Party of Five

2015-06-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Happy 60th Anniversary Disneyland!

60 Days to 60 Years

1997 Disneyland

I am often asked for help and advice from friends and family when they are planning trips to Disneyland and Disney World and of course I love to help. Over the past year I have pondered writing some blog posts that I can refer people back to, but life happens and I haven’t found the time yet to start.I really need to update the photos! In fact, since baby #4 came over 4 years ago....I have found little time for blogging, but I do want to get back to it!

So, I was thrilled when given the opportunity to join some amazing Disney peeps for part of a series 60 Days to 60 Years. I figured it was just the motivation I needed to start writing! The blog series is a daily countdown to the official anniversary of Disneyland. Each day a post is added by a different blogger. It has been interesting to learn more about the history of Disneyland and see the blog series come together. So if you haven’t been reading I encourage you to take a look at this series.

Let’s begin and journey back to 1997. In 1997 I was newly married and we had recently relocated to Southern California.

Look how young we were! Both my husband and I enjoyed Disney so naturally we had season passes and enjoyed many date nights there. We didn’t have children at the time but that didn’t stop us from having a blast on our frequent visits. As a side note, I had no idea how useful those tricks and tips we learned over the years without kids would be. It makes days with them now so much easier. Hopefully some future blog postings with these tips will be coming soon! Anyway I digress…..back to 1997.

Because we lived in a vacation destination…we had a number of visitors and of course they wanted to go to Disneyland. We took on the hard task of fulfilling their dreams and tagging along to be their tour guides. Over the years we became pros at navigating through the park. In 1997, there was only one park but adding a second park was in the works. Below are some pictures when our friends from Sweden visited.

Okay so now that you have enjoyed a trip down memory lane from my point of view, let’s look at Disneyland in 1997. In January in preparation for a Tomorrowland renovation the Rocket Jets closed after a 30 year run. I remember riding these as a little girl and loved that it really felt like you were flying because you were up so high. The Astro Orbitor would replace the Rocket Jets in a slightly different location. The bonus of the Astro Orbitor is the line is easier because you don't have to wait for the elevator.

In February, it was announced that Disney Studios and Pixar agreed to joint produce 5 films over 10 years. Though not directly related to Disneyland history I believe that these films greatly influenced the Disney name and development of theme parks since. The five movies produced were A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and, last, but not least, Cars.

In March Pirates of the Caribbean was renovated and reopened to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. Who doesn’t love Pirates of the Caribbean? I still remember riding it as a little girl and being in awe. I loved that we could travel to an entirely different time and place.

Our friends from Sweden really liked Pirates of the Carribean!

In April, Captain EO closed and was replaced by Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Honey I Shrunk the audience added 4D technology.

In May, Mike Fink Keel Boats which could be ridden in Rivers of America closed. One of the boats tipped over with passengers on board. I am sure everyone enjoyed their swim in Rivers of America! The boats never reopened after this incident, but don’t worry there were still other boat rides that you could enjoy: the Mark Twain River Boat and Sailing Ship Columbia. If you are feeling adventurous there are also the Davy Crockett Explorer canoes. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the canoes on a hot sunny afternoon as the boats are powered by the good old elbow grease of the passengers, but if you or your family is in need some exercise, I would highly recommend it.

Photo courtesy of Disney Pix. http://www.disneypix.com/Pana-Vue/Disneyland/Frontierland/VP412%20-%20Bertha%20Mae%20Keelboat.jpg.htm

In May, Light Magic a new parade to replace the Electrical Light debuted. The parade had a short run though because it closed in September after receiving poor reviews. I am sure following in the steps of the much beloved Electrical Light Parade was a hard task. I honestly don’t remember much about this parade, so I guess the reviews were accurate and the parade was not one of their best.

In June, after a three year run, the Lion King Celebration ended. I was very sad about this as the Lion King Celebration is still one of my favorite parades. The performers were amazing and the music of the Lion King is just fun! The parade was replaced by the Hercules Victory Tour which was also good. It just wasn’t the same for me but I understand it is all part of the circle of life.

In July, Bob Penfield retired, and was honored with a window on Main Street. Who is Bob? Well he was the last original 1955 cast member to retire from Disneyland. What is a window on Main Street? This is a Disneyland tradition. Cast members that have played an important part in the development of Disney are honored by having a window dedicated to them. I think this is a completely awesome tradition. So the next time you are on Main Street be sure to look up and check out the windows.

Probably a little more important news in July was the much anticipated construction of California’s new park, Disney California Adventure. The idea had been in discussion and planning for several years but the dream was finally becoming a reality. Disneyland would have a sister park in what used to be the parking lot of Disneyland.

Photo courtesy of http://www.laughingplace.com/files/DCA1st/P19-1.jpg

So I hope you enjoyed your journey back to 1997. If you aren’t already following this series be sure to join us as we countdown to Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary. I need to go and get ready because TOMORROW I AM GOING TO DISNEYLAND! I am so excited to spend a few days at Disneyland celebrating their 60th Anniversary. It will be a little different than 1997 because we will have the kids with us…but that will make it all the more memorable. Honestly one of the things I enjoy most is watching my boys eyes sparkle when we are at Disney Parks. If you see me be sure to say hello…I shouldn’t be hard to recognize…I will be the mom with 4 boys!

