Holy H (ot) ell?

That is exactly what I was thinking each time I stumbled across my children acting like heathens in our hotel this past weekend.

Certainly I am not the only mother in the world who believes they have wonderfully behaved children only to find out they are evil little monkeys!

Behaving like clowns for all the world to see. All I could think was, how did I end up with my very own little circus?

Then I realized they had a ring leader!

*Cori has a friend that traveled with us this weekend adding to the brouhaha. 

JOY

Do you ever consider JOY? I do. I look for it. I sense it. I feel it!
I wonder sometimes if others see it. If they look for it. If they long for it. If they need some of it and don't even realize it.

You may or not remember but Cali is turning 6 soon. For the past two years her parties were family get-togethers. This year we are determined to go all out and Cali has decided on the theme, CandyLand.

Just thinking about the party has brought my daughter joy. I can see it on her face.

Today, I came up with the grand plan of giving a jumbo bouncy ball to each party-goer. They were colorful, fairly inexpensive and seemed like a great idea. Even joyful.

Seriously, if you ever want to see immediate joy. Head to the store, fill a couple carts with big bouncy balls and let your kids maneuver them through the store. :)

Not only could you hear JOY in their laughter. It was on the face of most everyone we passed in the isles.

And while we were filling our truck with them, people in the parking lot passed us a laughed. Out loud. It was infectious.

Then we got home and decided to take a picture.

We weren't quite quick enough closing the door but it's all good. Joy went bouncing down out street too. :)

Sometimes we just don't give enough thought to JOY but I've found if I just opt to let it be in my life, it's there in the simplest moments and it's really rather wonderful!

Tennis Anyone?

As you know, last Thursday started a little rough for Miss Cali.  Once I got her to school however, I think things settled down.  Coming home- that was a different story. Once she got in the car after school. She got a bit whiny. I wasn't really sure what I was in for once we got home.

I opened the front door and she marched right into the living room, making a bee0line for the couch where she promptly turned on the television. I was sort of following her on my way to the laundry room to fold the load of clothes in the dryer. I sort of half-heard what was on TV, so I asked her, "What are you doing?"

She replied, "Watching TV."
"What are you watching?", I asked.

"Tennis!", said she.

"Why tennis?", I asked.

"It was what came on", she told me.  (Now keep in mind, she was staring straight ahead, speaking in a monotone.)

"Do you always watch whatever is on?"

"Not if it's scary"  she replied.

"So you just gonna sit there and watch tennis???"

"Yup!"

And she did, even as her little worn out body slumped over to the side, onto the arm of the couch, to tired to move. 

~Love~

:)

Twin Cheerleaders

They are liking this 'twin' thing!

Missing Cori

Cori is away at soccer camp. It is killing us. The younger girls and I are missing her terribly. Cali even wore her soccer sweats today because they remind her of Cori.

Tonight, Cali wanted to write a poem for her. This is what she had to say.


I Love You Cori
You'll always be my sister
And I'll always love you
FOREVER.

The Gulf Oil Spill- In a Child's Terms

Last week we attended the annual local Kenai River Fish Festival. While we were there the Kenai Watershed Forum (I think) had this experiment going on for the kids to try.  I thought it was too great a lesson not to share here.

You will need a large bowl full of water (I thought glass worked best for visual purposes)
a piece of yarn or string that will almost circle the bowl
oil for the water
LOTS of cut up paper towels

Although Cali did this last week at the festival I am glad I did it again with her. It brought up a lot more discussion and I enjoyed her problem solving dialogue.  It also reinforced why we were cutting up our old towels and t-shirts and mailing them into craft hope.  The big picture was clearing up a little more for her and the big girls. 

I put the oil in the water before I took her outside. Once outside I explained her mission was to get all of the oil contained in one area and to remove it from the water.

She already knew what to do but as she worked at it we talked about what the oil is doing to the animals in the Gulf.  It was very hard for her to contain the oil and she asked for my help. Even when we thought we had the string in a good place, she would begin the oil clean up and the string would shift causing seepage.

We went to Florida last summer and she remembers the ocean and beach there so we talked about how hard it would be to get something to contain huge amounts of oil in the ocean.

It caused her most concern when we finally decided to stop the project and she tried to clean her hands off. they still felt yucky of course and then we talked about the animals would couldn't really scrub themselves with dishrags and had to rely on humans to help them. And even with wiping them off, they would probably still feel yucky like her hands.

Regardless of your opinions on the oil spill and why it happened or who is to blame the one thing we should all be able to agree upon is that it is and will be devastating for a long time to come.  It is causing hardship to families, businesses, animals, and the environment. This lesson helps the kids understand the impact of the tragedy on terms they can comprehend.

Missed Me...?

I have been missing you!  My life has turned the corner, we've gone completely overboard on hectic living.
I've talked to many friends, all of whom seem to be going through the same thing. I'm wondering if it's just the year, or is there something else.

