Blast from the Past!

It's a snow day... I sat down at the computer {the one I don't use often} and started looking at pictures.  I came across these and I just sat in amazement.  This was the first time I let the boys go down a BIG ride by themselves... the were 8 and 6 {respectively}.  Look at how little they look.  They loved it... I remember this day vividly... the entire time thinking and wondering if I'd done the right thing.  I stood in line with them until I had to let them be on their own and then I headed to the viewing area.  Listening to them scream all the way down the drop was scary... the smiles and joy on their faces... PRICELESS!

Camping Birthday

Here are the pictures from Baby Girl's 8th Camping Birthday.

It was simple. I'm happy with what we did.  I have found ways to improve (such a teacher... always).

However, my baby girl was HAPPY!

Cake pops shaped like marshmallows... lantern from Target (it's solar and is awesome at night in her bedroom).

Cupcakes (digital fun added)

Baby Girl helping.

The table... fruit kabobs, cake pops, cupcakes, create your own trail-mix -- FUN!

The best birthday surprise EVER!

And I got it on video... except I really didn't... and I'm bummed... but if you could of seen her face.  We told her she was holding our friends new puppy and she oohed and ahhed over her and then... I told her Happy Birthday... this is your new puppy and she just lit up... she couldn't believe it... and I had it all on video... except I didn't.

Time to plan a birthday party!

My kids are deprived... we do birthday parties (with friends) every-other-year.  I know... mean, right?!?


Well, it works for us me.


September begins birthday parties for the next 6 months.  


Baby Girl has decided on a camping party (I said camping, not sleepover... I'm not crazy!) and Pinterest has provided a gaggle of ideas for us to peruse and choose from!

She definitely wants cake pops!

A gift for friends?

S'more station... yum... maybe too much with the cake pops?

Table... so fun!

A tent to hang out in... our green coleman will have to do!

I'm thinking we need to add a craft... please pass along any camping craft ideas... after the party I'll post our actual pictures... happy camping!

Sometimes growing up is just hard....

We headed up to the state cup for soccer this past weekend... the games did not go well... the kids did not play up to their potential... it was just sad. (They did, however, have a great time together in the hotel... so much fun watching them hangout and do the pre-teen thing... a little scary too for mom!)

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!

See that cute boy in my blog header... it's his birthday today! Pepe is 11 years old and I can't hardly believe it.

I'm so proud of the young man he is becoming... we have definitely hit the pre-teen phase over the last few months, but I have to say that we are all handling it well (most of the time)... skinny jeans (purple and orange) and long hair... oh my! He's smart (really smart), talented, athletic... he's coming out of his shell, he's becoming less afraid to be himself and I am so happy and pleased to watch him go through these phases in life.

I had the opportunity to go to dinner with just him last night... he chose Izzy's... we talked, we had a conversation... he's getting that big. He made his own food decisions and I was an observer. A different role for me, but one I'm happy to take on.

Pepe is known for his quiet ways (don't get me wrong... he's very loud when playing)... he just doesn't need to be talking all the time. But I still enjoy his chats at night... he's always been a night talker... like when the lights go off for bed time and I hear him say, "Mom, can we talk." Oh, how I love that moment... when he doesn't want me to go and bear hugs my arm and just wants to talk.


For all the rough times we have, there a million more great times. It's never easy being a parent and it's certainly not easy being a child... but we are both doing a good job.

Happy Birthday Pepe!
(Kick bootie today at your soccer game!)

Wordless Wednesday

Oh, the places you'll go!

V-day

I was at the preschool this week... subbing.

I headed off to find a book to read and I stumbled across the box of Valentine books. I love this book... it was a find a couple of years ago and I read it to my class as a cold read. As I read several ideas came to me and I scrapped my entire planned day and we worked on projects surrounding this book.

Mice made out of hearts....

Huge valentines...

Sparkly, fluffy, lacy valentines...

Writing notes to friends...

Loving our families...

etc.Enjoy... you can find it here.

Giving it ALL

This kid gives it ALL each week.

His determination, intensity and passion speak loudly.

He's struggling right now... not with the game of basketball but with the move of his best friend and his coach (of two sports).

I see the frustration. It manifests itself in pure crankiness and often tears (about something totally unrelated).




He's taught me a large lesson. I need to give my ALL each day when parenting. It's not acceptable to not be intense and determined and focused.

I need to think outside the box with this kid... I need to know how to get out of sticky situations with him. He's an extremely sensitive kid and he often tells me to "not yell at him"... and I shake my head... {I'm not yelling.} But, in his eyes and ears anything stern is yelling and he shuts down.

Oh, the joys of parenting... It's a daily struggle and joy to parent.

Stay focused, be determined, have intensity...


Give it ALL.

He's 9!

Phineous is 9! My Thanksgiving (born a month early baby is 9!

This year is a year to celebrate with family... which the kids are skeptical about. But it proved to be a great birthday celebration.



