Happy 1st Birthday C!!

Today is the 1st birthday of a dear friend that I met through the Internet. I had the privilege of meeting her in person twice as well as her husband and her adorable baby boy. She now lives much further away, but through the power of the Internet we have been able to stay connected. I eagerly await new posts from her and enjoy hearing about all of the new challenges that have come with her new home.

Her little man is so adorable and quite a miracle. I know that his little heart have touched so many lives. I hope they are all having a wonderful day celebrating his first year of life!!

13 years ago today...

I became a mother and my life was changed forever!!

My baby girl has become a teenager and although Brian and I have always joked about being afraid of her teenage years, I think we are both very proud of the woman she is becoming and look forward to the next few years.

Although there are moments when we wonder how she will manage to get through the day, we are actually quite confident that she is equipped to deal with the challenges life will bring. She is a bright, funny and loving girl.

It may not always be easy, but we are immensely grateful to have the opportunity to watch her grow, learn and flourish!

OK...

It's been pointed out that I haven't updated, although to be fair I did post last week and sometimes others' don't post that often.

I haven't pumped since last Sunday. Technically I should consider myself done and actually put the pump away. I still get tingling at night that makes me want to pump, just a little. It's not discomfort, but it's like a little whisper in my ear saying, 'Please won't you pump just a little. It won't hurt anyone and you can still say your weaning.' Fortunately I've been able to just go to bed and ignore the little voice. However, I did get a bit of leaking this evening and I'm not even sure how it can be possible. It's also entirely possible that the voice I hear isn't asking to be pumped, it's my breasts screaming at me to get them out of the horrendous contraption that Ciera says I need to wear each day to avoid nipple peek through. Have I mentioned how much I hate wearing a bra and I'm particularly not caring for the new padded version. I didn't want to spend too much on a new bra until after the girls had gone back to their 'non-lactating' selves. So I will continue to suffer through in my $10 padded bra and wait patiently for the hour of the day that I can take it off and let them breathe. (Perhaps more info than you actually wanted to know, huh?)

As for Christmas, it's coming whether anyone is ready or not. I'm actually doing ok though. We (I) got the tree up last Saturday and most of the holiday decor is out as well. I still need to bring out the wreath and organize the mantel decorations, but it'll happen I'm sure.

I've been working at an Elementary school as a 1 on 1 aide for a 4th grader. The position started out as a sub position for 3 days and it looks like it may turn into a permanent position. I am with him the entire school day (5.66 hours) and I've been there for 2 weeks now. I am also still at Toys Be We as seasonal help and working 16 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. I still don't really care for it, it's retail and cruddy pay, but I committed to the position for the holidays and I'm not one to not honor a commitment. I will work the 2 weeks that we're all out of school as well. This week and last week have been pretty busy with both jobs, but it's not forever and hopefully the paycheck will be appreciated. Brian is taking off the 2 weeks that the kids are out of school to hang out with them, so they should still have a good time while I'm working. Plus Brian is looking forward to the time off. He hasn't taken any 'real' time off since I delivered the twins.

We've got a couple of other things going on with school and the kids started basketball last week. They both have practice twice a week and Ciera still has softball once a week or so. Basketball games don't start until January though so I'm not missing any games due to the toy store.

The good news is I'm in pretty good spirits and still enjoying the season. I can be caught humming Christmas tunes when I don't think anyone is around. I went out gift shopping a few weeks ago and totally impulse bought. I spent 2 hours chatting on the phone and wandering the toy store. Most everything I bought is going back, but a few things were actually keepers. I've had a good time finding the things I needed and have even helped a friend price and find items that she needs. It's been a lot of fun to spend someone else's money. Anyone need a personal shopper?

I worked a full 8 hours today and my feet did not care for it too much. I'm officially headed to bed. I've been really good about waking up by 5:30 to get to the gym by 6 am before dropping the kids off and heading to work, but I'm debating about going tomorrow morning. We'll see.

Time to pack up the pump?

This is a repeat entry from the twins' blog, but it's such big news in my life that I felt the need to share it everywhere.

The babes are 9 months and 10 days and I think I'm just about done pumping. I only got 11.5 oz today. I've been waiting for the output to not be worth the effort and I think we're just about there. Technically, I was supposed to stop at the end of November, but it's really been hard to stop this time. Partly because the amounts have been so high and perhaps partly because I don't really know if I'll ever have this opportunity again. I just hadn't really been ready to give it up, but I think the time is coming soon. Perhaps by the end of the week even?

So much to be thankful for!

The spirit of the season is really hitting hard and I'm trying my best to keep everything in perspective. Most of October I spent freaking out and not in a very good 'mental' place. I realized this after lunch with a friend. I spent most of the lunch complaining and freaked out. Although it's ok to have days like that, I was planning to cart around those feelings for as long as it took and I'm really not ok with being that person. If I stop for just a moment, there are so many things for me to be thankful for and I need to focus on that. I can continue to work on the issues stressing me out, but not let it control our lives.

I am immensely thankful for so much! I am not going to go into all of it, but if you are reading here (and especially if you made the move to this blog from my surrogacy blog) than you are probably pretty high on my list of things/people I am thankful for!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day today and will take the time to remember all that you too have to be thankful for!

A fascinating parenting article

I ran across this article on another blog and thought I'd share it with those of you who aren't on my Facebook (and why exactly haven't you added me yet as a Facebook friend?).
Definitely food for thought. I find myself constantly challenging parenting opinions (my own and others') and wondering if I'm headed in the right direction. Which things do you really stress with your kids and which things are unnecessary. Most of our choices we've made with our kids I am ok with and still believe in, however there are a few things that I definitely wish I'd/we'd done differently. I can only hope to share that knowledge with my own kids when they become parents and hope that they will appreciate the wisdom that the advice comes with.
Enjoy!

The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting

Weekend Highlights

Logan had a spectacular basketball game on Friday. I'm so disappointed that I didn't bring the video camera. I would love to be able to replay his around the back dribble and left handed layup. They played the 1 seed as a 4 seed, were expected to lose and won! They play in the Championship game on Friday. This is a team that only won 1 game all season!

Saturday Ciera had her final tournament with her fall team, the Rocklin Hype. She got to pitch, play 1st base and hit. It was nice to see her finally get a chance to get on the field. She did very well and it was a great day. Logan had a flag football game as well. They did not do so well, but Logan caught 3 passes and had several flag pulls. Mostly it's just great to see him having fun and talking with the other boys.

