For the love of ZuZu

For many years it has been well known to all of our friends, family and anyone who comes in contact with Sierra that 'we', and I use the term 'we' loosely, desperately want a dog!!! Did you know that for as long as I can remember we have been the "only people alive" who do not have a dog! Our poor deprived children have patiently and often times, not so subtlely reminded us of this fact by leaving us little love notes around the house. They read something like this:

"Mom, don't forget to buy a dog!"....sierra

"Mom, can we please get a dog?"...sierra

While driving down the road one day I quickly dictated a grocery list to Sierra. Upon entering the store my list looked like this:

milk

butter

salt and vinegar chips (sierra!!!)

apples

cheese slices

oatmeal

soccer treats

dog

butter

You get the idea........Yes, it is true most of these efforts have come from Sierra, but she had the full support of her brothers. Kendall is not a huge dog lover, but on Christmas Day all of this changed!!!

Enter ZuZu, the illegitimate puppy of two of our neighborhood dogs. Her mother, Peaches, is a Lhasa apso and her father Chevy a yorkie. I think she got both of their cutest traits and now she is our new baby!

We had great difficulty in naming her and continue to take grief over her chosen name. It suits her well and rolls off the tongue easily when I am trying to stop her from pooping in her favorite spot right by the dining room table.( hee hee!)

ZuZu is a wonderful addition to our home and everyone is helping out. P is the best at cleaning up her messes in the yard...and when i say messes i mean poop! Sierra is always willing to hog her and Kendall is just plain proud of herself for having contact with a canine at all! We are proud of you too, sister!

So, I give you ZuZu.....our new part of our family! At long last, we are not the only people on the planet without a dog....WHEW!!!!

What I like about you.....

Just about fourteen years ago, while completing my graduate studies in Kentucky, I wandered into a bookstore called Joseph Beth Booksellers. As I perused the mountain biking magazines, I ran right into a handsome man and quickly scurried off. Later that day, I exited the mall to find a note on my car from that man proclaiming that he was NOT a lunatic, but merely wanted to get to know me. I believe my father's advice was "You stay away from those Kentucky boys".


Against my dad's better judgment, I called the number on the note nearly a month later. Long story short.........I married that lunatic 13 years ago today! (you think i can make this stuff up?)

Thirteen sounds like a lucky number to me! At the risk of being ultra cheesey and saying something really lame for all the world to read, I want to share some of the many things I like /LOVE about that man to this day!

1) He still claims to adore me!

2) He tolerates my "YES" disease and supports all of my wacky ideas.

3) He is a loving and adoring father....which is truly an understatement.

4) He does that funny stretchy thing with his arms every time he tries a shirt on to make sure it fits his long arms. Makes me giggle every time!

5) He is almost always the voice of reason in our home. (someone has to be!)

6) He is always willing to snuggle with me and keep me warm (surely his motives are never pure, but let's pretend they are for this exercise!) :)

7) He GET's me ...I believe in fate and soulmates!

8), 8, I forget what eight was for......just kidding.........He usually knows what I am going to say before I even say it.

9) He picked me! there is a long story here.........but he picked me and I will never forget that.

10) He still quotes FLETCH to me and it still makes me laugh!

11) He has crazier hair than me in the morning and we sit and laugh about it together!

12) He has a pure and tender heart that loves unconditionally!

13) He is kind and gentle and generous.....

Jamesta, thank you for growing old with me and continually assuring me that I don't look one bit older! (see item 1 above). I am truly blessed to have you in my life! I have heard it said that the best way to enjoy life is to savor the passing of time............I celebrate every moment I have had with you! You inspire me, you make me a better person, you have given me four beautiful children to love and a wonderful life! I am so thankful for you! I love you the most!!!!!

Happy Anniversary!

I confess

ahhh december begins!  The greatest time of year, the craziest time of year....here goes!!  I know it's only the 7th, but I predict I will go under before Christmas.  Time will tell.  

