box that I was always going to put together? Still just a thought in my mind. Working flash lights?? If they worked we didn't have batteries for them. The ones with the batteries were broken. I did get an A+ on candles. It was a dry run for what we would really need in case of another disaster. But as much as people complained, everyone seemed to notice the same thing. The gift of slowing down and unplugging, of togetherness, and laughter. The kids were joyful as they ran around the backyard at night, trying to keep cool. We sat outside eating hamburgers we barbecued, marveling at the stars in the sky. I remembered some glow bracelets we had left over from a party and cracked those open. The little ones had never had a chance to see something so cool.

No, that is not me yelling "Weeeeee" in the video.

So, the blackout was definitely a blessing in disguise. It was a lovely time to stop and take stock, and be grateful for the conveniences that we take for granted each day. It was also a great time to thank God that you were not one of those few who were stuck in an elevator.

So, on to birthdays....

Two special men in my life had a birthday this month. My wonderful, loving little boy turned four. He didn't ask for any presents. He just wanted a party. A dinosaur party to be exact.

Here is his wish list:

Dinosaur plates

Dinosaur cups

Dinosaur cake

Dinosaur pinata, hung from a tree, filled with candy

and an Easter egg hunt.

Oh, and dinosaur balloons.

Hmmmm...... Let me see... an Easter egg hunt?

I asked him over and over again what he wanted as a present for his birthday, but again he just kept repeating the above list. He just wanted a party. It's not like he hasn't had a party in the past, it's just he doesn't remember them. And this would be a birthday he would remember. The blackout came the day before his party, so thankfully it ended early so I could bake his cake.

He was so excited that we had all of the things he asked for. (On a budget)

There were balloons.....

And a pinata....

And a instead of an Easter egg hunt, we had a dinosaur egg hunt with baby dinosaurs inside....

And of course cake....

And presents...

It was wonderful to have our family and friends present for his birthday. Mother nature gave us the wonderful gift of beautiful weather, and SDGE gave us the power to bake the cake. All in all, Jr had many blessings that day. But it is Jeff and I who are truly blessed to have such a wonderful little boy.

The second man in my life to have a birthday was my Godson Ethan. It was his first birthday, a small affair with his cousins and grandma. He was so sweet and knew exactly how to open his presents. And then came the cupcakes.......

Isn't he the cutest thing ever??? That's Grandma's video of Ethan. I love him so much. He is a miracle wrapped in a layer of cuteness.

Onward to the last event I'm going to talk about today and then I promise to stop typing:

Katie's Baptism!

Kaitlyn Rose started her official spiritual journey on Sept. 18th, 2011. It was a quiet affair that took place after services on Sunday afternoon. Katie wore the same dress that Emily wore, as it was so beautiful that it needed to be worn again. She did really well, and her family was there to witness it.

Having faith is a blessing. I don't think I need to expand on that at all. It was a wonderful moment, and everyone there seemed to feel it as well. On the way home Emily broke out in song.

I see trees of green

red roses too

I see them bloom

for me and you

and I think to myself

What a Wonderful World!

I see skies of blue

clouds of white

bright blessed days

dark sacred nights

and I think to myself

What a Wonderful World!

Yep, it's a wonderful world alright! Blessings to you all!

Birthday Blessings

2011-08-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

My birthday was a couple of days ago, and that makes 41 of them for me. That's right. I'm not just 40, now I am IN my forties. Does this change anything from my perspective? Not really. I have noticed that I don't chase the little ones as fast as I was able to chase the big ones. But, I am healthier right now than I was ten years ago, and I am blessed to be here to say such a thing.

My birthday blessings started off with a bang when my sister called me to say that she found the illusive Red Hen on a Nest candy dish made by the Indiana Glass Company. These were popular in the 60's and my love affair began when my grandma kept one on her coffee table filled with candy. Good things came in those chickens. Many years later, when my Grandma was moving she bestowed upon me the chicken I adored. It was amber glass and it glowed in the sunlight. I decided that I would keep my eye out for a mate, and low and behold, I found a green one. Later came a blue iridescent one, then clear glass, milk white, and finally a beautiful pale yellow. But the one I longed for was the garnet red hen. So, now I have one and I can make a rainbow across my cabinets. What an exciting birthday surprise!

The red one is added to the flock!

The day before my birthday Jeff and I were able to sneak out for a few hours all on our own. We went to the beach and were at a beautiful area that required hiking down the cliff. We got down no problem and took a lovely walk and dipped our toes in the water. I picked up a few sea shells as mementos, and we made our way back to the path up the cliff. Let me say, that down, was of course, much easier. So, without further details, lets say it was a blessing that we made it to the top.

Then I can't forget all of my birthday blessings from my friends and family on facebook:

Michelle
Thank you everyone for all of my birthday wishes yesterday! Each and everyone of you helped to make the day special. ♥
Monday at 8:19am
Lori
Happy birthday! :)
Sunday at 11:57pm

Alicia
Happy birthday mom. :)
Sunday at 10:13am ·

Penny
Happy Birthday Michelle! Hope you have a really special day! XOXO

Kerri
♪♫♫♪ Happy Birthday to Michelle..........Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♫♪ Hope you have a wonderful day with your sweet family!!!

Kristina
May your wishes today come true. Happy Birthday!!

Sarah
Happy Birthday Michelle!

Cheryl
Have a beautiful day! You deserve it! You are a wonderful person and I'm proud to be related :) Love you Cuz!

Shane
Happy Birthday!

Diana
Happy, happy birthday, Michelle! Have a wonderful day!

Kerri
♪♫♫♪ Happy Birthday to Michelle..........Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♫♪ Hope you have a wonderful day with your sweet family!!!
Sunday at 9:34pm ·
Sherry
Happy birthday cousin...hope your day was spectacular.

Sunday at 8:12pm
Kathy
Happy Birthday Michelle hopw you had a awesome day :o)
Sunday at 7:27pm ·
Chelli
Happy Birthday Michelle!
Sunday at 7:08pm
James
Happy Birthday Michelle!!

