The gifts that desperation brings

After a great and relaxing Christmas with my family, it was time to get back to reality. I loved the fact that I hadn't left the house for days. I love the fact that my boys were still so "into" their gifts that they hadn't noticed that 4 days had gone by and that they were still not at each others' necks, but it was time for Jerrod to go back to work and it was time for the rest of us to get up at a decent hour and not lounge around all day in our pj's.
So, with Jerrod gone, it was up to me to get the boys breakfast and it was up to me to yell at them to brush their teeth and to eat something wholesome (like Lucky Charms, for instance-a Christmas sneak into our house:once they're gone, they'll be banned until next Christmas). It's a tiresome job taking care of kids, as I now remember. I had a small brain fart which, for a few short days, had wiped my memory of how much effort I had to put into my day to keep these kids alive and healthy. I amuse myself, as I do often, when I realized that I was in dire need of a break from the family (more specifically, my boys). My mom made an unexpected stop by the house that allowed me to run some errands without children attached to my hip. I RAN into my room and dressed myself so quickly. I was going to make some returns at a department store and check out the great after-Christmas sales. Here's the amusing part: I find a pair of pants that I want to try and I go into the dressing room. I notice that I have my underwear inside out. Typical Elaine. I guess I must have been in such a hurry to get out of my house and away from my kids that I didn't notice that I had pulled on a pair of undies with the label on the outside. Big deal. It could have been worse, I guess. They were clean. They were not backwards. So I sit now, writing my entry in undies that are inside out, and if I do come upon a situation where I am unable to change my clothes for the next day, I know that I can at least turn my Warner's right-side-in and life can go on.

It's NOT a Snuggie!

Today I write this entry wrapped in a warm handmade blanket. I am sick, apparently the flu, and a student gave me the best present ever just when I needed it the most. I had a feeling that I'd be in this situation because I have not sent all three boys to school on any of the days this week. It started with Cayden. He was sick through the Thanksgiving break. Next, the baby and then slowly the oldest showed symptoms and finally it came to me. Not unpredictable, but as a mom, I tried hard to be strong. I took last evening off from motherly duties and slept and burned the fever and chills off. This morning there wasn't a fever, just a little dizziness, so I thought that it would be ok to go to work. I'd have to drive everyone to school anyway. I don't work that long and it is so difficult to get a substitute for me.
So, I took my position in my leather-like office chair behind my desk and performed my usual duties until the students arrived. I read the newspaper, ate some Cocoa Pebbles, made my tea, and switched the radio to appropriate classroom music (uh, today's choice was a jazz station which ended up NOT being appropriate so it was turned off).
The kids came in and I immediately felt nausiated. Work has that effect on me, but this time I think it was my sensitivity to noise. I made it through most of my first class before I had to make my run to the bathroom. Yes, I barfed. I was not as well as I thought I was, but I had to make it through 2 more classes. The second class brought me great joy because first, I was gifted my blanket, and second, most of the students understood the lesson and could work independently. I assumed that I could make it for one more period. I survived the third. It isn't too difficult to figure out multiplicative inverses. Thank God for an easy lesson. It would have been even better if each one of my students hadn't asked me "Is that a Snuggie?"

It's much better than a Snuggie because it got me through my work day. I am hoping that it will get me though the afternoon when my own kids get home.

Thanksgiving Was My Favorite Holiday

For years and years, I looked forward to Thanksgiving Thursday all year long. It may have been the overendulgence of cranberry jelly, stuffing, and apple cider. Maybe it was the unwritten rule of being able to ask for seconds on pumpkin pie and an extra spray of canned whipping cream without feeling guilty. Whatever it was, just had me counting the days 'til the Big Turkey Feast.
As some may know, I have recently been placed on a gluten-free diet. It was a sad day when the doctor said that I had an allergy to flour. My first thought was that Thanksgiving Day was dead to me. It was just any other turkey and mashed potatoes meal. I tried to "psych" myself out and pump up the excitement. My friends sent me gluten-free recipes and articles, but as the day approached, it clearly had lost its magic. I was able to have almost everything, but knowing that I had to be careful made the meal so, hummm, like a diet. So I search for a new favorite holiday; one in which I do not have to make any sacrifices. Halloween was a disappointment because Twix bars (my favorite) have that crunchy cookie.....made of flour. Christmas has never been a favorite of mine, except for the shopping part, of course, ingrained in my genetic disposition as a woman. How about a Jell-O day? I am sure that there is one. That would be perfect for those who live a gluten-free life. All the jell-o and pudding pops you can eat in a 24 hour period under that same unwritten rule...I bet you could even use the canned whipped cream too!

My Baby is No Longer a Baby

So it's lil' Rylan's b-day today. He's 4 BIG years old. He and I went shopping for cupcakes for his class and cake mix for his special cake this evening. He has been my closest friend the last almost-5 years. We do everything together and I love it. Not that I didn't ever want my other boys, but Rylan came to us when I needed him to fill my emptiness. After the miscarriage, I wanted nothing more than to be pregnant and 5 months later, he was an answer to prayer. He still fills my emptiness...like when it's too quiet in the house, you can count on him to sing a cute song (opera style is his genre at this moment) or make noise. When I want to nap and be lazy, he requires me to get up from my sloth-like state to fulfill his basic needs of food and butt wiping. He gives me kisses, says that he loves me, and tells me that I am beautiful when Jerrod's not there to do his husbandly job.

As every parent knows, each child has their own personality. It is amazing to see the differences of all three of my boys and know that they are still from the same gene pool. Aside from just how much they look like each other, they are soo very different. What a challenge that God has put in our hands to raise these children into God-fearing, life-embracing, respectful men. There is no greater honor than to be a mother to these boys and to wake up each morning knowing that they have great respect for our job as parents. Jerrod and I see it in the way they respond to discipline: one of the many forms that our love comes in...and they get that.

