Christmas 2010

The days before Christmas are always busy with last minute shopping and trying to get everything done. I think today we will try to make some Christmas cookies. It never goes as well as I think it will. It is always a test of my patience. The kids are wound up and usually end up crying by the end of the day. So having the patience to make cookies with two 8 year olds is...well...a trying time. I may end up crying by the end of it. I think all they really want to do is frost the damn things. Maybe I will buy already made cookies and just have them frost them. What an attitude! The way I would like it to be is like the commercial of the mother in her clean house baking cookies with her children, who are quiet and patient. And at the end of the commercial, they hug and the kids look at their mother like she is the best mother in the world. My house, the scene is quite different. Clearing space on my counter, flour everywhere, fighting over the cookie cutters and who will roll the dough, "are they done yet", "can I frost them now", and a disaster of a mess to clean up. But, as I think about it, I wouldn't want it any other way. I mean, if I didn't go to bed exhausted every day, then what is the purpose. I know someday I will miss the chaos. At least I keep telling myself that. I hope that I don't go completely insane in the meantime. Until then, Merry Christmas, from my crazy house to yours.

Summer Vacation

We went to San Francisco for our family vacation this year. First we went to Santa Cruz for a couple days to stay on the beach. It was fun to stay on the beach, but northern California beaches are not warm. They are cold. But still a beach. So us Utahns endure. Josh's favorite place to be is on some ride anywhere.
Santa Cruz has an amusement park right on the boardwalk next to our hotel. So yes, we spent some serious time there. The boy just is in heaven on a ride and smiles the whole time. Luckily for me, Haley and Troy like rides, so that gets me off the hook. Max rode a few rides but would rather throw sand in the ocean, well after we name the sand Harold, then we set it free.
After Santa Cruz, we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was awesome, and then drove to San Francisco. We went to the Wharf, China Town, Japan Town, rode cable cars, Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, Redwoods (near Santa Cruz) and North Beach (which is like a little Italy and next trip I am going there more). We ate a lot, shopped a lot and completely wore ourselves out. We even found this weird guy hanging around. Hey look it's uncle Kenny!He was a great tour guide and we always knew where to find him, at this bar near the Wharf. The trip was fun. We had a good time being together and seeing all the sites. I learned a few things from vacationing with kids. Number one, before you leave for your vacation, tell the kids they all get $100 to spend on their stuff. Keep a little notebook for each one. We started that little game about the second day and it saved us. Next, I would schedule a little down time day about the third day in. Just a swimming at the hotel, watching tv, maybe go out to dinner. Pack light and do laundry at the hotel. It's way better than lugging tons of luggage (and cheaper too since the airlines charge for each bag). Vacations are crazy. I came home just wiped out. But we all had such a fun time and it was nice to be together.

Coloring Eggs

Coloring eggs is something I look forward to doing. Then in the process, I think, thank goodness this only comes once a year. But the kids have fun. And I have fun watching them make all their creations. Most eggs turn out pink. It's the favorite color. Or brown, when we have put the eggs in all the cups. My mistake is letting Troy buy the eggs. Troy's brain has something in it that says, we have a lot of kids, so I must buy a lot of eggs. He came home from Costco with 10 dozen eggs. But, as I gasp and think, Holy shit man, what's the deal? I try to rationalize and say, well, we can give some away, and the kids will have fun. Troy just gets carried away. So we colored eggs all morning. Max doesn't use the little wire thingy to lower the eggs in the color cup. He thinks those are just silly. His fingers will be green for days. Tomorrow the Easter bunny comes, we are very excited. Egg salad sandwich anyone?

Update on my New Year's Resolutions

In referring to my list of things I am going to improve this year, here is a little update. So far, I am still late to everything (although I think about it more), I nearly forgot my log in information to this Blog (shows you that I am not updating it as much as I would like) and I have exercised twice since Jan. 1. TWICE PEOPLE!!! For the love of God I can't get in a workout. Next year I am making resolutions that I can actually keep. (fifteen minutes later) I have just been trying to think of things I can actually adhere to... and came up blank. Man I suck. Maybe that will be one, suck at everything. There, I can achieve that one.

A Valentine's Song..well sort of

The boys are excited for Valentine's day. They sang me this song. I think they need more sugar..Don't you?

It Came, it went

I didn't get my Christmas spirit this year. I don't know why. It just never came. Usually it comes late, like Dec. 24, I will have a quiet moment and it all hits me. But this year.. not so much. It became a deadline to me. I didn't get it done. It still isn't done, and there is an urge to go shopping and finish it. But how do you finish something that is over. I can't believe it is over. I still think it is a month out. What the hell happened? Was I in some vortex of time where I missed a month? I have the extra Christmas weight to prove it was hear, maybe I ate it.

I look at my kids and think what am I teaching them about Christmas. Did I bake cookies, no, did we look at lights, one night on the way home (but does that really count) did we sing Christmas carols, no. I am sure my kids will survive without doing these things. But I want to do things with them because they are growing up so fast that I might miss out. And really what 20 year old wants to bake cookies with their mother. You see my point.

So I am done with being not ready. I am changing my ways. I want to be organized and run like a well oiled machine. The problem is I am old...and tired. But those are excuses, and I am done with those.

So here are some goals for the new year:
Be on time..to everything
get organized
buy Christmas early
have more dinner parties with friends
exercise more
blog more

I know, it's a lot to accomplish. But, something has to change, I can't go on living this way. It's making me nuts!! I will report on how it's going. Wish me luck!

Halloween

It was a beautiful night for Trick or Treating. Usually, I am not a fan of this Holiday, but everything seemed to work out just right. Great weather, dinner done early, kids ready to go by dusk, and Troy's candy bonanza was ready for the little monsters to come. My kids enjoyed trick or treating this year, so it made it enjoyable for me. We actually made it around the block before the "I'm tired" started coming out!

Max was a Bakugan character named Dan Cursoe? No clue. And Josh was "Toad" from Mario Brothers. Josh's costume came with just the hat and the vest. I made the pants (by hand because I don't sew or own a sewing machine). I put an iron-on image of Toad on his shirt because no-one knew what he was. Everytime someone asked my what my kids were going as for Halloween I had to go into this dissertation on what they were. They chose obscure characters. But whatever they want to be, I am not going to get in their way.

We went around with the neighbor kids. Haley went to the Utah Football game and came back home with boys from her school. Good grief! I'm looking at these boys and shaking my head like are you kidding me? They just stand in my kitchen and look at Haley and her friend Aline. They were a little nervous and I remembered my Jr. High experiences and how awkward it was to have boys over. They finally left and the kids finally wound down from the sugar overload and passed out. They all had a good Halloween!