And We All Made It Home. 3 Toddlers, 1 Mommy, 8 Sore Feet, 1 Numb Brain

Gas to get to Disneyland: $40

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiched Packed For Lunch: $6

1 Mickey Mouse Hat to Make a Total of Three in the Family: $9.50

Finding Out That if I Had to Do it All By Myself with Three Kids (2 2-year olds and 1 4-year old) Again I Totally Could:

PRICELESS

Oooh, the Disneyland Parking Structure! THE place to grab lunch.

.....

Nicholas gets his Mickey Mouse Hat!

.....

Waiting in line for the rides...look at the early morning energy!

.....

Snack break. Goldfish Crackers (NOT the whole wheat kind, thank you Snobby Poway Moms From My Kids Clubhouse), Candy, Lemonade and French Fries. Am I raising the healthiest kids ever or what?!

.....

Totally wiped. Everyone fell asleep...for about 20 minutes.
(all pics taken via cameraphone)

.....

P.S. I know, I'm crazy.

 

I Really am a Sucker for Gingham

"So what is this one about?"

"I'm not sure, I have seen parts of 'An American in Paris' but I have never sat through all of it."

"What? I thought you'd seen all of Gene Kelly's movies."

"Well, I have seen a lot of them but I am a fan of the 'Guy Meets a Girl and They Fall in Love and Go to a Clambake' kind of American musical. You know, the kind with all the gingham and dancing."

"I think they still have clambakes."

"Really?"

"I don't think they have the gingham, but I can promise you there will be clams."

Is This the Line For Regaining My Youth?

Here I am, waiting in line at 6AM in 39 degree weather.

10 years ago, this could have been a picture of me waiting in line to see
Audio Adrenaline

or U2.

5 years ago, it might have been me waiting in line for tickets to the lastest Star Wars Movie.

But not today.
Today I stood in line at 6AM in 39 degree weather, with 40 other people...

...to get my kid in the Monday/Wednesday/Friday AM Spot for pre school.
My how parenthood changes things.

Airing My Oddities

Some of my neater and tidier and compulsive friends find an untidy person like me to be an enigma.

You see, I may go a week without properly seeing my kitchen counter. Over 7 days occasionally pass before the bathroom gets scrubbed. (But not much longer--I am not THAT gross.) And there has been more than one occasion where the laundry has been taller than me.

But no matter the state of my living room floor..........

 

My daughter's Caboodle will ALWAYS be organized.

You Are Now Entering a No-Spill Zone

Hi, my name is Bethany and I am a Sippy Cup Addict.

You know those moms who say-happily-"Oh we finally broke little Steve of the Sippy Cup. He only uses a regular cup now."

To that I say, "WHAAAAT?"

Sippy Cups are a gift from God. I think they are even talked about in the Bible. After all, in 2 Samuel 14:14a, it is said: "Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die."

That's God telling us to use Sippy Cups or we have to die!

Now that we have added another Sippy Cup user to our family, I was thrilled to have the excuse to BUY MORE! Couple that with Price Club (yeah, that's what I said) selling 4-packs for only $5 and it has only fed my addiction.

So, I am here to declare that my children will continue drinking from Sippy Cups. They will enjoy milk in the morning, water in the evening and the convenience of a life lived without being yelled at by their neurotic anti-spill mother (at least for spilling.) They will thank me when I insist on them taking Sippy Cups in their lunches for first and second grade. After all, their beverages will be so easy to get to with no fussing with the straws stuck to the back of a Capri Sun pouch. I think when the kids go to Sr. High, I will see if my mom can sew some really hip looking cozy's for them and they can be the envy of all their friends. And then, on Nathan's wedding day, his bride (Alexis, right?) will THANK me when they use Sippy Cups to take their first communion as a couple and she doesn't dribble any grape juice on her wedding dress. Am I not the best Mother in Law EVER?

