Roses in December

Big sigh!

2011-11-17T21:30:00.000-08:00

My goodness, my poor neglected little blog; four months since my last post! We have been busy and life is looking very different these days and I just have not kept on top of it. It makes me a little sad and it needs to be remedied. This was a way of documenting our little family and our life and to share with friends and family...near and far. So I will try to do a few catch up posts, which may be long, but I am determined to get back on top of this.

Day 2

2011-07-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

The second day of school was just as successful and much easier and less traumatic than the first. Arran was happy for me to walk him to his classroom and leave, then the girls and I headed over to Bryttain's for Read and Greet time. I love that this is how the day is started, for the first two years, with parents and children reading together for 20 minutes.

Read and Greet time. Yes, thank you for noticing the toll that the new early morning routine is taking on me. I know I look far from my best...and the girls would much rather be reading than looking in a camera. Has to be done though :)

Once we had left school, I raced down to San Anselmo to pick up my camera, which I had taken in for cleaning. We arrived a little before 9::30am, only to discover that the store would not be open until 10am. Oh well, it was the perfect excuse for Asia and I to have a little date as we waited. She chose hot chocolate and a little mini-cupcake, while I opted for tea with my cupcake. We sat and chatted together and she drew some flowers on napkins and her paper plate. It was a sweet time.

I am looking forward to all the time the two of us are going to spend together and am a little sad that I was not able to have that same time with Bryttain. We will see how quickly she tires of me though.

School!

2011-07-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

Today was Bryttain's first day of school and Arran's first day as a second-grader. It was a big day! Bryttain was very excited and totally ready to start this new world. Of course, having watched Arran for the past two years and feeling like she already knew his teacher and half of her new classmates (it is a K/1 class) all made her feel completely comfortable. She picked out her outfit the night before and told me how she would like her hair done. As far as she was concerned, this was a good day.

Asia and I took Bryttain to her classroom where the children were settling in with a few projects. I sat with her as she did some puzzles and some drawings.

Things were a little harder for Arran. He had been with the same teacher for two years, in the same classroom and had really blossomed. In many ways it seemed harder for him than his very first day of school. He cried walking from the car to school and I was very grateful (again) for the flexibility that James has, with being self-employed, it was definitely a two parent day.

It was a strange day for me, I felt hollow, is the best way I can describe it. To think that in another couple of years all three of my children will be in school, is bizarre. They have been my life for the last seven (plus) years, but they really are growing up!

I ran a few errands with Asia and before we knew it, it was time to pick up Bryttain. Wednesday is always a short day, with Bryttain finishing at 12pm (instead of 11:45am) and Arran at 12:45pm (instead of 2:30pm).

She had a great day. She told me it was "So much fun", she didn't want to go home and was asking to go back tomorrow. I couldn't have been more proud of her, or have asked for more. It would have been pointless to race home for lunch, only to race back again to get Arran, so I brought a packed lunch for us and we sat in the park down by the school for half an hour, me and my girls.

She called daddy to tell him all about her day.

Then we got Arran. I was so happy and relieved that not only had he survived his day but he was looking happy again. Both girls gave him huge hugs. Love those amazing kiddos!

Of course we could be having to do something very similar in another month or so...

Not 100%

2011-05-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

We had a very long slow start to our week. If you know our Bryttain, you know this is just not how she is. She is full of life and energy, but she spent almost three days laying around, on the couch, in her bed, in my bed. I loved all the extra cuddles but I felt sad to see her so quiet and lethargic, it just was not right. She had low grade fevers and complained of a sore throat and slept a ton!

There were no smiles or giggles or squeals, just quietness, and I missed my little Bryttain. She adds so much to our life and our home.

Now she is fine again, back to her usual self and we can all breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to bedtime, when it is once again becomes quiet, but without anyone being sick.

Fun at the creek

2011-05-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

They had ~~impatiently~~ eagerly been awaiting the announcement and then it came last Sunday. This Sunday would be the first creekside picnic for the year. Arran had grinned and looked at me as he had started to bounce in his chair

"Can we go? Can we go?" he had whispered.

They love it there, the combination of water and fun and friends cannot be beat. It must be the start of a fun summer ahead.

What my kids really want!

2011-05-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Friday nights the band that James is in, have their rehearsals. Sometimes if his day has gone long, it is not worth his while to sit in commuting traffic to come all the way north to see us for barely twenty minutes and have a quick dinner, only to have to run straight back out again. Tonight would have been one of those nights. Instead he suggested we meet half way and grab a quick, cheap, dinner.

The kids were excited to go out, although they then took forever to be ready. Finally they were waiting in the van. I grabbed my bag, pulled the door behind me....and realized my car and house keys were sitting right inside the door on the tumble dryer. Ugh! They had been in my hand moments before and then I had needed to go and help Asia with putting her shoes on and the rest is history.

I called James in a sheepish, frustrated state, to let him know. He said he would drive home after all, we did not really have any other options. Ten minutes later he called to tell me where to find a key he had hidden and forgotten about, all was not lost after all. Turns out Arran knew all about that key too, and had not thought to tell me about it!

So we were able to meet daddy for dinner, and I did not have to cook (bonus!). So the point of this post is, that on the drive home the children were having a conversation about babies, I do not even remember why. Suddenly Arran stopped mid-conversation and sighed, ever so sadly he said

"I wish I could have a brother" (we have had this conversation MANY, many times), Bryttain, almost as sadly chimed in

"I really wish I could have another sister". Asia without skipping a beat, obviously more happy with her lot in life, matter-of-factly stated

"I really want a pet!"

