too much...

Ok, a long overdue update...

The family visit was great!  The kids enjoyed all the attention and I learned we CAN fit 9 people in our little 1400 sq ft place!  Maybe 10, but probably not more!  There are lots of pictures to come, but first I have to find my cord for the camera..  hah, always something.. 

Anthony has been doing great potty-training!  Only 1 accident in the last 4 days.

Joseph isn't thrilled about preschool lately - maybe too much pressure on learning letters.  Daddy and I are trying to back-off..  In the meantime, I'm shopping preschools again.

We went ice skating outdoors last night.  Haha, it was 66 degrees!  That's probably why it cost a bit, but the boys were very into it!  We'll have to go again, but I might need thicker socks - my low workout ones didn't really cut it!

Prayer request: my Dad has to start chemo again in Dec and my bro is between jobs.. and then there is my friend, Emma - her Dad need some prayers too.  They are in my thoughts and prayers, and if you have any extra time, please include them in yours.  Thanks!

The long, strange vacation....

It's hard to believe #1 that we live here..  and #2 that it's November!  The weather started getting cool over the weekend..  we had to wear jackets almost every morning... (low 60s)  weird..  they also have lots of tropical trees I guess, so there are still green leaves on the trees.  It shocked me when I got pictures from my Dad (from 2 months ago) that had pretty fall colors!

We emptied a lot more boxes over the weekend - getting ready for Brian's family to visit.  Looking forward to it - Grandma & Granddaddy, Bea Honey, Uncle Brad and Liz... and then out to Riverside for the SMA Walk N Roll and early Thanksgiving!  The kids will be loving it!

No pictures this time.. I need to locate the camera again..  It's probably in the car - I need to clean that up this week.

Missing friends and family..

Happy Halloween

This year the kids really seem to "get it!"  We carved a pumpkin last night for the first time.  We had gotten pumpkins other years, but didn't carve them...  

School had lots of activities that were fun - cookie decorating, pumpkin decorating, and a parade... but the most fun was the informal following around of the kid in Joseph's class, Andre, who wore a Mr. Incredible costume.  Poor Andre...

We visited Daddy at work too.

Trick or Treating was fun because we got to meet many of our neighbors..  well, the kids liked the candy better.  They didn't try to go into people's houses this year.  They got a big kick out of it if there were pets at the houses though, and they didn't want to stop trick or treating - "one more house!"  Oh, Anthony is pretty scared of moving, talking skeletons, but Joseph thinks they're cool.  :)

More than a week! ack, update...

Sorry I haven't updated... don't know what's wrong with me.. well, could be that I'm trying at a snails pace to get this place in better order...

Anyway, we finally did the beach thing last weekend with swimsuits and sand toys and all.  I was worried about the coldness of the water - it was only low 70s.  Joseph said "Don't worry Mom, you'll get used to it!"  Ha, he's becoming Californian..  It felt like the Brita water from the fridge, but the boys still got in up to their waist, occasionally falling down and getting the upper half wet.  Good times were had by all...

No pictures because I was afraid to bring my camera - don't want to break another one.  Brian said - "but that's why we got the cheap one!"  maybe next time.

Sunday we signed them up for Karate - check this out...  then went to Aunt Shirley's and had fun with her, Aunt Kristen, Becca (12) and Laina (15)....

Tuesday Brian took the boys to Disney by himself (a day off work after a busy week - dinner meetings- last week).  He is BRAVE!  Haha, apparently they had a ball- they were gone 12 hours!  I putzed around here mostly, reading and working, and enjoying quiet time.

Today we have someone coming to fix the ice maker- weird that I have missed ice!  Also, a Halloween party with one of the kids from school tomorrow.  Hope everyone out there has a good TGIF!

Disney, pumpkin patch.

This is somewhat out of order, but other than the "head stuck" situation, we have a good week.  Sunday we got season's passes to Disneyland so we went to check out their Halloween decorations and just have a little fun.  For our future visitors, Disney will be a promo next year- if you register on their website you can get in for free on your birthday (either world or land, but do land and come out to see us!)  Keep that in mind when you are doing your travel planning.  :)

The boys and I also had fun at a "pumpkin patch" where we met some new friends from meetup.com.  It was different in that it was a long parking lot fenced in and covered with hay, but obviously the boys had a great time - there was a petting zoo, the pony rides, scarecrows, and pumkins.  That's all we need!

I didn't post a pic - but we had Aunt Shirley and Uncle Kenny out here on Saturday.  It was nice to have people even though the place isn't "done" by my standard or anyone's really.  :)  Hope to see them (and more of the Riverside crew) again next weekend!

Call the fire department!

No pictures of this one!  Today I brought the kids home from preschool with McDonalds.  Anthony was getting in and out of his chair and he tried to get into it through the back but got his head stuck.  ACK!  I just looked at him and knew this was going to be bad.  He was relatively patient while I tried to take the squeeze his head out using Pam and butter.  Didn't seem to mind too much while I used allen wrenched to try to take the chair apart.  After about 20 minutes more of that (and furtive calls to my dad and Brian) we called what I thought was the non-emergency fire department number.  (Anthony was a bit upset by then.  ) I got off the phone with the operator (very nice lady, sending fire department paramedics) and moments later I found the 2 remaining screws in the chair and took it apart.  I called to cancel my emergency, but they were out of the truck walking up our walkway already.  The boys were excited to see the 4 young paramedics and Daddy right behind them.  I hope they noticed the butter and Pam on Anthony's head as he tried to shoot them with Buzz Lightyear's Astroblaster.  :/

More like home -little by little

The boys still love their new home, but the progress has been slow.  Joseph made me realize we weren't going out to do fun stuff as much, but we did go to the aquarium today - in Long Beach.  We met a couple of other mommies there and it was a lot of fun.  :)  We've also been going down to the beach in the evening a few times - that has been fun and relaxing also.  

The cable company is supposed to be coming today to bring a landline, so that will be nice (to have a local number and also nice for the cell phone bill!)  Once we have that I'll send out cards with all our new info for you.  Let me know if you don't get one in the next week or so!

:) Laura