One day at Target, a young couple was registering for their coming baby and they stood in front of the great wall of cups looking confused. I, in my great wisdom but humble demeanor, offered up my assistance. I pointed out the better cups and why they wanted them. I told them that if they wanted to hear the whole presentation with accompanying slide show, they were welcome to wait a moment while I set everything up. The soon-to-be-mommy was so appreciative-really, she was!-but then offered some counter points of her own as to why the cups I was recommending were, in fact, NOT the best Sippy Cups Ever Made. I told her that I hoped her baby was ugly and I left.

So there you have it. My addiction is aired out there for all to see. I loves me the Sippy Cup AND I am a Sippy Cup Snob. It must be Playtex. It must be the insulated kind.

Only in this will you achieve Sippy Cup Perfection.

5 o'clock Hawaiian Punch Shadow

"Nathan, you have a red punch mustache on your lip from the birthday party today."

"I know Mommy, I forgot to shave."



I love that kid.

The One With the Stink in the Fridge

About 5 days ago, a mysterious and pungent odor came to live in my fridge. What could it BE? It was a day before I was able to give the fridge a good cleaning. I mean, taking shelves out, wiping mustard bottles down, soaking drawers in a baking powder/H2o solution, changing out the Arm and Hammer Fridge Pack...when it was all reassembled, I admired my gleaming white fridge, thought about how I was the most awesome wife this side of the Mississippi and closed the door.

When getting dinner ready, I opened the door only to have the mysterious odor reach out of my fridge and slap me in the face! Then, as I cooked, it followed me around my small kitchen teasing me with it's presence and clinging to my leg like a 2 year old. I don't reward bad behavior with attention so I simply did my best to ignore it. It was all out war when it invaded the chicken I made for dinner that night. That was IT.

I took apart the fridge again, wiped it with antibacterial wipes, dumped all the ice in the ice maker and cleaned the freezer as well.

IT WAS STILL THERE.

Each time I opened the fridge, the smell would hide and not appear until the door was swinging closed and then it would jump at me and stick its tongue out. Before I could catch it, it darted back in and I could never find it's source.

When I came home from a meeting last night, David told me, "I found that smell in the fridge."

WHAAAAT?!?!

"Yeah, I figured it was the veggies leftover from Lucy's birthday party. You had a whole Ziploc bag full of broccoli and cauliflower that was, like,  2 weeks old so I threw it out."

I flung the door of the fridge open and took a deeeeeeeeep breath. Nothing. Just the smell of about a million gallons of milk and slight hint of alluminum from my Diet Coke cans. Ahhhhh.

I thanked my Sweet Husband (who had also fed 3 kids dinner, bathed them all, and loaded the dishwasher while I was gone) and opened the door another time to breathe in the clean.

"If you really miss the smell that badly, the bag is still in the trash, just take a whiff from there."

Um, no thanks.

10 Things I Have Noticed Now That I Am (Suddenly) a Mother to 3 Toddlers

10 Things I Have Noticed Now That I Am (Suddenly) a Mother to 3 Toddlers

I am not late anymore! Instead of being 15 minutes late, like always, I am 30 minutes early for everything! I am so afraid I won't be there on time, I leave myself a ridiculous amount of time to get everywhere.

Where did this mess come from?

1 loaf of bread=1 days worth of food.  Between the breakfast toast eating and the peanut butter sandwiches, I am going through bread like crazy. Oh, and don't forget Nathan the Morning Bread Thief.

Whose cup is this? Why are there 6 milk cups on the table?

When 3 kids are all asking for milk/food/toys/a bath/the park/Daddy/a different TV show at the same time, the sound is similar to the roar of the ocean. I search for peace in that roar. And how do they ask for all those things when there are only 3 of them?

Hang on a sec, I have another load of laundry to do. You know, ANOTHER LOAD.

I think a dog might be a good idea. A sheepdog that can herd the kids where I want them to go. And for recreation, I will strap them in roller-skates and have the dog run....for blocks and blocks.

