Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Back 2 Skool!






Well the 26th ( last thursday ) was the first day of school for the kiddos.....I never know how I will handle the first day of school until it comes. I hate sending the kids back to school every year.....just becuase I know it is one step closer to them getting older....I like having them at home and I know now on all of my days off I won't be taking them to the lake...or bowling or to the free movie. So once again back to routines and schedules. I thrive in that environment as well but there is something nice about having the kids home to distract me from everything else and spending lots of time with them.
So I got pictures.....the boys are hard to get pictures of..I get one chance and I have to be fast. The girls area bit better but not by much. Clarissa is the baby and she is in second grade now...she would not let me walk her to her class...Why can't she let me baby her on "special" days? She is so independant and she refuses to carry a back pack ..she wants a handled bag like Sissy. I have noticed this year she is matching her earings to her outfit everyday and she is fixing her own hair..she only wants me to fix her hair when she wants something specific she can't do herself. She is getting really good at making her own pony tails and that sort of a thing. I can't beleive how much she has changed recently.
JEri is a sophmore and before school started Clarissa and I made about 20 HUGE flower hair clips for all of us girls to share/wear. Jeri has worn one to school everyday and now the kids are calling her "Flower Girl" ...I think she is darling and she had me make her school bag this year..which I was only happy to do and of course I used Amy Butler fabric..only the BEST designer EVER!
The boys are ......The boys. They are happy with new tennis shoes...jeans and funny 8$ shirts. Everyday is a new day...they are at a funny age where they want to be grown up and treated so..but then they throw fits about chores....want to play video games and bionicles. BRyce is in 8th, Carl is in 7th, Cole is 6th and Preston is in 5th grade. It is hard to believe this is where we are and I am in the thick if parenting but I think we are all managing and life is GOOD!
Football starts today .....for COle and Preston. My QFL ends today and I am ready to start fall cleaning and getting better organized for our routine. I hope you all have a great week.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

One day until school..........

for me anyway.....the kids start Thursday. SO now it is back to routine time and making them go to bed early and getting organized?? HMMMM
I am nervous about school as I always get the first week or so..but I know I will get back into the groove of things and I will love it as always. I love school becuase it is challenging (most of the time) and it also gives me a sense of accomplishment which is a feeling I really love...I think I will probably be one of those life time students..not fulltime of course but one of those that will always want to take a class here and there for a refresher. For so many years I told myself I was to stupid or that I could not do it and now after a couple of years and a degree later...here we are? Funny how things turn out.
IT is also a funny twist of fate that happens.....as soon as i decide that I need to be practical and that I need to focus on a grown up job....my passion has been handed to me on a plate..ART. I am expecting a Long arm quilting machine to arrive at my house this week and I will be doing some commission work which is exciting and teh beauty of it is that I don't have to advertise for customers....so trying to balance those thinsg I think is going to be difficult...but isn't that a good difficult?
We went school supply shopping on Thursday night...225$ later and we didn't even buy back packs! School clothes shopping came Friday...a trip to Wenatchee was in order...it was CRAZINESS! There is no way to keep track of all these kids and as soon as the boys find their stuff (which doesn't take long) they are ready to go and Jeri has barely looked...so What does Rob do? Wrestle with them..egg them on and it gets worse....OH MY!
We went to dinner at Wendy's...what a great place..SHout out to Wendy's in Wenatchee WA..they played CHISTian music in the lobby/restauraunt! WOOWOOO! NOt only do they have the best CHILI ever...but they had great service..it is hard when my family walks into a place to get all the orders correct ...which they did...but they also came out to our table refilled our drinks ..they treated us very well....nice place to go!( I am going to send them a thank you note!)
We have school open houses the next couple of days...and we will be gearing towards fall...fun..fun...fun! I hope you all have a great week!

Monday, August 9, 2010

My Family


At the space needle...as you can see? We are a funny bunch! Carl was wearing a green shirt...so he is lost in digital imagery.


Things to remember:

1.DOn't make specific plans..or better yet..pack for unexpected plans...I had only packed flip flops.....my feet were killing me...Thank Goodness Cole had packed extra shoes..I wore his sandals the second half of sunday..or I would be crippled today for sure!

2. Kids like to eat in food courts...get cash...sometimes it is better so you can wait in one line..instead of 3?

3. Experiences are worth more than gold...and making a dream come true for someone is worth fortune!

4. Sometimes being flexable is key to success.

4. Don't ever eat octopus..they have a brain.....only live for three years..long enough to mate...they like to play... They change colors with their moods...they are pretty and I fell in love with Fi-Fi from the aquarium......Poor Fi-fi is being released back into the wild to mate and die..I feel so bad for her.

-she has 200 suction cups on each of her 8 arms
-she likes to sleep during the day
- she will lay 100's of eggs and only 3 babies will live

She won't even be able to see her babies grow....amd she dies for them.....I am forunate not to be an octopus.