Sunday at 5:44pm
Melissa
Happy, happy birthday cousin!! Hope you're having a great day.

Sunday at 2:59pm
Carol
Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter. I love you so very much honey!
Sunday at 1:38pm ·
Betty Jean
Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day!! Love seeing the pictures of everyone! Gorgeous family!!!!! ♥
Sunday at 1:03pm ·
Marianne
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to my one and only sista, happy birthday to you!!!!! Love you big sis!!!!! Make today the best day ever because you deserve it.
Sunday at 12:56pm ·
Teal
Great seeing you on registration day... need to plot summer birthday escape! Have a great day somewhere doing something you want to do!
Sunday at 12:39pm
Sharon
Happy Birthday sweeheart. I remember the day you were born. Your Dad came to our house from the hospsital and said "Sherry, I have never seen anything so beaufiful in my life!" He took me to the hospital that nigth to see you and I had to agree with him. You were a doll! I think that is why Chuck called you Doll Doll for so many years! Love you honey and am so very proud of you! Have a wonderful day with your beautiful family! XOXOXOXOXO
Sunday at 11:14am ·

David
Happy birthday! I hope it's a terrific day for you.

Karolina
Happy birthday!
Sunday at 10:57am ·
Pat
I love being in touch with you and reading your blog. You were always my favorite substitute! Happy Birthday to you. Enjoy your special day!
Sunday at 10:53am ·

So, that leaves me with the last, but certainly not least of my blessings. My family. I love and adore each and every one of them. Each made me a special card. I love homemade cards and notes far more than any store bought ones. Alicia made me one with photos, Emily made me one with a pop up butterfly, Jr. drew a family portrait, and Jeff wrote me a beautiful heartfelt note. They set me up with new nail polish and makeup, a great new book, and the worlds best lemon meringue pie. What more could a girl want?

My mom showed up that morning with a glowing garden frog, and a beautiful pot of succulents. She remembered how much I love succulents, and how plants really need to be drought tolerant if they are to survive my yard.

My blessings were bountiful this year. And truth be told, I am sure they were bountiful last year. Many people joked about how I was turning 39. I am not bothered by my age. I am glad to be 41. I am blessed to be alive, in this wonderful time, with such wonderful people in my life.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away"

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. --Abraham Lincoln

Boundless blessings to you all!

Murals and Manly Mayhem

2011-08-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

When we were waiting for Jr. to come, I told Jeff that he could pick the room color since I wasn't a boy, and maybe wouldn't know what a boy would like to have in his room. Jeff picked out a bright green color, crayola green, actually. It was almost unbearable in the sunlight and cast an eerie green glow out into the hallway. But, once the room was filled, it became comfortable and oddly soothing. It started off as a kind of a "Go, Dog Go!" theme, with dogs and race cars. I was even able to find dog and race car fabric for his bedding and curtains.

He was quite happy with all of this until his sister was born and he started ripping off the race car wall decals. I tried to move them around, put them up higher, but it was no use. He wanted them down.

"Why did you rip your cars down?" I asked thinking it just had to do with feeling grumpy over having a new sister.

"I can't like it anymore," Jr replied as if it was totally no big deal.

All those hours of thought and planning, and in two short years, he didn't like it. We worked so hard to find items that would last into little boyhood and not just be for babies. But my son had other ideas. He liked trains and animals. So, up went a beautiful Noah's Ark poster given to us by Em's friend Jerry. Apparently, it was in his room as a baby. And in came a train table, and a Thomas Tank Engine pillowcase. So, now his room is like every other kids room. A conglomeration of favorites, a chaos of toys, a bed that rarely stays made. When the girls were little this drove me crazy, but now, being older and hopefully a little bit wiser, I know that this too shall pass. In the blink of an eye, I will wonder where the time went.

When he started reading "Goodnight Moon", he loved that he had a great green room. We would read it and he would laugh that he was going to sleep in his great green room. Score one for dad and the room color. He also loves to point out that he doesn't have a telephone, nor a red balloon. But on a good note, he does have a comb and a brush, and knows that a bowl full of mush should really stay in the kitchen.

The other day, the great green room took on another transformation. Em came in yelling that he was drawing on the wall. This was a surprise to me because he only made a few marks on the wall as a toddler, and then understood that crayons and paper were the best match. I went in prepared to be angry when I saw a big, 4ft tall, 3 ft wide rendering of myself. The step stool was next to the wall, and a crayon was still in his hand.

"What did you do that for?" I asked.

"It's you mama," he said.

"Why did you draw me on the wall?" I asked, still eyeing myself in mural form.

"Because now I don't have to miss you at night, I can see you on the wall if I feel scared."

Ok, now tell me how a mom is supposed to be mad at that? Jr had been having some nightmares and was coming in for a hug every couple of nights for the last few weeks. I dropped the scrubby sponge in my hand and told him he could keep his art there for a few days. It's been a week. No nightmares. No getting up. I think cartoon mom might have to stay on the wall a little longer.

I have some really big eyes in this photo. Better to see you with my dear....... And the big ring around me is either a halo, because I'm such a saintly mom, or it's a jump rope. Somehow, I'm thinking the odds are leaning towards jump rope. Or maybe it's my aura. Who knows?

Anyhow, I had to tinker with this photo so that you could see the red crayon on the bright green walls. It was worth the effort. Now, at least, when I scrub this off the wall I will still have a reminder of when my boy was little and just a drawing of me made things better. It's a blessing to be loved so much by someone so special.

Last night, was a hotter night than it had been in a while. After his bath he got into his undies, and I told him to find some pajamas. And this is what he said to me:

"No, I'm just gonna wear my tummy, and my legs."

He went to bed in his undies. He said goodnight to me and glanced over to the cartoon on the wall. All was right in the great green room.

Blessings and sweet dreams to each and everyone of you reading this.

Cruisin' on a Sunday Afternoon

2011-08-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we really couldn't have asked for a more lovely weekend here in San Diego. Hubby and I were blessed with a day away from the kids, and we were more than ready to get out on our own for a few hours. We had 9 child free hours with which to converse, laugh, and smooch every now and again. Most of it was spent driving, but that's beside the point.