Thank you Didi Marie http://www.distherapy.com/ and Gayle Turner http://www.disneygals.com/ for the opportunity to write this post and honor Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration. What a wonderful idea you had to celebrate this special anniversary

An InLinkz Link-up

Snow, Sledding and Boys

2012-01-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

We woke up yesterday to a winter wonderland. I love it. I love the snow. Something about it makes the world seem to move a little slower. Things seem quieter. There isn't anywhere we have to be (or really want to go given the condition of the roads in Seattle.) So we stay home. We find all of our snow gear. Yesterday's snow was perfect for snowballs and snow forts. We drink hot chocolate. We are outside for hours. We visit with friends.

We sled. A bonus about Seattle not plowing roads is the hill next to our house is the perfect sledding hill.

We laugh. We play.

For me the snow is a break in a long rainy winter. It is fresh and new. We all start to get on each others nerves after weeks of not really being able to be outside. When it snows we are outside for most of the day.

Tomorrow is a snow day and I am guessing the next couple of days may be too. Then the rain will start again and it will all melt. We will be inside and my boys with so much energy will want to be outside. I will try to remember the laughs and smiles. We will find fun things to do inside and wait for summer or another snow storm.

Princesses

2011-09-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

Last summer we went to Disneyland. Waiting for a parade I saw that their was a story reading with the Princesses. I offered to take the kids over while the other adults saved the seats for the parade. Off I went with 5 little ones. We took our seats and watched Cinderella come out and tell her story.

Kellen sat on my lap. After it was over he looked up at me and said, "Mommy Cinderella Cute!" His eyes were dreamy and he was in LOVE. Since then he has been in love with Cinderella. He thinks she is so beautiful. We have watched the movie more times than we can count. Then he watched Beauty and the Beast. He fell in love with Belle as well.

He knows the others too but none quite hold his 3 year old heart like Cinderella and Belle.

The other day we were going to Costco. He was already cracking me up because his big brothers were at school and boy did he have a lot to say. On and on he was talking to me about everything. Now if you know Kellen you know he does not have a quiet voice. He is full of life and really has know idea how to do something toned down. Including talking. Anything he has to say is heard within about a 1 mile radius. I put him in the cart and he is chatting away.

As we are walking in he exclaims, "Mommy LOOK!"
I turn to see a very cute little blonde girl with curls.
Kellen says, "She is a real princess and soooo BEAUTIFUL! She looks just like Cinderella!"

Man are we in trouble or what?

Back to School

2011-09-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

The boys started back to school this week. Connor in 3rd Grade and Brennan in Kindergarten. We had a very busy summer-nothing different about that. A couple weeks with family in WA and OR, then a month in Colorado with lots of sunshine and pools, then a month with more family and friends visiting WA. Though this summer we didn't make the 8 state trek we did last summer we were still plenty busy. I am not quite that crazy with a newborn! I guess I am going to make up for the lack of driving this fall with 3 kids at 3 different schools in 3 different cities. Yes I know I am crazy.

Boys don't offer me many details about their day. As a mom of 4 boys I need to somehow get used to this or figure out a way to get more details. I want a play by play of their day....they give me a few highlights...with very few details. Any ideas here?

Today I asked Brennan what the best part of his day was. He said, "recess!".
I said, "Recess again? That is what you said yesterday!".
He said, "Yesterday it was first recess, TODAY it was second recess."

Brennan does seem to really love the Dual Language Program that he started. He was beaming the past 3 days when I picked him up and declared yesterday that he LOVES learing Spanish...he just doesn't remember any of the words. I guess that part is coming.

Connor has offered a few more details. Guess he figures I am going to keep nagging him until I get it all straight. I know his basic schedule. He also has said that recess is the best part of his day.

So how is mommy doing with this transition back to school? For the most part surprisingly well. I guess it was something I shed tears over and dreaded...so when it came it wasn't too bad. Brennan started Kindergarten-really how can that be? But when the day came....I didn't cry much....just few tears. Though I have to say each morning that I drop them off and watch them walk off towards school my heart aches a little. One of the best parts of my day is when it is time to go pick them up and I see their smiling faces. I love being the mommy of these amazing boys.

A Christmas blessing from: Party of Five?

2010-12-24T19:14:00.000-08:00

I started this blog about 3 years ago after a little encouragement from one of my friends (thanks Stephanie!). It really has been one of my favorite things I have done and not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Once in awhile I go back through the old postings and smile at the memories. Life goes by so quickly it makes me happy to think that when I am old and gray I will have something to look back on and remind me of when my babes were little, innocent, and discovering the world.

Don't get me wrong though, as some wise parent once told me-when you have little ones the days are long but the years are short. And some days are very, very long. But now that Connor is almost 8, I really wonder where the time has gone. Sometimes I find myself closing my eyes (you know in the moments when everything is perfect and everyone is getting along) and thinking: remember this moment, the expressions, the laughter, the awe, the cute voices, and the adorable faces.

So in the past 3 years since I started this blog, we added another sweet little boy to our family, we survived Brennan's terrible 3's, and Connor started elementary school. We have definitely had our ups and downs with life here in Seattle. So, as I look back on what the last 3 years have brought, I wonder what the next 3 years will hold. I am sure more funny stories, a little more excitement, and a few more tears. In 3 years we will have a 10 year old, 8 year old, 5 year old, and 2 year old.

2 year old you ask???? Oh yes I almost forgot that part of the story. You see our Party of Five is growing.

Yes, it is true, we are pregnant and expecting a new little baby in May 2011. Some days we are filled with joy and excitement at the idea. 4 seems like the perfect balance to our craziness we call everyday life. Something about an even number seems perfect. Other days as I am cleaning up a disaster or the kids are running wild, I think what in the world are we doing?

