Not even the rain can stop us

I know it is January.  The season is WINTER.  It is cold outside.  And yes, it is raining.

None of that stopped us from planning #2's birthday party at a local park.  What I mean by "plan" is that a week or so ago, I found a coupon in the back of a magazine at the doctor's office and hired a guy to come set up a laser tag course at the park.  Then I invited a bunch of kids through their parents' facebook accounts or by sending a very informal text message.  No phone calls were made and no attempt to figure out the food situation was made. Then I prayed for a clear day.  No rain. No rain. No rain.

I have come a long way since the clown/jumpy/catering days. 

I did feel a tiny bit of guilt because six months ago for the older one, I sent out handmade invitations weeks ahead of time.  Then, I set up a red and yellow candy bar for all the kids to pick and choose a goodie bag.  I spent weeks thinking about what I wanted to serve for lunch and dinner, and what I thought the kids would like as a snack.  There were decorations and balloons... the whole nine yards.

This time around, I sent our email invites, cleaned my house fifteen minutes before guests arrived, and left the party several times to grab things at Little Cesar's, Ralph's or Costco.  Oh, and it started to (lightly) rain several times while at the park, in the pool, and during the smores segment of the show.

Luckily, a very wonderful woman that I know reminded me that it isn't about the bells and whistles.  It is about the thought and the effort.  And believe me, I want nothing more than for my son to have a good time with his friends, laughing and playing. No face painting, no traveling animal shows, no gimmicks.  Just fun. Since I'm blogging at 11:30 at night, while the boys shake my house with their uncontrollable laughter, I think I got what I want. 

But... I bet in 6 months from now, I will do it again with spending weeks planning a sweet 13 for my oldest one.  I think it is more of a time issue than it is an effort issue.  January is a tough month, but by June I'm not working, so I have all sorts of time to come up with grand ways to celebrate.   In the end, it's all the same.  The boys have wonderful friends that celebrate with them, and I have equally great friends that will help me set up, clean up, run to the store, and calm me down with their words when it gets just a bit to overwhelming.  Thank goodness I've got a solid support group to help me with all the antics.  Not to mention that the Hubby is always a step ahead. 

I'll end this blog with three little tidbits of information that I'd like the world to know:

1) The Dads and Moms played an all out, no mercy game of laser tag today.  I am happy to announce that the Mom Team claimed an undisputed victory today.  In a sign of pure humble acceptance of our victorious win, I am posting a picture of the husbands during the slaughter fest.

2) My anniversary is tomorrow.  I still feel like I'm the luckiest gal in the world.

3) There are 11 boys in my house between the ages of 10 and 13.  They are the loudest, kindest, most polite, messiest group of kids I've every had over.  And the room they are sleeping in smells kind of like wet feet.

Thankful for a New Year

It is the end of the first full week of 2012.  Here are three things that I feel thankful for:

My Job

Hubby and I got hit pretty hard a few years back with cuts in both of our professions.  The financial cut was hard, but not impossible.  The emotion cut was definitely more difficult.  And the hit I took with the increase of responsibilities (with less days and more students) seemed to be impossible.

Fast forward to 2012 and we find that things are as they should be.  With a strong relationship with Hubby and a sense of peace amid the chaos of kids, we found a way to make it all work out.  As I reflect, I even got a little "carrot" this week.   Kids give teachers gifts at the holidays all the time, but this particular one is special because the giver is a student, who a year ago, told his 7th grade teacher where she could go.  This week, he gave me a Christmas present (yes, it was late... everything he turns in is late)  a bracelet that he bought for me with his own money.  What a great way to get "paid."   I sure am thankful for my job. It doesn't hurt that I have another one week break in 5 weeks though :)

My Kids

The Boys are wonderful.  Period.  Academically, they are stellar students.  They work hard, try their best at everything they do, and are extremely disciplined when it comes to things like asking for permission.  I don't know how I got so lucky, because I'm pretty sure I don't deserve it.  The bonus: They stay active and healthy and have a fantastic set of friends that I really like.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Hubby and I are constantly on them to be their best and they are , in many ways, "typical" kids, but I bet that with a little bit of slack, they would still make the right decisions that make us so proud.

My Hubby

How'd I get so lucky?  I have a hubby that is honest and truthful with me.  He supports the craziness ("Hey babe, I signed us both up for a half marathon," or "Honey, I'm going to Reno for three days with my friends," or "My car is running on fumes and a prayer.  Could you fill it up, run it through the car wash and pick up In and Out for me?" )  Yes, there are times that I want to poke him in the eye.  What marriage would be complete without that piece, but the overwhelming majority of the time, I want to just be with him.   Lucky, lucky me.