We took the '51 out to Chula Vista for the "Cruise for the Cause" car show and blood drive. Now, I know you are thinking, ooh how romantic. Maybe it's not extremely romantic, but it is loads of fun. We had to leave Ramona at 6:30 to get there in time to park the car before the entrance cut off, so much of our time was spent driving, and waiting in line. Once we were there, we were parked in the middle of Otay Towne Center Mall. If you have never been there, it has a really nice atmosphere and some unique stores. Then we got to walk around and meet other people with the same kinds of cars. The men folk talk car talk, and the women chit chat and agree that the men could have worse vices than cars. I actually think that Jeff and I might have met out future selves there. We came across this couple that was so much like ourselves, but twenty years older. It was a trip. We enjoyed talking to them.

Now, on to the photos:

This was definitely my second favorite display of the day. This beautiful car had a carved head that was a little larger than life hooked to a stuffed body. My photo didn't do it justice. Fun, cool, beautiful car.

But my favorite display of the day was definitely this:

Now there's a good looking man and his car! Jeff has worked so hard on this car, and if you saw it from when we first brought it home, you would be so impressed. I would show you a before and after pic, but like idiots, we never took a before photo. It's a work in progress, we drive it around and enjoy it for what it is; a classic piece of Americana that is slowly morphing into a custom car. I am so proud of all the work that Jeff has done on this car, especially since he has done it all without any expensive metal working tools. Just patience, time and love. Pretty cool, huh?

We had a great lunch and took this photo after:

We had to laugh over this one.

Anyhow, a wonderful day was had by us, and we enjoyed each others company. After 19 years, it's a blessing that we still find each other interesting and fun. Jeff is certainly my favorite person to have playtime with. I'll take a date with him any day!

Fishes are Wishes

2011-08-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

When Ems was about to turn four years old, we asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She said, "Fish". She wanted a big tank like her friend had, with lots of colorful fish. We had fish before and I wasn't too excited about having to take care of a tank again. I asked her why she wanted fish so badly, and she said, "because, fishes are wishes!" Needless to say, we added a tank and some fish to our house. These fish made the move with us, and we maintained the tank for many years, until we were down to just one fish. Finally, we put the tank away. The phrase "fishes are wishes" is used in our house to acknowledge something really good. We also use it for things we want to get or do, but can't have. Like if we want a new car, but can't afford to get one, we say, "if fishes were wishes." Crazy, I know. But these things evolve in a family, and it has become one of our quirky sayings. We all enjoy the beach and sea life, and living in such a dry area, we were feeling a little sea creature deficient.

Last Sunday we made a wonderful trek out to Birch Aquarium. Little Kitty Kat had never been to an aquarium before, and I thought it would be neat to take her and Jr. to see some sea life. Jr. had been asking for days if we could go see the sea horses. Not wanting to spend a small fortune on Sea World, we thought we would go and see what Birch looked like after all these years. I had been reading online about their new additions, and lets be honest, the price was right. Adult tickets are $14 a piece, kids 3-17 $9.50, and with two coupons to get a kid with adult admission, it turned into a cheap outing. Ems went with us too, Kitty Kat was free, so we were all there but Lecibug, for only $28 dollars.

They have so many wonderful tanks there at Birch. Jr. couldn't contain himself, and he ran from tank to tank in awe of the beauty contained within.

Kitty Kat was so excited to see the fish. Big J was carrying her so that she could see over every one's heads, and so we wouldn't lose her in the dark in the crowd of people. He said, "You have to hear this!" I leaned in close and Kitty was repeating over and over again, "OOOOOOH........Fish! Fish!" She loved them so much. I tried to record her little voice saying it, but it was drowned out on the recording by the echoes of everyone else.

Onward to the next room, and Jr began asking where the sea horses were. He was on a mission to see sea horses and the whole outing wouldn't have been what he had hoped for if we couldn't find some. I never put much thought into the fact that the logo for Birch is a sea horse. I was just looking for an outing that wouldn't cost a small fortune. So, we turn the corner, and not only are there sea horses, there's a whole room of sea horses. All kinds, large, dwarf, you name it. All the stars of the sea horse world were there, and in so many colors. Jr. was ecstatic.

See the tiny sea horse in the bottom of the tank? Pretty cool, huh? Jr. sure thought so. There was also something that I have never seen, or maybe I have and was not paying enough attention. Have you ever heard of a Sea Dragon???? I hadn't and I was in awe. They are the most delicate, amazing sea creatures. I tried to get a good picture, but I was using my cell phone. Check it out:

Look right in the middle of the plants....

So, after the sea horse room, and the tide pools, Jr. thought it just couldn't get any better. Until we went to the outside play area. They had a wonderful set up about energy and motion. One display was about the power of water to move things, and how you can increase or decrease this power by blocking or releasing water. Water, boats, and other little boys to play with...what could be better? (For Jr. that is..)

When I asked him later what his favorite thing was, he couldn't decide between the boats, and the sea horses. Kitty Kat continues to talk about the fish. I think she would love to go see them again.

Em's was quiet most of the time. She was a little tired and maybe wasn't up for the trip out that day. I think she enjoyed seeing the fish. I highly reccommend Birch Aquarium. For the price, it was worth it.

A good time was had by all.

On the way home, my husband reminded me that we still have our large tank in the garage. I think that the kids aren't the only one's who enjoy the fish. I admit I'm a sucker for them as well. After all, "Fishes are Wishes!"

Many blessings to you all, and may all of your wishes come true.

Birch Aquarium:

http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/

Coupon for Birch

http://sandiegan.com/coupon/Coupon-BirchAquarium.html

Breastfeeding is a Blessing

2011-08-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

This post is in honor of World Breastfeeding Week, which is occurring Aug 1-7.