Saturday night Ciera went to see a movie with her 'boyfriend'. She reconnected with a preschool friend by googling him and finding him on Facebook. Is it possible for 12 year olds to 'reconnect'? Anyhow, she learned a big lesson about how much easier it is to 'chat' with a stranger than talk in person while waiting for a movie to start. His parents were great about getting them together and keeping things appropriate. It was really neat for me to get to see him all grown up, 8 years later. And not surprisingly, Ciera was a few inches taller than him.

Sunday was the final day of the tournament. They won their first game (not what any of us expected) and lost the second. Then we hustled our booties out to a try-out for a spring team. Ciera had tried out for this team in the fall and was not picked up, since they already had 4 pitchers. Ciera was very much hoping to make this team, and they phoned tonight and offered her a spot. She probably won't pitch much, but she'll get some time and she'll get to play other defensive positions. This team is coached by an Olympic pitcher, so Ciera should be able to learn a ton! We are all quite excited about it.

With this being the last tournament, Ciera now has several months off before the next game. So, it was time to finally pierce her ears. We hustled to the mall after the try-out to get them done. She took the pain like a champ and is quite pleased with her new earrings.

At 10:30 as I'm desperately trying to get the kids into bed, they decide to play and giggle together. I love it when they play together, but they always do it at bedtime-which makes it SO hard for me to make them go to bed!

They are finally down and we've got a big day tomorrow.

I'm employed!!

As a state employee, Brian was required to take Furlough days about 8 or 9 months ago. He's up to 3 unpaid days off a month, but he's able to choose the day (the good part). Unfortunately, we've now eaten up all of our savings trying to 'get by' until the furloughs end (currently set to end summer of 2010). As a 1 income family in CA we've always had a tight budget. When we take a look, there are not a lot of areas that we can make cuts to make up that kind of a pay difference. So, it became time for me to find SOMETHING that would pay me rather than just volunteering.

Available jobs are also pretty hard to come by right now. I am not being super picky, applied darn near everywhere (except Ace hardware) and I finally received a call for an interview at Toys B They (not the actual name of course). I have been an employee for 1 week now and it's finally looking better.

It's not a dream job by any stretch of the imagination and it's only seasonal help, but it helps to fill the furlough void and I can work the hours around the kids' school schedules. I was unable to attend Ciera's softball games on Saturday, but made it for Logan's flag football. There will be some minor inconveniences, but it shouldn't be too bad. It will be crazy busy and it's super hot moving around cashiering, but it could be worse.

The first few days were really tough on my legs. I was so tired after a 4 or 5 hour shift, I actually slept 11 hours after my 3 shift, but by yesterday (1 week) I was doing ok.

I will continue to keep my eyes open and look for something a bit more enjoyable and profitable for after the holidays.

mp-Thursday

On the agenda today, fingerprinting, grocery shopping, food prep, walk the dog, wii fit, laundry, football practice and some reading (The Lost Symbol). Oh, did I mention the cranky child?

Working moms do all the same stuff, it's just not such a highlight in their day. They don't need to post it all over the internet. Everyone does laundry, grocery shops, walks their dogs and takes their kids to practices, for me it's worth mentioning.

I have to get fingerprinted to get on the school sub list. The clearance I had 5 years ago is now expired.

Logan is always cranky in the mornings. We desperately need to get his butt in bed before 10, but we just can't seem to make it happen. Perhaps tonight.

mp-educational value of Facebook

There is educational value in FB apps. My 10 year old has now learned how to make a cheeseburger thanks to Cafe World. He tells me, "Making a cheeseburger is pretty easy. You just need the burger, some cheese, lettuce and a tomato." If only it were really that easy.

mp-recycling

Finally headed to recycle my newspapers, cans and bottles! I'll be taking bets on the value.

Edited to add: I brought home $64 and change for cans and bottles we've had since May. There is no pay for newspapers, but I like to dispose of them in the newspaper recycler rather than in my garbage can (it just feels cleaner that way).

Birthday brownies for breakfast

I'm pretty sure there is an unwritten rule somewhere that brownies should be eaten for breakfast on your birthday. I made them for myself this year, but hubby and Ciera claim that they will make them next year. We'll see!

It was a pretty good day, although far too hot for a 35th birthday!! The big 35 didn't bother me today, but it's been eating at me for the last few weeks. 35 means that I'm really a grown up and perhaps there are some grown up changes I need to make. We'll see about that as well.

Long day today and tomorrow starts even earlier!

mp-great day

Brownies for breakfast, softball all day and anything I want for lunch and dinner-the makings of a great day!!

mp-oops

I guess I shouldn't walk around naked with the front door open. I'm pretty sure the guy/gal that hangs pizza coupons on the door knob is pretty freaked out right now.

mp-decisions, decisions

Tackled the kitchen yesterday, dare I switch out the summer decor for fall today or should I pick up some groceries? Decisions, decisions.

I love it when the kitchen is all cleaned up-every counter, every surface. Why can't it stay like that?

mp-surro gtg on Sunday-lots of Pics

Want to see a ton of pics?
We had the biggest Sacramento area GTG ever, around 24 of us!
Check out the pics-

http://picasaweb.google.com/bcclbegley/20090920#

We had a great time!!

mp-Wed

Head hardly hurts at all today, although getting to sleep was still tough last night. Eventually, I will stop complaining about this darn cold! This cold hit pretty hard on Tuesday when I returned from Seattle.

Everyone overslept here except me. I had to get up early to help the oversleepers get back on track.Today's to do list: place Scholastic book order, sweep, mop, bathrooms, laundry, gym, softball practice and dinner.

mp-Wed.

Ground beef soft tacos with refried beans, cheese, and NACHO CHEESE for dinner last night.
Tonight we're having Ground beef mushroom patties with mashed potatoes and green beans.

The kids are home from school today and enjoying hanging out with friends.
Ciera has softball practice tonight.
Logan has a basketball skill evaluation tonight for the upcoming fall season (he'll be playing flag football as well).

I need to get the house partially cleaned and a suitcase packed because I am headed to visit the 3 year olds and the babes!! Tomorrow I will load a giant cooler full of milk, pick up my friend Melissa and drive for 12 hours. After a few hours of sleep I should be awakened by beautiful noises and beautiful faces. Melissa and I are both thrilled to pieces to be taking this trip. We have to drive home on Monday, but it will be worth every moment of a 24 hour round trip drive.

