culebra

With very little sleep we woke up early to catch the ferry out to culebra island. We are going to dock in about 10 min. I can't wait for Haley to get to dive with us here.

Mobile Blogging from here.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Thanksgiving trip day 1 & 2

Our flight left out of San Francisco so we had a road trip down to my Sister's house, spent the night and then woke up at 3am to head to the airport.

We had a 4 hour lay over in the Atlanta Airport with 7 kids riding the terminal trains to kill time.

Grandma arrived in Atlanta and then we all took a flight to Puerto Rico together.

My avid little reader Haley had never read any of the Harry Potter books because she thought they were scary. Eric paid her $6 to read the 1st one 3 days ago. She has not stopped reading them since. Everyone tried to sleep on the airplane, but not Haley. She was reading the 3rd book.

We Arrived in Puerto Rico at 12am (their time) and tried to get to sleep as quickly as possible so we could wake up at 6am and head out to Fajaro.

These two days were the crazy hard with no sleep and ballistic kids.

Thanksgiving break

I am LOVING all the beautiful colors of fall...

but this is what I have been dreaming about at night.

Apparently Opal thinks she is going with us!

Promotions

The girls have been working hard and this week they were all promoted.

Haley was promoted from a yellow belt to yellow one.

Ruby was promoted from gym white to gym yellow.

Lucy was promoted from gym white to gym yellow, then promoted from yellow to blue. Her teacher said she has been working really hard and is ready for the intermediate class.

Luckily Lucy's gymnastics teachers did not hold her pink & red fashion faux paux against her.

Say WHAT?

11/11/09

"Ruby, four pages is way too much stuff, you need to narrow your Christmas list down to four things you want."Me

"Four???, Why only Four???" Ruby

"Santa can't afford to buy four pages of toys for every child" Me

"Oh man! Why does the economy have to ruin everything?" Ruby

11/4/09

"Mom did you know that sugar is really just salt with yummy stuff on it?"

"No. I did not know that?" Me

"Ya, they just put a yummy spray stuff on it." Lucy

10/29/09

While assembling a plastic skeleton from Target:

"Where is his private?"Lucy

"Ya where is his penis? I want to see it, I have never seen one before."Ruby

"This is just the skeleton from inside the body, there is no penis on a skeleton." Me

"Yes there is, I found it right here. " Ruby while pointing to the tail bone.

10/27/09

While driving in the car

"Mom, what is buttocks... is it when your butt talks?" Lucy

"buttocks is the name for cheeks on your bum" Me

"Well my butt CAN talk" Lucy

"Please don't say butt, say bum" Me

"My bum talks" Lucy

"We have all heard your bum talk, we don't need an example." Me

"Butt talks, butts talk, talking butts" Ruby

"Ok, enough potty talk" Me

"We are not potty talking, we are butt talking" Ruby

10 min later... after going through a drive through

"I don't like drinking soda, it always makes me feel like burping" Me

"Well if you are going to burp, you should make it educational for your children and burp the alphabet" Haley

"I don't do things like that" Me

"I know, but it would be so cool if you did." Haley

Things are changing..

Eric keeps getting older... and better.

Happy Birthday Babe, I love you!

Poop, prayers and angels

I think I am a pretty lenient parent when it comes to pets. I really like animals and as long as the kids are kind to them and they don't stink, all is well with me.

We recently added Spike a chocolate chip hedgehog to our family and he was a huge hit with everyone... but me. With all the reading I did on hedgehogs NOWHERE did it say they have the foulest most pungent smelling poop of any animal alive (or dead). The smell would gag me when I walked into Haley's room. Haley and Eric started cleaning out the cage everyday just to try to keep me quiet about it and let Spike live. Even with that I was not happy and felt like we had a construction site port a potty upstairs. I was at the end of my lenient rope!

(This is where my prayers are answered)

Eric had the day off and we were running errands together. We ran into our local pet store to buy crickets (for our non-stinky tree frogs) and I was complaining to the owner about our hedgehog. She said we should get a chinchilla and showed us the babies. She explained why they are easy pets but the only thing I need to hear was "they do not smell at all." She even picked up one of their tiny pellet poops and held it to my nose and said "see". We were sold. I jokingly said "I wish we could trade our hedgehog for one". She said "We can. We get calls for hedgehogs everyday". (This is where I heard a choir of angel singing in my head.)

