Kathy's Blog

Day off midweek

2009-11-11T16:02:00.001-08:00

The kids have today off from school so we kinda just kicked it this morning. We did errands in the afternoon and then came home for lunch and some arts and crafts. Now we are headed to soccer and then to The Old Spaghetti Factory for birthday dinner for Grandma Audrey.

Another day another dollar?

2009-11-10T15:34:00.001-08:00

I wish I got paid everyday LOL I swear, these children of mine drive me batty sometimes. Jack's teacher told me today just how sweet he is, and I told her that she doesn't see this sweet boy when he is having a tantrum or when he has had enough of his sister bugging him. They are usually quite good together but sometimes, they just feed off each others bad mood. Another funny thing about his teacher, she calls him Jackman...and I never told her that is what i call him. Strange huh? This year is sailing by so fast, we are already at first quarter report cards and next week we have modified days for conferences. We are going to get both kids done first thing Monday morning---7:20 for Aunica's and 7:40 for Jacks. Looking at Aunica's snapgrades we have nothing to worry about with her---all A's and B's, and I know she is a good kid. Jack is also fine academically, he just is a little energy ball who sometimes gets his name on the board for not being able to control his energy level inside the class. He wants to run all the time :)

2009-11-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

HA...I totally suck at blogging on a regular basis. This week, heck this school year, is flying by. We are already done with the 1st quarter. We are just about done with soccer (2 more games) and basketball is starting tomorrow for Aunica. Jack won't start his clinic until December 6th. Anyway, Ken and I went to dinner at Olive Garden last night and I got Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto and I felt like I was on an episode of Hell's Kitchen :) It was SO good. Then we went to the cheapo movies and saw Surrogates a movie with Bruce Willis---OMG, he is looking old. I am trying to keep my family on a tight budget and then something comes along and we spend too much. I always end up saying "okay, next month or week will be different" and then it isn't. I want to pay off the credit card debt (yes, we have credit card debt from our vacation and Shadow surgery) and then I am thinking this is going to be a smaller X-mas. I really mean it, we are not going overboard this year. Let's see how that goes.

MJ

2009-11-05T06:50:00.000-08:00

I went to see the new Michael Jackson movie last night with some friends. That man had so much talent with music and dance. Yeah, he was kinda freaky looking and he was always somewhat strange, but watching what would have been his final tour, was awesome. It would have bee one great show. Kenny Ortega is a genius as well. Anyway, I felt sorry for his kids because they have lost their father, all we lost was a great performer. It was pretty special to get a glimpse of what would have been.

Happy Birthday Kenny

2009-11-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

Kenny is 41 today! My beautiful girl just ran outside to the garage to sing to her daddy. Today is a busy day, I have some shopping to do, I have a site council meeting at 4 followed by a PTA council meeting at 4:30 and then meeting up with the whole family for dinner at SOYA. We have been trying to decide what to do for a big family vacation this year---we just think that Bass Lake might be over for us as a family vacation. 1) it is very expensive, 2) it is getting harder to find a house that can hold all of us that go, and 3) some of the family members are getting older and having more trouble getting around the house/stairs/paths in Bass Lake. I think the number one reason though is expense. Last year we spent 6K on the house, 2K on boats/rentals and then a bunch on food and souvies. The kids are asking for a "tall house" with a giant pool. Jack has always called hotels tall houses so now we all do too. Now if I could find a tall house with a kid quest inside of it in Vegas, we are SET! I know they have kids quest at Avi in Laughlin, but I just don't see Avi as a great family vacation. Maybe the Grand Canyon would be a neat destination. I just don't know if the kids would enjoy it yet---they are still pretty little to enjoy that kind of thing.

November 2nd

2009-11-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

A day late but whatever...I think this is National Blog month---so you try and blog everyday for a month. AND I already screwed it up LOL Anyway, we have been busy busy with school and I am on the PTA as treasurer and I don't have much time to come blog or much of anything. I need to get back into the exercise because I am fat, a fat fatty. Halloween isn't helping either but it is just the beginning of the long holiday season.

Hello

2009-07-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for awhile yet again. I don't seem to have a lot of free time with the kids out of school. We try to stay busy so that means being on the go. This week looks like this. Monday playgroup at my house, Tuesday we have an ENT appointment and hearing test for Jack, Wednesday we have friends coming over for a swim party, Thursday we are actually double booked with a stop at the spray park and swimming at Alice's house. Friday is up in the air still---maybe something will be playing at the cheapo movies. I have been consistently hitting the gym the past 4 weeks. I try to do 5-6 days a week for at least 1 hour. I am going at 4:45ish every morning and meeting a friend and my mom. My friend is a 2nd grade teacher at my daughters school and she is real nice. She is in Hawaii right now so I am on my own for the next few days. Last week I only worked out 4 times but it's better than nothing right? It's funny, I kind of was upset when the school year ended, I liked both teachers my kids had, and was unsure about having both kids at home all day everyday---but I like summer. No rushing (for the most part) and the kids are getting along really well for the most part. They are playing nicely and having little "sleep overs" in each others rooms. I like that the kids can stay up a little (they do need to be in bed by 9 though) and that they sleep in a little too. We are reading and doing some homework pages too, so it's not like they are just doing nothing but play but they are kids and it is summer so I try to just do a little each day. Which reminds me, Aunica needs to do a reading thing today and a worksheet before playgroup gets here.

Bad Blogger...

2009-06-25T12:41:00.001-07:00

I know. Anyway, we are out for summer! We have been to the Huntington Central Library for the festival of Folktales and signed up for the summer reading program, we are also going to do the Barnes and Noble reading program as well. We have been to the Sigler Park spray pad and to the Bolsa Chica Park in the University tract. WE have been swimming at the neighbors house and had a bunch of people over here to ride the "slide". It is only Thursday LOL Today Aunica woke up at 3ish and was throwing up, and she woke up a few more times...but she went back to sleep at 6ish and stayed asleep until 9:30 and hasn't thrown up since. So far so good. Tomorrow we are supposed to have people over but we shall see about that. Jack is doing well, he had yet another hearing test that was fine, it showed that his hearing has not changed in 6 months so we are right back where we were in January. He seems to be doing fine with his current settings so we are staying with them. I hope everyone is having an awesome summer vacation!

A decision

2009-05-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

I decided to put Aunica in the 3/4 combo class next year. I can't be positive that it will be the right choice, but I feel confident that she will rise to the occasion and be the bright student she is. I spoke with 3 teacher friends about how combos work and I spoke to her teacher a couple times about how Aunica will grow in this situation...so we are going to do it. The drawback is that the girls she has been in class with for the last 2 years will not e with her, but there are lots of kids in the class she will know. It will be good too, because there will be some 4th grade curriculum she will pick up just being in the class with them. So, here we go---another adventure on the journey that is our life!

We're going to Disneyland!

2009-05-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

I kept the kids home from school and we are headed to Disneyland! Every year we try to go one school day with my mom---we hate the crowds, so we like to go on weekdays. I am hoping it won't be too crowded because it just makes me anxious with lots of people. I realized yesterday that Aunica hasn't been in at least 2 years...I took Jack regularly last year when he wasn't in school yet. Now it has been about a year since he went as well. My mom, sister and nephew are going with us so it should be a fun day! Then, a week from Thursday we are pulling the kids out of school right after lunch and we are headed to San Diego with Ken's parents. We are taking a mini-vacation. We will be staying the night in a suite at the Hyatt Mission Bay and then we check out the next morning...we are going to Legoland! Whoo hoo! We haven't been there since Jack was 3 years old, and I am sure it is going to be awesome! :)

Okay Kelly...It's Saturday finally!

2009-05-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it has been Tuesday for awhile...as pointed out by my dear friend Kelly. So I guess I should update on everything around here---are you ready? Well, nothing really is going on here. I just finished up on a couple very busy weeks at Aunica's school and now we are going to run through the home stretch of this school year. We had the campout at Aunica's school last night which was fun, we ate dinner there, played some games, I talked to some friends and we made smores. We came home about 9:30--we didn't want to tent camp in the school field. In other news, Aunica is going to 3rd grade next year and her teacher has given me something to ponder. I can have the choiuce of whatever 3rd grade teacher I want, so now I have to decide whether or not to push/challenge my kid. There will be a 3/4 combo class next year with a really nice/loving teacher and I really would loveto be her class mom and to have her be Aunica's teacher. But I have never thought that Aunica would do well in a combo class but her teacher told me she thought it might be good for her. So now we are thinking about putting her in the combo class. They say the combo class student doesn't need to be the brightest or top of the class (she is smart, but not GATE) but they should be independent workers. She has become good at this...she tests advanced in math and language arts on benchmark and state testing so I know she understands the materials that she is being taught, but she doesn't always apply what she is learning to her work. Maybe a combo class will help push her into applying things more.

Jack will be starting regular Kindergarten in the Fall at the same school as Aunica...whoo hoo, I will finally have both kids ate the same school YAY Nothing else to report I guess. Talk at ya soon I hope,

Kelly...I am so happy that Ash finally is cleared to get some aids. I hope she enjoys them as much as Jack does. When we put them on him for the very first time he said "hey mom, I'm back"...it makes me teary just thinking about that afternoon. He was so excited and he has totally blossomed in his speech and sentence structure ever since. He has progressed so much that he no longer qualifies for speech (although they are going to keep him in a maintanance program for another 6 months) and he is at grade level or above grade level in everything! :)

Hey...it's Tuesday!

2009-04-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

So Ken and I went on our kidless Saturday. It was nice, but just isn't a getaway when you are in the same town as they are an most likely in the same theater as they are---just not with them. Ken and I started our day walking at the beach, then hitting Sports Chalet for running shoes, then to Target---and we bought stuff fo the kids, even though they weren't with us. What's with that? Then we went to lunch at Mario's at 5 points and then we went to the movies. We saw Knowing, the new Nick Cage movie---OMG, the last 10 minutes of that movie ruined the whole thing. I mean, RUINED it. Why would you invest your time in a movie that ends like that. Sucks ass! Then we met up with ken's brother and his girlfriend and they checked us into out room. Then we hung out for a bit and then walked over to Fashion Island. We walked around and looked in some of the shops and then decided to eat. There was a film festival down there so a lot of the eating places had waits so we went to Red Robin. We went back to the room and rented Wanted, with Angelina Jolie...not much better than the Nick Cage movie. Then I fell asleep. We checked out by 9ish and went to Home Depot before we picked up the kids...who had a fabulous time with auntie and grandma seeing a movie, having IHOP, going to the bookstore and hitting Chuck E Cheese for games. Then they went to Grandma and Grandpa carson's and they went out to dinner and then back to the house for a sleepover with them.

We set up the waterslide on Sunday and the kids have been on it a coupel times already. My water and Gas bill are going to be huge LOL

Almost Saturday!

2009-04-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Ken and I are going to celebrate our Anniversary (it was on April 8th) this Saturday. We are going to leave the house when my sister and mom get here in the morning and do stuff. I don't know what stuff, but surely we will have fun. My mom and sister are taking the kids out---to the movies, to lunch, and most likely to get a toy or a book. Then they will drop the kids off with Ken's parents around 4 and they will take them to dinner and keep them overnight. Jack's first sleepover!! AND we get a night alone whoo hoo!