In the end I am sure we will look back and realize that we have been very blessed with 4 incredible children. Though it may not always be easy I am sure we will have lots of laughs to carry us through.

So I guess now that we will be a family of six, Party of Five may not be the best name for our blog. So we have been thinking of some ideas:

-Party of Six
-What Were We Thinking?
-Welcome to the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness (errr Great Northwest)!
-Four is Enough!
-Six is the Perfect Mix

If you have any suggestions-feel free to let us know.

So that is our news and biggest Christmas Blessing for this year...a new little baby and 3 big brothers that make us smile daily :)

Light Saber Training

2010-12-04T19:05:00.001-08:00

Right now Star Wars is all the rage at our house. You can imagine many of the toys that are being requested for Christmas are Star Wars. The most requested and agreed upon movie by all the boys is something from Star Wars. Connor has 1-2 books from the library each week on Star Wars. Another favorite activity is fighting with Light Sabers. Kellen is frequently a bad guy and searching to fight Yoda. He will come up and whisper mommy where is Yoda...I need to fight him! If he can't find a brother to fight with he will bring a light labor to any available adult.

Apparently the adults are not completely Light Saber trained. I guess we have not watched the movie enough times to know the exact movements. So after a few seconds of fighting Kellen will declare, "Not like that, like thhhiiiiiiiisssss!" Then he will start to demonstrate how to move and fight the correct way. Really it is quite impressive how much he can mimic the movements. So after some training we try again. Usually it takes 3-4 times of demonstrations before he is happy with our training and we can continue the fight. Who knows maybe he will grow up and teach at the Jedi Training Accademy....that is a profession right?

Marriage and Kissing

2010-12-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went to see the moving Tangled. A really fun Disney movie that we all liked. There were a few scenes where the characters were kissing or almost kissing. Brennan and Connor buried their faces in their seats and closed their eyes during these scenes. After the movie I asked Brennan if he liked the movie, he said "yes!" I said, "your favorite part was the kissing right?" He said, "NO! I didn't even watch that part!"

Brennan is not our touchy boy. Touch is NOT his love language. He has been like this since he was really little. As a baby he would cuddle before bed and then want to lie down in his bed to go to sleep. The opposite of Connor who would still be happiest if you were always touching him. When you give Brennan a kiss he quickly wipes it off most of the time and has since he was 2. Though he is getting a little more sly about it or I just don't notice it as much. Trying to be respectful of him and his boundaries I have started asking him if it is okay if I give him a kiss, thankfully he always says yes though I still notice the wiping.

The other day we were driving and Brennan declared, "Kellen will be the last one in our family to be a daddy."

I said well maybe.

He said, "No, I am older than Kellen and Connor is older than me so he will be the last one to be a daddy. Kellen always does things last."

I said, "Okay, but I hope before you are a daddy I think it is best if you go to college, get married, and then you have a baby, when you are much much older." I was thinking in my head like around 30!

Brennan said, "You have to married to be a daddy, right?"

I said, "Well not exactly, but I think it is much better if you are married first."

Brennan said, "Okay, well I guess I will like the kissing part after I am married for two years."

Sharing?

2010-12-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

One night last week we went to dinner with Dan's parents. Brennan was in tears because we were going to try a new burger place instead of Red Robin. He was really wanting macaroni and cheese. After listening to him cry the entire way to the restaurant we really hoped they would have macaroni and cheese. Upon arriving at the restaurant they had macaroni and cheese....battered in pieces and then fried. (I am sure it is really healthy for you.) After a few tears he agreed to try it.

We only ordered 2 kids plates in case it wasn't a hit and we needed to get something else. Well it was a hit. Brennan loved it. We had him and Connor share some of their food Kellen while we waited for the other kids plate.

I guess Brennan decided 1 fried piece of macaroni was enough for Kellen because this is what I overheard.

Kellen, "Can I have more Brennan?"

Brennan, "Okay but you can only look at it and not eat it."

Kellen looked slightly confused but agreed to the arrangement.

Brennan then places a piece of the macaroni in front of Kellen on a napkin. I was very impressed that it was on a napkin as opposed to putting it on the table.

Brennan as he is tapping the napkin, "Don't forget Kellen you can't eat it you can only look at it." He continued to remind him of this several times always with the tapping finger.

After about a minute Brennan asked Kellen if he was done looking. When Kellen nodded his head still not sure what was going to happen next Brennan took the macaroni back and started eating it.

Kellen was shocked and so upset he started having tears run down his face but didn't say a word. Brennan then felt a little compassion for his brother and offered him a bite.

Luckily Kellen's food came shortly after that so he didn't have to starve!

And so our trip to the new restaurant was a success. But just so our trip was complete as soon as we were all loaded in the car and started driving....Kellen started crying. He cried the whole way home because he wanted to have daddy hold him and couldn't wait until we got home for that to happen.

Normal Conversations?

2010-10-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

Okay I am thinking this is just one of those conversations that isn't a "normal" one a mom has with her children. Just those that live in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) you know where the sun rarely shines and kids grow up thinking that the sun is not a good thing.

I will never forget our first winter here. Connor was the Star of the Day at school. It was a rare sunny winter day and Connor stood up to do the weather. With a huge smile he found the sun and held it up to say today the weather is sunny. I am not kidding when every child on the floor started withering and saying...oh no we don't like the sun. It was at this point that I looked at Dan and said...really this is not normal.