We are far from perfect parents. We were never called to be "perfect". Our boys are not "perfect" and that is what makes them so perfect in my eyes. They are perfectly loved and they love me perfectly.

Boy do I get emotional on birthdays.

Simple Things

It was a simple day. What I mean by that is that is that it was, well, boring on most accounts, but lovely in my book. A school holiday for Bryson and Cayden. I set the alarm for 8 AM, just in case life didn't wake me up any earlier: Simple. Bryson spent the night at a friend's so he wasn't even under my control until after lunch: Simple. Cayden went to work with Rylan and me. He colored and read at a desk in the back: Simple. Jerrod greeted us at home with his feather duster and apron....not really, but he had cleaned up the mess that I neglected to touch in the morning before leaving. He makes my job, honestly, simple. The boys played soccer in the front yard while I hand sewed Christmas gifts: Simple. No one in the soccer carpool but Cayden so I drove him alone: Simple. Arrived home to a warm family dinner: Simple. And now I wait for that simple homemade granola to finish baking in the oven as I listen to the new John Mayer album, not so simple, but calming. I'll take it. For all those days that are not so simple.....354 of them a year, I am so grateful for these 24 hours of simplicity.

Voodoo

I made that trip to the chiropractor/nutritionalist yesterday and I am not sure if it's a Pygmalion effect, but I am feeling pretty darn swell at this point. I, according to this DC, was out of allignment and I also have allergies to egg and white bleached flour. Western medicine has not been so successful for me so a little Chinese creativity is worth dipping into, especially if it gets rid of my migraines. It was so nice to wake up this morning without haze around my head. It was great to take on work and 3 boys without being slammed by pain in the mid-afternoon. I felt happy. I felt productive. I felt like taking my boys to Trader Joe's to get food to fill our fridge. I even felt like washing my car. I am a new me and I really look forward to waking up tomorrow and doing it all again.

Some of the advice that I got yesterday included: Eat organic, eat more vegetables, don't use your cell phone, stay away from the Halloween candy, brown rice is your friend (yes, and my aunt says that it will make you poop....A LOT), wild fish vs. farmed is better for you,.... All of the things that I already knew, but you know, I wasn't resisting change this time. It wasn't enough that I knew that baked goods and bread were not the way to go when losing weight. It took a person of this profession to get me to make a change in my lifestyle. I guess that if I knew that I was allergic to white flour before, I would have avoided it. I had this crazy thought...yeah a crazy one, this lady is taking on the great feat of decreasing American obesity one person at a time. I imagine her in her kitchen AKA "laboratory" haunched over, rubbing her hands together, cracking a crooked smile, and cackling over her brew of natural supplements.

So, the moral of this story is: A pain-free mom is a better mom and Trader Joe's is your best bet for great organic, white flour-free goodies! (Way to go Savory Thin Mini Edamame Crackers!) We thoroughly enjoyed the brown rice spaghetti this evening. Even with the side salad of organic baby spinach and wild salmon.

Migraines

What is the point of migraines? I believe that it is for the makers of Excedrine to make millions of dollars off of suffering people like me. Hello: It's 6:49 AM and I am recovering from a nasty migraine that hit me this morning and, although the pain is gone, the caffeine is just starting to kick in. I think at this point, my poor husband can check the "single-dad" box on his next survey because he has taken care of these boys while I lay in bed debilitated and totally useless. I have had many thoughts this week about how a power drill can alleviate the pressure in my head (You saw that Grey's Anatomy too, huh?) or just a sledge hammer, really.
I'd like to thank my parents for my ongoing headaches. Thank you, thank you for the poor vision that has left me with eyeballs that are 2 times the size of a normal human's...maybe putting increased pressure on my brain (only a thought-doctor says that isn't the case, but how can it not be?). Thank you for passing on the genetic disposition for migraines triggered by, uh, just about everything I come into contact with (waking up, sunlight, moonlight, smelly candles, work, noise, exercise, driving...).
I am positive though. These last few days have given me the motivation to seek the added attention of a doctor, again, and even further if I don't get answers. I can't live like this. No parent should live with migraines not brought on by their own children. That is a different kind of migraine that I signed up for.

Running the Race

I wish I had a camera to take a picture of what I REALLY looked like when I finally finished my 10 mile race. I know that I was sweating so hard that there were salt trails all over my face and neck. I know also that I had my tongue sticking out and that my legs were moving out of sync with the rest of my body. I don't mind that people were laughing or that my friend, who finished 2+ minutes faster, had time to finish a banana and a bottle of water before cheering me on. I mind that I felt so bad all the way through the race. WHAT HAPPENED? I don't know. Was I sick? Was I insecure about being the last person to finish (which was not the case although I came pretty close to it)? Did I not eat enough to get me through?....which might have been the answer because my tummy was upset with me the whole way through.
I like to make up excuses for performing so poorly, but in this case, I knew that I was going to be one of the last people to finish and I still feel pretty crummy about it. And the worst of it is that I had a horrible migraine afterwards. I was out for the rest of the day tossing and turning in my bed with a towel over my eyes, 4 Excedrine in my system and barfing up everything that I tried to take in.
I've come to believe that my body is trying to tell me something. It is trying to tell me to go see my doctor, even if she'll tell me that it's been ??? years since my last pap smear and that I should have one now. My body is telling me that it's time to stop pushing too hard to be last. Just give in and enjoy being the last person that everyone hopes that they're not. It was a little hurtful when I reached the final water stop and one of the kids said to a friend, "Yeah, these are all the walkers now." I wasn't walking and I wanted to punch him in the face, but I needed to save my energy for my flash finish. The man that I was jockeying with for close-to-last-place didn't realize that I was running up beside him at first, but I noticed his snot rocket on my arm and tried to get ahead of him so he wouldn't do it again. I think when he realized that a short Asian woman was passing him up, he committed himself to passing me for the last time and he was off and running. I couldn't keep up with his speedy 12:00 min/mile pace. The 2 ladies who would run then walk would pass me on occasion and I could hear them from a pretty far distance. One of them was a "clopper". I don't really know how else to explain it except by saying that it sounded like she was running with tap shoes on. I was ready to drop out of the race every time they passed me running or when I passed them while they were walking. I think they ended up being the "walkers" at the end of the race because the last mile was a bit more pleasurable without them and snot-rocket man.
So, what do I have to say for myself? First I have to thank Steph for keeping positive and running her best race. I know that she tried hard to keep me on pace, but I was just dead-set on running at a snail's pace. She was there to cheer me on at the turn and at the finish. I LOVE her for that. Jerrod and I have concluded that the migraines need to stop so no more distance races or long runs until I can figure out what my problem is. I LOVE my husband. I love that he is backing me up on no more running, although he may not like the look of my square butt after 2 weeks of no real exercise. It was an experience, a good one, and a bad one. I must say though, we rode our bikes to the starting line and that was really enjoyable for me. The ride back was just as much fun. Without registering for this race, I would not have had such a great bike ride and I believe that makes my race a biatholon. AWESOME!

