Merry Christmas, Everyone!

I feel pretty organized this year since we aren't traveling! Brian's mom and grandma are coming - we look forward to it Monica and Bea honey! :) Not that the rest of my house is organized, just the presents. :)

The kids had a Christmas program at school - very cute! It was somewhat bittersweet to me since we are moving the kids to new preschools in January, but it is the best for all, trust me!

Facebook has been sucking my time - but I'm having a ball talking to people from high school, my VA mommy friends and new ones I've made out here too. :)

Missing my brother and parents, but talking to them a lot. The boys are also having a ball playing with ornaments and Christmas decorations...

Here are some pics, more to come later! Happy Holidays!

December Update

I've been personally a little lost and confused lately.... My dad's cancer is back and he's doing radiation until the 17th, then chemo after that. I've given them an open offer to fly out, but for now my parents seem to be fine and my brother is only a little more than an hour away and not working. He's on call and I'm the backup, I guess.

Joseph has also been struggling with the new preschool. He's been asking to go back to Shelley's in Virginia, or saying he'd rather stay with me. I've lined up something new for him in January which I expect to be wonderful, but it is 5 days a week, which is new. Anthony will be with me for the first few weeks, maybe months, until Joseph is adjusted, then we'll make a new preschool move for him. He loves the current place, but I'm done driving almost 1/2 an hour and he's not ready for 5 days a week. It's a little wacky, but I think it will be good in the long run. Trying to simplify our lives and do the best for all.

Through it all, we have been going to Disneyland weekly - haha, we're Disneyfreaks, I guess! It does feel like Christmas there (Disney Magic!) even though it's still been in the 60s and 70s here. It will be cooler this weekend though...

Brian also let me run away for a weekend though, and it was a nice break away from the kids. We've had nothing but good days since then, proving to me I needed a little time away. This week I've been more patient and probably more fun than I have been in a little while..

Now looking forward to Christmas.... we will decorate this weekend (I hope), the kids have a Christmas program at school on Saturday, and Brian's mom and grandma come on the 23rd! Whee!

Happy Holidays to all - our family card is on it's way!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Still working on pictures from our early Thanksgiving. (Here's Joseph and Bea honey!) In the meantime, we're going to go off to Vegas for a couple of nights of our weekend.. hope yours is good! Missing friends and family...

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!