Ciera and Logan are staying home with their dad. Ciera has practice and a lesson scheduled over the long weekend and Logan has orientation for his flag football team. Fortunately all of our colds are much better today and we are feeling like we're almost healthy.

MP-Monday

1st morning of green smoothies
1st day at the gym this week
1st minimum day of the school year
1st day in a long time that Brian called in sick
1st softball practice of the week
1st throw up of the school year-Logan is battling his cold-the phlegm always wins

DINNER: 3 out of 4 approved
Uncle Jon burgers (Yoshida sauce) with Tillamook Cheddar Cheese
Baked Beans
Potato Salad-store bought
Ruffles Bar-B-Q chips
Cantaloupe

MP

Enjoyed catching up with my hubby this weekend. Some days we don't end up with much time to 'really' talk, and it was nice to get a chance to do that this weekend. It was also nice that 3 out of 4 family members ate the dinner I cooked-and liked it.

Ciera's cold is gone, but the rest of the family is at various points in the cycle. Logan currently has it the worst.

MP - Mini Post

I'm stealing this from a fellow blogger. I find I'm not updating the blog due to updating my Facebook status. So I will try the MP-mini post and see if it works better. Hopefully at points I can come back and fill in the details.

I REALLY need to get to the store, do some laundry, finish my book, buy some birthday presents, get to the gym AND make dinner at home tonight!

ETA: I got to a few of the stores on my list, bought a few of the birthday gifts I needed and did some of the laundry. I made it to the gym, only 3 days total for the week, but there's always next week to try for 4 or 5 days. I did make dinner, it may have been my Salsa chicken taco night, not too sure anymore. I stayed up late Thursday night to finish the final Percy Jackson book and was very pleased with the conclusion.

First Friday

I don't have much to say today.

Last night was our busy night. Logan had a final basketball practice and Ciera had her first softball practice with her new fall team, Rocklin Hype and they were both at the same time. I returned home to find Logan distraught over his math homework. Honestly I think the week had caught up with him and he was just tired. He did fine once we sat down with him and talked him out of his panic.

The kids got up fine today, I slept in until nearly 7 and then went back to bed after dropping them off at school. I've done nothing today except a load of laundry and picking up a bit.

We've received a ton of bad news this week and lost a few people from our lives. I don't think I'm depressed as much as I'm emotionally exhausted. This weeks news came on the heels of having to deal with other extended family issues and I'm just spent.

My brother in Alaska is headed down for the services and it will be good to see him. Hopefully things will go well and everyone can continue to stay strong.

Tonight is Logan's last basketball game of the summer season (they may have a playoff game, but I don't expect they'll win it). We have no regrets about having him play with this coach, he's definitely become a better ball handler and much more confident about his abilities on the court, but they've only won 1 game.

The weekend looks to be fairly clear, aside from a service, so it will be nice for the family to relax and get ready for week 2.

A much better morning...

I got to bed before 10 last night and I feel MUCH better this morning. I even slept better once I fell into a deep sleep sometime after 12.

Ciera has been battling a cough/cold since the weekend and the cough got to her again last night. I know she's not feeling well when she's willing to take nasty liquid medicine. She woke me around 11:30 to get her cough syrup.

Logan had some trouble falling asleep last night as well, but he worked ahead on his math assignment and then went to bed around 10. It still remains to be seen if he wakes up grouchy as a result.

Logan has his last basketball practice of the summer season tonight and Ciera has her first practice with her new team. They are both at the same time, so Brian and I still have to flip a coin to see who goes where. We really prefer it when we can both go to both practices.

I'm headed to Folsom to meet up with a friend and pick up a face mask for Ciera (to protect her braced teeth and her face from any line drives).

Day 4 is looking good so far. We even have a beautiful morning breeze and I am hopeful that the day will be tad cooler.

Day 3

I woke up even later this morning and I'm still tired and grumpy. The kids however are doing great with the morning routine. There has been no fighting or attitude or lounging around. They get up and get things done, except breakfast. Today was the first day Ciera ate breakfast and I just can't seem to get Logan to ever eat. This is nothing new and he does eat a healthy snack at school almost immediately. He just needs time in the morning before eating.

I didn't think I'd make it to the gym right after drop off, but at 7:45 all I had left to do was brush my teeth so off I went with no time to take a picture. You will have to trust me, they looked dang cute today. Logan wore one of my favorite outfits for him and Ciera pulled together another bright outfit.

While trying to get dressed this morning I realized I'm out of clean, comfortable undergarments, so laundry is on the agenda for today and a little more Percy Jackson-book 5.

It has been miserably hot this week, high 90's. I know it's been hotter at points this summer, but I believe we slept away a lot of the hot hours. The heat has really gotten to me this week though and has made me rather cranky. Is it wrong to have Grandma pick up the kids from school while I float in her pool?

Last night we had an amazing dinner. Logan had suggested Italian marinated chicken breasts, so I grilled them up, threw them on a bun with romaine hearts, some cheese, bar-b-q sauce and some leftover bacon. Delicious!! Plus we had watermelon at Ciera's request.

I had a good time at book club last night, while Brian and the kids played basketball and pitched.

Tonight Logan has basketball practice and we will have enchiladas (frozen from 2 or 3 weeks ago) or spaghetti with meat and mushroom sauce (frozen from 2 or 3 weeks ago) with garlic bread. The spaghetti will actually require more prep and time, so I think we'll have it tonight and save the easy enchiladas for Thursday's crazy schedule.

Here's my dinner time issue, Ciera hated last nights dinner. "I don't like chicken." Brian will not care for the spaghetti dinner and Ciera will not even eat the enchilada dinner, "I don't like red sauce on my enchiladas." Logan is the least picky, but he doesn't eat much. I have no idea what Ciera actually eats aside from lettuce and cereal. This is why I'd found it easier to just eat out somewhere, plus I don't have to cook, but lately we can't even all agree on one fast food place. I think I will just have to start planning menus around what is on sale or in the freezer (previously on sale) and hope that they will eventually all start enjoying the meal.