Discipline

We all have our special bag of tricks when it comes to disciplining our children. I don't really have a "bag" or "tricks" but I do have a very scary mad face and a scarcastic tone that could make any child cry. I have put those aside though, seeing the error of my ways, and tried some alternative methods to get my boys to do what I tell them to do.
Usually, it isn't bad because I am a mom that does almost everything for my kids. I hand them their daily change of clothes, including the underwear so they remember to change them. I pick up after them and I pick up after them....it's a never-ending task. I remind them every morning to eat something and to brush their teeth. Lightbulb switch: ON! This is why they don't do anything that I tell them to do when I want them to do it. I've been doing it for them. Duh! They complain that they don't know how to fold their clothes or empty the dishwasher. It's because I was too-good-of-a-mom to teach them to do it for themselves.
We are in our transition phase now where the kids still do a lot of "..but I can't..." or "...but I don't know how...". It's become a challenge because of all of the teaching-to that I feel like I am doing, but it is paying off. Bryson can now empty the entire dishwasher without a single complaint, although there is no rhyme-or-reason as to the organization of the tupperware (see above picture). Another lesson for another day. Cayden had a HUGE breakthrough this afternoon after a bunny poop meltdown. He "just couldn't keep the bag open while he scooped the poop into it." Not only did he learn a more efficient way to bag poop, he understood that when he is respectful to his mom by doing what he is asked to do, he is contributing to his family and will reap the rewards and privliges of being a part of it (playing soccer, watching t.v., eating McDonald's, making smoothies...all of the most important things in life).
It was all done without a scream or fist-pump. With just a little crying and a lot of love, we were able to bag that poop up....2 bags-full!

Battle of the Bulk

I do think it a bit funny that we planned for an evening of fun at Costco with the boys. It's been months since our last visit. To lighten the stress, usually it is just one of us and the other stays at home with the boys. If it's Jerrod that goes, he is a precise shopper and comes back with what is on the list, except for that one time when he came home with a camera and a foam surf board...... If I go, who knows what will come home with me. I start with a list, but tend to find other items that I "forgot" to add. If we take the kids, like we did today, it seems like the trip is quick and efficient. We work as a team and cover twice the aisles in half the time. We say things like, "...but do we really need this much?" and the other will answer, "We can just go to the store later." Jerrod keeps me away from the chocolate and we don't even attempt the seasonal, technology, clothing, or entertainment sections for fear that there might be a break-down.
So why don't we always take the boys?
1. the car ride is almost unbearable....the singing, the fighting, the crying,....
2. Like me, they get the "I-Wants". You know... "I want to get..." And we're talking in bulk. I don't really think that it is the best idea to have a 5 lb. bag of cheese ravioli just for Bryson.
3. Today I had to explain to Cayden why it was rude to laugh at me for getting the bulk-sized panty liners. Embarassing! I let him know that there will be a day in his life when he will be going to the store to get them for HIS wife.
4. If Rylan was to drop those eggs, that would be 6 more than if we had bought at Ralphs.
5. The ride home.
We are survivors though. We made it home with tp to last us for the rest of the year, a bag of broccoli that will go half-finished because we just couldn't eat any more if it, and those panty liners that are gonna get me though until menopause.

All Things USC

I guess it was just a matter of time before this household would catch on to the craze of which the US calls college football. Jerrod had never been really interested and the boys had better things to do on a weekend, like play video games or clean their rooms... But something happened this week. Actually, it started about 2 weeks ago when Cayden expressed interest in a football jersey. The nice jerseys are expensive and I told him that he had to save up his money. Well, how about that? His birthday party came and went and he had a pocket-full of money. He chose a USC jersey. Very nice! Jerrod and I didn't attend USC, but we do have a soft place in our hearts for over-priced, small, private, CA colleges. We met at one....that didn't have a football team, so that gives us every right to claim USC as our football team of choice.
Back to this week, I began to notice that certain things would catch my eye, like USC tortilla chips at the supermarket. I would fall into certain conversations, like one with a student who was telling me that she was going to Chicago just to see this Saturday's game...
Needless to say, Jerrod went shopping for "game food" (it wouldn't surprise me if the USC chips made their way into our home) and Cayden invited his aunt to come over and watch the game. How did I even think that I would get away with living a football-free life with 4 boys in my household? I don't know, but now I need to go to the library and educate myself on our new-found-love. Fight on!