I have had so many wonderful moments with my children and some of the best memories in my mind are those quiet moments with my infants tucked in the crook of my arm, snuggled in close, with their tiny little face attached to one of my breasts. With the first child, I was so concerned with covering up my breasts, as if anyone saw them it would be akin to seeing me completely naked. I didn't want to go out anywhere, because what if the baby needed to eat and there wasn't a place to get away from people? What if I put a blanket over the baby, and it fell off, and GASP, people saw my breast? What would they think?

Well, now it seems so silly. What would people think? They would think that I was breastfeeding a baby and the blanket fell off. Duh. But my worries and concerns really originated with my own attitudes that I carried about my breasts. When I was a teen I just wished they would go away. It seemed as if they were always getting attention that I didn't want. I wished they were completely flat and unnoticeable. (And honestly, back then they were pretty flat and unnoticeable, but that was not how I saw it.) When I found out I was pregnant years later, I wasn't sure if I was going to breastfeed. After all, I didn't really like my breasts, and I was afraid that breastfeeding was just going to bring attention to them that I didn't want. I watched with horror as my A's turned into C's and then into D's almost overnight. And I didn't even have milk yet. For someone who was already uncomfortable with her breasts, the new growth kind of freaked me out. Thankfully, I discussed my fears and issues with a lactation consultant before Alicia was born. She assured me that I might like breastfeeding, and that many women find they come to love and appreciate their breasts once they are able to use them for their intended purpose. So, I gave it a go. And all these years later, I am so glad I did.

Attitudes have changed incredibly since my first breastfeeding experiences 14 years ago. At the time, it was even hard to find nursing bras. My breasts were so large that I had to special order nursing bras from a company which assured me they would be shipped discreetly, as if I had something to be ashamed about. It wasn't like I was ordering something illicit, I just wanted a bra to fit my newly milk filled boobs.

Finding a bra wasn't my only problem back in those days. It was also hard to find information. Although the internet was up and running, it wasn't the same as it is today. No, instant responses. You might have waited a half hour for a page to load. I had no one to turn to for information. Neither I, nor Jeff was breastfed, so our moms couldn't help with advice or encouragement. I was exhausted from giving birth, and I wasn't sure if a baby was supposed to nurse that often. I knew I had a lot of milk coming out, it was after all, leaking everywhere. But I continued to be told by well meaning people that "it's not quantity, it's quality". In other words, if you made quality milk, your baby wouldn't want to feed so often. It made me anxious, and nervous. I had no faith that my breasts could provide for my baby. Thankfully, when I was about to give up, my Aunt Sharon called that day to find out how we were doing. An experienced breastfeeding mommy herself, she was able to ask me a few questions. I will always remember her soft voice over the phone telling me, "You are doing just fine. Don't stop. It will get easier. It's sounds like you are doing really well." I don't think I ever told her what a difference her words made. It was her encouragement which allowed Alicia to continue to be breastfed. And sometimes encouragement is all a newly breastfeeding mother needs.

Now, fourteen years later, I have noursihed four children. The littlest of which still continues to this day. I have no problems whipping one out in public, and can do so calmly and causually without anyone knowing. I have made peace with my breasts a long time ago, and I am proud of my ability to nurture and feed my children. And while I know that breastfeeding isn't for everyone, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to feed all of my children. Breastmilk is a blessing for sure.

BREASTFEEDING "FACTOIDS"

Human milk has been shown to kill cancer cells in a laboratory dish and has been used in oncology.
Mother’s milk has immune properties that can deliver a particular antibody in response to a new germ in the baby’s environment.
No two mothers produce identical milk.
Mother’s milk is uniquely suited to meet her baby’s nutritional needs.
Breastfeeding decreases the incidence of dental cavities and the need for orthodontics.
Up to 50% of the iron in human milk can be absorbed by the infant, as compared to 10% in cow’s milk, and 4% in iron-fortified formulas.
Adoptive moms, grandmothers, and yes, even men have been able to lactate for an infant.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of ovarian and pre-menopausal breast cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. The more months a women breastfeeds over her lifetime, the greater the protection.
The amount of fat in a mother’s milk varies from feeding to feeding and from week to week. The fat content of the milk changes even during a feeding.
Mothers of premature infants produce milk that is higher in protein and other nutrients than milk produced by mothers of full-term infants.
Breast milk contains stem cells.

Pretty amazing stuff huh?

"Milk is a side effect of love."

Christina M. Smilie, MD

I also have to give credit where it is due to Heather Cushman Dowdee for the breastfeeding art.
Find her on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mama.is.comic

B.Y.O.B!
(Bless your own B(.)(.)Bs)

A Million Words or Less about Alicia

2011-08-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

When Alicia started the eighth grade, she came home with her first assignment for English class, and low and behold, the assignment was for me. I had a week to write a million words or less about my beautiful daughter. I am posting it here because I think it bears reprinting.

Alicia was born on a clear, bright day on the 20^th of May in 1997. She arrived a full three weeks early, much to the surprise of the doctor who told me just days before that I still had plenty of time to prepare for her birth. Her early arrival doesn’t surprise me now at all. If it is one quality that Alicia has, it is a need to be punctual. The phrase “fashionably late” does not exist in her world. She arrives early for school, and youth group. All of her assignments are completed long before they are due. Many a night has been spent helping her finish a project that I assumed was due the next day. Upon completion, I would find out that it was due the following week. She reached all of her developmental milestones early as well. From walking to talking, writing to reading, she was always ahead of others her own age. She is the embodiment of the phrase, “Why wait for tomorrow, for what you can do today”.

Ever since she was small, Alicia has loved books. Her father and I spent so many hours reading to her that we could recite books in our sleep. To this day, I can still recall word for word of “Jessie Bear, What Will You Wear?”, while her father is forever imprinted with “Go, Dog Go!”. Her love of books made her enamored with the printed word. She could write and spell her name at two years old. I will never forget taking her to a mommy and me class. The first day the teacher spelled her name wrong on her name tag. She said, “A-L-I-C-I-A spells Alicia. This name is wrong!”. Shocked, the teacher changed her tag. She still loves books and spends her vacations and summers devouring novels. Her well worn favorites adorn her bookshelves in her room.