With Brian looking at 3, possibly 4 furlough days, I have to really look at employment for myself or really start controlling our budget and getting us the most for our dollar. Since I don't want to fill out applications, much less a resume, it looks as though option 2 will win out.

2nd day of school

I found the camera and the kids grudgingly took a 2nd day of school picture for me as we headed out the door (almost on time). Ciera has become a bit of a picture freak, so she didn't really complain and Logan claims he was just unhappy because the sun was in his eyes (which it was).

Day 1 went well for the kids. They both came home happy, although they pointed out I was late. School gets out at 3:00. I arrived at 3:02, but most kids must've left a bit early that day. I can never really win, so I've stopped trying. Ciera loved being back with her group of friends and they even invited the 1 new girl and 1 of the new boys to join their group (sit with them). Logan hung out with his friends and was pleased to have an old friend back in his class.

I had a nice but nonproductive day. I finished my book club book, The Invisible Wall, and took a wee nap after going to the gym. I neglected to take anything out for dinner so we had a Back to School dinner at Jack in the Box (with 2 coupons). Upon returning home I took chicken out to marinade so we'd have a dinner at home on Tuesday.

Today they both packed their own lunches again, with only minimal help in finding the right sized containers for their food. (I stopped buying baggies last year-trying to reduce my carbon footprint-and Ciera has really hated it ("all my friends use baggies"). I headed to the gym right away and am now trying to decide if I should enjoy 1 more day of napping before getting serious about all the stuff that needs to be done around the house. I'm thinking the dog looks really lonely sleeping in the chair and I should go snuggle him in my bed, for just 1 more day.

Back to school

Ciera and Logan headed back to school this morning! As it was time to leave I frantically began looking for my camera-can't forget the first day of school picture. I couldn't find it and the kids were anxious to get going. Fortunately we recently discovered that Ciera's laptop has a web cam. C quickly got it set up so that it could get both of them in the shot for me and we were set.

Friday Ciera had an appointment to get her hair cut and add some bangs. She's pretty pleased with how it turned out, but would've liked it to have been a bit shorter (although she didn't say anything while we were there about it). On Sunday Logan decided he would like to clean up his hair, so off he went with his dad for a trim. Imagine my surprise when he came back with a 1 & 2, with nothing left to 'muss up' with gel. He assures me that it's not a buzz cut, although when I gave him this same haircut for the first 9 years of his life he definitely thought it was a buzz cut. In the end, he's happy with it, his dad loves it, and I will love not having to worry about the back sticking up although it's still going to take me some time to adjust to it.

Without further ado, my 7th and 6th graders.

And no, I did not require them to wear matching outfits. They both chose their own clothes and they just both happened to be yellow (you can't see either one of their lower halves, which is really why they are wearing yellow. Logan has on plaid shorts and Ciera is wearing her new favorite neon yellow skinny jeans.)

Hopefully they have a great day. I am always a little sad that I'm one of the few parents that just drop the kids off on the first day, but they both have asked me to not walk them into class for the last 2 years. I didn't even make them lunches today, they both made their own all by themselves. Fortunately, I'm ok with that.

Another Busy Week

Last weekend found us in Lodi for one last chance to win a bid to Nationals in Illinois for Ciera's softball team. They did not make it, but we are officially headed to Western Nationals in Tracy, CA at the end of the month.
Sunday was a rare off day for softball, so we used it to celebrate Brian's birthday with his family. We headed to his parents' house for some swimming, lasagna and brownies with ice cream. There wasn't much swimming done (not sure why) but dinner was great, dessert was excellent and we had a great time visiting.

Monday the kids and I headed out to get pictures taken with my mom and their cousins. My sister's boys, Brett and Bryce are here visiting for the summer from Texas. It's been a good 7 or 8 years since we'd seen them, so of course we had to do pictures. The kids were troopers and put up with not one, but two picture appointments. After pictures Brett and Bryce came home with us until Wednesday. We spent Monday afternoon swimming, Tuesday we hung out at the house because they all slept so late and Ciera had softball practice. Wednesday we headed back down to swim again before I took them back up to their mom.

Logan spent Wednesday night sleeping over at Brian's parents with his other cousins, Steven and Jack and had a great time. All of Logan's basketball got cancelled this week due to his coach having to have an emergency gall bladder removal. This left us with no plans on Friday evening, so we celebrated Brian's birthday at home that night.

Brian's actual birthday was on Wednesday, but there were so many other things going on that I didn't feel like we properly celbrated. He did take the day off, slept in and spent some 'alone time' at the video game store. He seemed quite pleased with his purchases when he arrived to take Ciera to her pitching lesson. He then spent a quiet evening with her, a Togo's sandwich and a video.

We are headed to Stockton again this weekend. I was able to get us our favorite Stockton area hotel for only $42 again. I am SO looking forward to the beds, the indoor pool and the make your own Belgian waffle breakfast.

Next week is a little less crazy, but still plenty of ink on the calendar.

My sister's boys-Bryce, 11 and Brett, 13

And I just thought I'd throw a picture in of my brother Roger's little girl, Dorothy. She'll be 3 in September and is growing so fast. Who can resist a cute little girl with frosting?

First basketball game of the summer session

Friday night was Logan's first game with his new team. We were able to get him back on a team with his first coach-Coach Smith. Logan started basketball with him Winter of 2007/2008 and learned so much from him-including the joy of the game. After last winter's fiasco of a season, we jumped at the opportunity to get him back on Coach Smith's team (giving up the chance for Logan and his cousin to play on the same team).
So last night was the first game and of course it would have to be against his cousins team. Most of you may recall, Logan doesn't generally end up on 'winning teams' and last night was no exception. They got beat 42-15 by a team that only had 6 kids show up and played the last 8 minutes with only 4 boys due to 2 of them fouling out. In all fairness, the other team had a phenomenal shooter, runner and ball handler that really made a big difference.
When we started practice last week, Coach sent Logan home with a play book and asked him to learn the plays for the 2 & 3 positions. We woke up Friday morning with an e-mail asking Logan to look over the 1 plays, as Coach was going to have him play 1-point guard! Logan was THRILLED beyond words (as were Brian and I) that coach felt his skills had improved enough to be trusted with the ball so much (first season Logan regularly played hot potato with the ball). He wasn't the best point guard, but he did very well and had great confidence in himself-which is HUGE!!
One of the great things about playing Jackson, is that his mom is much better at remembering to bring her camera. Here's Logan bringing the ball down (and being guarded by Jack's best friend).