Life Lessons RE Toilet Paper

Big B learned an important lesson this evening. It was time. He is mature enough. If he is going to be the one to use the last of the tp, he better put a new roll on. I asked him, "Who in their right-mind is going to think that this is enough to wipe with?" Then I told him to replace the roll. He tried to play smart with me and said, "Uh, the person who should really be doing this is the next guy", but I told him that the next pooper would not appreciate it, especially if there wasn't a roll to be found within arm's reach. So he got up out of his bed and he changed it for me.
Would it be too much for someone to start a book of written tp rules? For instance, It really makes more sense if the paper rolls over the top of the roll. You can argue with me, but I hate it when you pull too hard and the paper keeps unrolling from under the roll. How about ripping on the perforation instead of making an uneven tear? What's the point if you don't use the dotted line? 2-ply. Why do they even bother with 1-ply? You have to use twice as much. Scented tp. If you need scented tp, it really must be time to take a shower. I'll stop there, but if you have others to add......

Ruby's Tonight!

I've been motivated to get this day done by a force much greater than cookies. Tonight we are going to Ruby's for dinner. It's a family favorite. Cayden can eat his allergy-free chicken breast with fries and I get the most amazing turkey burger that I can sink my teeth into. We usually hit up Ruby's on a Tuesday because it is their kids-eat-free day. It has become an expensive thing to eat out with 3 boys these days. Bryson's eyes are bigger than his stomach and Cayden is getting very close to outgrowing the kid's menu.
I have run the last 3 days, 6+ miles a piece and I believe that I may have prepped my body for the rush of calories that it will ingest this evening. I plan to run the next 3 days also to compensate for the calorie/fat overload. But really, in training, a rest day should really be a Ruby turkey burger day.
There is so much value in eating at Ruby's. Everyone leaves happy. If it's a kids-eat-free day, or you've got a good coupon (we have both for this evening), then it's light on the wallet. I maintained a healthy preganancy weight by eating Superburgers at least once a week (although I did go into preterm labor due to hypertension...but it's just coincidental...must be genetics.) They have a tasty meal that Cayden enjoys. I don't have to cook. If you go to the Ruby's on the pier, you get a great cardio-vascular workout. If you go to the one at Crystal Court, you can park downstairs and get a good calf workout.

OMG! Did I just write an entire blog entry about Ruby's?

Beer

I don't know why I am admitting to this, but this morning I was in such a rush to get out of the house that I mistakenly grabbed a bottle of Jerrod's beer from the fridge instead of my bottle of water. (Yes, I was so frazzled that I didn't have time to fill my usual travel mug with ice water.) It would have been something if I actually made it to school with the bottle in hand, but I did realize that it was not my drink-of-choice as I was locking up. Maybe it's a message from the Beer God. Would I be a better teacher if I had a little to drink before stepping into the dungeon (what I affectionately call my classroom)? It sure wouldn't help my dozing-off in the middle of class.

While the cat is away.....

I'm not saying that Jerrod is a cat...or that he is the only person who wears the pants in this house. I am saying though, that we "mice" (Rylan and I) are having a dandy time playing around with a lot more freedom. Jerrod has taken the two older boys to the Redding Air show for the weekend and Rylan and I have been very busy having fun. Today we started off by sleeping in until 8 and then getting ready to go to the library. We read some books and then hopped on over to the Green Expo in the library parking lot. I was hoping that I could get some information about composting, but Rylan wasn't really interested in conserving the environment so we left to go watch some soccer. First stop was to watch my friends' daughters' game. They are in 1st grade so you can imagine a large clump of girls with pony tails and ribbons trying to get a foot on 1 ball. It was very entertaining, mostly because I don't have girls and I am just fascinated by just how cute they are playing sports. Our second soccer stop was to watch Cayden's team play. Yeah, Cayden wasn't there. I don't really know what it was that made me feel obligated to go, but we did and cheered his team on. Maybe it was the money that we spend to have him involved in the club.....hmmmmmm.
We went to church and made it on time. I volunteered in Rylan's preschool class. He seems to enjoy having me there with him. But today was a bit chaotic because the "boss" wasn't able to make it and us leaders just stood around not knowing what to do. The kids were out of control because they didn't know what to do. Thankfully, church is only an hour and with preschool, you can get away with just saying something like "Today we're going to learn that God made everything. He made toys and friends to share with" and then let them play.
So tomorrow we may head off to the beach or the orchid show. We may even make it to OSH or the Home Depot to start building a compost pile. You know you have to let that stuff sit for a while before it actually becomes compost, right? Things you learn when you read books.....amazing!

More car problems

On the eve (afternoon before...whatever) of sending my "big men" to Redding, I spent too many wasted hours waiting for the cars to be "fixed". I DID say CARS-plural! Jerrod had asked me ever so gently to take his car in for a re-alignment so he could drive safely up the 5 freeway. I obliged and planned to take it in after work. Well, I drove to work and dropped off Rylan and realized that I had the wrong keys to my classroom and cupboards where all of my teacher "stuff" was. I drove home to get them and drew a sigh of relief. OK, work done and off to Allen Tires (to which I have always had such good experience with). As I sat there with Rylan laying on the floor for almost 2 hours, the "guy" finally came to ask me if someone had recommended 3 new tires. No, no one didn't. After a few calls to Jerrod and realizing that I had Cayden to pick up in 30 minutes and another car appointment in 45 minutes, I took the car home with cracked tires. What do I know about cars and tires? Nothing. I switched cars and was off to pick up Cayden and sit in the Toyota lounge for another 2 hours because the shuttle wasn't anywhere near HB, I guess. We waited and did homework....we watched the Angels lose. I fed my boys Dr. Pepper and Pop Tarts. Ultimately, it was a wasted day of car nonsense, but I will have peace-of-mind when Jerrod returns to Allen Tires today to pick up his car with 3 new tires. I didn't cook dinner. We just ate what we could from the fridge. As Jerrod and I settled in for the night, we looked at each other and realized that we didn't feed our little 3-year-old Rylan anything. Yes, the cars won on this day. Congratulations!