So since then Dan and have been on a mission tying to teach our kids about the sun and it's warmth and that we like warm sunny weather. We both grew up in Colorado and Arizona-two states where the sun rarely doesn't shine. So trying to teach your kids about the sun is proving to be quite a challenge when we rarely see it. The PNW averages 58 sunny days a year, 81 partly cloudy days a year, and 220 cloudy days(according to Komo news). So you can see this is quite a challenge. We want them to know that sunny days are a good thing and we really don't have many examples to go with!

Often on a sunny day we open the blinds and one of our kids will close them declaring it is too sunny out!

After a very cloudy, rainy, and cold Spring in 2010 the sun came out! It had not made an appearance for quite sometime. I was so happy the sun was out. I opened the sliding door to the van and hopped out to get out Kellen.

He was covering his eyes and crying..."LIGHT, LIGHT, LIGHT!".

A little perplexed I turned and saw the sun was shining in his eyes. I started laughing and said...."Oh honey that isn't a light....that is the SUN!"

I stood the help shade him while I got him out and he repeated over and over, "THE SUN? THE SUN? THE SUN?"

My reply, "Yes that big round light in the sky is the sun."

Kellen being a Seattle born baby seems to be the hardest to convince that the sun is a good thing...but we continue to try.

My heart was warmed when Brennan came home with his Thanksgiving placemat this year from pre-school. He said he was thankful for, "The SUN!".

Connor is also showing progress. As we left for school this AM we could see blue sky...he said look mom it might be a pretty nice day.

Mine Mine Mine

2010-10-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Kellen is two and there is little question of that if you are around him for any amount of time. He is a little angel and a devil all wrapped up in an adorable boy. He likes to make his point and wants to make sure you understand. When he is really serious about something he places his hands in his armpits scrunches up his face and says what is on his mind. Just when you think you could be mad at him he flashes the sweetest little smile and comes running with a big hug.

Everything in his world is MINE! If he has had it, he is thinking about having it, or you are thinking of touching it....then it is MINE.

Sometimes I find Kellen being chased through the house screaming...no it's MINE! Don't touch it! When I stop them to ask what is going on then it is discovered that little brother has taken something from a bigger brother and claiming it has his own. I think they are chasing him not so much because they want the stolen item back but because they enjoy the chase and watching him scream that it is his.

Luckily for the most part he has two very patient older brothers that seem to understand his need own everything. Or his charming smile works his magic on them too.

I know the other boys went through this stage but his seems to be much worse than I remember. I guess when you have 2 older brothers you need to make your presence known and let them know that you have a place in this world too.

Below is a sample of the phrases we here throughout the day:

Let MY have it!
I go to MY house!
Let MY do it MYSELF!
MY daddy do it!
Where is MY Daddy?
Don't touch MY toy!
Let MY see it!

The Magic Touch

2010-10-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

Since he has been very small Kellen has been a daddy's boy. Quite a change from the other boys as they were more mommy's boys. They preferred me for most things and esp. when it became time to go to sleep. Kellen not so much. Now that he is older and can talk...I often here...how much he is missing daddy. He loves it when daddy comes home and wakes up crying most mornings because daddy is gone. We often have to start our day with a phone call to daddy. Throughout the day I hear numerous times, "I have been missing daddy ALL ALL ALL day long."

So given his big bond with daddy it shouldn't be a surprise to me that getting him to sleep is more of a challenge for me. He has a hard time settling down and wants to play. Dan can always get him to sleep so much faster. So this past Sunday I was trying to get him to sleep and he was playing. Calling for daddy and really just not happy that mommy was putting him down. Dan came in and told me he could handle it so I could leave. I said no I wanted to stay... I wanted to see what he did that was so different than me to get him to sleep. Dan said he didn't do anything special but I could stay.

Much to my surprise in about 1 second Kellen had crawled in his daddy's arms with his head on his chest. In about 2.8 seconds he was out...sound asleep. Really I was in shock. To get him to settle down enough to sleep...I rub his head, pat his back, lie him down, shhh in his ear. Imagine my shock...Dan did nothing...he was just sleeping...in about 5 seconds. 5 seconds and he was sound asleep. No wonder Dan told me to leave...I mean really how can I compete with that?

I am pretty sure Dan had some magic sleeping dust that he must have sprinkled upon entering the room. A very special magical touch because I have honestly never seen a boy fall asleep so quickly.

On the Road Again....

2010-07-30T21:59:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe our summer is over. So much planning and worrying about how the kids would do for days at a time in the car all behind us. Many friends have asked if I would do it again...and I quickly answer...YES! I know it sounds crazy but really the boys and I had such a fun summer...even the long days (which sometimes led into late night arrivals at our destinations!) in the car had more high points than low points.

The planning began in January when our friends from Sweden wanted to come for a visit. We already had many things we wanted to do this summer so coordinating when they could come took weeks. We finally had a plan...we could make it work but it was going to require lots and lots of coordination! So after hours of checking on flights we determined that driving was going to be the easiest and most economical...really I couldn't believe I was saying that...I am the worst road tripper and I really hate riding in the car and I was agreeing to spend days and days and cover more miles than I ever thought possible with 3 kids in the car...ugh! But what is life without a little adventure?