Whoo hoo

2009-04-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

School is back in session. Both kids went back to school today and it was peaceful in the house. I decided not to go to the gym but I did do an awesome workout on the treadmill. It took me awhile to motivate myself into doing it, and I sat here at the computer making so many excuses as to why I could skip it, but finally after 2 shows on media center I decided to jump on. I had a lean cuisine pizza, 3 slices of cheese, some crackers, 2 (15) calorie otter pops, 1 slice of sourdough bread, and 1/2 bagel with crunchy peanut butter. Dinner is a salad. I think I ate too many carbs today. Oh well, at least I excerised!

Cleaning

2009-04-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

Just had some time so i decided to let you all know that I cleaned my bathroom...I mean actually moved everything out, got on hands and knees and cleaned the bathroom. Used comet and scrubbed the sink and toilet...washed the floors. Cleaned out the kids bathtime fun basket (they haven't taken baths for like 6 months at least) and I have to admit, and I am sad that I am going to admit this...but it has been about 6 months since the bathroom has gotten this kind of cleaning. Yowsa!

Hey Y'all

2009-04-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday and I got myself up and on the treadmill. I missed out on some workouts this week because of my finger, but I figured it was healed enough by Saturday to get some workouts in. I don't know about you but my fingers tend to swell a little when I jog/run because I hold my hands towards the ground and the blood flows to them. I didn't want to stretch the stitches in the 1st few days so I waited. Anyway, I did the treadmill yesterday and today. I did it Monday/Tuesday/Saturday last week and today starts my new week. Tomorrow I am heading to the gym and then Tuesday I will do the treadmill then have the stitches out and then wait for our new hard shelled kayaks to arrive by frieght truck. We got 2 Ocean brand Kayaks...I can't wait to try them out!!! They are tandam so you can have 2 adults and 1 child in each kayak, or you can have just one person too. It will be fun! We have 18 weeks until Bass Lake...and I have lots of work to do if I don't want to be the fattest person there! I would like to at least drop 29 pounds, that would put me where I was the summer of 2006, that was the year I didn't mind my picture take at Bass Lake. That was where I started to be cute again!

Saturday

2009-04-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it's almost here---almost time to go back to school...back to a routine. I am conflicted about that. I would love to be able to sleep in, and get to take the kids to the park and see friends on playgroup days. But I also LOVE when I get my time too. When the kids are not in school, they are with me. I am going to be so torn when the summer hits. Almost 3 months of being home with the kids all the time---it will be both wonderful and horrible LOL I think everything would be great if I could find some neighborhood kids who were Jack's age that could come over and play with him. It is very easy for Aunica to get someone to play with because there are 3 girls right on our block that are either 6 months older or younger than her, so that is great. Jack is kind of screwed---no one remotely his age in our area. This summer I am going to have summer playdates at my house, maybe on Fridays, but I think they will have to be outdoor playdates. With the waterslide, playhouse, trampoline and little bike road I am sure I can swing it. The house has changed a lot since last summer (when I had regular playdates) and now the house has turned into a more "grown up" kids house. I have legos and small toys---breakable dolls and radios and musical instruments...too much stuff to move into my locked room to keep from getting into the wrong hands. Everyone knows my house was the best place for playgroups but now i have become the next Michelle. Anyone who knows the playgroup knows that Michelle did it first. She had the amazing playdates at her house, where the kids could get into stuff and play outside and not get into too much trouble (lord of the flies anyone?) and then her kids got bigger and their toys got smaller and less age appropriate for the majority of the group...so it became my house on Fridays and for a long time we had a great time. We still will this summer with all the stuff I described above, but it will have to be an outdoor playdate. I guess if we all want to trek out to Riverside (which I am sure we will do at some point) then it will be Steph's turn to have the choas of playgroup in her house lol Although, I don't think anything can top her two little tornados.

In other news, I can't wait for next Saturday. We are getting a whole night out without kids...my sister and mom are going to come to my house around 10 and then Ken and I get to go. They will take the kids to lunch and a movie or the bookstore or whatever they decide and then at 4 they will drop them off to Ken's parents who will take them to dinner and then keep them overnight. More specifically, Jack's first overnight anywhere! Ken has been to Florida for 4 days once last year, but I have never been away from Jack for more than the time he is in school each day. I think we will both do well. I haven't decided what we should do yet. I know we are staying the night at the Newport Marriott in Fashion Island, right on the beach. Check in isn't until 4 though so I guess we will have lunch and maybe do some shopping, see a movie, maybe hit the tide pools or I don't know what---but the thought of being without our kids for more than 24 hours is awesome! The grandparents are just as excited!

Bored

2009-04-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am bored...I don't think I have talked about jack's hearing lately. The very last time we were at the ENT (1st week in April) we were scheduled to see the ENT assistant but at the last minute we were switched and saw the actual ENT. Jack was supposed to be there for yet another hearing test, but when the audiologist, Cheryl, did the tympanogram she said it wasn't a good day to test his hearing. Jack's middle ear (right ear) was measuring pretty badly with negative pressures. This is measured at 0 for normal and his was at -400. So not good at all---the ENT said his eradrum was pretty retracted and he gave us more antibiotics to help clear up the infection and fluid. He said that we should continue the singulair and nasonex as well. We go back on the 28th of this month and if Jack's ear doesn't look perfect, he wants to do another tube surgery. Just on the right ear, but I hope it doesn't come down to that because I don't want to have to fuss with tubes again. The ENT hopes that with cold/flu season over that as long as his middle ear has no negative pressure when we go back, that he should be good. I personally don't like that Jack is taloing all these meds on a daily basis and so much in recent months. He has been on the singulair for 2 months as well as the nasonex and then intermittently he has been on steroids and antiobiotics as well. Ick...I am so not into overmedicating.

In other news, my kids are playing really well together right now---both in the trampoline on this wonderfully sunny day. Entertaining themselves!!!!! YAY

Thursday...

2009-04-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

It is finally Thursday and I am about done with spring break...summer is going to suck unless I keep thses kids busy every moment of every day. They bicker constently if they aren't being entertained or playing with friends. AND they both have to be playing with friends or the other one is upset. Poor Jackie, there aren't any kids his age in the neighborhood, but sometimes he gets to play with the neighbor boy and his friends...they are all 10 and 11 and with Jack being only 5 they are a little out of the same circle socially. I mean that Jack is not as mature as the other boys so he gets upset more easily, but luckily they older boys understand that Jack is only 5 and are more careful about his feelings. Today we are going to the grocery store (I hate taking kids with me) and Aunica is supposed to be staying the night at a friends house and tonight I am going to dinner with a couple friends, but I need to be home by 9 to watch Hell's Kitchen with Kenny, it's just something we watch together, and tonight's episode looks like it will be awesome! My finger still looks good, no sign of infection and it doesn't ache as much as it did. I don't like wearing the bandage on it but I only have to do that until the stitches are out on Tuesday. Ick, stitches are gross!

Oh

2009-04-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Did I mention it hurt like a mother to get the wedding band and ring off the finger? Oh man, I did the one ring and then had to do the band and I SO didn't want to keep going, but so glad I did since the swelling became worse and they would have had to cut off my wedding rings!

2009-04-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Been MIA again...

2009-04-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am a bad blogger. I never seem to stay with it, but I try. Last night I was cooking dinner and I sliced through my ring finger instead of the avocado I was supposed to be cutting. So Ken's parents came over to take care of the kids and Ken and I went to the urgent care and I got some stitches and I will have them removed next week. In fact, I should be heading to the store right now to get new gauze so I can change the dressing. Nothing new here, it's Spring Break so we are just hanging out this week. Okay Kelly---if you read this, update us on Ashlyn, I check daily waiting to find out how that MRI she had went. Get to it!

Life

2009-03-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Things are going pretty good right now. Ken has been busy with house fixes and he recently put Jack's big boy bed together and we got his room all fixed up nice. We are cleaning out for spring and this weekend he is going to build Aunica a loft style bed for her room. It really frees up a lot of space. Steph, if you are reading this...that castle bed is going to YOUR place now LOL I bet Amelia will love sleeping in it with the bed tent on it. I don't think Aunica will be able to use it once her bed is that high. I am doing good too. I am looking forward to spring break and maybe seeing my playgroup friends---it has been a long time since we did anything here, I think maybe Anthony's birthday last November. Anyway, I digress. The kids are happy in school, most days LOL I am back on the eating right wagon, it is so much eaiser when Ken is doing it too. I have to admit that I am not exercising much these days, 2-3 days a week if that. It's hard because I will get into a groove and then things come up. Like, school. I am always at the kids school. But, since February I have lost 14.75 pounds...so I feel good about that. But i must keep going because I want to lose another 29 in the next 20 weeks. Not asking too much am I? That's like 1.5 pounds per week, even less than that actually. I can do it!

Jack's room

2009-03-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

We decided that we needed to change Jack's room a bit. He is too big for a baby room, so we got rid of the firetruck bed and went a little bit "bigger" boy. Ken used a loft style type bed frame when he was a younger guy living at home before we got married, and he kept that frame. So we got it out of the garage and now Jack's XL twin mattress is on it. He'll eventually need the XL so we got it now. Aunica will also have a loft style bed, but daddy will need to build hers. I will post some pics so you all can see his new room. Other than that we are good here. Just trying to get through the next couple of weeks and then it's Spring Break!!!!

Hmmm, what's new?

2009-03-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, my friends are all moving away! I am happy for them, because they are going to be happier in their new home. But I am sad because they aren't just a short drive away anymore. One is off in the Yuccca desert (LOL) and the other is going to Riverside. Not too far, but far enough you know. I can't wait to help my friend Steph move into her home. She has been waiting for years to have a real house...that she owns! It will be nice when she has us over for weekend BBQ's (hint hint Steph). Alas, her DH will have a longer drive to get to his favorite Beef place though...we'll have to pick him up stuff when we come up to their house. And I am a little green with Envy too. Yes, I have a house, and a great backyard with lots of fun stuff...and I live in a great neighborhood with good public schools. BUT, my house is old and small and needs work. My friend Steph is getting a bigger house than mine WAHHHH :) And my other friend is off in the desert Holy land, of a small town that I have always wanted to be a part of. If I could find a place, that I could move to that is cheaper than here, the homes are bigger for less, the towns are smaller, AND my DH could find a decent job, I would love to go there.

Last night I went to see Grease at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. It was good, not as good as some of the other shows I have seen there, but good anyway. My mom gave me her CC number and had me buy 4 tckets to How The Grinch Stole Christmas for her, my sister, Aunica and I to go to in December at the Pantages. I got really good seats for a Saturday matinee and the tickets were only 90 each. A deal!

Jack is doing really well at school. I have him all registered for Kindergarten at our home school (Clegg) for next year. I am excited that I will have both kids at the same school next year. I hope everyone is having a good Sunday!

Yo what's up ladies!