Jerrod's Surprise Party

This weekend I did an amazing thing. I was able to keep my mouth shut long enough to throw my husband a surprise party. I don't keep surprises well, especially if I am excited about them. It was a low-key party for family friends at his favorite pizza place, Round Table. We reserved the banquet room, decorated it with embarrassing blown-up pictures and balloons, ordered an Indiana Jones cake, and tah-dah!!! Instant party. The boys were good at holding their tongues too. We decided not to let Rylan in on the secret because, as you may know, a 3 year-old has that constant diarrhea of the mouth....it just comes out and there's no stopping it. Jerrod WAS surprised and everyone had a good time. I know that he feels a little awkward when he is the center of attention....and that is why this party was so fantastic!!! He deserves to feel special because he is a very special guy.


Happy Birthday Honeybee!

Family Time

Today was a great day! It didn't necessarily start out as a family day, but it ended as one. I hit the beach early for an 8-miler with my friend Stephanie. Running with Stephanie can only be described as getting to see a family therapist for free. I love it! We talk and council each other on issues and I always feel better at the end of our run. It may not be the same case for Stephanie, but I hope so. I hope that she doesn't take on my emotional baggage and become bitter towards me. I'd lose a running partner....there are very few who run at my pace.
After the run it was time for church, and wouldn't it be that it was "Family Day". The irony is that Bryson went to church with the neighbors. Cayden went with Jerrod to his church, and I took Rylan. It just happened that a good family friend, Scott, and his daughter came minus 2 members of their family and we meshed into a psudo family just for "Family Day".
At lunch back at home, four-out-of-five of us dined on leftovers and fish sticks then went to Home Depot and the nursery to get some plants. We returned home and Bryson was there to greet us. As a family, we planted our new foliage in order to beautify our front yard. We did a pretty good job. As a family we had a picnic dinner and played at the local park until it got cold. Like I said, it was a great day.

School Days

So here we are.....beginning a new school year. 7th grade, 4th grade, and preppy-K. I am amazed at how smooth the transition was. It may be due to the fact that the kids had a day-and-a-half of school before a 3-day weekend. I propose that every school week be like that.
Bryson was fixated on wearing his new fashionable skinny jeans to school everyday with the new jacket. Hello? It was over 90 degrees last week. Cayden is still waiting to do his school clothes shopping, but he's cake....I just pick something off the rack and ask, "How about this?" and he says "OK."
Rylan has picture day today. He's been practicing his smile. He calls it "crazy eyes" to which they are....and that famous "Shrek smile". It's partly my fault because we love to share "crazy eyes" from across the table at dinner and laugh, but I am praying that the highly-trained picture people at Life-Touch can coax him out of using his signature smile and just settle for a nice one. If not, maybe they can just re-touch his whole face.

School Shopping with Bryson

He's been asking me for weeks. He had birthday money burning a hole in his wallet. He has a friend who was critical of his clothing; critical enough to tell him that he needed skinny jeans. So we went shopping. We started out at Tilly's because he had a gift card. That is where we made a compromise. If he was going to get skinny jeans, they were going to be loose-fitting, skinny-slim jeans. Not the ultra-skinny, neon-colored style. He bought 2 pairs. Then he decided that he needed to get shoes because the Adidas athletic shoes weren't going to cut it anymore. We found some bulky skater shoes and they were on sale, fine. 2 tee-shirts, well over-priced, and a name-brand jacket later, we were finally done. I think my eye-balls needed to be shoved back into my face when the lady at the register gave me the total. Bryson didn't flinch. He must have been confident that he had that much $ in his wallet. Good thing he didn't tell me or I would have mugged him.

So, when did this all happen? When did the switch go off in his mind? A few months ago he had money and all he wanted was a video game. Now he wants clothes....and not cheap clothes anymore. It's a sad day when you can't fool your son into wearing Geranimals or High Sierra Clothing. He wasn't shopping for fashion. He was shopping for name-brands.

We did make it to Target and got him some socks, boxers, and tee-shirts. Thank the Lord Almighty that he was understanding of the family undergarment budget. (Yeah, I couldn't make him pay for his undies. They're a necessity.)

Crappy Thursday

In response to such a wonderful Wednesday, I was "blessed" with the day from Car Hell. Not only was it hot, like triple-digit-hot, I had to visit Pep Boys and Tire's Warehouse on the SAME day for seperate reasons. Let me break it down for you:
8:30AM Morning is going well. Taking the little guys to a friend's house so I can go for a run. The car starts up a little funny (For the last few days it's been touch-and-go so I was just going to wait for the light on my dash to go off, but it never did)
9:45AM Run was good, but short because it was WAY TOO HOT! I had decided to run around my friend's neighborhood just in case the car wouldn't start. After discussing the issue with my friend, I decided that it would be best to get the battery checked.
10:00AM Made it to Pep Boys. Will take 40 minutes to an hour to do a diagnostic on my battery. Cayden, Rylan, and I WALK home. Did I mention that it was HOT?
10:45AM Get a call from Pep Boys. Need a new battery. He also mentions that my front tire is balding on the side, you could almost see the metal, and needs to be replaced ASAP (but he didn't pressure me to do it there. Very Nice! Plus, I knew it was balding....our allignment has been off, but it must have gotten worse in the last day or so)
12:00PM We had a date at the beach, but I realized that the parking pass was in the van, of course it was. Cancelled date. Some kids are sad. I feel bad and drive Jerrod's car and take them to lunch at Del Taco. They were all happy afterwards.
1:00PM Pick up the van and take it to Tire's Warehouse to get a matching tire and have the allignment fixed. Kids are good. We watch an episode of SpongeBob...the one where he falls in love with a Crabby Patty. We watch more SpongeBob.
2:30PM Finally my car has been restored to normal. We go back to Pep Boys and trade off cars because my bike won't fit in Jerrod's car. I take the boys home.
3:00PM Put Rylan down for a nap. Put Bryson in charge (are you nervous......I was!) and ride my bike to Pep Boys to get the van. We needed 2 cars avaliable for all of this evenings's activities.
3:45PM Finally, it's over. 2 cars in the driveway and my van is not lop-sided and grunting anymore.
4:00 PM I took that shower...you know, the one I was going to take at 10:00 after my run. It felt sooooo good.
4:51PM Now what?....Oh, I make dinner.