Alicia’s name is the Spanish version of Alice, and that is the pronunciation that she prefers. Many doctors, dentists, and teachers have pronounced her name “Alisha” and she quickly corrects them. Now, 13 years old, she has resigned herself to the fact that many people will say her name wrong. Her friends call her Lecie, a name she called herself as soon as she could speak. A select group of friends call her Momoko, after her favorite Japanese character. Her younger brother and sister simply call her “sis”.

Music has always been an important part of her life. Ever since infancy, there has been music playing in her room. It may have started with Baby Mozart and Sesame Street, but it continues today with an Ipod filled to the brim with every genre of music you could imagine. Her favorites are Fall Out Boy, Paramore, and Owl City.

Her love of music led the way to dancing and singing. When she was young, she took many dance classes and still loves to dance today. She enjoys taking part in the after school dance program at OPMS. Alicia is my songbird. She loves to sing and has a beautiful voice. She has also been in choir since elementary school and this will be the first year that she won’t participate in choir. I will miss hearing her beautiful voice perform.

Alicia’s room is the “tech department” of our house. I joke to her grandparents that she was born with “plug and play” technology. Anything that lights up, plays music, computes or snaps photos falls into her domain of expertise. Just the other day I remarked how I wished I could put a photo from the computer on my cell phone. A look of pity washed over her face as her fingers sailed across the keyboard at lightening fast speed. Two seconds later, my phone chirped that I had a message. There was the photo I wanted. Sometimes I think I will find a USB plug at the end of one of her fingers.

The one thing that Alicia is most interested in is Asian culture. She has always loved Asian cuisine, and was able to use chopsticks appropriately without ever being shown. She watches television in Japanese on the internet, listens to pop music from Japan, and pod casts that teach Japanese. Her favorite is Japanese anime. She reads manga books translated into English. She has her own blog about the different anime cartoons, and is always drawing her version of manga, which are beautiful girls with big doe eyes. Her favorites are Tokyo Mew Mew and Ojamajo DoReMi. In the long term, she wants to visit Japan when she is older. In the short term, she is looking forward to going to ComiCon with Ariel next summer. Many friends don’t understand her tastes, but I am proud that she finds her own interests and doesn’t care what others think.

Always the social butterfly, Alicia has many friends at school and church of varying ages. As a Facebook regular, she keeps in touch with school friends, friends who have moved out of state, former teachers, and long distance family members that we usually only see at Christmas.

I can always count on Alicia to help around the house. She is an amazing big sister to her three siblings. She is patient, kind and loving with them. She has helped to change diapers, even the stinky ones, and we all know how gross that is!

How do you sum up such an amazing girl in a million words or less? It’s hard, but here it goes….She’s bright and funny. Beautiful and photogenic. Her eyes sparkle when she smiles. She has an infectious laugh and a crazy sense of humor that the two of us share. She looks like her father, talks like her mother, but is entirely her own unique person. Flaming hot Cheetos, Three Musketeers, and the occasional Vanilla Frappacino from Starbucks are her favorite treats. She will eat anything but green vegetables. Pork ribs, Sheppard’s pie, Chinese food, and cheesecake are her favorites. She is the queen of Wii Fit and holds all the #1 rankings in our house. She’s a Taurus and sometimes can be a bit bullheaded. She has a fiery temper, but is fiercely protective of those she loves, including her friends. She has strong hands and gives the world’s best foot massage. A go getter, she works hard to achieve whatever she wants. A natural born leader, she will undoubtedly be the CEO of her own corporation. Without a doubt in our minds, her father and I know she has a bright future ahead. We see her for exactly who she is: an incredible girl that we are blessed to be able to call our Daughter.

Creativity At Work-Homemade Finger Paint

2011-08-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

Both Junior and Katie have been feeling kind of creative lately. Katie has been getting the hang of crayons and is much easier on them than her brother, who thinks he needs to apply a ton of pressure to make them work. He also loves painting, but we have painted so much lately that we had used up all of our supplies. So, I decided that I would try to make some finger paint myself. This is what we came up with and it worked out just fine, if I do say so myself!

Our Homemade Finger Paint:

2 cups water
2 cups flour
Food coloring

Sift the flour into a large bowl.
Slowly pour the water in with one hand while stirring with a whisk in the other hand.

Then sort the mixture into old baby food containers, or yogurt containers. Add food coloring, mix well, and "voila" instant finger paint.

We found that this paint works pretty well for pictures unless it is put on too heavily, then it cracks. But hey, it's good cheap fun.

While they were excited using their fingers to paint at first, they asked for their paintbrushes back. But they had a good time making their creations.

Katie's Fingerpaint and crayon mixed media art!

All, in all I was blessed to have a little time with the kids quiet. And I was blessed to still have this big paper that Lori Tipane gave me when she moved her classroom. It's awesome for painting and drawing.

Blessings to you all and many happy creations!

We're Godparents Again!

2011-07-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today was a most special day for our beautiful nephew Ethan Smythe. Not only is he our nephew, but he is now our God Son. We love him so much and we are honored to be his God Parents!

Gracie with her little brother Ethan

We are blessed to be God Parents again, and so blessed to be the God Parents of these wonderful children.

Ok, so I think this is funny...

2011-07-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I were reading the newspaper the other day and while reading the comics he noted that he didn't really find any of them funny. I also perused through them, and sure enough, I didn't enjoy any of them either. It's not that Jeff and I lack a sense of humor, or don't enjoy animation, it's just these were, to put it in teenager terms, "kinda lame". I have boxes and boxes of comic strip books, most of them old, but most of them funny. I used to love the "Far Side" comics, and Calvin Hobbes. But I can't seem to find any that I like as much today. But I did see one not too long ago that I found funny. A good friend of mine posted it on a blog and I chuckled, so I am re posting it for you.

I just love that Jesus is hiding behind the curtain. And I love the sandals sticking out. It suits my quirky sense of humor. I think laughter is a blessing.

Hats off to Katie!