We surprised him with the chance to watch Oregon vs. Duke on Saturday. He went with his two buddies and the three Dad's. He had no idea he was going... we told him to get ready to head to the store (he put on his Ducks shirt... cause he always wears his Duck shirt) and we stalled for the friends to arrive. He kept asking if his buddies could come and play and we kept putting him off. Finally the door bell sounded and his buddies had arrived... he and Joe got in the car and the friends told him where he was going. So cool! (He loved the game!)



The second surprise was an ipod touch. I know, I know... he's only 9. What do you do when it's the only thing he wants, you get a great deal, he's very responsible and it's the only thing he wants?!?!!? He LOVES it. He has even shared with his brother without.being.asked!

It was a great celebration! Which wasn't complete with out plain cheesecake :)


I can't believe he's 9! I'm trying hard to enjoy this year because I keep thinking... I'm going to have two kids in double digits next year... aaaagh! Enjoy this season :)

In pain

It is terrible to watch your child suffer... Phinneous is in PAIN!

While wrestling with his buddies he was SLAMMED into a wall. His wind was knocked out of him... I worked to get him under control and then suggested the boys quit wrestling (fyi -- I hate wrestling... someone ALWAYS gets hurt.)

A little while later the boys were running down the stairs and I heard the classic thud, bump, bump, s.p.l.a.t. It was Phinneous.... now he was really not happy. But, he was headed to the trampoline...

A few minutes later I heard the screeching.... MOM!

He couldn't get off the trampoline... couldn't move... I thought he MUST be cramping... he had pitched that afternoon and he must be dehydrated, etc. I had to climb up through the tiny-kid-sized net and retrieve him (visualize my larger arse climbing through everything... not a pretty site). He was pretty upset... I massaged him and got him ice and gave him an ibuprofen... I figured he'd be fine.

Got him home, positioned him in bed and just waited for him to pass out... which he did... yay! That was short lived as at 2am he was up and in pain. I repositioned him and thought {^&*}... do I take him to the ER... did he break a bone... is it muscular... can it wait til morning...

I chose to wait till morning, but I was up several more times repositioning him... needless to say... no sleep!

***

Dr. Report... muscle strain... heat, ibuprofin and no physical activity for a week! Hot tub is a great idea (so glad I have one in my backyard)! And Ty!eno! 3 for bed time... yay!

So now I'm exhausted and I'm still waiting for him to pass out. However, he has found the Duck game on TV... it's going to be a long day!

Just cute

Cleared 370 pictures off of my camera and found baby girls bday photos. She just makes me smile! This was her year to have a family party... she wasn't too keen on the idea, but I think she loved it!

Parenting -- ick!

My son had a total break-down about school last night... broke my heart.

• playground -- specifically the soccer field -- kids are mean, telling him "he sucks". If you know my son you know that he is an athlete... are they just happy when he makes mistakes? He is not my boastful child... he does well and lets it be.
  
• classroom -- hates where he sits, was moved from his friends (because he's the kid that can sit with the kids who won't behave). He feels ousted from the group.
• just plain bullying -- "I can break your wrist... I'm in karate."
• I'm mean -- I don't like play dates during the school week. Occasionally is fine, but we are busy with practices and homework and they don't get home from school until 4 and I like them in bed by 8:30... doesn't give us a lot of time for play dates. I squelched that one... told him that we do not have play dates on a school day, but I told him I would work harder to set things up on the weekend.
  

What do I do? My first reaction was to call all the parents of the children he mentioned and "give it to them". Knowing that was not the right thing to do I waited... I calmed down. I chatted with Joe...

We both agree that...

• this child of ours has most likely been experiencing these things for awhile (he tends to take a lot and then burst) and for whatever reason it all came out today.
  
• He is also VERY sensitive... wears his emotions on his sleeve. We are always working with him to let things "roll" off of him.
• He doesn't understand why people would be mean... he's not a mean spirited kid

So... I can counsel most parents through this issue, but when it comes to MY kid I'm at a loss for what to do.

Advice? (I already emailed the teacher and asked for her observations.)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY -- Just Laugh!

You can participate here.

To pay them, or not (allowance)!

The issue of allowance is always staring me in the face... what to do, what to do, what to do?

I do believe that my kids need to earn money AND spend money at this age to learn to be responsible for the future.

I do not believe they should be paid to help out in the house that they live in... isn't that part of their responsibility... they should just pick up their own undies and socks (I'm just sayin').

I did get tired of hearing, "Mom, can I get the new lego, sports card, littlest pet shop, NFL jersey, lipstick, baseball/soccer ball, _______ insert annoying request."

I caved... Allowance... it's alive and well.

Here's what we're trying and it seems to be working for us...