A Perfect Wednesday

Two of my friends loaned me their children for the day and what a joy it has been to watch 7 boys play not-so-quietly together. Video games, skateboards, bubbles, bunnies, mac and cheese, Thomas the Train, and Paul Blart: Mall Cop have kept them occupied and out of trouble. Yay for boys!

Middle School Registration

Today marked the end of summer for me. I had my opening teacher's meeting this morning and stepped into my classroom for the first time in 3 months. It was painful to get up with an alarm and even more painful to actually get dressed for the day, but I did it...for the love of teaching children (roll eyes now). It was also Rylan's first unofficial day of preschool for the year. It was a tease for him and I picked him up crying. I felt really bad because he was having so much fun. Now he has to wait a week to go back because I am going to avoid having to go to work until I get paid for it. His normal day at school is just as short as mine. 2.25 hours. Yes, I work a job for 2.25 hours. I don't even think that it qualifies as a job being that some people get lunch breaks that are longer.

Bryson had middle school registration after my meeting. We stood in a line to get his homeroom teacher's name, PE clothes, pay for stuff, and pay for more stuff. I can only describe my hour wait as a cross between Disneyland (the waiting part) and a sauna (the un-air conditioned room). We stood patiently in a sweatbox filled with middle school students, some of whom forgot to put their deodorant on this morning, take their weekly shower, or change their clothes over the entire summer. Had it been a cool day and the line short, I may have signed the PTO volunteer list, but I just wanted the heck out of there. Next year, I think I might just send him on his own. I'll just call it a test of responsibility and independence.

Happy Birthday Cayden

Yesterday was Cayden's birthday. He is a 9 year-old, stud muffin now. Although he is not my youngest, he is my "baby". I'm not sure if it's his health issues or that he just is the sweetest boy ever, but he has a very special place in my heart and I believe that even when he is full-grown, I'll still be checking in on him in the middle of the night and kissing him on the forehead (hope his wife doesn't mind). He still cries when he is overly tired and sometimes needs some additional TLC, but is the toughest kid I know. Someone mentioned to me that he's "that kid" who can dress in the dark and not do his hair and still look cool. He has this presence about him that says, "I'm too cool to care about what I look like." It is true because there have been many-a-day when he has tried to sneak out of the house with plaid shorts and a striped shirt. I just don't want the call from social services regarding child neglect.

So we went to eat at Red Robin, one of the few restaurants that Cayden can eat at. He has food allergies....blah! My prayer for him is that he doesn't miss out on anything, including great food, because of them. But because of him, I have come to appreciate: eating out, ice cream, cheese, scrambled eggs, cookies,.... They are limited in our household.

Summer is soooo good, but summer is also a little sad. The boys turn one year older each summer. Soon, they'll want to hang with their friends instead of their parents. Soon, we'll be an embarrassment instead of "cool".

Grocery Shopping

In preparation for Bryson's belated birthday party, I did some late-evening shopping at my local Ralph's. I love grocery shopping after the kids go to bed. The store is empty. They dim the lights, and the crazy people come out and enlighten my evening. Case in point: It started immediately as I entered Ralph's. 2 homeless men were standing around the sanitary wipe stand that the store leaves out so people can wipe down their carts. One of the men had pulled out a large amount of them as the other watched and then they started to discuss...."Oh, they are so soft. You should feel them." "Smell them. They smell so good." "I bet they taste good." (Huh?) "Yeah, you should take some for later." I was amused and thought about standing there longer to see where the conversation would go, but I didn't want to be rude. I am sure that homeless people get embarrassed too.
I made my way around the store and finally hit my favorite aisles. The frozen food section. If you are alone and the music is just right, you can feel like a rock star, or a model, or anyone super important. Tonight it was Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. As I slowly walked through my first aisle, the motion sensored lights began to come on one at a time. It's like having magical powers. Tonight, I got to do it twice. After my first aisle, I turned the corner, and the frozen snacks and ice aisle was empty. So I took my walk. It was beautiful.

Orthodontist

Today we went in for an evaluation with an orthodontist. Bryson was a little nervous....as expected. Who really wants to go through 2 + years of pain and then another who-knows-years of added responsibility with a retainer? To his relief, the doctor said that he didn't need them right away. So we wait......

Rylan has been working very hard on the potty training but had a few setbacks this week. One of those was a classic case of "the floating poo" in the tub. Only a mother would fish a poo out of the tub and laugh, right? My patience with this issue is really being stretched. It just seems that he will never get it. The other day he did make it to the toilet in time and "ploped it". He said that it looked like a "sausage" and that we couldn't flush it until Dad saw it. Thankfully, Dad was expected at any minute. A proud moment for any potty-training parent.

The Lakes

The last few days of our vacation were filled with trips to bodies of water. Our first being the famous Lake Shasta. Wouldn't you know, we hit the 1 day in the middle of August that was cooler than 80 degrees and raining. That didn't spoil our fun. The water was warm and the patio boat was very nice, although a warmer day would have made it a little more useful. The boys swam, fished, explored, and ate to their heart's content. It was a good day.