Eric and I discussed how to talk Haley into this and we decided that it had to be her idea or she would say no. So the next day without saying a word I took my girls to the pet store. While we were there the owner showed them the chinchilla babies and Haley fell in love with them. Haley said "Mom we need to get a family chinchilla". I told her we had met the family pet quota but she could ask the owner if she could trade her hedgehog for one. Haley was thrilled when the owner said yes and we headed home to get Spike. (At this point I am on cloud 9 singing with the angels)

After we brought Haley's white chinchilla Ming Ming home and realized how wonderful they are (especially after a hedgehog), Eric decided he wanted one for his birthday (so they could breed). Eric got a grey chinchilla named him Rico and got a big cage for our two new chinchillas. We have our fingers crossed that Rico and Ming Ming will "fall in love".

(deep breath)

What a difference a couple of chinchillas have made in our home!

- 1 hedgehog

+ 2 chinchillas

= Life is good

Loving the fall colors!

This post is for my friend Sharon in Redlands.

I think of you when I see all these beautiful fall leaves!

The Mom test

As a Mom there is rarely tangible evidence of how you are doing as a parent. There is no pay increase or yearly review, but occasionally things happen that let you know what kind of job you are doing.

Recently Ruby and Lucy have been creating elaborate towns and playing barbies quietly and happily together for hours.

Lucy's teacher told me that when all the candy grams were passed out one little boy did not get any and was sad. She said that Lucy was really sweet and went over and gave him one of hers.

Haley has been treating her sisters nicely and helping them get ready in the mornings. I also have noticed that her room has been clean for about 5 days!

I don't know about you but I think these are signs that I am a good Mom and they are learning to play nice, help others and be kind.

At least that's what I was thinking when this came home from church with Ruby.

Halloween night

Originally we were going to just put Eric's boat (that he is refinishing) out on the grass with a skeleton.

Then we decided to use our Mardi Gras beads and trunks.

Then Eric bought a black light to make this floating skeleton glow.

... and of course we needed a fog machine to make it look more realistic. It turning out to be a lot more then just a boat and skeleton, but it was super cool and everyone loved it.

Lucy was Jasmine.
Ruby was a cute witch.
Haley and her friend Anna were black belts.
Eric was the pirate (with a mullet) that passed out the candy..
I decided not to wear a costume and just go as myself.

I gotta feeling...

That tonight's gonna be a good night.....

... That tonight's gonna be a good good night!

witchalina day 6

No photos today, I couldn't find my camera this morning. They had quite a hunt and found big red gum, pop rocks and a halloween stick filled with candy corn.

Thank you Witchalina!!!!

Witchalina day 5

Ghost peeps anyone?

(What if would I told you they were found in the shoe bins in the garage?)

Witchalina day 4

Why just have cereal or toast when you can have gummy brains, a walking mummy, Frankenstein and Dracula... gotta love Witchalina!

Witchalina day 3

"Oh my gosh, cookies in the dishwasher... what was she thinking" Haley

Witchalina day 2

I LOVE this photo. They were cracking me up with these suckers. Today's poem may be my favorite Witchalina lesson of all time.

(click on image to enlarge)

It started with a scream...

... then the fastest feet running up the stairs. I thought Ruby was hurt. She ran in the room shaking holding a piece of paper. She looked like she had seen a ghost when she said "She came... Witchalina came!". She could barely hand me the paper she was shaking so hard. The girls all started to bolt downstairs but I said "No one can see what Witchalina left unless they have clothes on". All three girls scrambled to get out of pajamas and into school clothes and then flew down the stairs. The little Witchalina was on the counter with my scriptures.

We read this poem:(Our scanner is not working so I took photos)

(You can click on the photos to enlarge them)

We read these scriptures:

Alma 41:14

14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

Moroni 7:47-48

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

We found witch pez dispensers in the broom closet.

I would love to say that the girls all felt the spirit and had a wonderful morning, I can't.

The truth is as we were getting in the car to leave for school Ruby and Haley had a WWF brawl over who would sit in the front seat.

Hmmm, I wonder what Witchalina should teach about tomorrow?

Could it be true?

I'm not sure...
I could be wrong...
I think Witchalina may be visiting our house tonight!
If you have never heard of Witchalina read THIS post.

Say WHAT?

10/18/09

"If a food rhymes with another, then they taste good together." Ruby

"I know... like jam and ham." Haley

 Ruby starts sining "Carots, ranch and lemonaid" then she says "Oh wow, they do rhyme."