2009-03-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

I guess I can't complain about other people who haven't blogged for awhile since I haven't done it myself for awhile...so here I go. I got rid of Jack's baby bed and he has a new big boy bed, his dad is building him a loft bed style frame for it. I can't wait for that to be done...then he is building one for Aunica, so now her little friend Amelia will have her very own castle bed complete with bed tent. Okay, now that I have written something I can call out Michelle, Steph and Kelly and tell them to get on their computers and blog something...I am board and nowhere to roam and read! So get to it! :)

Jack's ENT appointment

2009-03-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

I am so relieved! Today Jack had the ENT's audiologist give him a hearing test, and she said he was old enough for the "big boy" hearing test---no more blocks or games, just the wearing of headphones and raising his hands when he hears the sounds. I was not in the room, because I am a distraction to him usually. So she said after the initial test, the audiogram looked the same as the Providence audiologists so he was hearing at a 50-70dB level (depending on the frequency). So that's wasn't good news. BUT, then she did the test after bypassing the middle ear, using a bone conduction test. He did the test again and his audiogram looked much better, just as good and even better than the ABR in some frequencies. So now we know that he isn't having a progressive loss in the nerve. Nerve damage hearing loss (or sensorineural hearing loss) is bad, it is permanent and is not fixable. The problem is somewhere in the middle ear, but it's weird because it is in both ears. Both ears improved dramatically after they bypassed the middle ear. So we are now on high dose steroids (twice a day) plus the nasonex and now we have been switched to singulair pills (not cheap, we paid 35 bucks and the insurance paid 85 dollars for 30 pills). The hope is that the drug cocktail will clear up the middle ear and whatever is muggling up the sound. This is hard to follow so let me say it another way too.

Okay, Jack has a mild hearing loss---it is sensorineural, within the nerve pathways. But this loss is mild, not bad,but enough to need aids to help him with certain consonant sounds. Now, he also has a conduction loss on top of that. Many children have temperary conduction losses due to a variety of reasons. Mostly fluid in the ears from chronic ear infections, allergies that cause swelling and inflammation of the middle ear and surrounding tissues. So he has what they call a "mixed" hearing loss. The good news is that conduction loss is almost always reversible and treatable. We are hoping the meds clear him up. We go back on March 31st for another hearing test.

Hey Guys!

2009-02-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

Ken didn't get demoted or laid off...he got transferred to a new department and has a new boss though. He has been in this department before but never under this particular boss. Hopefully it will be a good move, or at least an okay move. They will still be making changes in the next few months so there is still a slight possibility he will be laid off, but hopefully not. I don't think Ken is really worried about it---a change may be good, but I would feel better if the change happened with another job already lined up you know! Things are okay here...Jack is on Omnicef for an ear infection, Clairnex and Nasonex to try and clear up his nose and reduce swelling in his adenoids. The ENT thinks his hearing may have been comprimised by all that is going on with fluid in his ears, negative pressure in the middle ear and swollen adenoids when he had his last hearing test. We see the Audiologist at Providence (where Jack got his hearing aids) tomorrow to get his new ear molds and his repaired hearing aid, and then the following Tuesday we see the ENT again and their audiologist is going to do a hearing test. If it still looks like he is losing dB's, then I think we get the MRI.

oof!

2009-02-19T18:56:00.001-08:00

Disney is going DOWN man...They walked out 16 VP's and Directors yesterday and tomorrow they are having a mandatory "town hall meeting" for everyone in Ken's department. Yowsa...hopefully they won't lay off ken, but I guess what will happen will happen. He doesn't thinbk he will get the ol heave hoe, but who knows. He said that some VP's were told they could get walked out right then or take a demotion, Ken won't take a demotion, so hopefully that won't be his choice. Keep positive thoughts for us!!! :)

I really did it this time!

2009-02-17T19:31:00.001-08:00

I got a call this evening from a good friend...I could hear lots of chatter in the background and my friend said that they wanted me to take a position on the PTA Board...Treasurer, I said yes of course, because that is all that will come out of my mouth when someone asks me to do something LOL I am excited, but nervous too. Dianne said that my job will be to do checks and balances, write checks when I get vouchers and keep the PTA budget in check...hmmm, it will be interesting!

Back from ENT's office

2009-02-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, well...we have some answers, I think? The ENT assistant came in and asked what was up, we talked, she looked over lots of data---behavior tests that Jack has done from 3/07, 7/07, 12/07. 1/08 and now 2/09. They are all over the place---all very different. Some up and some down. She said we can gather that 1) Jack is an unreliable kid when it comes to these tests, 2) he has fluctuating hearing, 3) let's test more because who knows what the hell is going on. So she said he has fluid in his right ear, the drum is barely moving and he has negative pressure within the middle ear. I told her that the Audiologist said that none of that would effect the high frequencies of his hearing tests but she said she believes it does interfere with scores. She also said that the MRI would only be looking for Acoustic Neuromas and that at this point she doesn't feel that they need to get that drastic. She said that he needs meds to get the fluid all cleared out and bring down swelling in his adenoids. So he is now taking Clarinex, Nasonex and Omnicef (for the infection). We go back 2 weeks from today so they can repeat the hearing test at the ENT's office. She said "let's do this first then talk about the MRI". She said that Acoustic Neuromas don't grow at a rapid rate, very slowly in fact so even if by some small, teeny tiny chance it is that, it won't hurt to wait a couple weeks. So that is what she said. She also said she thinks someone, his teacher, his speech pathologist---his mommy and daddy, someone would have noticed his hearing dipping down that much. She is thinking his hearing hasn't decreased at this point, maybe fluctuating but not by the degree the audiologist says it has. Hmmm, specialists who don't agree.

Rainy Monday!

2009-02-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

I am happy it is raining today---that means I don't have to take my kids anywhere outside, and not feel guilty about it. It is nice, we all have colds and the kids are just kicking back watching TV and Aunica is working on her "Stamp" of Walt Disney. We are making multiple drawings and will pick the best one later to use for the project. Tomorrow Jack will miss school because he has an appointment with the ENT and hopefully we can get an MRI ordered and the ball with the authorization from the insurance company. Nothing else major going on here.

It's been awhile!

2009-02-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I am in a funk. At that place in my mind where I am trying not to overthink things and still try to work the thoughts out in my head to make sense to me. Okay, let's back up a minute. Jack had a yearly hearing test last Monday---okay, routine routine...everything should go smoothly. Yeah right! It was like a sock in the face---I was stunned for most of the day. The audiologist said that Jack's hearing has declined, and in the right ear, by a lot. almost 25 dB's which is a lot. So now, according to this test, Jack has moved into the moderate level of hearing in the right ear. What worries me is that his hearing has changed and we don't know why---does this mean that his hearing will continue to decline and one day he will no longer be able to hear? They can't rell me squat! I am tired of hearing "We don't know" and "sometimes you never know"...cause I for one will keep looking until I find something. Anyway, we have had his hearing aids turned up, and we had to go back yesterday to have them adjusted because they were too loud. Now we have to go see the ENT (ear nose and throat specialist) to ask for an MRI that the audiologist says we need "to rule out certain things" for this new decline in hearing loss. I am sure this is not the case but one of those things we ned to rule out is something called Acoustic Neuromas and they are small benign tumors and the 8th cranial nerve---the nerve that sound travels to get to the brain. This is very unlikely but they have to check for it anyway. Also he has had the genetic testing and blood testing and CT Scan so the MRI is all that is left for that type of diagnostic testing. I am hoping that the ENT approves it and that we can get that scheduled soon. Other than the MRI the only other thing we can do is wait for the repeat hearing test in 3 months. There are chances that the hearing test is invalid---it is a behavioral test and Jack has in the past been enreliable in the testing booth. The audiologist says she thinks he was pretty reliable though. I have my doubts. Also, there are studies that say an ABR (a special hearing test that is done while the child is asleep and so the doc looks at how the brain actually responds to sound) should be used as a screening tool and not for total diagnosis of what a child can hear because they are unreliable in behavioral tests. Jack had a behavioral test back in July 07 and it also had his hearing at 65dB at the 2000hz frequency and that is exactly what we are seeing now in 09 on the behaviroal test. So my hope is that his hearing hasn't changed at all and that we were just wrong before because the ABR says his brain hears at a higher sensitivity. So think of us for the next few weeks (or months) depending on when we get that MRI and more answers----hopefully!

Tuesday!

2009-01-27T06:41:00.000-08:00

Today I am walking some friemds into Disneyland and then maybe hitting the gym, depending on what time I get home. I am hoping that the treadmill part I had to order will be here this week because it is just so much easier to jump on the treadmill in the evening if I can't get to the gym and I am really trying to keep up on the workouts. Even if the weight isn't melting off, at least I am conditioning my heart you know. I realized last night that I probably won't be getting into the workforce, actually working somewhere until I am in my 40's...isn't that crazy? Anyway, this is just a babbling blog entry, so I will say goodbye now and chat at ya later. Oh, please pray for more rain---we need it!

And so I wait...

2009-01-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

As I type this I am on hold with Providence hearing trying to get Jack an audiology appointment for his yearly hearing test. Yes, even though we know he has mild hearing loss, they still do routine hearing tests because they want to make sure he is not losing hearing, and that indeed his loss was something he was born with and is not degenerative. Meaning, his hearing will get no worse as he ages. Since Providence is out of network we either had to pay for 100% of the testing or we could go through our primary care provider and get a referral and approval to get the testing done out of network---so I did that. It took 2 weeks (really, that is FAST in the world of insurance companies) and now I just need to get the appointment made. Okay, now I have gotten the test scheduled. He will miss a part of a school day but who cares...It is only preppie K! He will be seen on Groundhog day LOL at 10:30 and also get a hearing aid check and probably new ear molds done.

Oh, I hot the gym this morning...my exercise is actually becoming pretty routine for me.

Amazing!

2009-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

That's what I have to say about Phantom of the Opera at The Pantages. OMG, it's sold out (except for 2 shows) but if you can get tickets, I say try and get there. I think it was better than Wicked...SO good. I didn't know the story before seeing it, but it is truly beautiful. The last scene is so lovely and powerful that I wish I could see just that one part over and over. There are a couple parts when the Phantom is singing and he gets his voice so soft that you have to strain to hear what he is singing but I think it is adding to the performance...real suspense and drama. The costumes were great and the woman who played Christine was just awesome. I really can't say enough about the show. I went last night not really thinking it was going to be great, but it was. Now I am super excited for the rest of the shows. We see Grease next, which I have seen before in London, but I am excited to see it again. Then we see Mama Mia and then Dirty Dancing. We are going to try and get tickets for Legally blonde and we all want to go see How the Grinch stole X-mas in Nov/Dec.

Another Saturday

2009-01-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, Steph---we are only going to Bass Lake for 1 week this year. It's good and bad I guess. I am sure the week will fly by and we will all be sad to have to leave, but we can't afford 2 weeks this year. But I know we will all have a fab time! Tonight I am going with my mom and sister to see The Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages theater in Hollywood. Last year my sister and I bought season tickets to the pantages for her birthday and tonight is the 1st of 4 shows we will be seeing. I think we are going to Red Lobster before the show for dinner and I am looking forward to that too. I have been working out at least 4 times a week lately and of course today i go to get in a 40 minute run on the treadmill and the belt keeps slipping...so I look at the belt endcap and it is broke. It did that years ago so I had to order a new one, I hope it doesn't take too long to get here.