Remember the solo trip to Target? I had one of those to Costco today and it was woooonderful.

Nothing wrong with a 45 minute bath each night, right?

And finally……………………….

I never knew my heart had this much room in it.

January 10, 2005 ~ 4:00pm

Your smile is love.

Your smile is joy.

Your feet carry life into every room

and your voice delights all with it's laughter.

I see in you the potential to change the world.
To spread joy to those around you.

You push the boundaries you are given-your curiosity knows no bounds. The world is your oyster and new experiences are the pearl.

What will you bring next year? What will each day offer for you? What will you take from the people you meet and love and charm?

I pray that your self confidence will be a constant presence in your life. I pray that you can always find the love that people have for you and share it with others in your life.

I pray that music will stay with you forever. I pray that you will find a way to take the beauty in this world and bend it, shape it into something that is your own. I pray that you will find salvation in the beauty of this world. For all beauty, all things inspiring, wonderful, magnificent, awe inspiring and amazing are from a Father who loves you even more that I ever could. He is the one who created you to be the little girl you are.

And it is my honor to be your Mommy.
I love you My Baby Love.

And If I Remember Nothing Else From 2007, It Will Still Be a Perfect Year

When we entered his house, it was like going to a whole new world. We wound around each room, hallway and door looking at everything, taking it all in.

With each step, I became nervous. What if it didn't go well? What if we didn't get the right picture? What if he didn't like him?

It was our turn. We walked into a small, quiet and peaceful room with one other family.

Nathan walked up to Mickey Mouse, gave him a hug, and said-in a muffled voice-"Mickey! I missed you."

That is when I started crying. My son was Believing.

I Believe.

I am watching “The Polar Express” and crying. I cry over and over when I watch this movie. It is the second time in 2 days that we have seen it (I breed repeat movie watchers and I love it.) The most touching part is the very end when the young boy receives the bell from Santa’s sleigh after he thought he lost it. He opens his present Christmas Morning and seeing what it represents for him just tugs at my heart.

The idea of Santa Claus is controversial among many church-going people. Many feel that the idea of Santa detracts from the reason we have Christmas in the first place. And because they don’t want that distraction, they don’t do the “Santa Thing.” In my house we didn’t have Santa. I think David might have once or twice but his family didn’t go all out.

However, in our house, we do the “Santa Thing.” Cookies and egg nog (our Santa likes Egg Nog-not warm milk, yuck) and carrots for the reindeer. I love that Nathan has something magical to believe in, to dream about. As I think about our decision more and more each year, I think that Nathan’s grasp of something magical and slightly mysterious will only make it easier for his to grasp the true “magic” of the birth of Christ-another story of mystery and wonderment.

I want Nathan to not be ashamed to believe in the unbelievable. I want him to have no doubt in his heart that the things he treasures so deeply are true. Including Santa Claus, the magic of Disneyland, believing in something so hard and so much that it will come true, wishes on stars and coins in fountains. Because as he believes in those things and continuously hears from us of the great things that God does in his life and the lives of those around him, he will easily understand something that so many adults cannot even grasp: FAITH.

And it is working. Ask my son about his thumb, he will tell you that God touched it with his Healing Hand and made it better. Want to know what a scab is? It is God’s Band Aid. What is the meaning of a rainbow? It is God’s promise that He will always take care of us. And don’t try to tell my kid any different. For as sure as the sun rises, as sure as Steve finds all three clues, as sure as we have sandwiches for lunch every day-there is a God. And He loves Nathan. (And YOU too!)





Post Script
I realize that this post could be 15 times longer as I discuss the pros and cons of teaching my children about Santa Claus. I could also discuss the good and bad of a (slightly creepy) movie like Polar Express. However, and I give you the credit for being smart enough to realie this, this was not the purpose of this post. I respect those who choose to not teach of Santa as well as not watch Polar Express, I hope that you can respect my decisions as well.

