Santa, at OUR house!!

Merry Christmas,Happy hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, or whatever you may celebrate!

The Big Move...

Wow, has it really been over a month since my last post?So much has been going on. From the staging of the house to sell, to open houses and living in a staged house (sucks!), to finally renting our house out and not being able to find a place to live...at one point we had 2 weeks to get out and nowhere to live. Stress!!! To Grace having a hard time in Kindergarten and trying ro decide what to do about it (and still deciding...I suggest holding back those fall birthday kids...)to the move, which is 10 times harder with kids than I ever though it could be. We moved very close to my work and the kids school, which is so awesome. But it is a MUCH smaller house with ONE bathroom! We came from a big house with 3 bathrooms!! But the neighborhood is so great, the kids can actually go outside and play! One of my new neighbors brought me flowers and welcomed us to the neighborhood, that has never happened before...So now it is unpacking, getting ready for Halloween, etc...Sadly, I may be done with the blog...It's been 3 years and I just feel like I have nothing new to say. I may still post pictures and definitely check up on my blog friends! Here are some Halloween pics.
Grace drew the face on hers and I carved it...I love this picture because Cameron looks like a Jack O' Lantern with his missing teeth!

Cameron's first Jack O' Lantern. He carved it by himself!

5

Happy Birthday to my sweet Gracie girl!!!

We interrupt this break for...

Some pictures. Some of my family comes here only for pictures, so that is all I will be posting for a while

1st day of Kindergarten!

1st day of 1st grade!

Cameron turns 7!


Fun in orange county.

Scott turns 41!

taking a break...

I'm just not feeling it. I can't think of anything to write that anyone would want to read. I think the pressure of the house might be getting to me. We have had zero interest. The other day Cameron spilled his juice in the car and I said "Oh Cameron, what a mess". And he said "what's the matter? You aren't going to sell the CAR are you??" Because that is the only reason keep things clean! I was so hoping this would all be done by the time School started and when I had to be back at work...hopefully when I come back I'll be in a happier place...

4 years ago...

our Gracie girl joined our family. How lucky we are! Thanks to my sis for the awesome video!

wired

How many portable gadgets do you have? I am just trying to see if we are normal. (obviously, I know we aren't normal, but in terms of gagdets!) Here is the scene: I am getting into the car to go home from Gilroy gardens. it is about an hour drive. I plug in my ipod to listen to. I set up the GPS. Gracie turns on the portable DVD player. I check messages and e mail on my phone. Cameron needs his Nitendo DS plugged in to charge, so he can play it. I think we might need an intervention.

Lucky 7!

Guess who turns 7 today?

The baby they said I would never have is 7 years old! That's Cameron for you. Don't try and tell him he can't do something, he will do it! (even being born!). He is a Leo through and through. and a little comedian. We love you! Happy Birthday!

Adoption reunion!

We had such a great time this weekend meeting up with most of the families from our adoption group. We didn't have one last year, so it has been two years since we have seen most of them. It was the perfect day for the beach in Santa Cruz. Can't wait to see everyone again! (sooner)
Babies in China 2004:

Big 5 year olds!

Proud moms! (and one Grandma)

These are so cute!

Scott needed some baby gifts for two women at work, and I came across these. I thought they were so cute! Even cuter than mine, I wish I had thought of it. They have a few other animals, too. you can find them here

Quick update from the land of crazy...

• I Spilled a quart of paint all over the walls, carpet and new Pottery ba.rn rug, 2 hours before the open house. Thank Goodness for the carpet cleaner I bought with the intention of cleaning my own carpets(yeah, right!). if we never use it again, it was worth every penny!
• Have had 2 open house and a Realtors tour. No offers, yet.
• We live in the car. Literally. Did you know that you can get 3 meals a day at Sta.rbuc.ks?
• I drove by a house today with a huge lemon tree full of lemons. It took everything I had to not stop and ask for some. I might go back tomorrow.
• It takes me an hour every day to get the house in "walk through condition". I don't have an extra hour every morning. Do you know where I can get one?
• When staging your house, just turn everything on an angle. (furniture, vases, pictures)it looks better. Go ahead, try it.
• I haven't been able to take any pictures, because I can't find my camera. I had to drop out of my photography class because I missed so many trying to get the house ready. I am sad.

Could the economy get any worse??