Aunica has a history test to study for this weekend, reading to do on Walt Disney because she has an oral report to give on him in a few weeks and we also need to work on her time telling, money counting, addition and subtraction facts to 20 and some basic grammer like where to put Capital letters, punctuation and all that because next week is Benchmark testing. UGH, I hate the stress of 2nd grade LOL

Happy Wednesday!

2009-01-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

Well, things are going fine around here. We are busy as usual and having a good time with it all. Jack is so happy to be back in school after his long X-mas break. Me too LOL I have been exercising consistently the last couple weeks and am eating pretty darn good, so I hope to start seeing a drop in weight. My goal is to lose 35 pounds at least by August 15. What's August 15th you ask? Well, that is when we will spend one glorious week at Bass lake. We normally spend 2 weeks there, but we just can't afford that this year. So we go from the 15-22nd of August and it will be our last summer hoorah before the kids start back to school in Septemeber. This year my mom, sister and nephew are joining us as well---and that will be oh so fun! I can't wait! We booked a different house this year because 1) we needed a bigger house this year since we have more people and 2) the place we were staying the last few years hasn't been kept up very well and we wanted to see what else was out there. We are going to be staying in a new cove called Willow Cove and that should be real fun. In related news, we are serious;ly discussing getting rid of our boat. We only use it when we hit Bass Lake, and now that we are only going for the 1 week, we feel it would be better to just rent a boat while we are there. It's a couple thousand dollars to rent it for the week, but it will cost just about the same for Ken to make the repairs the boat needs this year so I said "sell it!". Anyway, this is just babbling now---I must get the kids up and ready for school.

Saturday is here! Finally :)

2009-01-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

We got up and had breakfast and are ready to get things started. I took Aunica to Basketball practice and spent an hour chatting it up with some dads---I am the exception to the dad bringing the daughter to practice rule. These are all dads who you can tell wished they had some boys. One of the dads is very nice, but he has 4 girls and you KNOW he wanted a boy to do sports with. His 2 girls that are on Aunica's team are in everything---basketball, and year round softball. My sister calls them the roller derby girls because they are tough---they foul a lot and in fact the younger one has even fouled out of the game before. Anyway, we did that and now they are vegging in front of the TV and I am working on laundry and cleaning up the house. I wish we had a bigger house with more storage. I have NO closet space in this house. Each bedroom has a closet and we have a linen closet at the end of the hall and that's it. Tonight is going to be awesome! My mom bought Ken, his dad, my nephew, Jack and my BIL tickets to the Monster Jam in Anaheim tonight...well, my BIL made other plans and so now the boys are taking Aunica and I am going to dinner for a belated birthday with my "clegg" mom friends. SO, I am being very good today so i can eat something okay for me tonight. I am thinking the chicken caesar salad--it's at El Torita and The Lady (as we like to call this particular mom) is picking me up at 6:45ish. Tomorrow we have basketball pictures, a clinic, and a game for Aunica and then maybe some more house stuff and then dinner with Ken's parents and then back to the grind on Monday.

2 days in a row!

2009-01-06T16:11:00.001-08:00

I think 2 more days of exercise and I will have a good base to start a real schedule of working out! I have been hitting the gym the last 2 days and working a good amount of calories off while I am there. Tomorrow is a class work day so I might not get to the gym, but I am going to try. I plan to go to Aunica's class dressing in my gym clothes and hit it as soon as I get out of her class. I usually get out of there by recess, and so hopefully I will be at the gym by 10:30. I do fun and fit club at her school at 1. Thursday should be another gym day with no problems since I don't work in Jack's class until the afternoon. Friday is always up in the air as to how long I will be in Aunica's class. I may have to do a home workout in the evening on my treadmill---Ken brought it in the house before X-mas. I always said I didn't want it in the house but the kids have actually left it alone and not bothered it at all. My food consumption is way down and I have been really good about what foods I am eating. No more junk! I have even gone to the california website for the food pyramid and looked at their calculators and stuff and it helped me figure out where the extra sugars are coming from that I can cut out. My kids were starting to get into the bad habit of only liking to eat certain foods---mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, hot dogs and bread---they love bread. So I am trying to make better choices for them too. I bought this Annie's creamy organic mac and cheese (we'll see how they like that) and I am cutting out the fruit cups and just having them eat fresh fruits and trying to get them to eat more veggies. They have always been okay with veggies, but I want to see if I can get more types of veggies in them. I think they do okay with food in general, we don't eat a lot of fast food and we don't fry anything (I don't even know if I have oil in the house) and they eat lots of fruit. They do get candy when we go to the movies, but with the price of tickets and snackbar for the 4 of us we don't go that often. As I write this down and think about it more, they do pretty well in eating things. Jack has a very sensitive nose, I think the saying "when you lose a sense, another one gets stronger" is SO true with him. His hearing may be somewhat damaged but there is something about his sense of smell. He won't try anything that has any type of scent to it---like certain cheeses that have a pungent smell or stuff that doesn't have that much of a smell like potatoes---he smells it and says no before even tasting it. But, maybe with a heightened sense of smell his taste buds are even more sensitive to tastes. Anyway, part of the new year 2009 our family is trying to make better choices. Heck, I only have 32 weeks before Bass Lake 2009 and I want to lose some weight!

Kids are back in school---

2009-01-05T14:02:00.001-08:00

Routines are back! I dropped each child off at their school and then headed straight to the gym. I put in a 45 minute workout with good effort and then took my sweaty body to the grocery store. I bought 200 dollars worth of good healthy foods...the reason why there are so many fat people in America? Because healthy foods like milk, lean meats, veggies and fruits costs so damn much! I know I could be a more frugal shopper and hit more than one store, use coupons better and look for sales, but I am not that person. But still, no one should have to pay 7 bucks for a thing of grapes or 9 bucks for about 1 pound of boneless skinless breast filets. Yes, I am picky---I don't want to cook chicken on the bone or have to peel the skin off, so yeah I pay more for it. But 9 bucks? I can tell you that the same chicken isn't sold for 9 bucks in Alabama. If you want to feed your family for under 10 bucks, people go to places like McD's or taco bell where they have the value menu. I KNOW people who are not in that great of financial shape right now and they do this to keep everyone fed. Double cheeseburgers are 99 cents...you can't make a turkey burger at home for that. Anyway, I am happy that I am back on the exercise and healthy eating bandwagon---I just wish it wasn't so expensive!

Eh, I'm sick!

2008-12-30T12:06:00.001-08:00

Not too bad, but I have a head cold and my throat is starting to get a little scratchy---you know that yucky behind the nose feeling, I have that too. I guess better now while the kids are on vacation and not while they have school---because we all know where I got it from to start with!!!

Little Girls...

2008-12-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

They can be little wicked things. Today my 7 year old had a couple friends over, and one of them didn't want to play anything unless she made all the rules or had planned the activity. The other two girls didn't want to play any of the games the girl wanted so we had 2 girls playing in one room and the third girl playing out in the family room with my son. But even then, the girl wanted total control of the activities. Now, my daughter is sometimes like this, but it seems everytime this particular child comes to my house, she has to rule the roost. The problem is then I have to deal with it and it makes my day longer and harder than if Aunica didn't have any friends over, so I tell Aunica that if they can't get along the friends are going home---ugh, it's a cycle I don't want to deal with anymore. As we speak, she has lost a game of Mario Kart on the Wii and is announcing that they must try a different game because she doesn't like the one they are playing. OMG, I might scream LOL Only 7 more days and they all go back to school!!!

33 now

2008-12-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday. I am getting older every year---amazing how that works huh? I had a great birthday though. Ken was very thoughtful this year...he remembered things that I had said I wanted or needed and got them. New shoes, a mixing bowl, a nightgown, money...lost of stuff. My mom and sister gave me a coach purse (a real coach purse) and a coach wallet to match with money and gift cards inside it. MIL/FIL gave me a recipe box and a Macy's gift card. I started my new year resolution workout schedule today---I did 2.5 miles on the treadmill, jogging most of it. I need to get up to 5K's so I can do 2 5K's a week (only 3.3 miles) and then I want to buy a Wii fit and workout on that a couple times a week as well. Bass Lake is in like 8 months and I need to not be a fatty when we go. My pics from this Holiday season were not fun to look at.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:33:00.000-08:00

Whew, what a day we have had. It actually started last night with a big family dinner and some presents. We all ate a lot and chatted a lot and the kids ran inside and outside. We had some crazy kids unwrapping stuff faster than we could watch and clean it all. Then we played a game of Catch phrase and that was SO fun. We got the kids to bed and laid out the gifts. We had our earliest X-mas Eve bedtime (for us) we were in bed by 11:30! The kids were up by 6:45 wanting to open presents. It was a whirlwind day of wrapping paper being thrown around and cheers and lots of playing with lots of new things. There is so much trash it won't all fit in the cans. We got a Wii--and some cool games to go with it. The kids have had a good time trying to figure it all out. Jack is a pro at the Mario Kart already. Now I am just hoping to get the kids in bed by 8:30ish and maybe hit the hay myself soon after. I am tired.

Chritsmas Eve

2008-12-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

The kids are VERY excited right now. They woke up early today---just to tell us that Santa is coming tonight. It is so cool having kids that are old enough to understand the Holiday---are are just so excited they almost burst with happiness. Tonight we are having a big ol' family dinner---lasagna, garlic cheese bread, salad, appetizers, dessert---hopefully we get to enjoy the food without the kids pestering us too much about opening gifts. My mom and sister and nephew are coming, as well as Ken's parents his brother and his girlfriend. Our good friends Steph and Jeff are coming with their little ankle biters and my bachelor neighbor said he will come over for some food and fun too. It'll be so fun. My sister came over last night and we finished wrapping almost everything. I have a couple things I shoulkd wrap for Ken and we have to assemble the things that Santa is bringing. Those things are never wrapped, they are just out and waiting for the kids on Christmas morning. I have a few things under my tree, but not too much. I only put out the stuff that my family will open tonight and the stuff for Anthony and Amelia (those ankle biters I spoke earlier about). The house will be FULL of presents when my mom gets here though. Now, she is a big Santa in an elf's body. She LOVES spoiling the kids and always says it is her duty and priveledge and grandma to buy the kids lots of stuff and spoil them rotten. She is a wonderful grandma for many reasons, but mostly because she loves them SO much and they love her SO much too. It's funny, my nephew is 13 now but when he was little he drew a picture and wrote G (for Grandma) and her name is Rose, so he put that together and wrote it to Grose, so now we call her the gross grandma LOL Too funny. Anyway this is a rambling post, although most of mine are now a days. I realized yesterday that I put a bag of old toys out for this donation pick up thing and was mad when it was still out there last night---I was sure pickup was Tuesday. But last night while sleeping, someone in my dream called to tell me it was pickup NEXT tuesday, and low and behold the card does say Tuesday but it is the 30th, which IS next Tuesday! Weird huh? Have a great Christmas everyone!!!!

Kelly, kiss those kids for me, and tell Katie she is a sweetie pie, and tell Ash that she needs to stop growing into such a big girl, and let Jack catch up a little.

