Roadtrip!

The first week of summer vacation started off with a bang...an immediate 500mile roadtrip and back! We felt obligated to take the kids to Sea World and Legoland while they are still kids. We live in the same state and the kids aren't getting any younger and I have heard Legoland may start seeming babyish to a big 8 year old girl.

So we packed up the minivan and the dog, stopped off a grandma's at the 300 mi mark and dropped off the pooch, then proceeded to sunny San Diego, with the exception that June gloom doesn't make for sunny conditions and it was actually warmer at our nearby Santa Cruz beaches but anyhoo.

Happy 11 years 6/20/09!

We stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado, which was big, old, has a beautiful beach and was overall quite kid-friendly, though Lauren did have a skeptical look the first day as she had it pegged as a haunted mansion (My critique is that it is indeed a beautiful and historic resort, but don't look for good deal any where on the island).

We had a lovely visit with our friends G&S and their kids at their Del Mar hacienda but other than that it was amusement parks all the way.

Shamu's splashes broke our camera so we got few pix and those we did get were taken on the kids camera so not the greatest quality.

That's the last pic our camera took.

So, any of you who have taken vacations or roadtrips out there lately, may I ask...

1.) Do your older kids just yammer and yammer the entire car ride making you wonder if you aren't going to be able to continue to tune them out or take enough deep breaths before you lose it. Really, we don't say "Shut up" over here, but my mind was screaming it by day 2. L & M talk so animatedly nearly continuously it is driving me bonkers. Is this normal? The yammering and being pushed to the brink by it?

2.) Do all families have one child that always has something happen, illness or injury, during vacations? We do. Interestingly he is rarely ill, except he has impeccable vacation timing. Here is a listing of his lifetime of vacations:

Kona age 2 ...I pat myself on the back for raising such a well-behaved plane traveler as he is simply angelic, quite and calm, the entire flight, only to spike a 104F fever by the time the plane lands and remains feverish and lethargic the entire 7 days.

Kauai age 3 ... Wakes up 4am the last morning before we are supposed to depart at and proceeds to throw-up every 20 minutes until we have to get in the car and leave to catch the plane (thankfully he was done) and I must mention that this is the same trip that Rob, while lovingly lifting kids over waves, threw out his back and couldn't lift anything, luggage or sick child.

LA Family visit age 4 ...knocks loose front tooth prompting emergency DDS visit in not so nice part of Hollywood.

Disneyworld age 5... mysteriously pulls muscle in neck playing in pool and must wear self-prescribed neck travel pillow and sit in stroller remainder of trip (yes, a 5 y/o in a stroller looks ridiculous)

San Diego age 6...He mentions that he doesn't feel well and as I am walking holding his hand I realize why he is keeping me so warm, fever of course, thankfully very mild.

Not meaning to sound like I am complaining though...this was really a great start to summer...let the good times continue to roll!

Locks of Love

So early last week Lauren said that she wanted to get her hair cut short for the summer and that she wanted to do it on Saturday before that last week of school.

Saturday morning came around and we are talking about what we are going to do (mostly what we are not going to do as we are flat out just too overbooked) and Lauren says, "Oh yeah, and I am going to get my haircut this morning". We talk about donating it since it is just about 10 inches she talks about cutting off.

So we do a walk-in at the haircutters next to the bagel place that goes like this..

And without a second of even fleeting vanity or hesitation her hair is 10 inches shorter and is now in the mail to Locks of Love. Can she stay like this forever? May her teenage years stay this simple? Not overly worrying about her appearance and just wanting to do what feels comfortable and good. God, I hope so.

Is everybody out there as swamped as I am with the last weeks of school? How does one have time to write about what is happening when so much is happening? I've been meaning to post this, put have no time to and kind of don't remember what I wanted to write anyway.






And I do not have the pix from my Mom's Group Reunion in Santa Cruz which is always just so refreshing and renews my mama mojo. Missed you Ora. In addition to the family stuff we talk about, we also have a mom who has dedicated her career to helping others hear the voice of God in their daily lives. Just so good to be around her as she is just like any of us, never pushes her views, gets frustrated with her husband, stressed by the hustle, but always has such beautiful answers. http://www.voiceforlove.com/


And if my time wasn't already booked, one of the mom's introduced me to the Twilight series, since I don't really like the vampire concepts I previously had no interest, but now, I am hooked and am always trying to sneak minutes to read.

Not Me Monday

I'm not completely sure how this game goes, but I thought this Monday's email might fit in well. This is NOT a true email exchange between me and our pediatrician today.

MDSubject: Ryan's nose-This message is being sent by Rita on behalf of Ryan.
Hi Dr. , While at a school fiesta on Friday, at the "Find it in the Frijoles" game, Ryan managed to stick two uncooked pinto beans up his right nostril. They came out quite easily, no trauma, no bleeding. He seems his usual self. However, I have the slight thought that he may have shoved a third in there and it may be really far back. He does not complain of pain, but if i ask him about it he says "ow" and points to the inside roof of his mouth. Any advice on what to do?

If Ryan seems to be able to breath normally out of the right nostril and there is no discharge that has developed from that nostril, then I doubt that there is another bean in his nose. If he starts developing discharge from that nostril (ususally green and smelly) or cannot breath out of that side of the nose then make an appointment for him to be seen so that we can take a look and see if there is another bean in the nose.

Big and Bigger

BIG...Read em and weep Grandpa, that's 4.5lbs!

BIGGER.....Now 8.5%tile!

Don't be jealous...

that your child is not in the same class as my second grader and that you are not the recipient of one of these for Mother's Day.




The inexperienced clay mom (me) came through with what ever mom wants as a gift from her child, a spoon rest (that's what those are). After encouraging the kids to glaze it as they were inspired by the shape, we got 4 fish, 4 balloons, 1 head, 2 baseball bats, numerous colorful expressions, and of course one lucky mom got a chicken drumstick.


And if that is not something to be jealous about, how about the very creative play that L and her best friend performed for us moms. Started off with two sweet little fairy kittens, a mom and her baby, on the swings in our backyard. Quickly progressed to the baby being obnoxious, the mom yelling, the baby attacking the mom then running away, the mom chasing the baby yelling more. Don't worry it has a happy ending. The baby gives up, gets put in a time-out and then the mom makes her admit her wicked ways and they hug and make up?!? My friend and I, though impressed with the choreography of the 10 min. performance, were left wondering about our mother-daughter relationships.

Happy Mother's Day!

PS. Go here if , you haven't already, you want to send that really funny Mom of The Year video to anyone, including yourself. http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/taf.html?p=moveon

Wine With the Whitts

Every party deserves a nice bottle of wine...

You know those virtual glasses of wine that are sent around the internet, well here is your chance to join in a virtual glass of wine with the Whitts while they enjoy the real thing!

This is for a bottle of Ridge Santa Cruz Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, but it does not go to any one auction winner but rather to the Whitts. Anyone who has ever wanted to share a bottle of wine with them, and share your prayers and wishes to ease this part of their journey, please join in. All money raised goes to Tuesday's Foundation and the wine goes to her parents.

Leave me a comment and I will include your name with the bottle of wine.

Click on the Tuesday Blog Party icon above to read more about this fundraiser and to make your donation which will go to the Tuesday Fiona Whitt Foundation and will support pediatric cancer research.

And, in the words of my friend Perri, who knows a lot about giving parties..."GIVE TILL IT FEELS GOOD!"

more is better?

Did I mention he likes pacies? What's that? Maybe if I took them, or at least one, out of his mouth then he'd talk and eat more...hmmm...