2011-07-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

I wear many hats in this family. I'm a wife, a mom, a cook, a laundress, a chauffeur, a tutor, a financial planner, a housekeeper, and occasionally a referee. I wear these hats figuratively, of course. Which is a good thing because I have never been much of a hat person myself. I can't stand having something on my head, unless it is absolutely necessary for safety reasons. But one of us in our family has special genes. Hat genes. If given the choice she would have a hat on all the time. I'm talking about Kaitlyn Rose.

My youngest blessing has been a hat lover from the moment she emerged into this world. She would relax and doze contentedly the instant an infant hat was placed on her head, and the entire house knew immediately when it fell off. Somewhere around nine months of age, Katie realized that not only were the hats comfy, they were also a fashion statement. " Hat" was one of her first words, and she wore a hat whenever we went out. Thankfully, we had a few beautiful pink ones, handed down from cousin Gracie.

One day, while cleaning out brothers drawers, we came across a hat knitted for him by Grandma Ida. It was a beautiful green multicolored hat, but it was now too small. Katie saw it, let out a squeal, and it was added to her wardrobe. She started wearing it everywhere and even wore it to bed. Even as the weather turned warm, and the sun began to burn, she wanted to wear the hat. Her cheeks would flush and sweat would appear on her forehead, but she didn't want to take it off. You can imagine the comments that I got at the grocery store. Here was a little girl in summer shorts, tank top, sandals, and a winter hat. It was quite the look.

Katie and her favorite green hat.

I just figured that she loved that particular green hat. But as it turns out, she loves hats in general. Not a day goes by when she hasn't spent some time with a hat on her head. It's been great when we go to the beach or to the park, because of that extra level of sun protection. And to top it off, it's just darn cute.

Sometimes it starts first thing in the morning:

I'll bet you didn't know that breakfast tastes better when you're wearing a hat. She found this sun hat and it became an instant favorite.

Then one day, we were cleaning in my closet, and she found this crazy pop out gardening hat. Think of the sunshades that they have for cars, but instead in hat form. She loved it! It was big. It was pink. It was hers!

There was just one problem.......

The hat was almost bigger that she was!

But she had determination, and even though she bumped into doors and walls, she still managed to wear the hat for a couple of hours.

Hey, who turned out the lights?

Her enthusiasm for hats was contagious, and big brother decided that if a hat was that much fun, then he needed to wear one too. But he didn't want to be pink and girly. He needed one that was dark and manly.

The hat game was short lived for brother, but it's really an everyday occurrence for Kaitlyn Rose. I would say that she loves to play dress up, but it's not really "dress up" for her. It's more like a lifestyle choice. So hats off to Katie. I think it is a blessing to figure out what you like at an early age, and to roll with it. And Grandma Ida, if you are reading this, we could really use a new knitted hat. You can only wash them so many times.........

Blessings to you all, and hats off to you for taking the time to read my blog!

Making Friends

2011-07-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

My son is longing for friends. Boys to be exact. He is almost four and has finally realized that he would like to play with someone who thinks a little more like himself. Not that he doesn't like girls mind you, because he thinks girls are great, he's just looking for someone who understands the joy of making car noises while playing with hot wheels, or belting out a good dinosaur ROAR.

Unfortunately, as he was begging to play with Colby, his playmate of choice was busy having surgery. So we roamed off to the park in search of other kids to play with. We went to the park by the rec center out at SDCE. I thought we had hit the jack pot because there were so many little boys at the park that day.

He went up to the first one and said, "HI, MY NAME IS JEFFREY, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"
The little boy threw sand in his face.

He went up to the second one and said, "Hi, my name is Jeffrey, what's your name?"
The second little boy gave him a shove in the chest and ran away.

Now deflated, he looked back at me. I must admit, it wasn't going so well.
He went up to the third little boy, and in a meek voice said, "Hi, my name is Jeffrey...."
The little boy just growled at him and went back to what he was doing.

So, I grabbed him and left. He had tears in his eyes and said, "Those kids didn't want to play with me." I told him that it was my fault, that I accidentally took him to the "bad" kid park, but now we were going to the "good" kid park. I drove out to Dos Picos and he drug his feet as we headed to the playground. I saw another little boy about his age playing by himself, and a mom with an infant. I encouraged him to try one more time.

He walked up and said, "Hi, my name is Jeffrey, what is your name?"
The little boy smiled and said, "My name is Justin."
I saw junior let out his breath. No sand throwing, growling, or grumpiness.

"J is for Jeffrey", Jr. said.
"J is for Justin", said the little boy.

Jr. was content knowing that this kid could appreciate the letter J, one of his favorite things in the world.
They went on to play nicely, and had some of the funniest conversations.

This is my favorite:

"My daddy builds houses, and schools, and playgrounds, and swimming pools, and...and .....TRASH CANS!" said Jr. proudly.

Justin replied, "My daddy builds robots and rocket ships."

"Does he build dinosaurs?" asked Jr.

"No," said Justin. "He can't build anything that eats."

Jr. nodded his head like that made perfect sense.

Then they both looked back to us, the moms, and I wondered what they were thinking. Did they realize that their mom had "built" them, a person that eats? I don't know what was going through each of their minds, but I do believe that in appreciating and bragging about their dads, maybe they thought for a moment of their moms, too. After all, I was the one who got him to the park, and I was the one who tried to be there when life threw sand in his face. We can't fix everything for our kids, but we can show them how to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again.

Unfortunately, I didn't even think to ask Justin's mom if she wanted to meet at the park again. She wasn't terribly talkative, and maybe didn't need a new mommy friend in her life. But I can tell you, I was really grateful that the universe managed to put us at the park at the same time. Jr. needed that confirmation that he could make friends. So, to Justin, where ever you are....Blessings to you little guy. You made my little boy's day!

Emily's 12th Birthday

2011-07-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday was the dozen year mark for my beautiful Emily. She had a fun day, at least from my point of view. Her aunt and grandma brought her by some presents in the morning, and she had a chance to share a piece of cake with her cousins. The rest of the festivities started at 1:00pm when her two best friends came by for a sleep over. There was the usual giggling and goofing, and of course fake tattoo-ing. Really, what would a birthday party be without a whole bunch of fake tattoos? I'm sporting a brand new green and black butterfly, thank you very much. The girls all declared that these were high quality fake tattoos, as the color stayed really bright. And that's what's important when you're twelve; a good, high quality, fake tattoo.