The One Where His Silliness Knows No Bounds

I got Nathan's school pictures back the other day. He looked so amazing in them! I them from his teacher and as I see his angelic face peeking through the window of the envelope. I smile and say to him, "Nathan, you said you made a funny face in your picture. This is a smiley face!"


That is when his teacher says to me, "Oh he did make a funny face--for the CLASS picture! It was so funny!"


I open the envelope and there it is.


My kid.


With 12 others


Sticking his tongue out.

NaBloPoMo 2006 Final Post!

I want to finish the story of

Love at the Roller Rink

or

How I Met Your Father

or

Just Me and DZ

but I am exhausted. I am using the last day of NaBloPoMo to take a "bi" since I posted real posts every day.
Well, almost.

So, what have we learned this month??

-I still love to write.

-I am bad luck on Halloween

-When I am called to step up, I will walk every mile!!

And finally....

-I will miss the NaBloPoMo Randomizer!!! Man, that thing was like crack and is the direct result of my November Exhaustion!

Dear Readers, I ask only one more thing of you. If just for today, just comment a hello. I would love to know who is reading, lurking and-hopefully-enjoying this journey I am on. Say hi and I promise I won't make you do it again!

Till tomorrow..........................

It's Got Four Wheels and a Stopper on the Toe

I was only a child when my best friend Michelle got married. 17 and a bridesmaid for the first time. As the big day neared, Michelle and her Looks-A-Lot-Like-Tom-Cruise fiancee decided that both sides of the wedding party needed to meet. So we took a spin.

Around the roller rink!
Monday nights we all made a regular habit of crashing the Aquarius Roll-a-rena for Christian Skate Night. We grooved the lanes to dc talk, Petra and did the chicken dance once a week.

When I was introduced to the guys on Andy's side of the aisle, they all were good looking. A couple of brothers and friends. One in particular I was told to pay extra attention to. We would be walking together down the aisle and, if I didn't screw this up, maybe one day he and I would be walking down the aisle! (Although my heart was strongly tied to someone else, I decided to give this whole thing a try. Go for a swim in uncharted waters, if you will.)

We all met in La Mesa and hellos were exchanged and although it wasn't love at first sight, this guy was the only one who wasn't taken or who was available. Everyone else was out of my league, age range, dating someone or married. He was nice, good looking, tall and funny. We all hung out that night at Aquarius and had a lot of fun.

It wasn't too long after our first meeting that the happy couple decided to set us up on a double date. Well, they had set us up by having us walk together but this time we were actually going out on a date.

He came and picked me up at my house and I was excited. I wasn't excited with the way my father was questioning this guy. "Where are you going? When will you be back? What are your prospects?" It was mortifying. We got out of there as soon as we could.

It was such a fun evening. Possibly one of the most fun of my life. We went to Coronado where they were playing "Sleepless in Seattle" out on the beach. Afterwards, we went for a walk and ended up running around the Hotel Del Coronado, opening doors we shouldn't go in, smelling the Dial Gold soap in the bathrooms and laughing-a lot.

I was home at a decent hour-he was a good boy-and I was so happy to have shared such a fun evening with my best friend.

We never really lost touch, my date and I. I saw him in a tuxedo the day of my wedding. He looked so happy and still as handsome as that first day I met him. I remember at the wedding reception he smiled at me and in front of over 200 guests, he told me that he was so happy I was marrying his best friend.


Part Two, continued tomorrow..........

The Christmas Stalker Steps Out Into the Light

So how creepy is it to use Zabasearch to look up the addresses of friends I have lost touch with but still want to send a Christmas Card??

Jingle Bells, Saywer Smells, Charlie Laid an Egg

For the fan who wants to re-enact Oceanic Flight 815
The Others not included

Public Service Announcement #427

Greetings, and thank you for your time.