Friday, Aunt Crystal and Uncle John joined us. Grandpa Pat took us to Clear Creek to pan for gold. We didn't find much gold, but we lost a few flip flops. Some of us REALLY had a good time throwing rocks into the creek. I tried my best to re-enact my favorite scene from Dan in Real Life: taking out my frustration by throwing a huge rock into the water. It was still not your typical Redding summer weather, but it made for a good morning trip with 6 crazy kids.

Our last trip out was to Whiskeytown Lake. The water was cool and the weather was hot. We had a full day of tubing and swinging from the rope swing. Gavin and Bryson even caught fish.

So are you surprised that I actually had a fun time? I was too. But with every meeting with nature that I have, there has to be complaint. Here it is: I was done...DONE and ready to go and take a real shower back at the house. When we got back, the power was out.... To conserve the hot water, we all took 2 minute showers. Not my favorite, but enough to wash the lake grime off.

The Great Outdoors

We are currently on our annual summer trip to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Redding, CA. This year we stopped in the Sequoias and Sacramento to have a little fun. The day in the Sequoia National Park/Forest was great. The kids got to see some big trees and saw their first black bear cub. I have to say that it was the perfect day trip into nature for this "city girl." At the end, we drove into a city...which shall remain nameless mostly because I don't remember it's name, but there was internet access and a treadmill and most importantly, a hot shower. Sacramento was our next stop and we went to the train museum and Sutter's Fort. It was just enough excitement for everyone. We were all getting on each other's nerves so we called it a day and drove to Redding for the evening. Now the boys are having a blast just playing on the hill catching frogs and lizards, chasing chickens, and feeding horses. Other than the BB guns, they are safe and pretty much entertained on their own. Last night Bryson told me that he was "goin' huntin' for locusts with his dad tomorrow." He was working that accent pretty well. Tomorrow we'll be boarding a houseboat on Lake Shasta for some sunburning fun.

Other than the flat tire-2 hour wait at Walmart (which really wasn't so bad because I needed face lotion anyways) and the 5 mosquito bites that are killing me right now, we've been having a nice time. Jerrod even got in a ride this morning on his bike.

Bunco and Bounce Houses

I just returned from a fantastic Bunco night with the ultra-cool school moms in the neighborhood. I say fantastic because: 1. I consumed enough calories to last me 2 days, 2. I got to catch up on the latest neighborhood gossip, 3. I got to know the ladies better, 4. I got to check out another neighbor's beautiful home, and finally 5. I won the jackpot!!!!!!!! So I took home more money than I brought, which was none because I forgot, but a nice friend let me borrow and I paid her back with my WINNINGS!

...oh, you want to hear more about the kids, not me....

Bryson cracks me up. He's been helping out at church camp. During camp hours, he and the other volunteers are not allowed to jump on the bounce houses due to the obvious....little kid+big kid+bounce house=some type of injury. The leaders made a wise decision to set up a time after camp to let the tweens/teens play. Bryson's been soo excited to bounce after camp each day, and then tonight during Bible study, they let them bounce again. This is the same little guy who was so apprehensive about ever going into a ball pit because of an unfortunate incident when he was 3 (swallowed by the pit and Mom, nine months pregnant, had to crawl through the "gerbil" tunnel to grab the sinking boy by the arm so he could breathe). This is also the same boy that would NEVER take off his shoes, not even to make a paint impression of his darling foot on a t-shirt for a music program in preschool. He didn't have a foot angel on his shirt and some really rude lady in the back wondered if it was against his religion because his shirt was blank. It was the same for bounce houses at parties too. He wouldn't take the shoes off. I am so glad that my son has outgrown his insecurities and that he can laugh about how he use to be. I was never able to to that. I still have a hard time. I love the boy he has become. I love that he longs to jump in the bounce house even if he is 12.

Meltdown

You are probably asking why I entitled this post, Meltdown. It's not because it's THAT hot and that I am melting, although I swear that I am having hot flashes. I hate sweat....In fact, I just realized how lame I was to take a shower this morning in preparation for my sweaty run only to shower after I returned. Back to the subject of meltdowns. Cayden, my sweet-quiet-hardly-ever-complaining son must have been really tired yesterday because he chose to cry and pout instead of going to a friend's to swim. And that isn't the kicker. I told him that he should go to his room and rest for a while and he stopped crying and said, "OK". He's spent the greater part of this week at church camp and it's a bit overstimulating for any kid, but I highly recommend it!

Bryson is volunteering at camp and really put up a fuss when I woke him up in the morning....I am beginning to see the teenager in him. He's only 12, but he is starting to sleep in when he can and he likes to "hang" in his pj's until I ask him to get dressed, which sometimes is not until lunch.

On the same afternoon, Rylan, the preschooler, decided that his shirt was too wet to wear. I had wiped off some toothpaste and attempted to dry it quickly with a hairdryer. He, like his brother, decided that crying would be easier than putting the shirt back on. It's funny, you know...2 of my boys would never change their clothes if they didn't have to, but Rylan wants a new shirt or pants when he drips water or gets a little dirt on his pants.

The final meltdown came from yours truly. You know that PMS that I had last week? I've extended the week. I won't say what the issue was....mostly because it really wasn't an issue until I made it one. Just keeping Jerrod on his toes!

Things have simmered since yesterday and we all look forward to an early bedtime.