I've missed sharing our lives. And I really want to catch this blog up. I'm hoping to preserve all those memories and make good use of those thousand or so photos I've accumulated over the past month or more. So, keep your eyes open and your ears listening because there shall be some busy news to share soon.

Until then...

Does this make us a BIG CITY too?

We have officially become a redneck town.  And we no longer have to go to Anchorage to get to the big city.
We have a Walmart. Ugh!

Being the loyal person I am, this is causing me a struggle. My step-mom has worked for a local grocery store for over 20 years. One of my closest friends here in town owns a small-town grocery store that has been around longer than I have lived here.  So I've made the decision not to purchase my groceries at the Walmart. It will save me a bit of time (it is 2 minutes from my house) and money on other things.   I won't have to travel to the Fred Meyer in Soldotna for household items and the like.

Interestingly enough, my step-mom also works for Frito Lay and she had to help them out at the Grand opening yesterday.  Cali, who's been waiting for this day for a l-o-n-g time had great fun with the many characters wondering around the store. Well, that and she got to buy a TOY! Bigger Ugghh!

The worst part about Walmart moving in is that my girls feel they can ride their bikes a mile down the road and shop whenever they want to. Biggest Uggghhh!

Would you be excited?

Ingenious? Foolish? Embarrasing? Funny?

You decide.


I thought they were pretty funny. I am not sure I, as a senior in high school, could have stood on a busy street corner holding a sign essentially begging for money. Nope, not me! For that reason, the fact that they had the guts to do it, I thought it was cool.

And yes, I gave them a little money. ;)

Cali Made Her 1st Video- She's a Pro

I was looking for videos on my phone last night and stumbled upon this lovely tour of the middle school made by Cali. Let me first say, I had no idea she knew how to use the phone as a video. And while it is a bit wobbly, she still shows things, turns the camera to herself and gives some dialog. It's a bit longer than you can almost stand but it's funny throughout so give it a look. :)

Sweet Surprises

Cali had a nice little surprise awaiting her this morning in the p.o. box.  She'd been asking me repeatedly to check the mail, she must have had a feeling. :)

Sam, her faraway Georgia friend sent her a sweet book in the mail. It's titled Milo, the Really Big Bunny. When I showed her the package she set to opening it right away. She was so surprised and delighted that Sam would think of her for no reason at all.

We read the book immediately and she also took it straight away to her Kindermusik class and they read it again!  She *hearts* this book.

She even wrote it in a note. (Do you see the *heart*)
Here she say's:
Sam Thank You!  I <3 Milo the
Really       nny
Big Bu   

Thank you so much Sam (and Dina).  It was a sweet surprise and made our day!

This is what I heard today...

...from Cali.
She said "We need to give a loving baby a loving home because the big eathquake shook them out of their Mommy's arms."
Love sounds a bit like this, don't you think?

What would you tell your 18 year old self

January is a month of birthdays in our family. My little Sister and Brother both have birthdays in January and so does Barry. Can you believe Barry and AJ are 18?? It just doesn't seem like it could be.

This year hasn't been the easiest of journeys for all of them. I have always tried to be honest, and frank with them all. I've also tried to simply talk to them. I believe respect is key. I believe to give respect I must also receive it and the same applies in return.

While none of them are my children they are all a bit like my own. It is very interesting having siblings 20 + years younger. It truly is much like having a second set of children for me or maybe like an extra set of parental expectations for them. I've tried hard to be more of a sister than a parent but sometimes is isn't easy.

I cautiously give advice and more try to share my life's experiences and tales of my own journey instead.




Tonight, I find myself pondering what I would tell my 18 year old self, if I could.

Would I say, finish high school. For no other reason than to look back and know that you did it the right way. That you will be annoyed by the fact that you have a GED instead.

I think I would say, go to college. Because later, you will have a desire to have to rely on no one and your 40 year old self will feel like not having that degree is holding you back just a little.

I would say, talk to you parents. Speak intelligently, decisively and respectfully but still speak. That you can't hold it against someone for not understanding where you are coming from if you don't tell them.

I might also say, wait to have children. Even though you think you are ready early on,your not, so wait. And when you finally start having the kids you have always wanted at 30, it will be exactly the right time and you will do a great job. You can improve but you are trying and you acknowledge your faults. As a mom, you will do just fine!

I think I'd include, no partner is worth not being your true self for. Have confidence and be who you are.

I would say, love your family. Don't give up any time, due to arguments and disagreements, you will miss it one day. You will come to realize it didn't need to happen so don't waste one minute of it!

I would strongly emphasize to my 18 year old self that when times seem most difficult, stick to your dreams, even if they seem almost not worth the hassle. And COMMUNICATE! It's the key to everything. Also,Be nice! It makes you a better person. And don't ever do anything you'd be afraid to admit to your parents- be trustworthy and honorable. It will make looking back on your youth much easier.

And the most important thing I would say to my 18 year old self, is live your life so that you have no regrets. Own your choices, right or wrong - take responsibility, learn to say your sorry and live today like there is no tomorrow because one day you will realize it isn't guaranteed!