I knew we could not do this alone and Dan did not have that much time off (the schedule we were looking at was going to take about 6 weeks)...so the next part of the plan was to enlist some help. Phone calls to Grandma and telling her of the plan began. After a little persuading my parents were on board for this adventure (we couldn't have done it without all of their driving and flexibilty!). We were ready to set off.

So here was the schedule:

June 20th-The boys and I would drive from Seattle to Southern California with our friends from Sweden. (5 children and 3 adults...every seat in the van taken). Talk about one really full car...we had to get a Thule for the top or we would have never all fit! I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of this! The kids were amazing for this part of the trip...we asked a lot of them...2 long 12 hour days in the car!

June 21st-My parents flew to Southern California and met us at Disneyland.

June 25-after a very busy 3 days at Disneyland we said good-bye to our friends from Sweden. They flew to NYC for a few more days of sight seeing and we were on the road to AZ.

The COOL guys!

The crew spliting down to 5 as we said good-bye to our friends from Sweden.

June-26th We got to AZ a much later than planned because of a late start out of LA and more traffic than we anticipated-by far our latest night of the trip. 20 Year Reunion for Blue Ridge in Pinetop/Lakeside. What a great couple of days to show the boys where I grew up and went to school.

June 27th-Drive back down to Phoenix and have a fun few days with friends and family in Phoenix. Even with the hot temperatures we managed to have lots of fun and do lots and lots of swimming! Kellen quickly got over his fear of water...which was great with all the swimming we had coming up over the summer.

July 1st-leave AZ and drive to CO. Along the way see the Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Mesa Verde, Sand Dunes National Park, and Monument Valley.

At the Grand Canyon

Mesa Verde

Sand Dunes National Park

July 3-arrive in Colorado...where Dan was anxiously waiting our arrival! We had a fun week with daddy before he flew back to Seattle for work (someone had to pay for this trip!) After a fun week with daddy we had a wonderful month in Colorado with friends and family-lots and lots of warm weather, swimming pools, water parks, and sports camp. We were even there for the birth of my sisters little guy.

July 30-leave CO and drive to WA. Along the way see Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone.

Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone

Aug. 4th-We arrived back home in Seattle. Just in time for Sea Fair-the Blue Angels and Hydro-Plane Boat Races.

Wow looking at that schedule in writing it is hard to believe we completed it and with every person intact and mostly enjoying the trip!

Some highlights from the trip:

-Car DVD player broke as we were leaving Denver. Good news...we could still play the movie that was stuck inside. Bad news we watched Cinderella about 6 times between here and Denver. Good News...Kellen LOVES Cinderella so he was always very happy when we turned it on.

-4 National Parks. What an amazing way to see such beautiful areas of our country!

-10 States. 2 states were a rather quick visit at the 4 Corners but still we were in 10 states! :)

-Lots and lots of rest areas...the kids did so well with very few stops on our longest days even.

-We managed not to lose and have any melted crayons in our car (even in 100+ degree temperatures in Phoenix).

-Lots of scenery that looked like we had driven onto a set for the movie CARS!

-Very rarely did the boys ask how much longer or complain about all the time in the car.

-Driving through a herd of buffalo at Yellowstone National Park. And then seeing a deer and a buffalo on the trail as we were walking to see a geyser.

-The 5 kids were soooo excited when we hit LA and were about an hour from Disneyland. The car was full of so much energy :) Very quickly we realized that we would be visiting Disneyland that night...even at 8 PM there was no way we were going to hold back 5 children after strapping them in the car with few stops for 2 days and the promise of Mickey Mouse if we didn't stop much! Luckily we had annual passes & our friends from Sweden thankfully had got an extra day on their passes-so it was possible.

-Snacks, Snacks, and More Snacks....certainly a life saver! Wow what a mess to clean out under the car seats once we were back!

-Kellen's security blanket on the trip was his Storm Trooper figurine. We almost lost it several times which caused quite a panic. When he went missing Kellen would constantly ask until it was found..."where is my Storm Trooper?" After several near losses in Colorado the rule became that the Storm Trooper was not allowed out of the car. A small miracle to return home with such a small toy!

-My job was mostly to sit in the back with the kids and entertain...I did some driving but mostly I was the snack getter, movie player, game leader, mediator, crayon and toy finder :)

So now we just can't wait to get on the road again and see some more of this beautiful country :)

Grabity

2010-07-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today I had my nephew and Brennan in the car. I listened in our there consversation:

Brennan-Well that is because of "grabity"
Caleb-What is grabity?
Brennan-That is the stuff that grabs you and makes you stay on the ground. The "grabity" keeps you here. If you didn't have "grabity" then we would just go shooting up into the sky!

Space Needle

2010-05-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Oh the funny questions 3 and 4 year olds ask as they are trying to make sense of the world. I wish I would write more of them down because they just crack me up. The latest question from Brennan was:

"About how long ago did the Space Needle launch into space?"

I tried to answer him and explain that it is just a building and it didn't go up in space. He just looked at me with a blank stare and I could tell he thought I knew nothing. So I took a different approach and asked him what he thought happened....he went on and on with this great story about how the space needle used to be a rocket and shot up into space. I just smiled and told him you know I bet you are right.

Mama Bear

2010-04-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

As Connor has gone into first grade I have noticed this a few more times. I think it is forshawdowing of more to come.