5. I found out some sort of weird Eel fish ) can't remember the name of him)....he mates for a season or a lifetime? ISn't that much like human males?? Just making sure? *wink*

6. JImmy Hendrix -----so many facts I read about him....but the jist of the smashing guitar ....he painted symbols and poetry on the guitars he smashed as a sacrifice to his music...kind of interesting.....He also served in the military..also from Seattle.

7. There was a recording studio in the music experience..well several of them..anyway one of them tourists could go in and record a profound moment of their own personal music history they wanted to share..I didn't go in and share but I thought I would share all of this with you...When I was a freshman in high school ..Nirvana had made their "movement". I was not into grunge. I didn't know who Curt Cobain was? ...I was on the school bus and a fellow student was listing to a CD in his discman..yeah remember those? Expensive back then. I asked what he was listeing to..he told me NIrvana? I said "who"..he said "Have you ever heard Teen Spirit?"...I said "Well I have the deoderant..if that is what you mean?"..he looked at me like I was from outer space..LOL. I still don't listen to that music ..but I know who he is...although not a profound moment in music..a funny one!

8.Clarissa and I could be traveling partners...she liked all the same things I did and lingered in all the same places even if I wasn't paired with her...her favroite part of teh music experience..was the fancy costumes they displayed of the Supremes..they were gorgeous...Clarissa's favourite was called "Cotton Candy"..she didn't know the name before she decided it was her favorite..but very fitting all the same. He otehr favorite thing was the space needle...her teacher was talking about it one day in class..and Clarissa has been talking about it ever since...and she couldn't fathom leaving seattle and not going to the top of it before we left..Saturday night I tried explaining to her that we probably would not go up because we had other plans....when we changed plans her dream had come true and she was elated.

9. On the cruise we learned that Seattle is not the rainiest city in the USA??
- The Space needle is the only structure they have left from the worlds fair...and it is the most secure structure in the city.
- The only episode of Frazier that was actually filmed in Seattle was the very last episode when Frazire Crane was mugged.

10. Did you know that I had the same reaction in the sci-fi museum as Carl and ROb?..My eyes kind of glazed over and I started drooling? ALthough for two very different reasons. I didn't know anyone in there excepy "yoga" from Star wars...and E.T.. I think I saw a bit on the JEtsons...who knows?

Seattle.

Every year my Brother buys us tickets to go to Wild Waves. I know that is not cheap! There is 8 in my family! So we make the trip...that is kind of our Christmas together...lots and lots of special time together..having fun. Seattle weather is unpredictable...or maybe predictable if you count on rain? YEP! it rained Saturday...but Seattle is prepared for that...so all the water rides had heated water and there were three hot tubs...yes I said 3! SO a little rain didn't stop us from FUN! We had a great time.....then had dinner at FAT BURGER! Sounds funny ..but I think they have fabulous burgers there and you special order all of them...and you can get FAT fries..yeah! We decided to stay at Robert's hotel..he got us a great discount..it was in downtown Seattle....blocks away from the Space Needle.
We were originally planning on going to Alki beach for Sunday...but walking around Saturday night we saw the Science Fiction museum...you all know my husband right? Carl and he sort of started drooling and got glazed over eyes.....we decided we should do that fist thing in the morning.....which turned into skipping the beach...buying City Passes and making a day of tourist activities...we went up the space needle twice....did a harbour cruise...pacific science center....Music experience at Sci-fi museum..and the sci-fi experience (of course)...hit the aquarium..fit in two meals...Ye Old Curiosity shoppe ...We didn't get home until Midnight......but can you imagine doing his in a group of 10...6 of them kids? My kids are troopers and the best travelers...not one problem! They are experienced....
I have to say I am a bit disappointed though because we have done all of these activities before and half of them didn't remember them....I have pictures of them..because I have scrapbooked them several times doing this same trip...but it makes me think ...Why do anything with them if they never remember? It's oK ..they will see the photos.
I love spending time with my brother ..he makes me laugh..he is good with my kids...and he understands where I come from..afterall we come from the same place...We also ate dinner at the Spaghetti factory...MY BIL paid for that...I felt kind of bad..alot of money and we didn't have a great experience there.....kind of disappointing. So If you are in D-town Seattle avoid that restaurant.
I felt bad for splurging in the moment for all of this extravagance....but in the end it is all about the experiences we have with our families.....and pretty soon it is all going to be over..school starts for all of us in just a few short weeks and we won't be able to take this sort of time...Tomorrow is my birthday..I will be 33..unbelievable. My friend Carla came with us over the weekend..she is a JEM....I just LOVE her. She spoiled me today before she left..she bought me two seasons of the "Golden Girls" DVDs...my favorite show of all time...she bought me two shirts..a memory card for my camera...took me to lunch and a movie..How fabulous is that? THANK YOU GIRLY FRIEND!
More experiences....
I just want to cry because I didn't want this time with anyone to end..but how GREAT Was this birthday? I had all of my family together...a special friend and my lovely brother?
I think this will be a great year...LOTS of BLESSINGS to come and I am ready for the ride....I hope you all fine fulfillment and blessings.