Who's popular??

In an attempt for peace and quiet, I am serving up 100% pure fun while hubby sleeps. One of the challenges this summer will be to keep the volume down while hubby sleeps after having worked all night long. We really like graveyard shift for a lot of different reasons, but keeping the noise level down isn't always easy. Plus for those of you who know how we roll around here, we have kids over all the time. It's loud, the boys are active, and there are toys everywhere.My solution today: junk food,videos, and DSI. Plus the fact that I will let baby play with anything he wants to play with (as long as it is safe) This should guarantee a least a few minutes of quiet.



This will also guarantee that there will be popcorn kernels everywhere, my camera bag is not safe, and the sugar will kick in just in time for hubby to wake up. Oh well...all I know is that right now, I am popular :-)

Ah, summer has arrived.

Jazzy New Habits

If it isn't official yet, it will be. My neighbors will officially hate me because of the new hobby I've decided to pick up this summer.

I attended my very first Jazz Concert this school year and let me just say... I'm in love. I have always wanted to play an instrument, so I started 'hangin out' in the band room to see what I could find. What I found was a great French guy willing to let me tag along with him on field trips and at practices.

Although my #1 guy played the trumpet in the 5th grade band this past year, I decided very early on that an instrument that I had to actually blow into wasn't for me. I just have issues with the mouth piece part. Gross.

So... I decided that I am a percussionist.

My newest purchase to start the summer right is a 5 piece drum set, complete with cymbals. Step two will be to get a coach this summer to teach me how to play it, and step 3 will be to actually be able to play with other people. Maybe if I work really hard, I'll be good enough to play with the 6th grade band next school year.

Yup, my neighbors are going to hate me.

On to bigger things...

Oh my! I have a middle schooler.

Our #1 guy said goodbye to elementary school in a promotion ceremony this week. What a neat experience to see our little (oh well, not so little I guess) guy get dressed in a shirt and tie and walk with all of the other 5th graders to receive his certificate of completion for elementary school.

I've been teaching middle school for 10 years now and I'm so excited to have my guy at school with me everyday. Part of me is a little nervous, but he is such a great kid that I know it will all work out. I just hope that he is able to adjust (after all, most middle schoolers don't want their mom around.) He has told me how proud he is of me and the work that I do, so I'm hoping that my presence with be a source of comfort and pride, not embassessment.

After the ceremony, I took a bunch of pictures (of course) One of the pictures I got was a picture of my guy with his elementary school friends. It reminded me of a picture that I have of myself taken at my 5th grade promotion at the same school. For me, the friendships that I had with most of the children in my picture slowly drifted as we developed other interests in middle and high school. However, Ria and I continued our friendship well into our adult years which is really wonderful.


For my son, I wish him the same kind of lasting friendships.

The Weather is perfect for...

#1 - "Baseball."
#2 - "Playing outside."
#3 - "Donuts and Doorbells."
Mom - "Taking Pictures!"

The weekend before the end of school, the boys and I stepped outside to enjoy the perfect San Diego weather and get a few pictures. Going through the shots, I realized that my little guys are not so little anymore. The other thing that I realize is that I sure am lucky to be their mom.

Just in time for summer

Introducing Mr. Boo's new look!

Who gets to go?

In Toy Story 1, Andy's mom says that he can only take one toy to Pizza Planet.

Well, I'm not Andy's mom.

So... Buzz and Woody get to go whenever baby likes. In fact, he can bring who ever and whatever he wants...as long as he can carry it all. I have to say that both #1 and #2 went through their Toy Story stage, and now #3 is enjoying that stage too. (With all brand new toys, of course) Just in time for the Toy Story 3 movie to come out this month!

Bring on the Summer!

Memorial Day Weekend = The first swim day of the Summer! Kat von D and her lovely family joined us for a bbq (or as she would say, cookout) and some much needed swim time. I started this weekend by looking up some different recipes for delicious hamburgers to grill. But the highlight was definitely Kat's most delicious pasta salad. To finish off, we busted out with the brownie mix and chocolate frosting for some delicious (low calorie, healthy choice, practically fat free) brownies. Of course the kids went straight for the pool and we had a very difficult time getting them to take a break and eat. Even baby opted to eat a handful of tortilla chips in the pool versus get out and have a real meal. The glory of this swim day, as compared to ones of last summer, is that I got to get into the water for a while! As the baby gets older, it is starting to be easier to do things with everyone else. It's a good thing that we had the "Shamu platform" (a very shallow, large step in the pool) for baby to wade in. It is a perfect place for him to "swim" and play and splash around, allowing me to drop my feet in and enjoy the weather too.

So, what's next? Well, this coming week is filled with all sorts of end of the year activities for the kids and me. I'm guessing that the week will be over quickly leading us into summer vacation... and my picture a day project.

So many babies, so little time...

It must be the season.
Or,
Baby must be the new black.
Or,
The universe is giving us a message...

Whatever it is, babies are popping up everywhere! In the last few months, I have witnessed multiple friends welcome new members to their family. Evey Hubby's sister is expecting a new little guy later this year.
It must be something in the water.
(I better be careful about the water I drink.) When Hubby and I found out that we were having a boy for the third time (a couple of years ago) he was so excited. But part of me wanted to try again for the little girl. It isn't until recently that I am starting to realize that God's mater plan for me does not include a fourth child. I already look around my house and think, "Was it a tornado or just the baby?" Plus, as the boys get older, I am able to enjoy their company in a different, not so needy way. They tell me funny stories about school and ask for help with homework. The big boys help with the little one and keep baby entertained so I can take a shower in the evening. They can even empty the dishwasher and cook simple meals. In the past, I would hear people say, "I like babies but I don't want another." And , I never understood that. I never understood the part where people just didn't want more and more and more.