He didn't take many shots, but he made some great passes and rebounds. Sadly the game is a bit of a blur in my head so I can't recall much of it, but I hear that both boys played great. I know they both worked hard. Here's a sweaty, after the game picture. From their faces you can't even tell which kid just got smacked down by the cousins team.

Ok, maybe a little, but honestly we were SO proud of Logan for not being upset about the game and for leaving the court and the gym with a big smile. He actually had a ton of positive things to say about the game.

As for me and Ciera, we had a nice Friday afternoon. I got to have a birthday lunch with my friend Melissa and Ciera got to shop at the mall while I was eating-a win, win for everyone as Logan got to control the TV the entire time we were gone.

We're headed to Lodi this morning and are looking forward to a fun day at the pool tomorrow.

Thursday-only a few more before summer is over

Today is much like Wednesday-different day, same list of stuff to complete.

Made it to Curves this morning.
Washed the dog, again. He was bit this weekend and we've got to keep the wound clean as it heals-so far so good.
Ortho appointments for both kids at 2.
Softball at 4:15-6:30 (30 minutes away-each way)-parent meeting after practice
Basketball practice 6-7 (15 min each way)

Ciera's really hoping to get to Target today, Logan is agreeing so that he doesn't have to take his shower until tonight.
BBQ chicken sandwiches for dinner-Ciera refuses to eat this so she'll fix her own cruddy dinner.
Dishwasher got run, but that's about all that will get done today since we'll be out of the house for the entire afternoon and evening.

Logan's first basketball game of the summer season is this Friday. His team will play his cousins team, so we are all looking forward to it (well everyone except Ciera). Saturday morning we are headed to Lodi for another chance to win a bid for Nationals in Illinois. Sunday we'll be swimming and celebrating Brian's birthday with his family.

Next week is even busier than this week. My sister's boys are here for the summer and we get to borrow them Monday and Tuesday. They've been in Alaska and Texas for the last few years. We haven't seen them in about 7 or 8 years. Brett is 13 and Bryce just turned 11. The cousins are all getting their pictures taken with Grandma on Monday and then the boys are going to come stay with us until Wednesday.

Ciera has softball practice T, Th and a lesson on Wednesday. She's getting a pedicure with her Aunt Betsey and Grandma on Tuesday and a tournament next weekend. Logan has basketball practice on Wednesday nights and games on Friday nights. We also have Brian's birthday on Wednesday-still not sure if he's taking the day of or not. I have book club Tuesday night (finally read the book) and lunch with a friend on Friday, not to mention laundry has to be done Tuesday and Thursday nights for uniform needs.

This may be it from me for a bit, I really have to get serious about cleaning up the house before my nephews come on Monday.

Golden Gate Bridge (and my kids)

On Friday, July 3, 2009 we headed to San Francisco before our Hayward tournament. We stopped by Baker Beach for a bit of 'sun and surf'. Unfortunately it was already 5 by the time we finally got there and it's San Francisco. It was pretty overcast and very breezy. We only stayed for about 30 minutes, but the kids had a great time running in the sand and throwing a tennis ball to each other. I started out taking pictures of them with the beach behind them and then realized that the bridge was right there and MAYBE my non-local blogger friends might like to see the Golden Gate Bridge while looking at my kiddos. Without further ado:

Why I can not blog properly

Here's a run down of today:

Wake early (at 8) for the bug guy.
Pump/shower/eat
Wake kids at 10 so they have a prayer of going to bed early Friday night (early morning Saturday)
Start laundry so softball/basketball clothes are clean by Thursday
Try to get to Curves, but will have to pump for 30 minutes prior to going
Lunch for everyone
Take Ciera to pitching lesson at 2:30 (30 min drive one way)
Pump again between dropping Ciera off and taking Logan to his stuff
Take Logan to basketball camp at 5
Leave camp early to get to basketball practice at 6
Hustle home at 7 to hopefully make dinner (if I remember to take anything out of the freezer before leaving at 2:30)
Pump between 7 & 9
Fall into bed hopefully at a decent hour

Things I would LOVE to also get done each day (but have so far been fairly unsuccessful)
sweep
mop
pick up stuff that is accumulating everywhere
wipe down counters
clean bathrooms
finish redoing Ciera's room (painted it a few weeks ago)
finish rearranging Logan's room (moved everything due to the spring tail problem we're having in his room)
read
get to the grocery store
take the dog to the new dog park
price adjustments at Target
returns at Ross
swimming at Grandma's

The schedule changes a bit each day, but it's basically the same. Wash, rinse, repeat. Summer is almost over and soon I can get back to cleaning my house and all of the other things that get put off for summer fun.

My Terminator

One of my favorite parts of uploading photos is finding random shots the kids have taken. We have tons of shots out the van windows, of random rooftops and the back of our seats. I was delighted to find the following pictures.

On our way home from Lake Tahoe, we stopped at the outlet stores for a bit. Logan decided he really needed/wanted sunglasses. His claim was that they would help him to see his DVD screen in the car better. He insisted that he wasn't concerned with how they looked, he only cared about how things looked while wearing them. A few days later he told Brian and I that when he made a serious face while wearing them, he thought he looked a bit like the Terminator (they'd been watching all of the old ones in preparation for the newest Terminator at the theater).
Logan must've figured this out while taking snapshots of himself on the drive home.

Even a Terminator has to smile once in a while.

Finally uploaded my pictures

I could save each entry and post it on a day when I just can't seem to get to blogging, but that would not be my style. I finally have a chance to do this, so I'm doing it up big. If you miss a daily blog from me, feel free to only read one entry per day. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

As soon as I remember how to post video you'll have days of entertainment.

More Tahoe pictures

I just loved this picture of Logan. He's getting so grown up!

Both kids will claim that the other is no fun. I just love it when I can capture them enjoying each other. The ball had gotten wet and they thought it was funny to throw a wet ball at each other. It was a bit too cool to enjoy the spray coming off the ball.

Logan getting splattered.

Domesticated squirrels, or at least the closest I've ever seen. We couldn't believe how close they'd let us get. This poor squirrel would never survive in the wild now.

