Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Run Away ERNIE!
I knew it was trouble the day Cali learned to open the Hermit Crab cage. Well, my worst nightmare came true this morning. Melisa walked by the cage and said "Mommy, where is Ernie?" My reply was, "In the cage, of course!" Melisa's reply..."Ummmm, sorry to tell ya, Mom, but he's not here." We both turned and looked at Cali who smiled and shrugged her shoulders. We asked her where she put the crab and she pointed to the floor and then ran away squealing. Who knows when she did this because Ernie cannot be found. We have checked in the ball pit, in the Little People Christmas village, in the Christmas tree, under the TV, in the Disney castle, and anywhere else we can think that Cali might have put him but we have had no luck. It looks like we have a run away Ernie! Let's pray he doesn't make a nice meal for Chin Goo or climb in my bed!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Christmas a Little Early
Since we are going to be out of town for Christmas and didn't want to haul a lot of presents for the girls with us, we did part of Christmas a little early today. The girls and I took a student to the airport about an hour and a half away and while we did, Clark went shopping. We were going to get a 12 foot trampoline that Toys R Us had on sale...of course they were sold out. So, Clark headed to Walmart where there was a 14 footer for $70 more. He bit the bullet and bought it.
When I got home with the girls we told them we wanted to show them something in the car...we opened the back of the Trail Blazer (not ours, it belongs to the school) and there it was. You would have thought we gave them a million dollars. I have never heard squeals or seen jumping quite as intense! It is the giggles and smiles that just make all the hustling through stores and shopping worth while.
Of course it started raining at that moment. The girls wanted to see it up and so did we. So, in the rain Clark and I headed to the backyard and started putting it together. OH MY WORD!! Never believe a box that says "easy assembly" because it is a LIE! We had a feeling it was a lie when we took a look at the instruction manual and it said "may require THREE people to assemble." I am sure the rain and cold wind didn't make it any easier. The one T Brace that was bent out of shape and required hammering to get the leg in didn't help either. The rain did stop just in time to allow our next door neighbor to sit in his back yard for a front row show as we fought the 14 foot beast. His comments made our day, lol! Well, I am actually being mean, he wasn't that bad...he really just wanted to share the news of his engagement wtih us. But, it didn't make it any easier! Don't get me started on the springs. It said to wear gloves and eye protection as you put them in....we personally don't own goggles to protect our eyes and didn't feel like digging in the SCUBA gear to wear our masks...yeah that would have been a sight for the neighbor! Both Clark and I have black and blue knuckles and we had a near miss with two flying springs...I litterally heard them wiz by my ear! And once again I say "EASY ASSEMBLY"....YEAH RIGHT!
It took 2 hours but the tramoline was up by 7:00 and we spent 30 minutes jumping on it before hunger took over! The bruised knuckles and the wet jeans didn't matter one bit when the girls climbed on that trampoline and jumped their little hearts out. The giggled, they squealed, and they had a blast. All the stress from the last few days (and even though I haven't blogged about it, it has been stressful around here) dissappeared. The whole family fit on the 14 foot trampoline and we took turns making up funny new ways to jump. It was the perfect gift for my two little gym girls! I am SO glad we did it!
When I got home with the girls we told them we wanted to show them something in the car...we opened the back of the Trail Blazer (not ours, it belongs to the school) and there it was. You would have thought we gave them a million dollars. I have never heard squeals or seen jumping quite as intense! It is the giggles and smiles that just make all the hustling through stores and shopping worth while.
Of course it started raining at that moment. The girls wanted to see it up and so did we. So, in the rain Clark and I headed to the backyard and started putting it together. OH MY WORD!! Never believe a box that says "easy assembly" because it is a LIE! We had a feeling it was a lie when we took a look at the instruction manual and it said "may require THREE people to assemble." I am sure the rain and cold wind didn't make it any easier. The one T Brace that was bent out of shape and required hammering to get the leg in didn't help either. The rain did stop just in time to allow our next door neighbor to sit in his back yard for a front row show as we fought the 14 foot beast. His comments made our day, lol! Well, I am actually being mean, he wasn't that bad...he really just wanted to share the news of his engagement wtih us. But, it didn't make it any easier! Don't get me started on the springs. It said to wear gloves and eye protection as you put them in....we personally don't own goggles to protect our eyes and didn't feel like digging in the SCUBA gear to wear our masks...yeah that would have been a sight for the neighbor! Both Clark and I have black and blue knuckles and we had a near miss with two flying springs...I litterally heard them wiz by my ear! And once again I say "EASY ASSEMBLY"....YEAH RIGHT!
It took 2 hours but the tramoline was up by 7:00 and we spent 30 minutes jumping on it before hunger took over! The bruised knuckles and the wet jeans didn't matter one bit when the girls climbed on that trampoline and jumped their little hearts out. The giggled, they squealed, and they had a blast. All the stress from the last few days (and even though I haven't blogged about it, it has been stressful around here) dissappeared. The whole family fit on the 14 foot trampoline and we took turns making up funny new ways to jump. It was the perfect gift for my two little gym girls! I am SO glad we did it!