I'll end this entry with a short list of NY resolutions for myself:

1) Keep Running.*

2) Sit up Straight.

3) Trim the Fat (achieve simplicity, "X" the drama)

4) Above all, Give Praise.

*A special note of thanks to the pretty girl that talked me into another run in 6 months from now.  That will help me keep up with resolution #1.  Now I need to start thinking about the other three...

Six Months later...

It has been (literally) six months since my last blog.  I can tell you exactly why too:  FOOTBALL.  8-0 regular season, round 2 of the playoffs, and second place at a tournament.  Nationally ranked #8 in the Nation according to D1 youth football rankings.  Not bad.  New friends, great family time, lots and lots of food,  swim parties, running around following the kids, and basically focusing energy on the people that matter...not the blog.

Since my last entry, the boys have finished summer sports and started school again.  The little one is finally potty trained...thank God.  And hubby and I are as strong as we have ever been, surrounded by genuine friends that love us enough to keep hanging out, despite the craziness of having the three boys and allllllll their friends, activities, energy, and antics.

The easiest way for me to recap the later part of 2011 for our family can be condensed to three simple truths:

1) God is Good.
2) Kids soak up all sorts of energy, but they are the only thing worth investing in.
3) When in doubt, family will come through. Period.

Lesson #1 - God is Good.

At church, the pastor said that sometime God manifests himself in unlikely ways.  He also said that God is brightest when it is the darkest.  All I can say to that is AMEN.  I realize that the beginning of this Christian walk started in a time that I would now regard as a dark time.  But from it comes massive light and energy.  I've also learned that I have to understand that I may not understand.  It's crazy because it is simply true. 

Today, I would say that God works in great ways in my life.  For that I thank the darkness , for from it came light.

Lesson #2 - Kids soak up all sorts of energy, but they are the only thing worth investing in. 

Let's face it, I'd rather have a glass of wine and watch the last episode of Glee than sit in the cold at football practice.  Our coaches never *really* ended at 7:00 and even when it was dark out, if the plays were not learned, the boys stayed until they got it.

 But man oh man when those boys (my boys? all 30 of them? yup.) won one, then two, then three...then 8 games in row, all those cold nights thinking about coffee were absolutely worth it. No buts. More importantly, the ability to make friends - with players and their families- all I can say in PRICELESS. 

The coaches and other parents have become a wonderful unit of friends that shared a common love. And with it now over, I can say we are two for two when it comes to successful

 football seasons. 

Yup, 6 months of driving to Otay Ranch, Temecula, Olympian and beyond is time consuming and tiresome, but the benefits well out weigh the temporary costs.  Great investment of time as far as I'm concerned. 

Mix football with jiu jitsu practice and what we get is a full calendar with no room for wine or Glee. 

Is it quiet? No. Is it worth it?  Yes, in fact it is quite simply the only thing worth investing your time in because you get so much back.

Lesson #3 : When in doubt, family will come through. Period.

I've known this for years.  The past six months have reinforced it.  Ups and downs, through it all, those we call family are there.   We have a few close friends that we call family.  They are the people that are honest and truthful.  They love our kids, keep us in their thoughts, and have our best interests at heart - always.  They serve as a mirror to what is important and real in our lives and for them we are thankful for their genuine love and unconditional friendship.

Sissy and No Neck are dependable like the sun rising everyday when it comes to true need. It's great to have that kind of relationship with family.  One day, I know my children will grow up to understand that -although we don't pick our family-we should always choose our family in times of need because they choose us. 

With that said,   Don't trust No Neck with a "secret".   He takes the "surprise" out of surprise party - literally- every time. But he is truthful as they come, strong as an ox, and loves the kids... despite hitting them in the center of the chest each time he sees them.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to my blog. I thought it would be a great project for me to start a blog and update friends and family about the kids, the dogs, the husband, the job and all the other wonderful things I have going on in my life. I'll start by saying that I think we are off to a great start this year. The big boys have both resolved to help with the baby more this year, thus I have a chance to type this as everyone plays "Stop the baby from destroying the castle" It sounds like the boys are spending more time trying to stop godzilla than play with the glactic heroes.

Our family is starting by stating a few resolutions this year. The boys have 5 each. I'll be surprised if they can stick to a few ("I'll keep my room clean") While others I think they may be okay with ("I'll take better care of the dogs, I'll work hard to get my yellow belt")

One of my resolutions this year is to take more pictures and keep family and friends updated. So, I'll end this first blog with a few favorite shots from the zoo yesterday. I got a chance to shoot with a 300mm fixed lens on my new Canon 50D (thanks Hubby!) So, enjoy! And, you'll be hearing from me again soon!