Original Playdate

2008-12-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

Today I took the kids to Michelle's house---it's been a long time, and I hear that they didn't really expect me to show up---but I did! It's been a long time, maybe too long but it was a great time. The kids seemed to get along great and the moms had a nice time chatting away as we always have. It's funny how time doesn't change anything (except the size of the kids LOL). The boys play war and guns and today Jack got his first real taste of Wii. He says Shine (he means Shane) is his new best bud, he had so much fun playing with him. Aunica hung out with Nikki most of the time, and they seemed to hang out just fine together. We did what we always used to do---eat and talk while the kids run around half crazed. Poor Tom looked frazzled half the time, and I probably would too if I wasn't used to lots of yelling and screaming and littler ones touching my stuff. Hey Kelly---go blog and change your music---HM has got to GO!!!!

Almost here!!!!

2008-12-21T13:34:00.001-08:00

We're talking DAYS and Santa is coming! I am almost as excited as I used to be as a kid. I have wrapped NOTHING but will be getting busy soon on that. Ken is going to change the doorknob on Jack's room tomorrow after playgroup and I will be able to lock myself into the bedroom with all the toys and start wrapping. I am so glad to be completely done shopping. I ended up going to Toys R Us yesterday and picking up a Leapster2 for Jack---with a batman game and a a Diego game for it.

Just days away...

2008-12-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

X-mas is coming, and FAST! Which also means my 33rd birthday is creeping up fast too. We are buying a new washing machine today (in fact DH and DD are out now picking one out) and then I will start the washing machine marathon! I haven't done any wash in almost 5 days, and my house looks like a laundry basket barfed all over LOL Ken will be taking Aunica out shopping to buy stuff for me, and Jack will stay at home with me. There are a couple reasons Ken will not be taking jack---#1, because he doesn't understand that it is possible to take 2 kids out in public and watch them both and shop and #2, because Jack has a bad habit of telling people what they bought. So Ken and Aunica will hit the stores and when they get back I will be going out alone. I need to get gift cards and a few more things for Jack to make things a little more even. Then all we have left to buy is stuff for Kenny's mom---she is so tough to shop for. I am going to buy her tons of gift cards I think :)

Merry X-mas and Happy Birthday to me...

2008-12-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

My washer ate the big one last night, Ken says probably not fixable (it's a Maytag too!) so I think I will be buying a new washer. Always happens when money is flowing like lava OUT of the bank account when this stuff happens huh?

Hey Guys!

2008-12-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

Well, today started out as a crappy day---but I woke up knowing it would be. Today I had to go to the DMV (dun dun dun) and renew my license. I tell you the DMV has it out for me. In 1999 I had a small seizure episode (2 tonic clonic grand mal seizures) in one evening separated by about 30 minutes. I had a small stroke as well but had no impairements from it. Unfortunately, the hospital is required to notify the DMV if you have an unexplained loss of consciousness. Yeah, how nice that if I had taken drugs or fallen on my head it would have been fine, but because I was sober and no history of falling down recently, they said it was potentially late onset epilepsy. So I go through a couple months of seeing specialists and all that and have surgery to remove a vascular angioma in the brain. I had brain surgery---and a top neurosurgeon cleared me and said i would never have another seizure, at least relating to this anamoly that he removed. The DMV has had me on their radar ever since. I have never had an accident, never had a moving violation, and never had another loss of consciousness but everytime my license comes up for renewal I have to go down there and do the written, visual testing and a new picture and thumb print. I was so pissed when I saw that stupid renewal letter again. WHY can't I just renew online like most everyone else. Anyway, I get down there and they waive the written and then they have me do the vision test. Heck, easy enough right? I had a full vision screening last month and picked up my new glasses on Friday in time to take my test today. So I get up to the window and fail...I could have passed if the stupid lady had given me one more second but she said I got the letter P wrong on line 2 because it was actually the letter D. Anyway, she said she had to refer me back to my eye specialist and have them fill out my vision screening before she will renew my license. I get in the car and call the eye doc and tell him my drama at the DMV and they say come on in and they will look into my problem. I get there and they take me right back and pretty much give me a full vision screening again. When I went last month I got the main doctor's intern or partner or whatever but it wasn't the main guy. Today I saw the main guy and he looked at my glasses, did the whole eye test again---you knwo the one where they say :is this better or is this better" and he found that the RX I had for my new glasses is totally wrong! He found my correct RX and I did the test and with the glasses and my vison is corrected to 20/20 on the right and 20/30+ on the left. The left eye is a little weaker but he said it is 20/30+ because I can see some of the eye chart on the 20/20 line with the left eye just not all of it. Anyway, now I have to wait 1 week to get the new glasses and then the eye doc will fill out the form with the corrected vision of 20/20 and 20/30+ and I should be all free and clear of that damned DMV for another 5 years until they want me to renew again. I did however, get some more X-mas shopping done after I left the eye docs office. I am now finished with everyone except Audrey, my mom and Kineche (ken's employee) and a couple stocking stuffers for Ken. The kids are done, Amelia and Anthony are done, my sister is done, and my nephew is done except for his gift certificate but I just have to go tomorrow to pick it up. Oh, and I have some ornaments to pick up for a couple exchanges I have this week.

Whew!

2008-12-06T07:14:00.001-08:00

Ken and I went shopping last night while the grandparents watched the kiddos. We hit Toys R Us and Target for some toys! I tell ya, Ken is just as bad a kid. We picked up several things for each kid at both places. The shopping is just about done. I think the kids are getting a few more stocking stuffers and then that's it. Maybe one more thing for Jack justto even things out a bit, but definately the big shopping is done. Here is a list of the crap they are getting this year.

Jack:
Matchbox exploding car toy thing
2 shirts
Geotrax Grand Central (big gift)
Imaginex Ocean Boat
Hungry Hungry Hippo
Mini Motorcycle set
Extra vehicle and guy for geotrax
Wonderpets figures
batman and joker action figure set
6 pairs of boxer brief undies (he really likes these lately)
Monster Truck Gameboy game

Aunica
Stable with assorted horses and animals for it
Hannah Montana Alarm clock
HM Doll
Too cute interactive twins
Barbie Castle Theresa doll
Barbi Baker Playset
Color Explosion art stuff
High School Musical Jammies
3 Karoake CD's
Spiral Drawing Set
Connect 4 game
Pet Vet Gameboy Game

So, stuff like spin toothbrushes, candies, hair bands, slinky's, bubbles and other crap like that for stockings and then I will be done with them. I still need to buy for my mom, sister, nephew, and a couple "adopted" family members that we love and hope are living near me for a long time (not in a place far away like Riverside!)

Can you FEEL it?

2008-12-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming!!!! I LOVE this time of year. I really really do. I love the shopping, the parties, the food the presents, and even the decorations and music. I am probably more excited about the season than the kids. My mom got the kids an advent calendar that is really cool, it's a wood box with a little door for each day December 1st through the 25th. There is a piece of candy for each kid in each door. The kids are having a good time opening a door each night. It is really good for Jack because he is still having trouble with time---I mean, we put up the tree on Saturday and he thought Santa was on his way that evening. Saying "in 3 more weeks" means little to him, but with the visual of the open doors and the doors they have left to open helps him realize just when the big fat santa man is coming. I am going shopping with some friends next week to shop and have dinner---it should be fun. I remember last year, I think it was just Michelle, Stacy and I (or maybe it was Michelle, Steph and I) but we hit Red Robins first then the Walmart and Old Navy and all that. Michelle and I got the kids jackets on sale. Hey Michelle, if you read this e-mail me...I think we are shopping next week LOL

Book Fair

2008-11-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

Today I am working at the Scholastic Book fair at Jack's school. I already went with a couple friends and bought lots of books, now I just need to control myself while I am there today. I just love buying books---well, I love buying just about anything really LOL Speaking of buying, while I was out I got a couple things for Jack's birthday, which is on Monday. I already had a cash register for him, he has been asking for one. We stopped at Toys R Us and I picked up a really cute Scooby Doo action figure set and it has all the main characters and I know Jack will love it. He loves Scooby and the gang. I also bought two 24 piece puzzles since he is SO into them lately. Now once his birthday is done and Thanksgiving is over I am going to shop for X-mas. Aunica is so easy to shop for...it's Jack that is concerning me. Aunica's big gift is going to be the Emma Dollhouse but Jack is a different, I have no idea what his big gift will be. I want them to each be able to walk out on X-mas morning and see something oh so fun. I know the little stuff Jack wants so I will be looking closely at all the ads and the toy aisles looking for something good. Aunica is getting the dollhouse, a stable (she started collecting the small horses and animals at Target), and she wants dolls of course. I can't wait for X-mas, but I can't wait for it to be over too LOL

Happy Hump Day!

2008-11-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

I had Aunica's parent teacher conference today and she is doing fine. She needs to work on her printing and also keep reading because she is still working on her reading fluency. She can read 50 words per minute but needs to get up to more like 90. Sometimes she reads faster than other times, and I am sure when the pressure is on it gets even slower. Anyway, she tested fine on the benchmarks and will go into 3rd grade just fine as she continues to grow daily in the class. The teacher just loves her!

Monday!

2008-11-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

So I did it. I went to the gym after dropping Jack off at school. You know what i find funny? Is that when I started to think about both my kids being in school from 8:30-2:30 everyday, I thought about all the free time I would have. How I could come home, workout, take a nap, go to the grocery store alone (heaven!), see my friends, go anywhere and do anything ALONE. But, I find I am more busy than ever before. I work in the kids class a lot...T/TH afternoons in Jack's class and Wednesday and Fridays in Aunica's class. Sometimes all day both days in Aunica's class because her teacher has so much to work on. I love it though---it's my job, my purpose right now. This week and next week I am also working at the Scholastic Book fair at Jack's school. From 10-12 T and TH. On Wednesday I have Aunica's conference and I hope to hear very good things. She is a great kid, and sometimes I think I push kind of hard with the academics but I was always afraid of falling behind and so I am always afraid of her falling behind. But I see when she is stressed or just done with work and we stop and do something else. She is in NJB (National Jr Basketball) and she has practice every Wednesday from 6-7 PM and Saturdays from 9-10 am and games will be on Sundays starting in Decemeber. If I am repeating myself I am sorry---I can never remember what i have said in previous posts so deal with it LOL I am hoping that keeping her active with sports and friends and the trampoline will keep her on the slimmer side of things. It was at about this age that I started to gain weight and I don't want her to grow up the fat kid. The doc said she is fine now but in the coming years you want the kids height percentage to be greater than the weight percentage and Aunica is at 90% for height and 95 for weight, so we are trying to switch that. I wonder if i have her hang by her feet she will stretch? LOL

Okay, just real fast...