But now that I look at what I have in life, I feel at peace. And complete.
Plus with all the dogs around here, it really takes a lot of work to make this house a home. (The boys can help with the dogs too!)

Sissy has two little girls that I love like my own. With summer upon us, I'm sure that I can have more "steal" days with the kids. It should be easy to take them... I'll just have to wait until Sis and No Neck leave for work everyday.

I love the babies. They are so cute and little. They smell good.

And, it's a good thing there are a lot of babies for me to get my fill.

The Band at SSH

We finished our first year of band with a concert at the Silent Auction Night at school. The band played several numbers, including one jazz number. Who knows if he will continue to play in middle school (YIKES...middle school!) But his 5th grade band year was rewarding ,enriching, and musical.

Sunny Days are Here again

To bid Sensei's wife a temporary farewell (She and the baby girl are going to Brazil for a few months) The dojo head honcho hosted a fun day in the sun at Splash Park in 4S Ranch. It was simply the perfect day to spend with friends. Good luck in Brazil beautiful ladies. We will see you again very soon. In the meantime, keep in touch with updates!

The boys spent the majority of the time on the play ground. One of the points of interest was a small bar the spins. All three of them wanted to play at the same time, resulting in a crowded little park toy...and a series of great pictures.

Congratulations, D and J!

Welcome to the World, Baby John.

Old Town with the "little" ones

A fantastic afternoon with my two little boys in Old Town. A visit to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, a walk around the park, followed by a Mexican lunch at Fred's.

Fish tacos, beautiful weather... the only that that could have made it better is if Hubby and the oldest one were with us. (Daddy was sleeping and #1 was in a dance lesson at Culture Shock down the street) Oh, and if baby could have NOT spilled his orange juice at the resturant. At least he didn't cry about it! In fact, the opposite happened. He laughed with glee and continued eating the tortilla chips! Gotta love that little guy.

Girlscouts..eww...

When Sensei asked for the boys to help with a community service demonstration, we jumped on the opportunity to have our boys learn a little about giving back to the community. Sensei was to conduct a brief demonstartion on self denfense to a group of children in the North County. So, off we went.

Turns out the the group of children were actually girl scouts. The girl scout troop was having a function to celebrate being fabulous, and the boys and Sensei were there to talk to them about starnger danger.
And so, my wonderful boys put on their brave faces and assisted with the demonstration. The majority of the demonstarion was used to allow each girl to take turns knocking my boys down...an exercise in self defense in case they are attacked. The boys were very good about stressing proper technique and allowed each of the girls a turn at knocking them down...over and over and over again.
As always, Hubby and I were so proud that our boys could pay it forward by sharing their skills with others.

The Girls and some Music

Girls are so much fun. Don't get me wrong... I love my boys more than anything in the world, but I won't deny that I have so much fun when I can play with sissy's oldest daughter. This particular day, "The Girls" (aka- Bear, SG and her beautiful daughter) thought it would be fun to set up the Alien Bees (aka lighting) and have a photo session.
The girls jumped up and down to Linkin Park, while SG and I had fun shooting them.

Most of the time I spend with these girls are in the dojo. I have seen them kick butt at jiu jitsu for countless hours. (As a side note: Today I watched my 6 year old niece make an 8 year old boy tap...twice.) But, it is great to know that out of their gis, these girls can jump around, dance, and have a great time just being young girls with beautifully playful personalities.
Needless to say, no dance party would be complete without Mr. "Party Crasher/ Are you dancing without me?/ I want to play too!"

My birthday Surprise

I have an awesome husband.

For my birthday, he surprised me with an overnight stay in a villa in Carlsbad. My boys and I enjoyed playing cards and running around outside the villa in a small grassy area over looking a canyon. They even let me take pictures, which is a rare treat for me. (For some reason, all of my boys tend to be "camera shy" Lucky me!)



There was even a delicious slice of cheesecake waiting for us when we got there.


After playing, we had a lovely dinner at BJ's near the outlets.

Doesn't get better than that.

Excellent Jiu Jitsu!

We still continue to be committed to our dojo. Three or four days a week, the boys go to school, do their homework, and work very hard to be good at their sport.





April = another stripe! Go boys! Mom's so proud!
It's stuff like this that makes all the time we spend driving around and being consistent that makes it all worth while. Great job!

Easter Eggs and Cash

A tradition with our family is that on Easter we split our time between both grand parents' homes. For Easter brunch, the kids have great time hunting for plastic eggs in the backyard. Because the babies were old enough this year to (somewhat) understand the concept, we had to give them a slight advantage by allowing them to start the hunt first. Unfortunately, the piece that we hadn't considered is that - because the eggs are filled with cash, not chocolate - the babies had very little interest in looking for the hidden treasures. (They are YEARS from understanding the concept of money... but they know candy!) The result? The big kids totally scoring in the money department.
Grandma and Grandpa are very generous, as some of the eggs have coins, but most of the eggs are filled with paper money.


The babies in turn play we with just about everything else the could get their hands on in the backyard...except the eggs.







I'm willing to bet that there will be a day that the little kids will be able to hold their own in an egg hunt. But for now, I guess they'll just stick to playing with brooms, watering canisters, and the hose.

"Trust the Mohawk"

This kid is a crack up. Since kindergraten, he has sported a mohawk at school. Sometimes long, sometimes short, sometime spiked, sometimes down...

When he ran for student council, his slogan was "Trust the Mohawk!"

Here he is...on the way to school. What a great kid.

"Trust the Mohawk"