Later on, we made Emily's birthday dinner. Before I tell you what it was, I must tell you of our family tradition that the birthday celebrant gets to pick his or her dinner. The rest of us have to abide by the decision. Emily picked chili cheese tater tots. Think chili cheese fries, but with tater tots. Topped with sour cream. Usually, Jeff and I suck it up and eat what ever the kids choose, but the chili sounded like it would bring too much pain later on. And we were out of Zantac, so we opted for a couple of tacos. The tween and teen crowd loved it, and had gigantic plates full of the stuff, as Jeff and I looked on in horror. But that's what she picked, and those are the house rules.

Later on we sang happy birthday, as she blew out the candles on her birthday pie. Yes, pie. Pumpkin to be exact. (House rules, remember?) At least it was an easy enough request this year. Last year she wanted pumpkin pie, and it was the year of the great pumpkin shortage, and there was not a can of pumpkin to be found anywhere in the world. Until we looked in Auntie's cupboard. Thankfully, Auntie's lack of pie making from the thanksgiving before worked to our benefit for Emily's 11th birthday.

Pumpkin Pie, in July!

Two good friends, the birthday girl, and a little brother.

So, another party down. Next is mine, then Jr's, then cousin Colby's, then Grandma's, then cousin Ethan's, then Katie's, then cousin Gracie's, and then we are done for 2011. Whew. That's a lot of birthdays and a lot of birthday cake. No wonder Emily chose pie. But a lot of birthdays mean a lot of blessings. And that's what makes a life a happy one!

Let's Play Dough!

2011-07-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

So the other day, the little ones were bored and I was trying to think of something for them to do that would keep them out of their daddy's hair. He was trying to paint some panels on the car, and they wanted to be outside, but couldn't because of the painting. So we made play dough. I don't know about you, but I can always use a little more dough in my life!

It really is a kid friendly activity, although I must admit, usually messier than I would ideally like it to be. The kids have fun measuring out the dry ingredients, but you really have to take over when its time for the boiling water.

So, here is the World's Best Play-Dough recipe:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tsp of Cream of Tartar
2 cups boiling water
2 tbsp oil
2 packages of small unsweetend Kool Aid (we like orange, or grape)

First, mix all of the dry ingredients together. This is the kid part, and if you do it right, both you, your kitchen and your children will be covered in flour. This is the best part from the kids point of view.

Next, in a big glass bowl, microwave 2 cups of water until boiling. This, of course, is the non kid part. Add the oil and the Kool Aid, stiring until dissolved. Then while the water is hot, add it to the flour mixture, stirring like a wild woman. Dough will be sticky and hot as all get out. Add extra flour as needed if the dough is too sticky to handle. When you can stand to touch the dough, knead it on a floured surface for a few minutes until you have made a large ball of dough that has a good "play" consistency. Let the dough cool before giving it to the kids to play with.

Jr's Big Grape Ball

I have been using this recipe since Alicia was 3 and a preschool teacher gave it to me. It is great because it is quick and easy to make. We have made this for birthday parties, play dates, and sleep overs. It makes enough for 4-5 kids to play with at a time, and is probably equal to about 5 cans of regular play dough. I love it because the Kool Aid makes it smell wonderful. Anyhow, give it a try if you have little ones. Blessings to you all, and many happy play dough creations.

Hidden Magic Circle

2011-07-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

The kids and I had a wonderful outing the other day. We found out that at Kit Carson Park in Escondido there is the coolest (at least in my opinion) sculpture garden. It is called Queen Califia's Magic Circle Garden. It is the only sculpture garden in north america, and was created by artist Niki de Saint Phalle.

Isn't that so cool? It is covered in tiny tiles and stones. It is one big gigantic mosaic. I am in awe at the amount of work that was put into this garden. This is the center piece of the garden and underneath has a spot that you can sit. And inside of it is a golden egg that Jr. loved.

It also has these really cool totems.

Anyhow, the kids had fun. Even though we have been to this park, who knows how many times, we have never come across this sculpture garden. It is hidden in the back of the park, and is fenced. We never made it to the back of the park. We always went to either the girl scout hut, or the playground. How we missed this for all these years I'll never know. The sad thing is, that it apparently keeps getting vandalised. Why someone would want to screw up something so cool is beyond me, but it takes all kinds and not everyone is appreciative of the hard work that went into this. It made us smile.

Kisses to you all!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2011-07-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Today is our 19th Wedding Anniversary! I am so proud of us that we have made it this far, especially in this day and age. I love my husband so much. We had a wonderful anniversary dinner yesterday, just the two of us.

Happy Independence Month!

2011-07-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

We had a nice fourth of July weekend. It was great to have Jeff home for an extra day. We decided to find our way to the beach, which in retrospect, is not always a good idea on a holiday weekend. We thought if we went early enough we would try to go to Power Station Park in Del Mar. It's actually a really cool place for little kids. For those of you who haven't been, (and maybe it was only me..) there is a nice grassy area and a playground, and a few steps away is the beach. Bathrooms are clean and close by.

But, that wasn't where we went. We couldn't park because it was the fourth of July. Duh. You have to get up at the crack of dawn to park. We were late. It was 7am. So, we went a little farther down, and low and behold was the cutest little beach spot. I paid three dollars and hour for parking, and anyone who knows me, knows that I hate to pay for parking. That being said, it was worth it. I couldn't understand why more people weren't there. I think it was because it was away from all the main tourist areas. It really seemed as if only local people were there. It was so unpopulated that I could look around and see all my kids at once. Gentle waves, nice sand, and really cool sea shells. Two thumbs up.

Emily and Alicia

Jr. had a great time, but prefers sand to water.

And what would a blog post be without a picture of me waving from the distance?

And messy Katie on the way home....

