Just to make you smile

Stay at home mom time cards

Have you ever wished that you kept a time card like people that go to work do? After a day like today where I have had a child with me at all times since 7AM and it is now 9PM and I am finally off duty (unless someone wakes up). It makes me wish that I could tell people that I just worked 14 hours straight, no breaks, no lunch break, no bathroom breaks (if you don't count it a break when someone is there talking to you and asking questions the whole time).I want to have the sympathy that is given to someone who has worked that long day and is tired. I want to know that it has been acknowledged that I really put in some long hours, some hard work, above and beyond. But the truth is that I will go to bed, wake up in the morning and do it all over again. I love it, don't get me wrong. I would not want to be doing anything else. It is the most satisfying thing that I could spend my days doing. The thing that bugs me is that when I am at a work party with my husband and someone asks what I do. I kind of cringe. I never know how to answer that question. So I end up saying something like, " Oh, I stay home with the kids" and the other person always says something about how that is a very important job and then moves on. I wish that I had a better title for what I do, something like, child development coordinator, house manager, chef, nurse, teacher, child behavior trainer, and referee, then they might understand what it is that I really spend my days doing.

What we did over the weekend

We went to the lake with my family. There is this little lake called Lake Valley that we like to go to at least once a summer. It has a little island in the middle of it and my dad shuttles us out there with all our gear for the day. The water was great, there were a couple of kayaks and some good food. It was a very fun day. The girls with the glasses on is my sister, she is doing much better as you can see. The other girl is my cousin, and the one holding my sweet baby is my dad.

The Dentist

This seems to be a theme lately around here. I went to the dentist today for a cleaning. I used to really dread going for a cleaning. It would hurt, feel like it was taking forever, and the sounds are just awful. Not any more. We have the greatest dentist ever. I went in this morning. I was asked what movie I would like to watch while I was getting my teeth cleaned. I picked My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Then I was offered a hot wax hand treatment so I thought, why not, so I sat in the chair with headphones on, watching a movie, my hands in warm gloves, and almost forgot that I was getting my teeth cleaned. It felt like I was at spa that I had to keep my mouth open at. I have got to say that we have scored with the dentist. Why can't every doctor, dentist, type appointment be like that?

Where I share my favorite summer drink ever...

Take a large pitcher

Slice one orange into round slices and put in the pitcher

Take one vanilla bean (these are usually with the spices) and cut one in half. Then slice it open. Put that into the pitcher.

Fill with water.

Put in the fridge until cold

Then drink and enjoy.

Manners

My daughter said this to my husband last night, " I want to go to a class that teaches how to say please and thank you and not cry and be nice, Do they have classes like that?"

Maybe she is feeling bad for the way she has been acting lately. She says the funniest things these days.

Wisdom Teeth

My husband had his wisdom teeth pulled today. He is very entertaining because he is so out of it. My favorite quote so far said to the dentist, " What three wisdom teeth did you pull?

I just went up to check on him and he asked me if it was time to go.

I am telling you, my husband is very entertaining when he is on medications.

Good Blog Reading

I finally put up some links to the blogs that I read. There are some really good ones there and I encourage you to go check them out. Some are some old friends from forever ago, some are newer friends, some I only know through their blog, and one is my husband. So, go check them out and leave a comment because everyone loves a comment.

Happy Fourth of July

This has always been one of my favorite holidays. As a kid we did the same thing every year and I looked forward to it so much. We would go to this parade in a very small town where my parents had lived. The parade is so small that it goes around the loop, twice. It is one of those true small town experiences. Then we would go to my grandpa's house and have a BBQ with family and friends. In the evening we would make hot chocolate and bring snacks and drive up to Donner and watch the fireworks over the Donner Lake. It was a long, wonderful, fun day. For about three or four years in a row I would get sick on the Fourth of July. It was horrible. I wanted to do everything but I was sick and so sad. I even watched the fireworks laying down in the back of the car one year. I was not going to miss it even if I was sick. Thankfully that time has passed but I still love the Fourth.

Today we have plans to go to a little local parade near our new house, then home for naps (to get ready for the late night) and then watch the fireworks near the river with some friends. I am going to bring snacks and a blanket and enjoy the fireworks with my family.

Hope you all have a wonderful fourth of july and make many fond memories with your families.

Summer Vacation

We have had a weird summer so far. I started it with the thought that this is our last few months with all of us at home all together everyday since my oldest will be going to school in September. So, I had grand plans. We were going to make the most of each day. Swim, vacation, play in our back yard, and hang with friends.

So far we have moved, ( which has been the hardest move so far and I think it might have something to do with having three kids) we have dealt with the many changing attitudes of a three year old on a daily bases, and I have spent a good amount of time at the hospital with my sister.

We are now on our first official family vacation with all three kids. We were supposed to go to Tahoe for a week of relaxation. Then there was the horrible fire and we decided to make other plans because we did not know how bad it would be up there. We decided to go to this theme park in Gilroy called the Gilroy Gardens and then head down to Monterey and do the beach and aquarium. The theme park was a blast. It was perfect for our kids ages and they just had a blast. They could go on almost every ride there and there were water parks through out the place and trees everywhere. It really was a great place, especially with kids. Today has been a challenge. Breakfast was a nightmare with the three year old, then the beach was a nightmare so we headed back to the hotel to give her a nap in hopes that would help things. She woke up from her nap screaming and now my husband just dragged her out the door to go swimming (he is so mean to MAKE her go swimming). I am hoping that the water will snap her out of this attitude so that the rest of our vacation can be enjoyable. Have you noticed that I have not said anything about our boy or the baby? That is because they have been great and a total dream.

I do this a lot where I get my hopes up about something and imagine it a certain way and then it just is not that way at all. That happens to me pretty much every time we go on vacation. Sometimes I think maybe we should just stay home but then I think of all the fun times we have and in the end they out weigh the bad.

I am always a little relieved when the age of three passes for us. It has been a challenge with the first two. It is also one of the funnest stages.

Just last night as my husband was putting my daughter and son to bed he told them that they could not be talking to each other and not going to sleep. My daughter in response said, " OOOOK but we really like to talk. You got to just kiss that kid.

This is why we do this...