2008-11-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

I have to make sure I post a good thread because my good friend Michelle wants me to say more! So, I am trying to lose weight again, as always. I lost 2.5 pounds last week and hope to do just as good if not better this week. I am eating better and trying to exercise more. I am going to the gym on Momday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning this week and trying to get there Friday afternoon. I am volunteering at the Schroeder book fair 2 days in the next week or so from 10-12. My job will be to help the kids shop with the money they have with them and make sure they have enough to buy what they want before they get to the register. On Tuesday I am going to the book fair with a few friends and to have dinner out. I am still going to be good though. Aunica started Basketball last week and she is enjoying it. She has practice from 6-7 PM on Wednesday and 9-10 am on Saturday and games will be on Sundays starting in December (the games start then). Jack will have a basketball clinic on Sundays too but no practice for his age group. Hmmm, what else can I say. Oh, I haven't bought one X-mas gift yet but I have a nice list started in my X-mas notebook. We are having Thanksgiving at my MIL's so I won't have to clean a thing until X-mas LOL Aunica and Jack both have their parent teacher conferences coming up so that should be fun, I hope. I think they are both doing well. I think part of it helps that Jack has no academic goals that need to be met this year in preppie K. It's all about having fun and growing socially. Well, i better get a shower...talk at ya later 'Chelle.

X-mas is coming!!!! Oh, a and a birthday!

2008-11-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

My baby, my little man is turning 5 in about a week. November 24th 2003 at 6:15 my little wonder arrived. He weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces and was just amazing. He had a huge melon and luckily came fast and furious so it only took 1 push for him to make his first appearance. I still can't believe he is goign to be 5---so old LOL Anyway, I bought him a cash register and so far nothing else. He has really gotten into puzzles so I think I will hit Target and get a few of the 24 or 50 piece puzzles and that will do it. X-mas is coming and this little house can't take much more. Although Ken thinks we should buy a extra long twin bed for him as well. We shall see what happens with that. I am going to post a couple pics of Jackman through the years...

Guess What?

2008-11-15T11:59:00.001-08:00

Only 40 more days till X-mas!!!!!! I can't wait. I just hope we aren't still using our air conditioners at X-mastime. Santa Ana's suck giant monkey balls LOL

YEAH!

2008-11-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

Whoo Hoo!!!!! Obama Obama mama....we did it!

Nerves...

2008-11-04T14:03:00.001-08:00

I am so nervous! I can't wait to start hearing projections and how the votes are coming in the Eastern states. Polls close in less than 3 hours on thre East coast and in less then 5 here. I hear that Obama has an easy landslide win, but then just turn the channel, page or link and I hear how this could be another 2000 election, where Obama would win the popular vote but lose the electoral college. Oh, I can't wait to hear the tally's. There isn't going to be anything else on tonight anyway :)

NaBloPoMo

2008-11-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

Bahahaha...here's day 1! Now, what should I say tomorrow? I hope everyone had a great Halloween!!!!!!! We have our Halloween Decor down and X-mas stuff out! Yep, we LOVE X-mas

Absentee Ballot

2008-10-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

I got mine and I am going to do all my voting tonight! This way I know I am going to get it done, and I can take all the time I want to read and make the wise choices. Something I saw on the news last night concerns me...why is it that some of the BIG decision maker states, like Florida, states that could sway the election, have such bad voting procedures. Waiting hours in the hot sun just to vote early and poling places knowing they won't be equipped for voter turnout on election day---already asking to extend their hours for voting. They have known for months that this would be a momentous voting year, people who have never voted are going to come out and vote and people who haven't felt the desire to vote are coming back...Then if one side doesn't win will they say it is because Florida (or one of the other states with voter turnout problems) will get blamed. I just think that the people in charge of getting voter places situated haven't done a good job...come on they only have to do it every 4 years! :)

Election

2008-10-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

GO VOTE! You can vote early in some places, you can send away for a mail in ballot, and you can go vote in your local poll place on November 4th. I think it is very important to let your voice be heard this election. No matter how you feel about Republicans, Democrats, independants or whatever else is out there---you need to vote. I am guilty of not voting the last 2 elections, the last time I voted Clinton was elected. Aside from his bad personal behavior and clear marital problems while in the White house, he was a good president. He left us with a fiscal abundance (not the correct word, but I can't think of the right word) and he had good relationships with foreign leaders. Bush Jr...well, he isn't what many had hoped for. He isn't a younger version of his father. He wasn't a good president and he let a lot of things slide and become out of control. Anyway, Politically I find myself to be pretty liberal. I think woman have the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and I believe that no government should stick their noses in our private business. I think that this Country should have a clear division of church and state, so why is Prop 8 even on the ballot. I see commercials on lately that are humorous at best, but I don't think they are supposed to be funny. People actually getting on TV saying they are afraid their children will learn it is alright for a man to marry a man. Well, here in the state of California, we already have a law that says we can choose to have our children taken out of class during "family Life" or health instruction that we don't approve of. We even have to have our curriculum set up at the district for all parents to see and approve before new books are bought for classes. And so what, if little John learns in school that little Suzi can marry Jenny if she wants. Being Gay isn't bad, nor is it something you can catch like a cold or learn. You don't learn to be Gay. Also, so what if they learn about other lifestyles in school---people who are Gay haven't learned to be heterosexual by just being around them or learning about heterosexual lifestyles in family life class. I don't see what the big deal is in all of this. Being Gay is just another way people love. I hope Obama/Biden win, just because I fear that McCain and Palin is just more of the same. Oh, and I think Palin is a scary person to have in office. I am sure she is an okay person...a soccor mom, a real Joe six pack kinda gal. Just what happens when a 72 year old president happens to die in office and we all live in a Country with President Palin...Palin and Ahmadinajahed (Iran guy) would do really well together since they both oppose anything Gay. Oh, wait---am I being too harsh? Palin did say during her debate with Biden that while she doesn't believe in redefining Marriage, she believes *they* should be able to sit in hospitals with their partners and that she is *tolerant* of Gay people. I sure am glad she can be so Tolerant. Everything isn't just about Prop 8 or being Gay or age...I often wonder what it would be like for other Countries to come here and meet with Palin as VP---not because she is a woman, I think Hillary would have made an awesome President. I wonder what it would be like when someone asked her a direct question about something (anything) and she changed the subject or skirts the answer like she has done so many times. Just go back to the Couric interviews LOL I love SNL...thank GOD for Tina Fey! I can say that at least Sarah Palin has a good sense of humor and was a good sport last week when they had her on. Okay, I guess that is enough for one day. 1 more thing...my neighbors are going to just love me. I ordered a NO on Prop 8 sign and I can't wait to put it out in my yard :)

Goodnight Goon!

2008-10-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

OMG, the kids and I have always loved the book Goodnight Moon and now there is a Halloween parody of the book called Goodnight Goon---SO cute! I read it to Jack's class today and then we went through each book and saw the differences in the 2 books. The kids loved it, and it was so Halloweenish. It has been a great week so far, the kids doing their homework without whining, all the neighbors coming here to play and almost no fighting. The trampoline is keeping the kids out of the house most of the time.

Mondays...

2008-10-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Monday is usually my day. I don't work in the kids classes and so I hang around the house and do some laundry, pay some bills and watch a little TIVO'd TV. Well, my DH stayed home today---he's sick, sick of work maybe. He is working on the playhouse, putting some stain on the new wood moldings he did yesterday while I took the kids to a Halloween party in Fullerton. Then he is going to mow the lawns, fix Jack's door and some other stuff he just never finds time to do. SO< I am trying to look busy and stay off the computer a little so he thinks I do stuff while he is at work LOL I also got to pay 2 parking tickets I have gotten in the last 2 weeks. Both street sweeping tickets that I got while working at Jack's school. They don't have the signs posted in front of the school (the officer I spoke to as he wrote my 2nd one said it is posted as you drive into the tract) and it is on a different day and time than the street sweeping in my neighborhood. So, I will now park in the school lot everytime I work in the class because I don't want to have to tell Ken I got another parking ticket in a few weeks. He already said me working in the class is costing us too much money LOL 76 bucks so far! Street sweeping ticket giving yahoo's.

I got tagged

2008-10-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

7 random facts about me huh?

1. I married my only sweetheart
2. I had brain surgery at 23, because of a vascular anomoly that caused me to have a stroke
3. I have 2 kids, that I love dearly, but always wonder what life would have been like if I had waited longer to have them (I was 25 and 27 when I had them)
4. I need to lose like 50 pounds to be comfortable in my own skin
5. My life is changing right now, and I don't know if I am ready to say goodbye to my old one
6. I love that I am a SAHM, but I sometimes wish I worked a regular job so I could have more alone time with other adults, and we could have more money
7. I haven't felt motivated to blog in a long time, and it took getting tagged from my long lost friend Michelle to get me back here---in case you read this Michelle, we miss you!

First day of School!!!

2008-09-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school. Aunica started 2nd grade and loves it. She has a great teacher and I just know it is going to be a challenging but fun year for her. Jack started Preppie Kindergarten today (1st year of a 2 year program) and he absolutely loved it. His teacher is awesome and has a lot of experience with young kids. She has taught Kindergarten for many years and took some special training courses in the last year to become a Prep K teacher. She will be using something called High Scope Learning/Teaching...it is a Philosophy of learning. The best way it has been descibed to me is that it is a form of Montessori mixed with a little Piaget mixed with some academics, but this year will be mostly about the child, how the kids interact in social situations and how they explore their environments. They will have some academic instruction but nothing too in depth. I am so excited about that---Jack is still only 4, he won't turn 5 until the end of November. The classroom is set up in a certain way and the class is getting some new furnature that sounds like it is going to make the room so comfy. Jack's class is made up of 5 girls and 11 boys LOL SEE boys are less mature than girls :) The kids must make the Kindergarten cutt-off of being 5 by this December to be in the class, but may not be ready for an academic K class. I chose to wait with Jack because he needs the extra year, he is still so young I think regular K would have been too much. This class seems so perfect for him. He is SO happy. He told me today that his teacher is "cool" and his class is fun and he likes his new friends. When I picked him up he asked if we could go to playgroup though :( so I know he misses his friends already. A couple of pics...

Labor Day

2008-09-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

It's Monday---Ken is off from work because it is a Holiday and his brother is only working a half day so we are all doing something together later. This kids have 1 more day of summer and then school starts again. I am excited and they are too. Jack keeps asking if it is Tember yet, because he wants to go to the playground school. Well, today is September 1st---so only a couple more days. I really hope that Jack likes it and everything goes smoothly. He will have some pretty big adjustments to make, like not being able to do exactly what he wants to do and when he wants to do it. I think he will get into the groove of it quickly though. Luckily there is a girl who was in his speech class who will be in class with him, that may make things a little easier. To me, this is just extra learning. The real Kindergarten isn't until next year, so this is just like the icing and not the actual cake---not the substance of his learning really. Anyway, so we got up at 8, watched TV, I did laundry and Ken is building a shelf for the back of the garage in hopes of cleaning up the pit he calls a garage. Tonight I hope to watch another episode of The Riches season 1 that we have on DVD (we don't have cable so when the good cable shows are released on DVD we buy them and watch them) we have Dexter season 2 waiting for us when The Riches season 1 is over. I love TV LOL

Playgroup

2008-08-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Jack's last official playdate. Now he will only go when he is on vacation or has a student free day. The good thing was that all his friends were there and he had a great time. He wished some of his other friends like Tom and Jake (who he talks about ALL the time) and his friend Ryan were there too but he had a good time playing and running and Lacas and he taped up the playhouse "so it wouldn't fall down" LOL Today I am off to a baby shower with my MIL and then later we are going to the Orange Street Fair with some friends. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Well, on to September...