Before first grade Connor LOVED the movie Cars and Lightening McQueen. Near the beginning of the year he wore one of his Cars shirts to school. He came home from school and told me that a boy said Cars was for babies. The next week I had it out for him to wear. He asked to wear a different shirt. I said Connor really it is the only school shirt you have that matches these pants can you just wear it today so we aren't late? Being the first child he had sadness in his eyes but complied and put on the shirt. My heart broke a bit because I knew he still liked Cars but he didn't want to be called a baby. I was also hoping the child wouldn't make the same comments and he would still like his shirt. The next time I had the shirt out he requested again not to wear it. Since then I haven't put it back out as an option on school days. He wears it happily on non-school days.

The mama bear in me wanted to march into school and tell the boy to stop making fun of my child and that Cars was not for babies. I also wanted to pull his parents aside and inform them that since they were only 6 so they could still like Cars. In fact it was probably a better choice than some of the shows and Wii games Connor was now requesting to watch and play because his friend watched them. But I didn't I just said a prayer for my baby to understand why we are making the choices we are and hope he can hold on to his innocence a little longer. This whole growing up thing is harder than I imagined. When he was an infant and screamed for hours in the middle of the night I wondered how we would make it. Now when I think about what we are going to face through the next 10 years I would gladly trade them for more nights of screaming. At the end of the day I place my baby back in God's hands and trust that He has much bigger plans and hopes for him than I ever could.

Witching Hour

2010-04-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

The majority of mornings we all wake up with smiles lots of hugs and I think to myself....I have such wonderful children. In those minutes they can do no wrong. As the day goes on we all get a little more tired and a little more fussy. Nap time brings a needed break for all. Though only Kellen naps Brennan is usually at school and on days that he is not he usually plays quietly. I honestly think he enjoys that he has some alone time and that he doesn't have to share toys or be bugged by his brothers.

After nap things are much happier again....but things go downhill much faster than they do in the morning. It's as if we are running full speed into crankiness. I find myself saying...please can you find something quiet to play with...didn't I just say that running through the house and bouncing balls is not quiet? My answers are shorter, my patience is thin, and my answer to almost everything is "no". For the kids sharing becomes nearly impossible, their toys are "boring", and rather than using words it just easier to hit and take whatever they wanted.

Around 5 PM I find myself checking the clock and beginning the countdown....30 more minutes and daddy will be home. The problem with this thinking is that it is usually "a best case scenario" reality is it will probably be longer than that until daddy other wise known as the cavalry is home. I think living away from family puts a whole new spin on this. I don't have the option of calling my mom and having her take the kids for a few hours during the week so I can run to the store. No dropping the kids of at my sisters so I can head to an appointment in peace. I have a couple of friends that are willing to take the kids-but those "favors" are saved for emergencies when I absolutely can't take the kids with me.

Most days we are together ALL day long we go to appointments. together, shopping together, carpool pick-up together, eat together, you get the idea....a lot of together time. Which don't get me wrong most of the time I love it. I love being with my kids. I love the silly jokes they tell me. I love their chubby hands grabbing my face to give me a kiss. But at 5 PM it is just a little too much "togetherness" for everyone. We are at the end of our rope and need the cavalry to get home.

I don't know what it is about Daddy coming home but it makes everyone soooo happy. For a few minutes at least all is right in the world. Depending on the day this reprieve can be about an hour but other days it is short lived. You see we are all still cranky, tired, and hungry. It is about this point Dan says out of earshot of the kids, "oh my goodness....our kids are horrible!" I usually reply back, "no they aren't you just see them at their worst." At first he didn't believe me and he would just shake his head...but after one of our recent vacations he said, "you know you are right we have some pretty great kids most of the day....until about dinner time...then they become little monsters." Poor Dan sees the worst of our kids Monday-Friday.

In the past six months we discovered the Sprout channel which has revolutioned our night-time witching hour. You see the Sprout channel plays kids programs late at night and has a good-night show and song that my kids love. It is calming for all. When we hit the end of our ropes we shout...lets watch Sprout. The boys happily scramble up on our bed...and the peace begins. Dan and I quickly get PJ's on, teeth brushed, lunches packed, and dishes washed-all while our children are quiet. I used to feel guilty for this night-time babysitter but now I just enjoy the quiet even if it does mean I have kids songs stuck in my head :)

Lost Tooth

2010-04-24T21:46:00.003-07:00

Connor lost his first tooth today. He was sooo excited he had been waiting most of first grade to loose a tooth. He exclaimed, "I just lost my tooth...now all the girls will stop making fun of me!". He was the last one to loose a tooth in his class and according to our dentist girls typically loose their tooth before boys so most of the girls in his class have lost multiple teeth.

I was secretly dreading it. When he announced in the car a couple of weeks ago, "I have a loose tooth!!!" my heart sank a little. Of course I was excited for him but how could my baby be old enough to loose a tooth? I think God knew my mommy heart would be a little sad so he got to hang on to his baby teeth for a little longer.

The tooth fairy made her first appearance at our house and it was really fun to see his reaction in the morning. Maybe I can make it through the next milestone too :)

Shopping and Screaming

2010-04-24T21:46:00.001-07:00

This past year Connor has participated in the Northwest Boy's Choir. He loves it. Because he enjoys it so much we have made the sacrifice to drive the 1/2 hour each way and wait for him the 1 hour while he practices. So while we waited I began exploring the area around the University of Washington wondering what we could do to pass the time.

I quickly found a Safeway, Trader Joe's, and a Walgreen's. So many of our hours are spent grocery shopping and running errands. It really has been perfect except the timing you see choir is from 4:30-5:30 PM so everyone is starting to get a little tired and cranky(see my previous post on the Witching Hour). But because it seems to be a good time that we really can't do much of anything else we jump in and hope for the best.