With that being said, I have a confession.  I never realized this before, but it was sometime this week that I realized I am a 'screener'.  Say it isn't so!  

Normally, I am thrilled when the phone rings, being a talker and all.  But lately, more often than not, I am truly unable to get to the phone.  I hear the phone, then if I can find the phone, t I check the caller ID.  "who could it be".....'what could they be calling for"...."oh , i love them , but I will call them back".  That's about how it goes.  I hate to admit it, but many of you (if anyone reads this) have probably been screened out this week. (I might add, in my defense, that I have spoken to many this week without screening too!!!)

 Let me just say right here, right now, that I LOVE and ADORE my friends and family and love to visit with you, so please don't take it personally.  I will always be there for any of you, it just might take a second for me to get to the phone.  Just know that if I can't get a shower, i most certainly am unlikely to get to the phone. Admitting that i am a screener is difficult for me as I used to give my friend Nan grief for screening, and now look at me.  Maybe it's just a phase, maybe I won't always be a screener, but for now I am "one of those" and I am sorry!

With this confession I also leave a PROMISE that IF you leave me a message...I WILL call you back.......

after I catch a shower!

Love you!  

Happiest Place on Earth???

So, I know I start almost every post with an apology for not posting often enough, but this time I have a decent (not good, but decent) excuse........We went to Disneyland!!!

What was special about this trip is, it has been planned for months and our children had no idea, nadda, zilch, zip! As far as they knew, we were taking them to "this is the place park" one Saturday morning for an afternoon of fun and Halloween festivities. Little did they know that Jamie and I had stealthily packed the car with their clothing and goodies for the airplane and were sneaking them off to the airport.

The morning went smoothly as most do.......haha! and we finally got everyone in the car and ready to go the 'park' only 25 minutes behind schedule! We drove for some time and when we started approaching the airport, the questions began.

Q: "Mom, are we going on a trip anytime soon"

A: "maybe, we just need to run in and grab something"

Q: "Why are we at the airport"

A: " I don't know, daddy, why are we here?"

Q: from daddy- "if you could go on a trip, where would you want to go"
A: K- Disneyland, N-Colorado (ok, we're getting warm)

Jamie and I were so excited to deliver our big surprise............................(drum roll)

"actually, we are going on a trip.........to Disneyland.........TODAY!!"

Squeals and screeching ensues from the second seat (Sierra, Kendall), Noah has no clue.......Kendall is overly concerned about having clean underwear and clothing for the trip...Sierra figures out why the Thule box is on top of the car and the tears of joy begin to flow! I believe they were truly surprised! YEAH for mommy and daddy.

Parker, however........is pissed!

"You said we were going to 'this is the place'........you TRICKED me!!!! I am NOT getting out of this car! You lied to me!!!" Seriously? Is this really happening? " I don't like it when you TRICK me!" " I am not going".

After about 5 minutes of persuasion from Daddy, Parker joins the family for a fun filled vacation at the "Happiest place on Earth"..........

our babies.....refillable diet coke cups that lasted the whole trip! precious cargo!

(Jamie and I joked about how it was Diet Coke prison.....if you wanted one, it was $3 for 20 oz......it's a long very expensive day at that rate! Then we found the nectar at a fountain in Downtown Disney! ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!)

A wonderful time was had by all!!! We met the Kener family at the airport after they pulled a similar TRICK on their kids! We had a blast! The weather was 80's each day and beautiful! It was a fun year as Noah was able to go on almost all the rides. More puketronic action for mom and dad! Oh goody! I really do love Disneyland! After 3 days and a weeks recovery.......I can finally tell you about it here!

enjoy the photos!

pooped Keners!

gotta love getting soaked in October and having it feel good! 85 degrees every day!!

my night owl party animals! The girls and I closed down the park!

A favorite was the Trick or Treat party at California Adventure! Lot's of fun!!

best sign of a great trip.........sleepy kids!

A page from your book

When I was very young, I was blessed to have two VIA's in my life. Very Important Aunts! Mary and Ca were legendary among family and friends as the greatest Aunts around! When I think of them, I am reminded of unconditional love and the sweet little 'nothings' that they were continually doing for us to make us feel out- of -this- world important.