Today I paid $4.69 for a gallon of gas. But the worst thing yet, the realtor asked me to pick up a bunch of lemons to put in a big bowl on the counter for the open house. I went to the store and put them in a bag and brought them up to the register. She rang them up and I did a double take. They are how much? They were $1.60 each. For. Lemons. I did not buy them. Anyone have a lemon tree? Or want to buy a house?

I don't do perfect (very well)

I am having a rough week. I know you don't feel sorry for me because I just came back from a two week vacation, and that's fine. We now have T-minus 3 days until the first open house. And my head might explode before then. The house cleaners made me rush home and miss the incoming Kindergarten playgroup that I am in charge of, because they couldn't open the lock box. They couldn't put in a three letter code and open it. So I came home, only to have them tell me that they didn't have time to clean my house this week. WHAT? I sort of lost it. I didn't yell. or anything, but I was very exasperated and asked why they wasted my time making me drive all the way home? So I called the realtor and she convinced them to do the kitchen and baths. When I asked them how much to pay, he replied "I don't care. I am only doing this so I won't tarnish my relationship with the realtor" At this point, my kids are trying to kill each other and I am standing in the driveway crying. So I put them in the car and head out to...nowhere. I had nowhere to go. I had the dog in the car and nowhere to go. And they are still fighting. So we head to the store. The kids only get worse, asking for everything in sight and alternating screaming at each other. Gracie decides she wants Sprite, and I said no. Which starts an hour long screaming/kicking session. Scott happens to call at this time and I am bawling. The kids have really been at each other lately, and I am not sure what to do. That, combined with the fact that the house needs to be perfect, all the time, is putting me on edge...This too, shall pass...

How I am feeling right now...

I was tagged by Susan. This would have been totally different if I had done it on vacation, but here it is!
Tired. On a different time zone and packing all day

Lucky. To have been able to go on a two week vacation with my family.

Panicked. At the thought of getting the house staged by Saturday.

Worried. that the house won't sell.

Hungry. and no food in the house. I guess we will have to go out (oh darn!)

Books, Books, Books

I love, love to read, but I don't do it as much as I would like to. Partly, it is because when I am in the middle of a good book, I do not like to be interupted. For. any. reason. Something my children do not seem to understand! I can be a litle bit obssesive about my reading, staying up until all hours of the night and gerenerally ignoring all the other things I need to be doing. (like cooking and laundry!) So I only read a few books a year. Except when I am on vacation. I have finished 3 books so far. Then, I discovered Audiobooks on my ipod. I can listen to a book while watching my children in the pool and not being a neglectful parent. I can also listen while making lunch for them and in the dark, two things I cannot do while reading. They are a little on the expensive side, but totally worth it to me...
Here is what I have been reading/listening to and would highly reccomend:
The last summer of (you and me)
by Ann Brashares

This was my first Audiobok, and I thought it was great. I have not read her Sister's of the traveling pants series.
Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

This was not my favorite Jodi Picoult, I liked My sister's keeper and Nineteen minutes better, but it was still a good read.

The Friday Night Knitting club by Kate Jacobs
I loved this one for it's women's relationships.


Next on my Audiobook list is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen


What are some of your favorite books?

It wasn't exactly as I'd pictured...

I have always loved the 4th of July. I grew up close to the beach and we would spend all day there. Then, at night we would have a fire and watch fireworks. I have always wanted my children to experience that. But in Northern Ca, it is cold in July, and too foggy to even see any fireworks. The water at the beaches are too cold and the waves too dangerous to swim. So I was excited to see that our resort was having an "Independence day beach party" complete with a BBQ and fireworks. It seemed ironic that my children would get to live my childhood 4th of July dream-in Mexico. Still, I was excited. But it was not meant to be. Instead we got this:


I am not sure if you can see the rain in this picture, but I have not seen rain like that since China. Complete with crashing thunder and lightning...So the beach party was moved indoors and we walked back to our room in pouring rain and watched the short fireworks show from our balcony. Not as I pictured, but still fun...

Beauty and the beast

by the river

A big leezard

I did all the work. She just looked pretty!

Wish you were here...

Fun with my new toy...

Before we left for Mexico,
I bought one of these:

And I am so glad I did! It is waterproof,drop proof, sand proof, and pretty much anything proof. I can take it anywhere! It is the Olympus stylus 850 SW. Here is some fun we have been having with it...

underwater video coming soon..

How to keep your house really clean...