A good day was had by all.

Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginnings End

2011-06-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

Yep. It's that time of year again. Graduations, Promotions, and New Beginnings. We have recently celebrated them all here in the Harrington Household.

The first to go was Emily and we clapped and cheered as she celebrated her sixth grade promotion from Hanson Elementary School. I swear it seems like just yesterday when she went to the kindergarten tea. She met a little girl named Cassie who said, "YOU are my new best friend." True to her word, Emily and Cassie have been best friends throughout elementary school and undoubtedly will be throughout their lives. They have that kind of connection. I love it.

Cassie and Emily

I am proud of both of them, not because they are going on to middle school, but because they have both turned out to be amazing girls. They are both bright, funny, loyal, and best of all, tolerant. Emily sees the good in everyone. I love that so much about her. Below is her whole crew, with Cassie's teacher. I wish I had snapped a pic with Emily's teacher, but there was a large crowd and not much time.

The whole "crew"

The next to go was Alicia on the following day. Middle School Graduation is a slightly bigger deal, although, I expect everyone to graduate from middle school. You're supposed to. So while I am all for celebrating this milestone with my children, I expected it to happen. So many parents were there acting like it was a miracle that their son/daughter made it through to high school. I guess that I am lucky to have such great kids. The thought that she wouldn't go on never entered my mind.

Okay, so it's a little grainy, but that's my girl getting her fake diploma. I say fake because they gave them the real one the day before. She looked so beautiful, and I was proud of all of her achievements this year.

Alicia and Joe after graduation

So, all in all, graduation was fun.......

Jr. Keeping Cool

Here's to the end of elementary school, the end of middle school, and the end of the way of life as we have known it for the last two years. On to new beginnings, new celebrations, and hopefully new blessings.

A House Full of Harringtons

The Best Thing We Never Planned

Was blind, but now I see.....

Due to Technical Difficulties, Halloween is Delayed....

Was there a disturbance in the Time Space Continuum?

Blackouts, Birthdays and Baptism

Birthday Blessings

MichelleThank you everyone for all of my birthday wishes yesterday! Each and everyone of you helped to make the day special. ♥

LoriHappy birthday! :)

AliciaHappy birthday mom. :)

Penny Happy Birthday Michelle! Hope you have a really special day! XOXO

Kerri♪♫♫♪ Happy Birthday to Michelle..........Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♫♪ Hope you have a wonderful day with your sweet family!!!

KristinaMay your wishes today come true. Happy Birthday!!

SarahHappy Birthday Michelle!

CherylHave a beautiful day! You deserve it! You are a wonderful person and I'm proud to be related :) Love you Cuz!

Shane Happy Birthday!

DianaHappy, happy birthday, Michelle! Have a wonderful day!

Kerri♪♫♫♪ Happy Birthday to Michelle..........Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♫♪ Hope you have a wonderful day with your sweet family!!!

SherryHappy birthday cousin...hope your day was spectacular.

Kathy Happy Birthday Michelle hopw you had a awesome day :o)

ChelliHappy Birthday Michelle!

JamesHappy Birthday Michelle!!

MelissaHappy, happy birthday cousin!! Hope you're having a great day.

CarolHappy Birthday to my beautiful daughter. I love you so very much honey!

Betty JeanHappy Birthday to my beautiful niece!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day!! Love seeing the pictures of everyone! Gorgeous family!!!!! ♥

MarianneHappy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to my one and only sista, happy birthday to you!!!!! Love you big sis!!!!! Make today the best day ever because you deserve it.

TealGreat seeing you on registration day... need to plot summer birthday escape! Have a great day somewhere doing something you want to do!

DavidHappy birthday! I hope it's a terrific day for you.

KarolinaHappy birthday!

PatI love being in touch with you and reading your blog. You were always my favorite substitute! Happy Birthday to you. Enjoy your special day!

Murals and Manly Mayhem

Cruisin' on a Sunday Afternoon

Fishes are Wishes

Breastfeeding is a Blessing

A Million Words or Less about Alicia

Creativity At Work-Homemade Finger Paint

We're Godparents Again!

Ok, so I think this is funny...

Hats off to Katie!

Making Friends

Emily's 12th Birthday

Let's Play Dough!

Hidden Magic Circle

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Happy Independence Month!

Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginnings End

Michelle
Thank you everyone for all of my birthday wishes yesterday! Each and everyone of you helped to make the day special. ♥

Lori
Happy birthday! :)

Alicia
Happy birthday mom. :)

Penny
Happy Birthday Michelle! Hope you have a really special day! XOXO

Kerri
♪♫♫♪ Happy Birthday to Michelle..........Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♫♪ Hope you have a wonderful day with your sweet family!!!

Kristina
May your wishes today come true. Happy Birthday!!

Sarah
Happy Birthday Michelle!

Cheryl
Have a beautiful day! You deserve it! You are a wonderful person and I'm proud to be related :) Love you Cuz!

Shane
Happy Birthday!

Diana
Happy, happy birthday, Michelle! Have a wonderful day!

Kerri
♪♫♫♪ Happy Birthday to Michelle..........Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♫♪ Hope you have a wonderful day with your sweet family!!!

Sherry
Happy birthday cousin...hope your day was spectacular.

Kathy
Happy Birthday Michelle hopw you had a awesome day :o)

Chelli
Happy Birthday Michelle!

James
Happy Birthday Michelle!!

Melissa
Happy, happy birthday cousin!! Hope you're having a great day.

Carol
Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter. I love you so very much honey!

Betty Jean
Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day!! Love seeing the pictures of everyone! Gorgeous family!!!!! ♥

Marianne
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to my one and only sista, happy birthday to you!!!!! Love you big sis!!!!! Make today the best day ever because you deserve it.

Teal
Great seeing you on registration day... need to plot summer birthday escape! Have a great day somewhere doing something you want to do!

David
Happy birthday! I hope it's a terrific day for you.

Karolina
Happy birthday!

Pat
I love being in touch with you and reading your blog. You were always my favorite substitute! Happy Birthday to you. Enjoy your special day!