"So what you have a butt... that rhymes." Lucy 

"MOM, can you bust Lucy for saying the B word!" Haley

10/15/09 

I am standing in the kitchen cooking dinner when Ruby walks in really excited and says:

 

"Mom, you are not going to believe this... Dad's balls are 2" bigger!"

I stop what I am doing, turn around and ask what she is talking about.

She flexes her arm and grabs her bicep muscle and says "Dad's in there exercising and his balls are like 2 inches bigger, it's amazing!"

10/9/09- 10/11/09

In the car Ruby was discussing how a hamburger is really a crabby pattie on SQUONGEbob.

While at the Oregon caves park Ruby and Lucy kept pointing out the CHICKmonks. There was a heated debate on Dale they came to the conclusion that there is no Dale in Oregon, only Chip. 

While at the tidepools Ruby and Lucy were looking for SHEshells.

10/9/09 (road trip)

We were going through the Taco Bell drive through and Lucy said that she wanted a burrito but she did not like the beans. So Eric asked the speaker lady:

 

"Can we substitute a quesadilla for the burrito in the kids meal?"

The Taco bell lady says "No can't do that, no quesadilla kids meal". 

To which Eric responds "Then we would like a burrito kids meal with no beans in the burrito, just cheese and tortillia.... can you do that?" 

She responds "Yes, can do."

10/9/09 (Road trip)

While driving through a very windy road headed out to the coast Eric kept crossing the bumpy line (that wakes you up if you are falling asleep) Lucy said "Thats shaking my bootie really weird."

The Girl in a Whirl

When we lived in Redlands we were lucky enough to have this amazing family in our church congregation. Vicki Gunter and her husband are so talented and inspired. They always gave the best talks and taught wonderful lessons. Vicki always had the greatest object lessons to simply teach a more complicated idea. 

Vicki used her gifts to write a book and it was recently published and is available to purchase HERE with several of her wonderful poems. You can imagine how excited she was to have it published. She started a web site to promote it HERE.

However recently this family has gone through some of the hardest trials imaginable.  About 2 months ago they had to burry their oldest son. As if that was not enough, last Sunday Vicki was making breakfast and got distracted when special needs church member dropped by for some help.  She helped the man and then he left for church with them. While they were sitting at church their home burned down (from the breakfast left cooking).  

Being in a different State, there is not that much that I can do to help them but I can help get the word out about her new book. For $12 it makes a great gift for all the women you know that sometimes get discouraged while trying to be their best.

Here is her poem that inspired the title for the book:

The Girl in a Whirl
         by ‘Dr. Sue’ (a.k.a. Vickie Gunther)
  
         Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
         You could do what I do
         If you only knew how.
         I study the scriptures one hour each day;
         I bake,
         I upholster,
         I scrub,
         and I pray.
         I always keep all the commandments completely;
         I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
         I help in their classrooms!
         I sew all they wear!
         I drive them to practice!
         I cut all their hair!
         I memorize names of the General Authorities;
         I focus on things to be done by priorities.
         I play the piano!
         I bless with my talents!
         My toilets all sparkle!
         My checkbooks all balance!
         Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
         I attend all my meetings (on time!  Never late!)
  
         I’m taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
  
         But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all .
         I track my bad habits ’til each is abolished;
         Our t-shirts are ironed!
         My toenails are polished!
         Our family home evenings are always delightful;
         The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
         I do genealogy faithfully, too.
         It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
         I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
         I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
         I read to my children!
         I help all my neighbors!
         I bless the community, too, with my labors.
         I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
         My visiting teaching is done the first day!
         (I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
         It’s the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
         I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
         I seek each “lost lamb” on my Primary roll.
         I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
         But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all .
         I write in my journal!
         I sing in the choir!
         Each day, I write “thank you’s” to those I admire.
         My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
         My kids get straight A’s!
         And their bedrooms are clean!
         I have a home business to help make some money;
         I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
         I go to the temple at least once a week;
         I change the car’s tires!
         I fix the sink’s leak!
  
         I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
         I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
         I make sure I rotate our two-years’ supply;
         My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
         These things are not hard;
         ’tis good if you do them;
         You can if you try!
         Just set goals and pursue them!
         It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
         If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
         It’s easy!” she said
        and then she dropped dead.