2008-08-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last post but I am ready to get back into it. We had a great vacation to Bass Lake. We are trying to enjoy the last of our summer each day. We have been to playdates and I went to a MNO that rocked! Some good friends and I went to see Wicked at The Pantages. I had seen it before but it was just as good the second time, and the food and conversation were fab. I am a little weirded out by this last week. It is hard for me to get used to the idea that Jack is actually starting real school. My plan since his birth was final---he was NOT going to Kindergarten when the state said he should, when he was still 4. Here in CA the cut off for Kindergarten is December 2nd, pretty late by most standards, anyway his birthday is on the 24th of November and so he barely makes the cut off. SO I have always stated that he would start PreK at 4 and then go to Kindergarten when he was 5 almost 6. Well, fate had other plans. Jack has a hearing loss and wears hearing aids, we just got them in March and he is a little behind his age group in receptive speech---you know, when someone asks him a question or makes a statement to him he doesn't always know how to respond, but just in the last 5 months he has made such great progress. So since he has an IEP and receives services (speech and audiological) through the school district he must attend a public school. I had already planned and registered him at a small private preschool for PreK and then had to switch to the district preK. This was already different since the PreK I had him at was only 3 halfdays and the district one is 5 halfdays...I could deal with that I guess. So we were all registered, had a morning spot and were ready to go. THEN, I learned there was a Preppie K class that wanted Jack int he program. It is a new Pilot Program for our District and the women who were starting it told me it was made for Jack, that he was the exact kid they were targeting. Jack is that kid who is old enough to start Kindergarten but is technically not ready to go. So he will go into that program in less than 1 week, he starts September 3rd. It was even harder for me to decide this because it is fullday, 8:30-2:30. That is a long day for a kid who has never gone to school before. I know this is best for him though, he will live it (crossing fingers) and he will learn so much. Next year he will start regular kindergarten at our home school. This year the kids will be at different school because our home school doesn't have this new program (basically 2 years of Kindergarten) but it should work out fine for just 1 year.

Locks of Love

2008-07-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Aunica had enough hair to donate so we had her hair cut today. Here are some pics.

Check this out! Thanks Tiffeny

2008-07-20T08:45:00.001-07:00

Let's try this

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=3002889&alb=0

Saturday

2008-07-19T14:18:00.001-07:00

Well, it is Saturday...more than a week since my last blog entry. Things are slowing down a bit as far as events we are going to. My nephew is doing the music factor and I am his ride so i can't go too far from home. The kids have been playing on the waterslide and every Tuesday and Thursday we go to my sisters house for pool swimming. Mondays we hit the library for story time and activities. In 2 weeks we leave for our big annual Bass Lake vacation! YAY Unfortunately, I have been saying for weeks how I am going to get in shape and lose a few before we leave and once again that didn't happen. Oh well, I am happy and I have been hitting the gym so I feel good at least. August will be a great month. We have our vacation and then when we come back Aunica is going to have her birthday party and then on the 26th, some girl friends 0f mine from playgroup and I are going to see Wicked at the Pantages. Now, I have seen it already but it is Friggen awesome and how much better can it get than to go with friends! We are going to eat at the Hollywood and Highland mall area and have a great time. I cant wait! Then September will be here before I know it and off to school the kids go!

Jack swimming unassisted

2008-07-15T13:20:00.001-07:00

Friday Playgroup!

2008-07-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Today we had a great playgroup. Lots of kids, but no fighting. I was sad that not all of our friends were able to make it, but we had lots of fun. The kids played forever on the waterslide, we ate McDonalds, and the older girls (yeah, 5,6 and a almost 7 year old) left the swimming area to dance and since to Miley Cyrus in the girls room. The last of the moms left at like 4, and now my kids are just waiting for daddy to get home so we can go to the Bella Terra outdoor concert area (the grassy area near the movie theater) where we are going to listen to a friend of the family play and eat at La Salsa's YUM Tomorrow Aunica, Grandma, Auntie and I are going to see Kit Kitteridge the American Girl doll movie, have lunch and eat pinkberry (I don't like Pinkberry though). I will upload a couple pics from today.

More of the same

2008-07-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

We waterslid it today...not much else. Oh, we took Aunica to the docs to have a spot on her leg looked at. The Pedi thought it was a virus type pox, she said it would go away in 3-6 months. Whatever. I am tired all of a sudden. Tomorrow I am walking some people into Dland and then probably doing more of the same summer type stuff. Wednesday my inlaws are taking Aunica to Bower's museum for lunch and then maybe a tour. I can't wait...less than 4 weeks until Bass Lake!

New Jack video

2008-07-04T09:48:00.001-07:00

Wednesday and Thursday

2008-07-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

I am just going to do these two days together. We started at the gym both days, me sweating it out for an hour while they played and watched TV in the kids club. Then yesterday we came home for some rest and lunch then headed over to our friend Stephanie's house and the kids swam in her pool until about 5 and then as we were walking home, another neighbor invited the kids over to swim...so we didn't even get into our house and off we were swimming next door, until 6 when I said we have to get home. The kids had microwave dinners and Ken and I had cereal for dinner (2nd night in a row). Then after the gym today we came home and made lunches and headed over to Atlantis Park...great park if your kids are older and can be off by themselves, but not really great with a medium sized group with younger kids because the park is HUGE. Lots of little hiding places, lots of kids from YMCA and other summer programs and while it was nice to get them outside of water type play, it was scary trying to watch them every second. Tonight we are heading to my sisters for dinner and then swimming. Tomorrow is 4th of July and we are having a block party!!!!

It's July Already!!!

2008-07-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well, today we are going to do nothing. Maybe do the waterslide but not much else. Yesterday we went to storytime at Haskett Library and then went to a friends house to swim in their pool. I took some more video of the kids in the pool, we had lots of fun. Then we came home and read books (Aunica read to me, and I read to Jack) and both kids did some book work. Jack knows most of his letter names and almost all of the sounds they make. The really weird thing with him is that when we count things, he will count perfectly the first time (up to even 15) but then the very next time he can't seem to count past 4 without skipping numbers. The kids are in the summer reading program at Haskett Library and each week they put the kids name into a raffle and last week Aunica won so yesterday she picked up her prize---I thought since it is a library and it it was a reading program that the prize would have been a book, but fear not Aunica, it was a bunny themed gingerbread house that the kids had a great time deocrating then eating! Oh, I just got off the phone with a neighbor and she invited us to come play at Chuck E Cheeses today at 10:30, so I guess we are going somewhere today. Tomorrow we are going to Boomers with friends from New Jersey who are visiting for a week. I guess that is all I have to say right now. :)

Aunica swimming

2008-06-28T21:29:00.001-07:00

Jack Swimming

2008-06-28T21:15:00.001-07:00

TGIF

2008-06-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

No really, thank god it is Friday. I can finally get some rest! Well, not really but you know I can hope right? Today was nice, I had a few friends from playgroup over and we let the kids play on the waterslide and then we just hung out and the last mom went home about 2:30 and now both kids are in my room watching the Letter Factory Storybook version. Man, I am going to go rest my eyes and maybe hit a power nap---Ken should be home soon. I have some laundry done and ran the dishwasher, emptied it and filled it again. Now, here is my latest dilemna (I know some playgroup moms read this so it isn't a secret) but I think it may be my time to let go of the playgroup. Move on and hand it over to another mom who has some years left in the loop. Steph would run it now, if she still want to become owner of the group, but with both my kids in school fulltime at two different schools starting in the Fall I don't think I will be able to do a whole lot with the group. I of course want to be in the group and get to participate in stuff like MNO and when the kids are off on vacations and all that, but I don't think it will be such a big part of us anymore. That part is sad, all of my great friends that I have made I made in this group. It is hard to move on with another part of my life, and realize that Jack and I won't be heading over to the park with Lucas, Leah, Trinity, Chance, Amelia and Lorelei on a Thursday afternoon or to a Fullerton Chuck E Cheese...but everyone has to grow up sometime right? I just don't want to. If this first week is any indicator of the rest of the summer, we are going to be very busy and will be ready to relax in Bass Lake in August. Oh, and in July I will have my nephew to cart to and from band camp (this one time at Band Camp LOL) so I have to pick him up by noon, so I don't think we will be going many places the last 3 weeks in July :( We will just have to have people here at the house I guess.

Less Hectic Day

2008-06-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today we couldn't make the gym because I was dropping the kids off at my inlaws house at 9:30 so I could get to Disneyland to walk people in. Then we came home and went to Albertsons to pick up meds for DH and then hit my new favorite store---Fresh and Easy! I love the produce and how much more I get for my buck there. Then we came home and went next door to swim and then about 3:30 the doorbell rang and there were 4 wet kids (swimmers next door) who wanted to ride the slide. So we had a neighborhood swimfest again today. It is 6:30 and the kids are in jammies and I am cooking dinner...mac and cheese and fruit for the kids and Fajitas and fruit for Ken and I. Steve and Kerri come over tonight, and I think they wanted to bring their swimsuits and try out the slide themselves. Ken worked on a new electrical outlet last night and is finishing it up tonight...so tomorrow when we go to plug it in the slide will be facing the correct direction and the kids should be able to use the path now that the pump and electrical lines won't be laying across the paths. Man, we need school to start soon so we can have a break. I think next week we are going to try a new spray pool in Westminster, we have storytime on Monday and then maybe do a movie on another day. Friday next week is a Holiday, so that will be fun. Our block is having a block party and we are closing down the streets and having a parade and lots of food and fun, last year it was awesome!

Spray Park Today

2008-06-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I was going to stay home today but the kids really wanted to go to the spray park in Fullerton, so we did. They had fun, I wish that Jack tolerated cold water better though because after about 30 minutes he was done. He ended up playing on the playground though and was perfectly happy doing that. They both fell asleep in the car on the way home, but Aunica only slept for about 20 minutes total and Jack slept for almost 2 hours. He will probably be up until 10, but he sure was tired. I will try to post a couple photos from today.

Pics with my new camera

2008-06-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

You can take pics underwater (videos too) with my new Olympus Stylus camera. I took a few today in the neighbors pool, and I wanted to share them.

Whew!

2008-06-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

What a long day this was...fun, but admittedly long. We went to the gym and then came home to get ready for some friends to come over and play. We played on the waterslide from 10:30 to about 1:30 and then we went in the house and dried off and played a little in the house. Our friends left and we rested for about 5 minutes LOL Then the neighbors (who had seen the waterslide over the fence) came over and asked if they could play on the silde too. Well, 4 boys and 1 girl came over and so we all headed outside again. They played for about an hour (maybe more) and then we dried off----only to head over to the neighbors house and swam in their pool. We came back home at 6 and the kids ate dinner (I had cereal) and now they are just about to pass out from sheer exhaustion. Long long fun filled water day. Tomorrow we are supposed to meet friends at the spray pool but we may skip it, depedning on what their little faces look like (they looked a little pink tonight despite tons of sunblock) and how we all feel tomorrow. Right now I am exhausted myself!

Fun swimming!