Ushering In Insanity
Ok...so one more back post. I wrote this one on Dec. 9th.
Today I have officially ushered insanity into the front door of our lives for the next 11 days. In the next 11 days we will take at least 20 (I am still waiting for 10 more to respond) students to different airports in the area for the Christmas Break. So far there are 13 different trips to the airports. One airport is 1 hour away, 1 is 1 1/2 hours away and the other is 2 1/2 hours away. Needless to say, we are going to be living in the car and going NONstop! At least we get reimbursed for miles!
Did I mention that in these 11 days we are also still required to do our regular jobs, get through 10 days of homeschooling, do quite a bit of Christmas shopping, get the house clean, and pack for a 2 week trip. So, if you don't see me around here, guess where I am? LOL!
Today I have officially ushered insanity into the front door of our lives for the next 11 days. In the next 11 days we will take at least 20 (I am still waiting for 10 more to respond) students to different airports in the area for the Christmas Break. So far there are 13 different trips to the airports. One airport is 1 hour away, 1 is 1 1/2 hours away and the other is 2 1/2 hours away. Needless to say, we are going to be living in the car and going NONstop! At least we get reimbursed for miles!
Did I mention that in these 11 days we are also still required to do our regular jobs, get through 10 days of homeschooling, do quite a bit of Christmas shopping, get the house clean, and pack for a 2 week trip. So, if you don't see me around here, guess where I am? LOL!
You Know You're a Mom When....
Here's another one I wrote and forgot to post...I wrote it on Dec. 8th.
OK, so I have had one of those nights when things just keep happening that remind you that your days of being a young adult with no kids are long gone, lol! My dh has just sat back and laughed at me over and over tonight.
For starters I found myself getting excited over the new Sandra Boynton books that our books store got in. I sat down and read it right in the middle of the isle. For those of you who aren't familar with Sandra Boynton, she writes kids board books in ryhme. They are older Sandra Books, but ones that we had never found but had been looking for.
Then, I found msyelf through tunnels and going down the slide at Chick-fil-a. Yes, we even went down head first and prayed we didn't get stuck! All the other moms just sat on the benches and looked at me like I had lost it. But hey, my kids will have memories of me being fun and playing with them rather than sitting on the bench gossiping right?
After dinner, we were off to Life Way and I got a little too excited over the Veggie Tale stuff we found! I haven't been in Life Way much since we got back from Korea (yes, we have been back for a year, but that year has been hectic and left little time for the simple pleasures of browsing the local Christian Book Store). There were a few movies, books and toys that I had heard about but not yet seen. If the girls are going to watch a movie, you can't beat the Veggie Tales!
As if all that wasn't enough, there came the moment that we got in the car and as we turned the first corner I found myself making car "vrooming" noises to make Cali laugh. She wasn't fussy, she wasn't even talking about the car, they just naturally came out and that was when dh lost it!
It's official, I am in the midst of Mommyhood and it shows in absolutely EVERYTHING I do!
OK, so I have had one of those nights when things just keep happening that remind you that your days of being a young adult with no kids are long gone, lol! My dh has just sat back and laughed at me over and over tonight.
For starters I found myself getting excited over the new Sandra Boynton books that our books store got in. I sat down and read it right in the middle of the isle. For those of you who aren't familar with Sandra Boynton, she writes kids board books in ryhme. They are older Sandra Books, but ones that we had never found but had been looking for.
Then, I found msyelf through tunnels and going down the slide at Chick-fil-a. Yes, we even went down head first and prayed we didn't get stuck! All the other moms just sat on the benches and looked at me like I had lost it. But hey, my kids will have memories of me being fun and playing with them rather than sitting on the bench gossiping right?
After dinner, we were off to Life Way and I got a little too excited over the Veggie Tale stuff we found! I haven't been in Life Way much since we got back from Korea (yes, we have been back for a year, but that year has been hectic and left little time for the simple pleasures of browsing the local Christian Book Store). There were a few movies, books and toys that I had heard about but not yet seen. If the girls are going to watch a movie, you can't beat the Veggie Tales!
As if all that wasn't enough, there came the moment that we got in the car and as we turned the first corner I found myself making car "vrooming" noises to make Cali laugh. She wasn't fussy, she wasn't even talking about the car, they just naturally came out and that was when dh lost it!
It's official, I am in the midst of Mommyhood and it shows in absolutely EVERYTHING I do!
Seeing Santa
I wrote this back on Dec. 2nd...sorry I forgot to post it!
Today we ventured out for the anual trip to the mall to see Santa. The girls were excited as we walked through the mall. They didn't once ask to stop and ride the little toys along the middle of the mall, they didn't ask to go in the toy store, shoe store, or movie store (all favorite stops). They didn't even ask for a pretzel! They had their sights set on Santa and there was no getting in their way, lol!