It really is a gamble...about a 50/50 chance that things will go smoothly. The other 1/2 well....I am often trying to laugh otherwise I just might start crying. So I will give you an overview of the worst of our trips. So it begins...one of the boys starts fussing about something....they can't seem to sit in the cart together and really start getting on each others nerves. Kellen is sitting to close to Brennan and Brennan is touching Kellen. Really important problems! So the crying and whining begins. I end up carrying Kellen while pushing the cart and trying to grab the items we need off the shelves. All this while I am trying to pull out coupons and looking for just the right item that I know is a great deal that week.

About this time I start to notice all of the side stares...you see choir is near the University of Washington campus. So most of the shoppers in these stores are well students....20 years younger than me and I am pretty sure thinking I must have dropped in from another planet. Possibly I am an alien that has come to invade with ear piercing screams. I am pretty sure they are trying to figure out why I am in their store.

At this point I have come very close to giving those young college kids that stare a sweet smile and say....
-don't worry this is going to be your future some day too or
-really you should be really nice to your mom the next time you see her because this is the kind of stuff she dealt with just for you or
-I also used to enjoy shopping all by myself or
-really you might want to avoid shopping on Tues from 5:40-6:20 PM :)

Anyway I am pretty sure that it has got to be a good form of birth control for those that see those wonderful times!

Once we have most everything or my arm is going to fall off from holding Kellen we head for the check out line. The boys start begging for candy and if we aren't in tears we are soon to be on the way. They ask if I want some help to the car and I am pretty sure the bagger is thinking oh please say no! We throw our groceries in and race back to pick up Connor. The good news on a day like this is when I pick up Connor he is usually beaming and had a great time at choir...so it makes it worth it for a few moments. The other good news is that there is a good chance my 2 tired boys will fall asleep during the 1/2 hour drive home. Something we will pay for at bedtime but at that moment I just enjoy my 30 min. of peace.

Agenda's

2010-04-24T21:40:00.001-07:00

I have been pondering this post for many months. I started noticing it when we were in Florida in February.

Since then I have noticed this many times....my agenda and my children's agenda are not the same thing. Mine is to clean up the toys, there's is to make a new game and find just one more thing at the bottom of the bucket. Why would we need to put the toys back in when clearly it needs to be dumped out to find the toy.

Walking on the rocks that line the path rather than the path...of course is more fun. Who cares that it takes that it takes 10 times longer. Different agendas....mine would be to get from point A to point B.

My agenda would be to walk to the car after pre-school pick up and run a quick errand before picking up Connor in the 40 minutes we have. My children's agenda would be to play and swing on the bicycle rack that was clearly put there for their enjoyment.

As I have stepped back and noticed more I have begun to realize that they might have the right idea. They are enjoying life for all that it is taking in each moment. Making a game out of nothing. Fun out of boredom. And so I find myself taking a step back and taking a breath...letting them enjoy the things that seem to be taking too long and are unnecessary in my mind but bring them so much joy. Along the way I am having more fun too.

No

2010-01-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

Kellen has started using the word "no". He has the sweetest little voice and when he says "no" he isn't saying it like I would expect. It isn't that he is demanding or trying to tell me that he doesn't want something....it is more like a question and makes me giggle everytime. I find myself asking him things just so I can hear his response....which is of course..."no"...to just about anything we ask.

Brennan seems to understand him better because he told me..."Mommy did you know....no ACTUALLY means yes in Kellen's world." I think he could be on to something.

Yesterday at the Dr'.s office we were looking at fish. Kellen was so excited looking at them and saying..."Fish! Fish!".

Mommy: Are the fish swimming?
Kellen: nooooo
Mommy: Are the fish in the water?
Kellen: noooooo
Mommy: Do the fish like the water?
Kellen: noooooo
Mommy: Do you like the fish?
Kellen: noooooo

Brennan: Mommy I told you.....no ACTUALLY means YES in Kellen's world.
Mommy: Brennan I think you could be right.

Really I wish you could hear his little voice as he says it....it is so sweet and truly makes me smile. I am of course not biased at all in my opinion of this! I may just have to try and post a video of it so you can see for yourself how sweet he is. I am trying to enjoy it because I know it is just a matter of time before he finds his true 2 year old "NO" and I know that one won't be nearly as sweet!

Stolen My Heart

2010-01-13T13:14:00.001-08:00

So I woke up this morning to a very nice Happy Anniversary Greeting from my hubby on where else but Facebook. Oh the technology age you have to love it!

Today we have been married for 14 years. So I have spent the day thinking back and remembering the past 14 years. 14 years of Marital Bliss....well maybe not all bliss. Some days have been the best days of my life while others some of the hardest. Isn't life like that the good mixed with the bad that eventually blend together.

The best part of the past 14 years is that we are on this journey together. We made a promise before God and our friends and family that through thick and thin we would walk together. 14 years ago I don't think we really knew what that meant but now we do have a glimpse of it. We may not always agree or communicate the best but in the end what a blessing to know that we are on the same path and going the same direction together.

Earlier I was reading a friends blog and the song "Stolen" came on...I had never heard it before...once the music started Kellen and Brennan started dancing. Then the chorus came, "You have stolen my heart..." I thought...how fitting because just a few minutes before that I was watching them play and thinking how smitten I am with the boys in my life. My little ones and Dan. Really though my life is not perfect I am blessed with a wonderful family.