I bring them up because I need to borrow a page from their book! I haven't blogged in over a month, mostly because I have been so busy and have little to blog about. BUT.....yes there is a BUT....I also haven't blogged because I have been running a little low on unconditional love and have been having difficulty being all sweet and nice about my offspring lately!

There, I said it! Is that legal in Bloggerville? They have been absolutely driving me nuts! At first I blamed it on PMS......but as the weeks wore on, this excuse lost it's validity. It is the entitlement, the whining, the infighting and the lack of respect that I get regularly from my brood, who BTW just returned from a surprise trip to Disneyland ..(hopefully I will be able to blog about the trip nicely very soon!).

What is a mom to do?

One day, when I was quite young, I remember standing in my VIA's kitchen and decided I would whip them up a delectable treat. Saltines and Peanut Butter, with a smattering of salt and pepper (I'd seen my mom shake this stuff on everything, it had to make this better, right?). I proudly displayed my creation to my VIA's and my mom and they dutifully nibbled on the treat, never once indicating that they wanted to hurl. They discreetly salvaged the unpeppered peanut butter and clean saltine edges for their dining pleasure. I was so proud and always felt so loved. This was no exception.

How can I dutifully salvage the 'good' in my children right now and show them that unconditional love (and not the door?). I love, love love my children with all my heart. I think that is my problem.......I am disappointed in our recent home life and want my cute, sweet, fun to blog about family back!

So, I blog on............I move on! I try to steal a page from the VIA's book. How I wish they were here to put me in my place! Anyone have a page I can borrow?

I have to believe that this too shall pass!

P

Whenever you talk to a parent, they will likely make some comment referring to how quickly their child is growing. I cannot tell you how many times I have said "(insert child's name here) is at such a fun age....I wish I could just keep them just like this!"

Pman could be my exception. I have been anxious for many of his stages to pass in hopes that his fiery little temper would pass with them. Inevitably, when the dust settles, there stands that sweet little redheaded boy that I just can't get enough of (ok, sans temper). I want to and should cherish the fact that he doesn't like to do ANYTHING without me by his side. (We all know that won't last.) I want to preserve the boy who is anxious to please and eager to help me pick up the living room, and wants me to sit with him at the piano and teach him to play. (NO, I don't play!). The sweet boy who ALWAYS colors pictures of me with grandma hair, but always colors him in the picture with me. I celebrate that boy!

Having just turned 6, I can see that he growing so fast. Maybe, just maybe, he will outgrow his temper (dream on!!) I see his increased maturity when playing sports and playing with friends. I see a boy who just lost his first tooth, and who refuses to stop sucking his fingers. I see a shrewd negotiator and and awesome little mountain biker and crazy daredevil!!

I love you pman, Don't grow too fast!! (and if you pitch another fit while your dad is out of town, I will rescind every word of this post!) haha!

AYA

A few years ago, Jamie was riding with a (much younger) friend who made the comment......and I quote....



"dude, I hope I can ride like you at your age!"

Needless to say, that stung a little and Jamie derived great motivation for all of his riding that season from this comment. Jamie even went so far as to tape the letters "AYA" to his stem on his bikes. Just a good old fashioned piece of motivation, a carrot if you will! Something to strive for! Jamie has grown used to being the oldest one in our cycling group, my oldest child, etc....AYA was just a brutal reminder of this fact everytime he got on his bike.

Yesterday, Jamie celebrated his 40-somethingth birthday (I can't totally rat him out!) and I think he's great at any age!! Yes, some days I want to kick him in the shins for micromanaging me and the household and generally, just driving me NUTS.......but I still love him with all my heart!

Jamester, you are my best friend, confidant and companion of many years and, with any luck, many more to come. I can only hope to be the object of your sweet affection, caring and kindness at any age (AAA).

Happy Birthday Jamester...............you're forever my oldest child!