Summer Vacation 2013

I love summer vacation. I love being with my family and just getting out of town. This year we went to California. We all love Disneyland and the ocean, so California it is. I wanted to spend three days in Disneyland, then three days at the beach to relax. We decided to stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I love this Hotel. It is the only way to do Disneyland. We like to go to Disneyland early and play, then go swimming in the afternoon and go back to Disneyland in the evening. This year the Cars ride was new and it was awesome. I love the scenery. Max and I loved the Indiana Jones ride. Josh loved the Cars ride. Haley goes on anything and I think loved the Cars ride the most. I just love being with the kids. It's expensive, it's exhausting, it's kind of crazy, but I love it and know that these times are precious, so I just soak it all in.

 Haley thought Aladdin was very cute!

 One of my favorite rides is Toy Story. I had the highest score of the morning. Ahem, but of course!

 Max and I don't like scary rides, so we hang out and have a snack...like Churros.

 After 3 days at Disneyland, we stayed at a home near Malibu called the artist home. It was up the canyon and amazing. It had this cute hot tub that over looked the canyon.

 Peaceful, quiet and cool plants.

 This home had three bedrooms. It was perfect.

 Zuma Beach.

Halloween

The Halloween costume catalog comes and the boys try to figure out what they want to be. When they were little, I chose cute costumes for them, like cowboys. But lately they have chosen crazy pokemon, or bakugan characters. I have no idea. So this year, I tried to reason with them and guide them to choose another type of costume. I told them if they didn't like any of my suggestions, then they can be those crazy characters. I was very happy to see them select these:

 Josh was an Australian Ostrich rider, and Max was a clown. Josh's costume was inflatable, and as he walked the ostrich part waddled, which looked like it was walking. Too cute! Max really got into his costume by putting whoopie cushions down for people to sit on, too funny!

 Max pulled this cute face. He kept winking at me, which, was super cute.

We went Trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. While Troy handed out his usual boatload of candy.

 Max brought Josh a surprise diet coke at the end of our trick-or-treating. Nice brother.

Haley dressed up as a cute witch. She was going to the Monster Mash with Charlie later.

Haley Turns 16 !!!

I can't believe my baby is 16! She is starting to drive, which is beyond terrifying. But, she is a fun, happy, wonderful and smart kid. And I am very proud of her!

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 Sure, she could pay more attention to her grades and her room, but she does ok. I just like to be around her. We have fun talking in British and angry Asian accents. Haley has always loved having lots of friends. She is very friendly and can be with adults and little kids and be totally happy.

Haley sporting her new cheetah pants I bought her. Meow!

 The day she was born was an amazing day, and I have loved being a mom to her. I'm lucky to have such a great daughter. I only wish my mom was around to see her. She would have loved Haley. She would have loved her energy, spirit, sweetness and affection. I know I do. Happy Birthday sweet girl, my Haley Baby!

First Day of School

I love taking pictures of the kids on the first day of school. New clothes, clean faces, and excitement about seeing their friends again. Haley started high school this year.

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 I never looked this cute going to school.

 Haley dancing a little "I'm going to high school" jig.

 

She is so funny. She is a happy girl.

The boys are excited too. Well, Josh is, Max always has a little anxiety about school. He is happy to go, just worried a bit.

 They are getting kind of sick of me taking a million pictures, and are ready to go.



They are good friends too, which makes me happy. They put up with me taking their pictures. The boys are in 4th grade.

Vacation in Park City

 We needed a little break. So for the weekend we went to Park City/ Midway. The rides at the resort are awesome. We love the Alpine slide and the coaster. The kids love it and we all have fun.  Park City also has a lot of fun places to eat.

 One of our favorite places to go is Java Cow and get some ice cream.

We stayed at Zermatt in Midway. Zermatt is very fun. Great pool and a carousel.  

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As a child, my family would stay at the Homestead. It was sold out this weekend, but we went there and climbed the crater and had lunch. To me the Homestead was the best place in the world. It seemed we were there forever, we were probably there for three days. We used to swim and go for walks and ride horses.

The boys kind of looked around like, what do you do here? But my memories of the Homestead is about family. About Aunt B vacationing with us, playing cards at night, swimming every afternoon, walks with the family, making drinks for my parents and Aunt B (vodka and Tang...ew).  So I try to incorporate the same feeling with my little family on our vacations (minus the vodka and Tang).  Just hanging out, swimming for hours, and slowing down our pace. The kids thought it was a great vacation. I think it was just great to be together.

Summer 2012

I am always so happy when school is out and the kids can enjoy some time off. Life is busy, and I always loved summer vacation, I hope my kids do too.  Haley is off on an adventure of a lifetime going to London, Scotland, Wales and Ireland with a student ambassador program. I hope this teaches her a few things like appreciation for what she has here, responsibility and open her mind to the big big world full of wonderful things. The thing that is surprising is what her trip is teaching me. Not only do I miss her more than I thought I would, I think about our relationship and how I want it to be when she returns. I want to listen more and not be so quick to tell her what she did wrong. It also gives me a glimpse of what will be in the future when she goes to college or someday gets married and not living with me. I hate it. I know that this time is a precious. It goes by way too fast.

All I know this Christmas

I love this blog, but I never blog. I think about it, and what I will say, but never get to it. I am going to try to blog more, shorter, blogs to keep this going. I hope I can do it.

Christmas is frustrating to me. I want to enjoy it. I want to have that special Hallmark Channel moment with my kids. But somewhere in between going completely broke and going to every performance, party and event, my spirit gets run over. I can't balance making my kids happy with presents and not spending a fortune. 

Haley at a dance performance

Josh and Max, ready to perform

All I know is my kids are what gives me my Christmas spirit. Seeing their happy faces and spending time with them is all I could ask for in this life. I wonder how I could be so lucky to have such healthy, happy kids who try so hard to be good.