As we were dancing I thought...oh how I hope these boys are as wonderful as their daddy when they grow up.

Tonight is a perfect example...we were eating dinner as a family since we decided to go out another night just the two of us to celebrate. We were all talking about our day when Brennan says...my tummy hurts. Uh oh...I might have slight puke paranoia...I have been puked on more than I would like to remember since becoming a mom. I send him to the bathroom where he plays for a few minutes singing as we laugh at him from the kitchen...I think he is just being dramatic. But my drama dreams will quickly fade...just as we are finished eating Brennan comes back to the kitchen and pukes all over the kitchen floor. Happy Anniversary! Dan and I don't miss a beat...I take Brennan to the bath and Dan cleans up the floor. Not a glamorous anniversary but life none the less. I am so thankful that I am married to someone that is willing to help me clean up the messes of life and still smile through them.

So as cheesy as it sounds...yes Dan knows that I have a thing for cheesy songs... the long and short of it is...Dan stole my heart 14 years ago and I am so grateful for it! Happy Anniversary Dan...I love you!

Sugar Baby

2010-01-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

Kellen is our little sugar baby. I should have known I was in trouble when he got into peeps and marshmallows both times he was shoving in as many as he could before I found him. Pretty sure he was thinking this is good stuff and mommy is going to take this away if she finds me. Really he has a sweet tooth like nothing I have ever seen.

Connor had very little candy when he was 1. Brennan maybe had a little more. With Kellen it is all out the window....if the big boys have it then he wants it! Once he had a taste for it there is no going back.

At Christmas as we were opening stockings he was finding all the candy and shoving it in as fast as possible. Finally we got smart and hid all the candy. The next thing we know he walks out of a room with a blow pop in his mouth. We have no idea where he even found it. We didn't even have blow pops in the stockings-I guess he had a direct line to Santa that we didn't know about! I am pretty sure he can sniff out candy and/or sugar. When we are in Costco and they are sampling something sweet he will practically jump out of the cart to get to it.

When we do give him a little candy he keeps asking for more. After a couple bites I will tell him "this is the last one Kellen...we are all done." He looks at you with the sweetest eyes and says, "otay". Then as soon as it is gone he is back asking for more.

Today he found a pack of Tic Tacs in my bag so excited he came over asking for some. I gave him a couple and then said we were all done. "Otey" was his response. He came back a few minutes later with the sweetest eyes....just looking at the box of Tic Tacs. I said we are all done. He started laughing then he slowly started moving back to the bag where he found the tic tacs. Very slowly he started looking for something else. I asked him what he was doing and he started laughing and brought me a toy lion. Yeah I am sure that is exactly what he was looking for :)

I am now brushing his teeth a little longer at night....hoping they won't all be rotted out by the time he is 3!

Making Friends

2010-01-08T14:51:00.001-08:00

Brennan loves going to pre-school. He loves to paint, play, and make lots of things to bring home. On Tuesday I picked him up from school and asked him how his day was.

He exclaimed, "It was great and I have a new friend! He is so nice and he isn't even mean at all. My other friend well he is mean so I don't play with him anymore. He hit me with a shovel in the sandbox. That is not nice so I have a new friend."

I said, "Oh Brennan I am so glad you have a new friend. But I am sorry your other friend hit you. Did you tell your teacher he hit you with a shovel?"

Brennan said, "Well no. I just hit him with a rake. He won't do that again!"

Being the good mom that I am....I told him that hitting with rakes isn't nice either. Then I started laughing so hard that I had tears running down my face. At least I know Brennan won't be pushed around but really does he have to go hitting friends with rakes?

Keys from Heaven

2009-10-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Connor is in the Seattle Boys Choir now which means practice two times per week for an hour. It is too far a drive to come back home so we wait for him during that time-often taking walks or reading books. I recently noticed that there is a Safeway near his practice so I thought how great....we can get some grocery shopping done and head back to pick him up after practice. Everything went well and we got almost everything we needed in a very short amount of time.

I do think the college kids behind me in line were wondering how they got stuck behind the mom with the screaming baby and a handful of coupons...but oh well....someday they will understand :) Shopping near the university provided a different environment for the kids and maybe some birth control for the college kids. We loaded up the cart and headed out to the car. As I was loading the groceries into the car....Brennan exclaimed with glee as a group of students passed by, "Mom that guy is from the BEATLES!". Yes we weren't in suburbia anymore :)

After loading groceries and buckling children I look at the clock....4 minutes to pick up Connor....no problem we only had to drive 1 block. Then I realize where are my keys???? Hmmmm....pocket?...nope. Shopping cart?...nope. Car seat?...nope. Now I am beginning to panic....3 minutes until pick up....they have been getting out a couple of minutes late....breathe don't panic. Keep looking. Front seat...?....nope. Re-check all of above again....nope. Take a deep breath....mumble that we need to say a prayer to find mommies keys. Brennan says from the back seat, "Dear God please help mommy find her keys so we can get my brudder." 3 seconds later.....I find my keys! So excited I hop in the car and make the short drive to pick up Connor. Brennan exclaims from the back seat, "Did you see that mom? That was soooo cool! God just dropped your keys right from Heaven into our car! Good thing he did that so we could get my brudder."

Friends

2009-10-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine in Indiana sent these outfits for the boys after Kellen was born. Don't they look so sweet? I finally got them all to sit down one day this summer for a picture so I could show her how they looked.....thanks Jeanne!