We got there and waited in line for what seemed like an hour but was more like 20 minutes. The girls couldn't stop making little waves at Santa until the saw the men up on the roof cleaning the sky lights. That entertained them for a good 15 minutes. The last 5 minutes I spent holding them back from plowing through the people in front of us. When the "Elf" finally told them they could go on you would have thought the starting gun had been fired and they were on a race for life!
Hand in hand they ran for Santa's chair and climbed up in his lap...then their true colors came out. Melisa started talking a mile a minute and Cali clammed up like a shell! This is the first year that Cali didn't scream her head off, so we made progress, but she stared at me the entire time afraid if she took her eyes of me she would be Santa's forever! She had a half smirk on her face the entire time but at the same time she wasn't too sure about it all. :-)
Santa asked Melisa what she wanted for Christmas and she asked for a stuffed animal Alaskan Husky. Then she got really quiet and in a whisper asked for the sweetest thing ever! She said "Santa, someone stole my Mommy's bike from her work and I would really like it if you gave her a new one." Isn't she just a doll? Santa told her that it was the nicest thing anyone has asked for and it was very generous to think of others. That's my girl! :-)
Then Santa asked Cali what she wanted. She cut her eyes at ophim and then back at me afraid to speak. Finally, Melisa said "Cali, tell Santa what you want." Then out came the littlest squeak ever, "baby." Melisa pushed a little more and said, "What was the other thing you wanted?" and Cali made another little squeak of a noise and said, "Choo Train." and that was the end of that! LOL!
They got their picture taken (but the CD they gave me is corrupt and won't open on any computer....grrrrr)! Tomorrow I will be going back down to see what they will do about it after gymnastics. So, until I figure out what they are going to do, I won't be able to share the picture with you. But, I promise it turned out as cute as can be! I tried to snap a picture of my own but was told that their set was copyrighted and I couldn't take a picture of it...I think it is just an answer they give to make more money...ugh!
They both got reindeer antlers, stickers, candycanes, and a stuffed snowman to share. They were in such good moods we were actually able to walk around the mall and get ideas for Christmas presents for a whole hour before any whinning started! WHOOOHOOOO!!!
I always love our trip to see Santa...it is so special!! Now it is off to bed because tomorrow morning is gymnastics day AND laundry day...I will have my hands full!
Today we ventured out for the anual trip to the mall to see Santa. The girls were excited as we walked through the mall. They didn't once ask to stop and ride the little toys along the middle of the mall, they didn't ask to go in the toy store, shoe store, or movie store (all favorite stops). They didn't even ask for a pretzel! They had their sights set on Santa and there was no getting in their way, lol!
We got there and waited in line for what seemed like an hour but was more like 20 minutes. The girls couldn't stop making little waves at Santa until the saw the men up on the roof cleaning the sky lights. That entertained them for a good 15 minutes. The last 5 minutes I spent holding them back from plowing through the people in front of us. When the "Elf" finally told them they could go on you would have thought the starting gun had been fired and they were on a race for life!
Hand in hand they ran for Santa's chair and climbed up in his lap...then their true colors came out. Melisa started talking a mile a minute and Cali clammed up like a shell! This is the first year that Cali didn't scream her head off, so we made progress, but she stared at me the entire time afraid if she took her eyes of me she would be Santa's forever! She had a half smirk on her face the entire time but at the same time she wasn't too sure about it all. :-)
Santa asked Melisa what she wanted for Christmas and she asked for a stuffed animal Alaskan Husky. Then she got really quiet and in a whisper asked for the sweetest thing ever! She said "Santa, someone stole my Mommy's bike from her work and I would really like it if you gave her a new one." Isn't she just a doll? Santa told her that it was the nicest thing anyone has asked for and it was very generous to think of others. That's my girl! :-)
Then Santa asked Cali what she wanted. She cut her eyes at ophim and then back at me afraid to speak. Finally, Melisa said "Cali, tell Santa what you want." Then out came the littlest squeak ever, "baby." Melisa pushed a little more and said, "What was the other thing you wanted?" and Cali made another little squeak of a noise and said, "Choo Train." and that was the end of that! LOL!
They got their picture taken (but the CD they gave me is corrupt and won't open on any computer....grrrrr)! Tomorrow I will be going back down to see what they will do about it after gymnastics. So, until I figure out what they are going to do, I won't be able to share the picture with you. But, I promise it turned out as cute as can be! I tried to snap a picture of my own but was told that their set was copyrighted and I couldn't take a picture of it...I think it is just an answer they give to make more money...ugh!
They both got reindeer antlers, stickers, candycanes, and a stuffed snowman to share. They were in such good moods we were actually able to walk around the mall and get ideas for Christmas presents for a whole hour before any whinning started! WHOOOHOOOO!!!
I always love our trip to see Santa...it is so special!! Now it is off to bed because tomorrow morning is gymnastics day AND laundry day...I will have my hands full!