1. Children do normal jobs... just because (brushing teeth, making beds, etc are not a paid job)

2. Children willingly help with jobs when mom and dad ask (without eye rolling or huffing)

3. Some of my children have figured out that if they ask for a job at least once a week they make their mom REALLY happy (and she may or may not think that they are the golden child for the moment).

4. The giving of allowance is heavily weighed upon the childrens behavior for the week (I LOVE THIS)

5. Allowance is given on Friday AND the children must ask me for it. They may not ask on Thursday and if they wait till Saturday (that's a bummer). It's given on Friday. (Note... you should have cash on you on Friday... ugh... that's embarrassing)

6. Some portion of the allowance must be put into Long-term savings. The parental unit will match the amount put into long term savings (like a 401K). Some portion of money should be put into short term savings (i.e. saving for the new lego set, ipod, etc). And children should have a couple of dollars for WAM (walking around money -- love that acronym)

That's it... that's the plan.

The results...

Week 1... Children asked for allowance (mommy was out of cash... still paying them... pathetic... note to self... go to the bank)

Week 2... Children forgot to ask... remembered 2 days later (what a bummer)

Just a little bragging!

Pepe had an incredible soccer tournament last weekend. We are soooo proud of him. He played tough, aggressive, smart and most of all consistent! The team went 2 and 1 to make it to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, they lost in the semi's, but Pepe made the only goal for our team in that game... he hadn't scored since last fall (and when he scored last fall I missed it... I was coaching one of the other kids teams).

I was soooo excited... I went to mommy crazy town (you know when you forget where you are and you let it all out... with a huge YAHOOOOOO!) I stood up to cheer and about dropped my camera. That's when I realized that I didn't capture "the moment". I then started clicking away without even looking through the lens. I was able to capture the excitement on his face and high-fives with teammates. I love the goalie getting the ball out of the net.

Winner -- Winner

The boys have done their share of camps this summer and most of them independently. But they had the chance to attend the Martell Webster (formerly a Portland Trailblazer -- we are so sad that he's been traded) basketball camp.

The camp was held during the three hottest days of the summer. Needless to say they both worked very hard, got very sweaty and red in the face. The boys love Martell... he is so good with the kids. He even brought squirt guns and water balloons to the camp to help everyone stay cooled off.

Joe headed to camp on the last day to take a few photos. The boys didn't know he was coming and they were a little stunned!

Pepe -- going through one of the drills. He did a contest at the camp and took 3rd place in bump.



Phinneous also competed in a contest called hot shot. You have to shoot as many baskets as you can from different locations and you earn points. He made it to the finals and finished the contest in front of all of the campers. He "drained" two 3-point shots and had a final score of 57 and won the contest. He beat everyone in the camp. He competed against 13 year olds! He won a signed Martell Webster jersey. He was ECSTATIC! The thing that just blows my mind... he told me the day before the contest that he was going to win. I watch this kid and see the determination he has and I am impressed!

Sometimes you've got to throw the kid a bone.

Phinneous has a LIST of movies that are "must see" this summer. I am very frugal (some may say cheap) and we typically only see 2-3 movies each year in the theater. Maybe it's because he's the middle child (the forgotten one -- ya right), maybe it's because of that blonde hair and those blue eyes, maybe it's because he wrote me a list of all of the characters, maybe it's because he was able to compare the first two movies in detail or maybe I just caved.... but I took the kids (plus 2 friends) to see
Toy Story 3.


After getting past the ticket cost and snacks (we kept it reasonable... 1 large, refillable popcorn, 2 large sodas and they threw in a box of candy for an extra $.50)... a whopping $62.50, we settled in to enjoy the movie. It was darling. I haven't seen Toy Story 2, but I have seen the original MANY time. I must say that I liked both of them... for different reasons, but they are both good.




One movie checked off of Phinneous' list. (And a priceless moment for mama when I looked down the row as the movie began and saw the look on his face... excitement, thrill, surprise, love... it was the best!)

Summer Menu Planning by Pepe

Edited to add photos!








Pepe is bored... third day of summer and he's bored. Of course it is because that little brother headed off to a friends house and the friend he called couldn't come over. After entertaining himself for quite awhile he finally announced it.... I'M BORED!

I suggested that he plan our dinner menu for the week. He looked at me curiously and said...

1. tortellini
2. ravioli
3. spaghetti
4. lasagna
5. pasta salad

Ha! He's funny... and he loves pasta. All kidding aside, I pointed out the cookbooks and told him to find something. I also mentioned that Giada's (Dad's girlfriend) cookbook would have pasta dishes as she is Italian. He came back with dinner and dessert...

from Giada -- (he put sticky notes on the pages for me)
Cheese Tortellini in Light Broth

from The Great American Cookbook -- (more sticky notes)
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Next assignment -- create a shopping list.
WHAT?
I explained how to do it... go through the ingredient list and decide what we don't have and write it down.
DONE.

I guess we're headed to the store in a few minutes... since I'm out of tortellini ;)

I wonder what's on the menu for tomorrow night?