Oh Yeah, one last thing- if you can get through all the other things, don't forget to enjoy the ride!!!

What would you say?

Just gotta tell you...

Cali is writing lots of things lately. A Lot! Everyday, several times over she asks me to spell things for her so she can write them down. Today it went like this-
Cali- Mom, can you spell something for me?
Me- Sure, what do you want me to spell?
Cali- Miley Cyrus...
Me- Umm, OK...
Cali- (cutting me off) Miley Cyrus's Dad has an earring!

Me- M-I-L...

:)

Have a great week!

Just gotta tell you...

I have a snacker. Her name is Cali. I try very hard to get her to understand she needs to eat healthier!

I said "Cali, you can not have any more junk!!!"

She said, "Mom, if we weren't supposed to die why do they keep making junk food and so much of it?!"

I said nothing.

True Story

I was leaving the house this morning and I was angry.

While I almost always drive with out the radio on (silence is hard to come by as a stay at home mom in a house with 3 girls) this morning I cranked it. I was surfing the waves looking for something to rock out to. I found a poppin' country song (I am ole southern girl at heart) and bobbed along with it. It was over quickly. I hit the surf button again and found another song. I started rockin' I was feeling better. I'd never heard the song before but I liked it.

As I listened "in this life, I know what I've been..." my mind starts wondering.
You see, I was angry with my husband when I left. And as I listened to the song, I was thinking about a love story. Our story. And I thought, I need to be a better forgiver, I need to not get so frustrated.

And I listened a little more. "...But here in your arms, I know that I'm forgiven..." and I thought. I'm lucky, he loves me, every bit of me.

Then I kind of thought about how I'd not heard this song before and I wanted find out the name of it. It was a great beat and I am always a sucker for songs that tell a beautiful love story.

It was so clear to me that this was in fact a beautiful story behind this song and the writer expressing it, like young love. They way you feel when you realize how intense love can be. Yeah, it was an intense feel good love song.

So I listened, I felt it, and I heard, "...Oh, I'm a treasure in the arms of Christ
'Cause I'm forgiven..."

A song about a love story; the greatest love story ever told.


The song is: Forgiven
The group is: Sanctus Real

I knew there was a reason for being here...

Did you know that Alaska is the 11th happiest state to live in?
That makes me smile. I always knew there was a reason I lived here.
You can read about the research here and see the full list of states and where your home state might fall here. For the record, Louisiana is #1 (the research was done prior to hurricane Katrina). I always said I could never live in Louisiana because I loved it so much I'd be playin' all the time! :)

Most Darling Giveaway...EVER! Monsterously CUTE!

OK, I shouldn't be spreading the word 'cause my chances will be fewer but (hint, hint) if enough people ask, maybe she will start selling these little buggers in an etsy shop.

So, head on over to 5 Orange Potatoes and see the cutest-ever little goblin-like softies she is giving away. And you will think good thoughts for me too, won't you?

Don't you just love him?!

An Amazing Giveaway

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
I have a hard time thinking of things I'd like for just me. I do want a new set of all white dishes. I saw some at ikea that were nice. I think I am liking simple things more!
That being said, while I would not likely ever buy a the things being given away here for myself until my girls are older. I Would LOVE to win these items then I wouldn't have to ask for a thing anyway. :)
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
I think it was the snapshot of my girls that my husband framed with a special poem written on it.
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
I want to learn to sew. That's a gift I would like, the time and a place to learn to sew.
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
Not as a child, but as a teenager, there was once a certain brand name pair of shoes that were quite spendy and I never thought I'd get them. My Mom splurged and bought them for me. I LOVED them!
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
UGGS,Danskos, iTouch, Cali just wants TOYS!!!
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Green Bean Casserole
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Not sure. We are making ornaments though.
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
It's a Wonderful Life
9. Favorite holiday song?
The WHOLE Niel Diamond Christmas Album and The WHOLE Alabama Christmas album. And my Most Favorite, Oh Holy Night.
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Sitting in Silence or with soft Christmas music and a glass of wine looking at the Christmas tree. :)

To enter to win all these cool prizes below simply answer the questions in this meme, make sure to post links back to TodaysMama.com and Provo Craft (use this link: http://bit.ly/4ikY3c ) and tag your friends!

It Shouldn't be Allowed

I think they better find new spirit days at school. I tell you, there is so much emphasis on all things being fair at school, right? So why in the heck do they have crazy hair days. I can't be the only hair challenged mom out there. And therefore, crazy hair day is simply NOT FAIR to those of us who are. I am not alone, am I?

Here is the best I could do. And the pictures stink to boot, because I forgot to charge my camera battery and it is dead. Not even a click when I turn the camera on. :(




It makes my attempts look even worse. Arggg! I like cowboy day, or pajama day, or hobo day, yeah, that one rocks. Who's with me?
*Edit-
A couple of better pictures.