Bryson's Birthday

Today is Bryson's 12th birthday. He was so small when he was born (4lb, 13oz) and you could curl him up in the palm of your hands. I am reminded of so many things from 12 years ago. Jerrod and I were still in college making a collective $300 a month to pay for Top Ramen and toilet paper. We drove 1 hour to Mom and Dad's every 2 weeks because we needed to do laundry. This boy has transformed our lives in so many fabulous ways. Because of him, Jerrod and I both settled on majors and got serious about school. Because of him, we became a family. Because of him, we wanted to have more kids, and because of him, we don't want to have more. (He sometimes acts like me and I can't stand it. Or when he says "I know!") But as this day begins and everyone else is asleep but Bryson and me (B playing his new video games, me blogging), I am filled with a rush of emotions. 13 better not be this emotional. Please tell me that is isn't. I may not look forward to their birthdays anymore. Good news though, I know they get bigger and I know that there is no way to stop that, but I know that he doesn't stink yet and that he doesn't have armpit hair. He too, like his mother, is still waiting for puberty to hit. There's no rush to grow up. Take me for example!

The Dentist

Due to changes in our dental insurance...as in, like, finally having it, the boys and I went to a new dentist that is located close by in HB. She is very nice and her office is pretty and clean. First off, our dental insurance is really crappy. Jerrod keeps reminding me that it would be much worse if we didn't have any. But in 2 visits, she showed me that Cayden has 3 cavities, 1 which will not be filled because it is a baby tooth. I mentioned in my last blog about my cavities and bony mass. I went religiously every 6 months to get a cleaning, but passed on the x-rays. It's amazing what x-rays can show you. So, now we'll be spending all of our "back yard landscaping" money on the dentist. I am sure that the dentist was SOOO thrilled about MORE visits from the Bonner family in the next few weeks. Rylan was a terror in the waiting room....but his teeth checked out fine. Poor Cayden! She filled one cavity today and he was so numb that he couldn't feel the drool on his face. He kept telling me that there was something in his mouth and that he wanted me to take it out. It was really just his tongue. He was so glad when the numbness wore off...he could then eat his Dino Buddies!

Bad Mood

For 12 years (maybe longer) I have been in denial about PMS. Today I realize that I am moody and grouchy and irritated and bloated I am going to blame it on PMS. Those boys that could, have run across the street to avoid me and the lil guy, oh, he's a trooper. He did mention that he wanted to play with "Matt" the door-to-door salesman that came by this morning. Rylan keeps asking, "When's Matt coming over?" Maybe he thinks that "Matt" will save him from the torture of Mom's moodiness. We have, though, snacked on some delicious and non-nutritious items such as M&M's and cookies because of my "illness". That may explain why the dentist told me today that I have 6 cavities, a boney growth on the side of my chin (trip to see the oral surgeon, yay!), and that I need a filling replaced with a crown. The positive: more gold in my mouth=greater self-worth.

Tonight we will be going to Red Robin to celebrate Bryson's 12th b-day. He won't be 12 for another week, but I need the oil/salt coma TODAY! He is such a great kid. Although he does have an attitude and some mood swings (where could he have gotten those?), he is respectful and responsive to what Jerrod and I ask of him. So, Happy Birthday Bryson! I LOVE YOU, and you can come home now because I am in a better mood.

Beach Bon Fire

My boys LOVE fire! Tonight they will enjoy a dirty pit full of it at the beach. We will burn hot dogs and make flaming marshmallows all evening. What is the attraction? Is it the danger of 3rd degree burns? Whatever it is will be keeping me on my toes.

Speaking of the beach, we have visited the sand and sun many times this week. It amounted to enough times to actually fork out the money for an annual pass. Now we won't need to pray for our lives as we cross PCH. It will make rolling the cooler to the sand a more enjoyable trip. It will also decrease my running mileage by a quarter mile. My knees thank me and will take what they can get.

Summer Boredom

Aside from the fabulous run this morning, my boys and I did absolutely nothing today. It is all part of the "get-ready-for-school" plan. We've taken away most of their t.v. and computer time which gives them the option of either playing outside or reading a book. This plan leads to more napping, because there's nothin' else to do, and more play-at-the-neighbor's house. Yes! A win-win for me, although it just occured to me that they might be watching t.v. at the neighbor's house...but they're interacting with friends so it's ok.
Bryson, the oldest, tested his responsibility-skills by biking to Carl's Jr. with his wallet filled with a whopping $3 in cash. I am currently waiting to see what he comes home with. Does he know that ketchup packets are free? Can't get much with $3. Rylan, the "baby" is sitting at the table scratching his head thinking about what he'll glue to the table next. You're thinking right now, "She's got to be crazy to give her 3-year old a bottle of glue and scissors!" Well, I am. At least he isn't complaining that he's bored. Cayden, is the sporty son who can always be coaxed into playing outside, but today, like many other days, he has chosen to practice his new soccer moves in the house. I can't put limits on my soccer stud. He's gonna put me up in a nice house and pay my mental health bills when I get old...which is tomorrow.

Day 1

Today is the first day of my blog cataloging all of my wonderful thoughts about being a mother of 3 boys. Of course, it won't all be about my boys. I may feel the urge to blog about my "man" or complain about something (because if you know me, I always have something to complain about). I feel a complaint coming now: Those blisters on my feet are seriously killing me!...and dumb me, I thought it might be a good thing to run on them last night....and I am still having nightmares about that GU that I "ate" half-way through my 10 M run on Sat. I gag just thinking about it 'cuz that's what I did when I tried to "eat" it. Pretty random, I know.

So today started off to be one of the greatest parenting days of my last 3.75 years. My son, Rylan, pooped in the potty 2 times today. That's a lot of poo.....not having to be cleaned from his underpants or from a diaper! Yes! Small victories for this mom. That's not the best part. The best part is that for months I've been bribing him to go with these words: "If you go on the potty, we can have Mc Donald's for dinner." For months I've been telling my son to go sit on the potty just so I could get a Big Mac, fries, and a coke. Tonight, we feast!