Lake Tahoe

June 13 & 14, 2009
Ciera had a softball tournament in South Lake Tahoe. The weather was crazy-pouring rain and hail on Saturday and cool with blue skies on Sunday. They only played one game on Sunday, so we headed to the Lake Tahoe shore for the first time. We only stayed a little while, but the kids had a great time throwing around a nerf football with their dad (pictured below).

Ciera will rarely play with her brother, but if Brian is playing with Logan, she will almost always join in.

I asked her to turn around and this is what I got:

And she couldn't help but then strike a pose, that she asked me to delete.

Logan's first basketball camp of the summer

June 8-12 Logan attended a local basketball camp from 1-4 with his buddy Brandon and his brother Colby. There weren't a lot of kids, so he was able to get a bit more one on one attention. Logan really liked the guy running the camp and had a lot of fun. He pushed himself each day to learn something new and improve. His friend missed quite a few days, but Logan went every day and made the most of the day camp.
Here are the boys headed into the gym on the first day. The lighting wasn't cooperating with my camera, so all of my other photos are very dark.

Logan's last basketball game pictures

Logan is number 3
I already blogged about this, but here's the pictures (as requested by Mimi).

PIctures from the last day of school

Every year on the last day of school they walk to the local park for a school wide picnic. An older class buddies up with a younger class to walk there. Here's Logan with his 'buddy'. I was so proud of him as he immediately squatted down to be at 'eye level'. He did a great job with his kindergarten buddy.

And then there's Ciera. She doesn't really care for little kids and had a tough time buddying up with a 3rd grader. She did walk near her though, so I guess that counts. Plus the girl did not get hit by a car, so she did her job.

Happy Father's Day!!

Father's Day
June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day to the best dad ever!!

I did not grow up with a doting dad or a great father/daughter relationship. One of the most important things to be in choosing a life partner was someone that would be a great father. Is it possible to really know if someone will make a great parent when they're only 21 years old? I KNOW I got very lucky with my husband. Not only is he a great man that loves me unconditionally, he's willing to support me through anything and put up with me when even I don't want to be with myself, but he's the BEST dad I've ever met!! He loves being with the kids and being an active role in their lives.

I of course did not even take my camera out today, but thankfully my sister in law is never without hers. Although none of us are very fond of getting our pictures taken, I think they all took a great one!

We spent the morning at Ciera's softball game and then headed home for a lunch of Round Table pizza. Later in the afternoon we headed to Brian's parents' house for a swim and BBQ. Brian's sister and her family even made it by.

I can't really say that Papa was the best dad ever, since I did not grow up with him, but I can say he's the best Papa EVER!! The kids always enjoy being with him and love the Papacicles! I'm very thankful that they are able to have time with their grandparents outside of holidays. I Hope they will always cherish these memories.


(I will get to updating the last few weeks soon. I even have pictures. Summer vacation has kicked my butt though.)

A little more timely

As I began my cleaning on Sunday I discovered for the second day, that there was a considerable amount of water on the floor between the toilet and Logan's sink. Since Logan was home I wanted to know what he had been doing to get so much water on the floor two days in a row. He claimed he was not responsible, but it was a lot of water! Turns out the toilet had been leaking from the bottom of the tank. After doing a few online checks, it looked like a fairly easy fix. After spending all day trying to get the nut off, we realized that we needed some help. My step dad came down on Monday and got the plastic nut off for us so that I could continue to fix it. I decided to replace the entire fill valve rather than just the seal since we'd stripped the pipe pretty good trying to get the nut off. I ran out of time on Monday to finish up the project, since I bought the wrong replacement hose. But by Tuesday afternoon, it was finished up and running great. We are pleased to say we almost did an entire repair all by ourselves!

Logan was pretty disappointed with the basketball camp on Monday. He said the stuff was too easy and it was boring. We had to remind him that even the high school boys break things down into basic moves and that there was nothing wrong with working on his jump stops and pivoting. Since there were only 9 kids in the camp, I felt pretty confident that the rest of the week would focus more on where the kids where with their abilities. On Tuesday I watched the last 45 minutes of the camp and Logan looked beat! He was sweaty and red faced, but he was having a great time. They worked on 3 major points and Logan was putting them into play during the closing scrimmage. It was nice to see him much happier.

Ciera and I made it back to Curves on Tuesday, but Ciera is still a bit undecided about how she likes it.

The kids are spending a lot of time with Brian on the trampoline each evening. It's nice that they've all found a way to enjoy the time together rather than separately. Logan will even come in and invite Ciera to join them.

By 9 I was feeling really tired and had a bad headache. I woke up around 10 feeling horrible. My stomach hurt and was making very sad noises. I spent the next 1 1/2 hours in the bathroom. I very rarely vomit, so I was quite surprised when I actually became sick. I did feel much better though. I then took 2 Tylenol and headed back to bed. When I woke up this morning I felt much better. Not sure what it was, but I think I will be able to stay away from the brownies for a bit.

I'm starting the book club book today, Darcy's Story, and I'm excited to finally get started on it. I've never actually read Pride and Prejudice, but it should be interesting anyhow. This is a book from Darcy's perspective.

We have a relatively calm evening ahead. We're going to go check out Jackson's basketball game tonight and that's about it. The kids have chosen Chicken Tenderloins for dinner, so that should also be easy.

STE started a blog and it's been a lot of fun to follow. Yesterday V-R rolled over for the first time and continued to practice throughout the day. She was even got on video. It just melts my heart to see them all.

Brian brought to my attention the other day that our anniversary is coming up (I had noticed it on the calendar as well). It' hard to believe we've really been married for 15 years! That's an incredibly long time. And although we've settled into a pattern and our lives and time revolve around the kids and their activities, there's still no one else I'd rather spent that time with. I'm immensely grateful that he is supportive of ANYTHING I choose to do and he's such a great father!

Summer is not so easy!

I know I've neglected this once again. But I'll tell you, it's not so easy to get stuff done now that the kids are out of school. Honestly, sleeping in every morning really takes a bite out of your day!

The camera is still in the car, so you will have to continue waiting for last weekends pictures.

On Monday I headed back to Curves. 14 weeks PP seemed like more than enough time for my incision to heal and for my milk supply to be established. I also took Ciera with me to try it out. I made it 4 times and Ciera made it twice. I still don't know her decision about going throughout the summer, but I'm back. As much as I don't care for exercising, it did feel great to use those muscles again.