Pack up 3/4 of your things and move the boxes to the garage. Put all the toys in the garage. Take a third of those things and give them away. Ta da! There isn't anything left to make a mess! We are staging our house to sell. I have never been so tired. We know it is not a good time to sell, but it is what we need to do. Thanks goodness tomorrow we leave for this place:

I so deserve a Margarita. Adios!

Camping is fun...Fires are not...

We were having a great time in Big Sur with my sister and friends when we heard there was a fire. We were having too much fun to worry. La, la,la, what fire?? When the ranger came by and asked "are you packed up?" and I said "No. why?" She said "because you need to be!", I knew they were serious. So our second night of camping was spent at the Hyatt. In the Hot tub. The kids thought it was great! Almost as great as camping! But the kids got along great (especially Austin and Grace, I am a little frightened of the teenage years!) I have some pictures, but need to upload the rest...It was a fun time...

Berry Picking

Text says:
We went berry picking at Phipps farm in Pescadero. We wanted to pick strawberries, but they didn't have a good crop. So we picked ollaliberries. They are a cross between a raspberry and a black berry. They are really good! It was a fun day...

The perfect father's day...

We went to the beach...

met up with the Teague family...Here is Cameron and Austin...

Ryleigh passed out after swimming



and fun at Fisherman's warf.

I filled up my computer!

I haven't been able to upload any pictures because I ran out of memory on my laptop that I have only had for a year! Maybe I take too many pictures?? Many momentous things have happened this week! First this:


Cameron had his spring concert and thought it was hilarious to close his eyes whenever he saw the camera. In every.single.picture. He's a jokster!

Then This:


My baby is going to Kindergarten. Sob! How can this be? Time really does fly right by...

The scene:
It is evening and I lay down on the couch for the first time all day.
Grace- "don't you have lots of things you need to do?"
Me- "Yes, I always have things I need to do. The list never ends"
Cameron, not even looking up from his video game -"It ends when you die"
Thanks, honey.

This is how I've been feeling, lately. I seem to have "over volunteered" myself. Thank God for Coffee...

remember...

Quotes

Ok, enough with the bad mood. I think when so many horrible things happen in the world, it gets me down. Here is something I have seen on a couple of blogs that I liked. I went here and picked 5 random quotes that spoke to me.

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.
Bob Newhart

Don't let the bastards grind you down.
General Joseph W. Stilwell

It is a fine thing to establish one's own religion in one's heart, not to be dependent on tradition and second-hand ideals. Life will seem to you, later, not a lesser, but a greater thing.
D. H. Lawrence

Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean.
Christopher Reeve

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.
Ben Stein

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
Harry S Truman
oops, that's 6. Oh well.
I am also participating in Lisa's Pay it forward challenge. I am excited! If you want to play, leave me a comment. I'll pick 3 randomly. (at least 3 people read this, right?)

Nothing

That's what I have to write about. That's what this post is about. The heat wave only lasted 3 days, as it usually does and now it is 50 degrees and rainy. Unofficial start of summer my @ss! I have pictures to upload of baseball, more lost teeth and a jack o' lantern smile.But I'm too lazy. The next two weeks of school winding down are crazy. Field Trips, picnics, staff parties,luncheons, gifts (which means lots of $) Man, I sound cranky...

Sangria by the pool...

Before you get too jealous, keep in mind that this is the pool. Ha! Also keep in mind that it is 87 degrees inside my house right now.
Recipe:
1 or 2 bottles of dry red wine, depending on how much you want to make.
1 oz. brandy
1 oz. triple sec ( you don't need these if you don't have them)
1/3 cup sugar(or less if you want it less sweet)
orange slices
lemon slices
2 Green apples, peeled and chopped
pineapple chunks
Club soda. You can use lemon-lime flavor and not as much sugar
Combine wine, brandy, triple sec and fruit in a pitcher. Refrigerate, preferably overnight. Before serving, fill glass about a quarter full with club soda. pour wine mixture over, spoon some fruit into glass. enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day to me...

I had a great day. Scott and the kids got me some cute things including this shirt:

I love Life is Good stuff! But my favorite present is the one I got for myself. Here it is:

I ordered it online, so I haven't gotten it yet, but it is really sad how excited I am! I have always been an Oreck fan, but I have heard such good things about Dyson that I can't wait to try. It doesn't take much to make me happy, I know...

An early Mother's Day...

Grace had her little Mother's Day performance yesterday. I cried, even though I have seen it 3 times! It is just so cute!