2008-06-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the gym and the kids played in the kids club. My gym actually has a pretty nice kids area (the gym is new). They have a big climber with a slide, some video games, a TV, a playhouse and a neat basketball thing. So I did 45 minutes of cardio and then we came home. I got everyone ready to leave by 10 for Stroytime in Orange. We had a great time and the kids did craft and had snack after the 30 minute storytime. Then we went to a friends house and got the kids ready to go in the sun (you know the sunblock ritual) and we swam for a bit and decided to take the kids in the house for lunch. Alas, we were locked out. Jack, my lovable little hellion, thought that the lock needed to be turned a certain direction so he turned it without letting any of us know, so when we went to get back in, we were locked out. My friends house is like my own, fort knocks! Everything was locked, including the side gates so we couldn't even get out---well we could have scaled the fence but then wouldn't have anywhere to go since all the keys and cellphones were in the house. So my friend hopped the brick wall (her inlaws live right behind her) and she went and found a spare key. It was pretty funny. Luckily the kids had a great time because they got to get back in the pool while we waited for the door to be unlocked! We came home from swimming and did 2 pages of workbook (I helped Jack do his) and then we read, and Aunica read to me. Now the kids are having a little down time before we head out to the waterslide.

Summer fun!

2008-06-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Today we ran errands and had the Big W (Wendy's) for lunch, the kids don't get to have fast food often so when we do have it, it sure is a treat! We came home and decided today was the day---we set up the new waterslide. We bought it in March, and it has been sitting in the livingroom in it's big box ever since. The kids had a blast. They played on it for almost 2 hours and were so tired that they ate and fell asleep in my bed at 7. I guess it will be an early morning for me LOL I want to hit the gym in the morning before storytime anyway. Tomorrow is our first official day of summer vacation and we have a nice day planned. We are going to hit the gym, go to Storytime with friends, swim at a friends house after that, then home for rest time and reading hour. Then we will start looking at our summer curriculum books (doesn't hurt to keep up on what we learned during the year) and then probably turn the waterslide on for a little afternoon fun. My hope is to keep the TV off except for maybe in the evening. Maybe if it cools off enough we will hit the park in the later afternoon. Here is a pic of today...

2008-06-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Here ya go Kelly! Some pics of the kids just for you!

6 weeks until Bass Lake!

2008-06-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo...only 6 short weeks until Bass Lake, and I can hardly wait. I LOVE our annual trek to Northern California. Again this year we are going for 2 weeks. The kids have a ball playing in the lake and going fast on the boat---this year we bought 2 inflatable Kayaks that can be single or tandum and we can't wait to use those. Thank you for the stimulus package this year!!!! We go with Ken's parents and his Brother and his girlfriend, and we all just have a great time. I feel conflicted though because I want our vacation to come fast but once it is over it will be 2 weeks until the new school year starts. I am going to probably be ready for the new year to start but we have so many changes this September that I am feeling a little weirded out by it all. Anyway, I am very happy that summer is finally here and I hope to do lots of stuff with the kiddos during our summer vacation before I have both kids in school.

Oh, in other news, Ken was invited to a "team event" with his new department at work, and that means travelling to Florida. When he worked in other departments here in California, his team events were at Disneyland so while he missed working that day, he was usually just at the park doing something with his team. But now, if he goes to an event he has to go to Florida. So now, about 4 times a year he will be spending about 1 week in Florida. I hate when he travels. The last time he had to fly to Florida Aunica was only 6 months old...anyway, he will be missing the 1st event because it is in August while we are at Bass Lake, but I hear the next event is in September and it will be a work week. I am not looking forward to that at all. I have never been alone in my house with the kids before. When he went in 2002, when Aunica was 6 months old, my BIL still lived with us. Maybe I will get a friend to stay with me, OR I can be an adult and suck it up LOL

Forgot to add

2008-06-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Ken recently got a new job within Disney. Now he is officially an employee of Resorts Planning and no longer really working for Disneyland Resort. His boss is a VP in Florida, but he will stay in the TDA building and be the mediate between Florida and California. He will be building the financial assessments for presentations that will be evaluating the financial estimates for new attractions within the Disneyland Resort. Hopefully this job will give him more exposure and maybe help get him into a director position sooner than later. I want him to be happy at his job and to enjoy his work more. That's all for now.

Uh, number 2 at home...

2008-06-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it doesn't happen often, but that is because he is always at home, but my son is kind of a "private" little guy and he doesn't like to go number 2 unless he is at home. I am hoping that this isn't going to cause a problem in September when he is in school. Today we were at the gym, and the kids club lady had to come get me (it was Miss Patty Steph--but she was with another girl named Chelsea that is so good with the little ones) and said that Jack wanted to go home. I was 35 minutes and 300 calories into a good workout but whatever. So we came home and he did his business and now we are home. We needed to cut it short today anyway since he is getting his hair cut at 10:15.

Tonight I am going to a MNO!!! I love MNO. Tonight is the 30th birthday celebration dinner for one of the moms in the playgroup. Jacque is so sweet, I am so glad she is my friend. It's funny because I used to be the young mom and now at 32, I am one of the older moms LOL How things change.

Just another quick note

2008-06-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

I was reading through some of my old posts...same old thing going on here now. I am going to the gym to try and work off some of this extra weight. Some things never change. But, I figure if I am eating healthy and working out (1 hour each time and usually 4 times a week) than I guess weight will go and if not, I am doing what i should to be healthy right? In other news, my kids aren't babies anymore. Jack is going to be 5 in November and is going to start a 2 year Kindergarten program in the Fall, Aunica will be 7 in August and will be entering the 2nd grade, so I want to really make this summer count. We hit Bass Lake for 2 weeks in August and I guess the rest of the summer we will be hitting the playgrounds, water foutains and summer movies...we bought a cool waterslide that I hope to get up this weekend. Love ya lots,

Kat :)

Man, that's a long time

2008-06-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hell, I haven't posted once the entire time my DD has been in the first grade and she is almost done with it. Friday is her last day. I vow to be a better blogger, since I know this is a way that people I don't see that often anymore can keep in touch. I love my "old School" playgroup mamas!

2007-07-11T08:35:00.001-07:00

Thinking of joining a gym...I didn't want to hav to do it, but this weight is starting to pile on again adn I know I can't control my eating my entire life---like control it to where no junk enters my mouth. I am looking into 24 hour fitness, hoping that in a little bit my friend Stephanie will join too---after little Anthony is born and she recovers. My mom and sister and nephew are all members so I can work out with them sometimes too I hope. I just don't know...it's usually a lot of money, so we shall see. Today we are going watermelon picking with playgroup. I am hoping it will be a nice day!

2007-07-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a new day...kinda redundant isn't it? Everyday is a new day. Anyway, I am feeling blah today---busy and bored all at the same time. We are getting central air installed this week, our dog (who we just paid 2500 dollars to have tumors removed and teeth cleaned) seems to have another tumor growing under the skin near his front right leg, my son has multiple appointments coming up and 1 I am not so looking forward to. I am conflicted...he may or may not have hearing loss in one ear, he may or may not need a hearing aid, he does have some speech articulation issues but we are dealing with those through speech therapy and we are working with him in his articulation of words that cause him problems. I am not at all totally convinced that Jack has any hearing disability---I truly think it is his tongue that is causing the articulation issue. More improtantly, I think his tongue is not working properly because I let him use a binky---and for much too long. He is 3.5 and he still has it. Let's face it, I am an enabler. He loves that stupid thing and I can't help but keep giving in and letting him have it. My DH is sure that it is not the problem since our daughter also had a binky until she was almost 4 and she speaks perfectly fine...always been advanced in her speaking in fact. One of her first words was mississippi. Anyway, we have that hearing aid appointment and I wonder, if they give me the choice will I say yeah, lets fit him or just say lets wait. His speech is markedly improving---everyone thinks so too. I want someone to tell me that this test or that result is 100 percent accurate. Right now the test we had done that would have been most accurate was SO wrong that even the ENT thought it was either technician error or the computer tracking the results was broken. SO, we now have a CT scan, blood work and this hearing aid evaluation to help guide us in the decision. I will not let Jack go without help, but I am not convinced that putting hearing aids on his ears will be the end all be all for him. I hope that whoever does the hearing aid evaluation will listen to my concerns and be aware that Jack is a very unique and spirited little boy and he is not one to sit still and may not cooperate fully---but that doesn't mean he is hearing impaired or ADHD or whatever other label they want to give him that day. Can't he just be a normal active boy. Hopefully we will get some answers in the next few weeks, we started this journey last November and truly we are nowhere further than we were then.

Great day of destruction

2007-05-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Jack and Amelia played for 5 hours today with barely any tears...it was amazing. I guess at some point all moms realize that if they are being good and not hanging all over us and whining, any mess they make is okay. Jack tried to teach Amelia the art of taking apart a bed and using each piece in a new and clever way. Sheets can make tents and mattresses can be trampoline's and sometimes a step-stool to climb up into a window or maybe higher into a closet. I feel bad cause they did make quite a mess and in the hurry to keep Jack from tearing apart Jeff's plants (well, more than he already had) we didn't do much clean-up today. I have made ammends with Steph though---I told her that Amelia could trash my house tomorrow! I also got to hold, feed, and cuddle a sweet little baby today too. I CAN'T wait for Steph to have her baby. MAN, are we all gonna have fun baby swapping LOL

Mother's Tea

2007-05-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Today my daughter's kindergarten class had a Mother's Tea---well, actually the whole preschool and kindergarten did. Gary (my FIL) picked up my son and my MIL Audrey came with me to the tea. Aunica's class sang some songs---old ones where they replaced the words with MOM. Very cute, kinda corny too but sweet. Then we went to chapel for the nutty pastor to give a sermon--not so short though, so he lost most of his younger audience pretty quickly. Then back to the fellowship hall for danish, bagels, donuts and fruit. Punch instead of tea LOL I held out and only had some grapes. I didn't get to my CFC dvd today, but I will definitely get to the garage tonight to do a treadmill workout. I still have weight to lose and not so much time to do it. Our family camping trip is coming up, and I am trying to keep my head about the whole thing. I tend to have this image in my head of the perfect trip, no problems or worries and I end up feeling let down if the trip doesn't end up the way I had hoped. We should have a great time but we shall see what the reality of the whole thing ends up being. The trip is in June, and my mom, sister and nephew are going as well as my BIL and his girlfriend, Audrey and Gary and of course Ken, the kids and I. My mom, sister and nephew have never been on the boat before so this should be fun. I plan to spend a good deal of time on shore at the little roped off beach swim area with the kids since Aunica and Jack aren't too thrilled when the boat is actually moving more than a slow crawl. Tonight is spinach tortellini for the kids and dad and I am having chicken caprese and broccoli---I don't really care for tortellini so i am going to skip it. Why waste calories on something I won't enjoy. :)

back...

2007-05-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, Amelia and Jack ate lunch together and are now playing quite nicely. They have days where they play so nicely and then there are days where Jack is a monster and Amelia runs screaming from him...luckily they have more days where they play nicely than they have the other ones. I ate good for lunch and have the whole day planned out as far as food is concerned. I get into routine's where I eat the same thing over and over, but it works for me.