My week went a little something like this. Wake up to morning pump around 5, go back to bed. Wake up between 9 & 11, make oatmeal, pump and eat the oatmeal, head to Curves, home to shower and then whatever else needed to be done for the day.

On Monday Logan got to go to his friend Garrett's house for a bit. Tuesday we headed down to Orangevale for a cancelled pitching lesson. We went to the nearby park to throw instead. Logan and I took turns walking the dog around the park. On Wednesday Ciera went to Moriah's house and Logan had his final basketball practice. Thursday Ciera came home at 2, had a lesson at 3:30, team practice at 5:30 and then went to a teammates house to spend the night. Friday Ciera had a swim party to go to for another teammate. Logan had his final basketball game Friday night.

The game was great to watch, even if they didn't win. I hadn't seen a game in several weeks and it was amazing to watch Logan on the court. Not only was he hard for me to find because of the new short hair cut (and all of the blond being cut off and replaced with a dark head of hair), but he was so much more aggressive and all over the ball. Anytime there was a possibility of a jump ball, there he was! He rebounded, dribbled confidently (which was an area he improved on tremendously), looked for the pass and shot the ball when it was a good shot to take. He's played for 4 seasons now and has made SUCH progress and he has so much more confidence about his abilities as well. Rumor has it that he'd like to play a summer session, we'll see.

After the game they had a team party at one of the boys' pool. Only 5 of the 9 boys showed up and it was COLD, but the boys hopped in the pool, squealed for about 3 minutes and then didn't complain again. For a group of boys that were strangers just 10 weeks ago, they had a great time!

Saturday we had an "off" day from everything and there were some great movies playing. So, we made a day of it. We started with an 11:30 Star Trek which most of us really enjoyed. We then headed in to Night At the Museum which was very similar to the first one. The kids really enjoyed it and I dozed off for a few minutes. Next, was Logan's long awaited Terminator 4. He and Brian had spent the last week watching the first 3 to prepare. It was a tad disappointing to them both, as it just didn't seem to have much reason to be made. It didn't do much to expand the story. However, I enjoyed it and thought it was well done. The chase scenes didn't seem as tedious as they had in the first 3. Logan then gave up and I took him to dinner while Brian and Ciera watched Angels and Demons. Brian was fairly disappointed by it as well and said I didn't really miss anything. After the movies we stopped by Walmart to pick up a small list of groceries and Logan spent some of his birthday money on a new Nerf gun. We were home by 9 and in bed by 10:30. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Today Ciera has a 5 hour softball practice and Logan and I are just hanging out. He's shown me all of the similarities and differences between his 3 Nerf guns and I feel so much smarter for it. I'm sure this bit of knowledge will come in handy, someday! I'm desperately hoping to get the house swept and mopped, to get all of the garbage taken to the can, to clean my bathroom AND finish the laundry. It probably won't get done, but I'm hoping!

Next week Logan's friend Brandon and his brother will be here in the mornings and then the three boys will head to basketball camp in the afternoons. Ciera has a lesson on Monday night, practice on Tuesday and Thursday nights and we head to South Lake Tahoe on Saturday for a tournament. It should be beautiful up there and we're hoping to spend a day as a family discovering the interesting things about Lake Tahoe. With it only being 2 hours away, it's really pathetic that my kids have never even SEEN the lake (and we were there last summer and didn't show them the lake). Logan says he's seen pictures of it and that's enough, but it's really not acceptable.

As I look at my June calendar I realize that this summer is going to go by WAY too fast! Ciera has tournaments every weekend, practices twice a week, lessons once a week, plus time with friends, a week long softball camp and swimming. Logan has 3 basketball camps, cousin time, friend time, swim time and possibly basketball again in July. I hope they enjoyed the laziness of last week because I don't think the rest of the summer will be so 'lazy'.

At one point last week, Logan decided to buy a slip and slide and he set it up himself. He spent the better part of a cloudy day out sliding on it by himself. It was wonderful to see him entertain himself and be OK doing it alone. At some point everyone has to figure out how to enjoy 'alone' time and be OK without a group of people entertaining him.

I hope to get a bit of a better routine down here pretty soon. The cleaning really shouldn't be avoided all summer long and I really want to get Ciera's room painted, but the thought just exhausts me. This is where going back to Curves should help. I feel quite certain that once I start losing some of the remaining 35 lbs I will get some energy back.

Pictures will be posted whenever I get the energy to retrieve the camera from the van-or when Brian gets home and will bring it in for me (just realized he has the van anyhow).

BBQ Beef with Brown Rice

Ciera stayed over at a friends' house last night, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try out the BBQ Beef in the crock pot. Ciera 'claims' to not like BBQ sauce, which is crazy since it's the best condiment ever, so I knew fixing it on a night when she was home wouldn't be the best idea.

I found boneless chuck roast for under $2 lb at Sam's Club and I was thinking about dinner early enough to get it in the crock pot. It turned out delicious and I was SO pleased! I was even able to eat the leftovers for lunch today.

The BEST socks ever!!

I am SO not a sock gal! I would much rather wear sneakers with no socks and even my winter boots I prefer to wear sock-less. Well, my new sneakers are great, but they require socks. There's a spot on my pinkie toe that rubs the stitching and is not comfy. With socks it's no big deal. I had 1 pair of socks that were acceptable, comfort wise, and they still weren't great.

I was at Sam's Club yesterday and did a bit of impulse buying (a great picnic set and these SOCKS). I wasn't sure they'd be much better than what I had, but at least there were 6 of them, they were soft, and they were thin feeling. OMG!! When I put them on yesterday to head to Curves, I knew they were something special. They felt amazing! They were light, soft and were slightly better than sock-less! The packaging claimed 'soft cotton + bamboo blend wicks moisture naturally' and it really appeared to be true. And here's the kicker, they are supposed to be earth-friendly because of the bamboo. "Your feet will thank you an so will the Earth." My feet are definitely thanking me and they were less than $1.50 a pair. As an added bonus, they are made in the USA. They come in Quarter Top or no show (at least at my Sam's Club).

ECO COOL by Burlington
You've got to try these socks!

Gotta love the kids

I previously mentioned that the kids were doing blogs over the summer. Logan had been hesitant about doing it and has been surprised to find that the funnest thing to do when he's home alone is to update his blog. He doesn't say much, but he's been doing it rather faithfully.

Today I came home to find that his newest entry included a link to his friends' blog. I was thrilled to have him show me how easy it is to do.