It has come to our attention that the Christmas season is now upon us. For many of you, that Day After Thanksgiving is merely a springboard for you to allow Christmas to throw up all over your house, your life, your car, yourself (if you are of the Christmas Sweater Persuasion.) I applaud you for taking action and for getting your Christmas Lights up so fast that the rest of us feel like we have fallen behind despite the fact that it is still November.

At this time, I have an urgent matter I must bring to your attention. This Christmas season, I encourage you go through the steps of getting yourself in the "holiday spirit:" drink your red cups of coffee, bundle up in your scarves and sweaters (in 70 degree weather-gotta love Southern California!) and allow yourself to consume the holiday goodies that make the season so sweet.

However, as you go to turn on your Christmas Music, USE EXTREME CAUTION! Why? Because there is a lot of dangerous music walking around disguised as "Christmas Music" but by allowing it into your home, you could be putting your very holiday memories at risk of being ruined because of your poor choice.

Listen up people: Just because it talks about snow and things jingling, does NOT MEAN IT IS GOOD!

Be critical of your music. Beware of the tunes you allow your children to attach to their wonderful Christmas memories...if you are decorating the tree while listening to Stevie Nicks sing Silent Night, don't be surprised if they start shoving egg crate carton ornaments in their ears and running from the room screaming.

While you are driving to the mall, and "Jingle Bells" as sung by meowing cats comes on, DO NOT LAUGH! Don't turn it up and call your mother and discuss how this is possibly the funniest thing you have ever heard because it isn't. It is just sad and you, clearly, need an intervention.

May I make some suggestions? these are just a few of the Staples of Christmas Music. I do have other music I listen to but this is all a must. I have even provided the Amazon links should you find yourself lacking any of these albums.


Ella Fitzgerald-Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas
A fun and jolly way to get yourself in the mood. Recommended for shopping, tree decorating or any party held in the month of December


The Boston Pops Orchestra-Holiday Pops
Great music, performed beautifully and conducted by the always adorable Tiny Keith Lockhart

Harry Connick Jr.-Harry For the Holidays or When My Heart Finds Christmas
I am biased since I am a huge Harry fan but there is something about his selection of both traditional and religious songs that really conveys that he "gets" that it is Christmas

The Carpenters-Christmas Portrait
My parents did right by me since this is the CD that we always listened to while driving around looking at CHRISTMAS LIIIIIIIIGHTS!!!!! (Yelling was mandatory.) Enjoy the sweet harmonies of the brother and sister duo because you know that deep down inside you know all the words to "Close to You."


Vince Guaraldi-A Charlie Brown Christmas
I don't make it a point to insult my readers but if you don't have this CD, then you might as well say that you don't celebrate Christmas. They sell it at Starbucks for crying out loud, you don't have any excuse.

I hope that this list can give you a good base to good, quality Christmas music. Don't settle for second rate--immerse yourself with only the best.

And Merry Christmas

A Question for the Ages

Why do I even search for an airtight container for the stuffing.....




.............when I know it won't last long enough to see midnight?

The One With Two Sick Kids

The Plan Was:

french toast
donuts
the zoo
family time
naptime
grandma sisi time
kids stay overnight at grandma sisi's
mommy and daddy ALONE time (wink, wink)

The Plan Became:

fevers
sleepless night
hot and achy sweet boy
french toast
movietime at home
thermometers, tylenol, ear drops
naptime
more movies
add one more hot, fever kid to the bunch
bathtime
early bedtime for all


Poor Nate the Great was sick and then the Goose decided to join in the fun. Thankfully, after a doctor's appointment today, he is much better and does not have an ear infection OR pink eye like we thought. And despite our change in plans (and much like my friend Michelle) I found joy and thankfulness in the togetherness of my family.

Giving Thanks For the Little Things...

...Like the new grocery carts at my Vons.



And I am thankful for all of you as well.

May your Thanksgiving remind you of your blessings.