Without further ado, Logan's blog (and my first chance to link something). Logan's is currently open for anyone to read. Ciera has chosen to make hers private. However, it's a school privacy issue and if anyone would like to read the ramblings of a 12 year old girl, just let me know and we'll send you out an invite.

We had a busy softball/basketball weekend that I will get to later on (we did not make it to the Championship game).

Today, at 14 weeks PP, I took my butt back to Curves. Ciera went with me to check out the equipment and see if she'd like to use it this summer. She needs to build up her strength, so it could be a great option. It's been almost an entire year since I was last there, but it's amazing how easy it was to get back into and as much as I don't like excercising, I did enjoy myself and I'm ready to get going on 'regaining me'. I figure we are now out of school, that gives me a good 10 weeks to get my butt in gear and be back in PP clothes when school starts at the end of August. I will get weighed and measured tomorrow, so that I really have a good idea of where I'm starting from.

I also intend to start watching what is going into my body. There is no real good reason to eat an entire box of Swiss Rolls by myself. So that will stop today.

So disappointed in California

It was decided that yesterday that Prop 8 will stand. We as a state have officially taken away the rights of our citizens. Why? I like to believe it's because there were so many people like myself that just did not think for an instant that it would pass. Had I any idea that there was an actual chance of Prop 8 passing, I would've done a little more to show my support in voting NO on 8. I have learned a powerful lesson and only hope to have the strength to speak up next time. I am not a political person in any way. Basically my decisions are based on how something will affect me and my family, but Prop 8 passing will and can have an affect on my family.

I have a friend with an ability to get involved and really try to make a difference. She spoke at the Rally in Fresno last night. With her permission I'm including her speech. Thank you Vickye (So I Married a Republican) for your efforts and inspiration!

One thing stood out to me during the Prop 8 campaign. Prop 8 supporters were not afraid to pull the kid card. They were not afraid to say “Oh, but what about the children?” Well, I am going to pull it right back on them. What about the children?

What about the LGBT kids in this state? All 2-6 hundred thousand of them? What about all of the children being raised by LGBT people? What about their grandchildren, their nieces, nephews, their cousins? What about them? So, when they say “what about the children”, what they really mean is, what about their children.

Okay, what about their children? They are taught that gay is wrong. Ours are taught that love comes in all shapes and sizes. Theirs are taught to exclude. Ours are taught to include. Ours are also taught, from an early age, what it is like to be excluded, thanks to their children and parents.

Their children are taught that there is only one way. They are taught only what their parents want them to know, rather than all there is to know. They are taught what to believe, rather than the facts. They are taught that morality is a narrow road and that only they have the map.

Our children look at this differently. Ours are given the facts and taught that beliefs need to be backed up by them. Ours are shown the whole world and trusted to find their way with the love and knowledge we have given them. Ours are taught that morality must be aligned with justice, or it will be neither. Our children are given the entire rainbow of colors and an entire world to paint them with.

So, to say, “what about the children” is very misleading, because they really don’t care about children. They teach their own children a set of values that will fall apart the moment their child hits the real world, causing pain and confusion. They try to condemn our children, simply for being who they are or who their parents are. And, by passing and upholding Prop 8, they have shown ALL children that justice does not matter anymore, it simply matters who has the louder voice. They are teaching that equality is no longer a foundation of our country, that the majority can vote away the minority’s rights.

We know this to be a temporary aberration and will teach our children as such. We will teach our children to never stop fighting for what is right; for what is just. We will never teach our children to rejoice over someone else’s loss. We will teach our children that justice and love trump tradition, every time.

So, Prop 8 is not really about families, because they set out to invalidate the families of these children. It’s not really about marriage, because they are trying to prevent loving marriages. And it is definitely not for the children, because teaching a child to exclude is only the first step towards teaching them to hate.

So, the next time someone tells you they oppose same-sex marriage, I want you to ask them “But, what about the children?”

It's certainly something to think about!

Monday, sweet Monday-or is it Tueday?

Monday was another great opportunity to sleep in. Ciera and Brian woke around 11. Logan and I slept soundly until 12. We slept away the entire morning. Ciera had softball practice from 2-5 and then we all headed to Brian's parents' to swim. The weekend was beautiful, but it heated up some on Monday. The kids and Brian all swam for a bit and I just got my feet wet.
I knew it was going to be hard to get to sleep on time, but I thought if I tried hard we might be successful. Unfortunately we started brushing our teeth a bit late.

Both kids claim it was after midnight before the finally fell asleep. That of course made it difficult to get up this morning, but we did make it to school on time, although a touch grumpy. It was another minimum day and then Logan's friends came over for an hour or two.

Somebody had a dentist appointment to get a cavity filled. She wanted to remain nameless and faceless.

Can you guess who belongs to these feet? (The coloring is off, she really wasn't that blue).

The filling went well and then it was time for a pitching lesson. Brian took her tonight and I headed out to the baseball field to watch a brave little boy play AA Farm baseball. Isaiah (from Strong and Courageous) has been fighting and winning his Leukemia battle for 2 years now. His strength and courage continue to amaze me. He has such a wonderfully supportive family too (and they're a ton of fun to visit with). I went to school with Isaiah's dad and Isaiah's sister, Sienna, went to school with my kids for 2 years. Plus, his mom is expecting a new little baby in September and she has the cutest little pregnant belly. I'm so glad that I got to see them. I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to watch a Farm game. The kids are all so excited to be there, but they have such short attention spans. They all hit great and made some great outs. I somehow managed to miss all of Isaiah's hits, but I saw him run the bases like a pro! Thanks again for the invite Oates'.

When Ciera gets home, we will head out to Target to see about a gift for her friends. She has decided that she needs to get her friends an end of the year gift, "something totally useless." We are all very excited that tomorrow is the last day we have to get up early for school. We have 81 days to prepare for the next school year!

I made it out to walk this morning and am hoping to head out again this evening once it cools off. I'm really loving the new sneakers.

Tomorrow we have our end of the school year picnic at the park. Hopefully it will be comfortable in the shade. We have no real plans for the rest of the week. Ciera and I head to Stockton again this weekend. Logan only has 2 more basketball games left in the season. I'm very bummed about missing so many of his games, but at least Brian gets to be there. I'll get to see his last game though and I'm looking forward to it.