Animal Report

2011-05-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today was the day Arran gave his animal report at school. He had chosen a blue jay to be his animal and a lot of work had gone into it. It was actually not what I had expected. This is a kind of rite of passage at Cherry Valley and quite a big deal. The children all go out to the playing fields and the rest of the school come and ask the individual children about their animal. They all remember when they had to do their report and the animal they were.

The idea is that no one is put on the spot, although I think it was a little exhausting. One thing is for sure though, after telling all the facts he had learned, to so many people, they will probably forever be embedded in his little brain He was very cute.

On a completely different note, James has been reading the Narnia books to the kids for their bedtime story and they are very into them. Last week they finished The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and they are now on to Prince Caspian. A lot of their play time is revolving around battles and being turned to stone and this was this afternoon's adventure...

They set up their very own sleigh!

2011-05-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Daddy's are the best. They come home tired after a long day at work, but all it takes is a child to ask them to read a book and they drop everything. I love how much my children love their daddy and I love the father that he is to them. We are all so blessed. Arran and Bryttain had been mid-battle, but they put down their lightsabers for cuddles and reading.

Open House

2011-05-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight we all went to Open House at Arran's school. He was excited to show us how hard he has been working and the girls are always excited to visit school. I think that has turned up a notch for Bryttain now that she knows that in a couple of months it will be her turn. We started in The Lodge with some music time, then headed over to his classroom.

Recently they have been studying the rainforest and the classroom looked great with so much of their work on display. It amazes me how much they get through, there are projects coming home on a daily basis and yet there we were at the school with a boatload of stuff we had not yet seen. It really was quite impressive.

We started at his seat where he pulled out pieces of paper with various activities on them, to guide us through our time. First port of call was a family activity, drawing a picture of our favorite animal and placing it on a chart for it's corresponding habitat. Asia was so cute and focused, she drew a phenomenal (for a three year old) cat and wrote CAT. Daddy and Bryttain chose a horse and Arran a cheetah...I took photos!

He showed us his completed animal report and recited many of the facts that he had learned in the process.

He donned his owl costume and gave the official tour of the room. He took his responsibility very seriously. I love that in the background you can see the principal (headmistress) hugging another child. The kids really do know and love this woman and she is the main reason I first became interested in this wonderful school.

The girls joined in the fun. Arran showed us terrariums they had made and we recorded some of our observations. He explained the different levels of the rainforest to Bryttain.

There was so much to see.

Arran with Ms. Lewis, his kindergarten and 1st grade teacher.

What a great first two years of school and I find it hard to believe it is coming to an end. The reticent little boy, so nervous on that first day has blossomed into this confident boy, so full of life. Ms. Lewis told him, in front of us, that he is smart and nice and that she just loves to spend time with him. I could not have been more proud and I think he felt pretty good hearing that too.

The things kids say!

2011-05-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

James and the kids went to our annual Missions Rally last night and last minute, I decided not to go. I stayed home and got a lot done around the house, without kids underfoot.

This morning as I was chatting with a friend on the phone, she asked in passing why I had not gone last night and then told me the reason Bryttain, my five year old, had told her seven year old. I do not know whether she had offered the following information freely, or if she had been prompted to come up with an explanation for my absence, but apparently I was not there because I had a hole in my tights, which I did not want anyone to see.

Love it!

Rainy day fun.

2011-05-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like someone is playing tricks on us, when it comes to the weather. I thought it was almost summer, we have had glorious days, days at the beach, days in shorts and flip-flops, then all of a sudden it is cold and grey again...and raining. I did not want to be out in it today, I needed to get groceries, but getting all bundled up and having to bundle up kids and carry groceries in the rain is not my idea of fun. So instead, when Bryttain asked me, as she does every morning, what we would be doing that was fun today, I told her we would make cupcakes! The kids love to bake and help in the kitchen, but it really is hard with three of them, so my plan was to do the baking this morning while Arran was at school, then we could decorate them this afternoon when he got home, and make hot chocolate and watch a movie. So that is what we did.

We made mini-cupcakes, which are so much more manageable, for adults and children, I think. We topped some with jelly beans, and as Arran simply cannot let anything pass his lips which might even remotely look, or taste like any kind of fruit, some with sprinkles.

Enjoying the results!

The children had hot chocolate with whipped cream, and I added coconut syrup to mine with a smidgeon of grated chocolate - Yum!

My kitchen, which started out this morning not looking too bad, is now a complete disaster. The kids are sitting on the couch, watching the end of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, swords in hand! The good news is, I cooked extra curry last week and froze a family-size portion which I just grabbed out of the freezer, so all I have to do now is throw some rice in the rice-cooker. No cooking tonight, although I did find chapattis at Costco yesterday (which I am far too excited about) which I will have to quickly heat through.

Perfect for a rainy day, even if I do say so myself.

Life goes on...

2011-05-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

I know I have not finished blogging the Englad trip, but in my effort to catch up on that, I am getting way behind on the current life updates. So I will get back to 'now' and do some postdated posts if you want to go back at a later time.

Fun with friends

2011-03-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

Our time with the Saxbys was short, but I think the kids would say we had saved the best until last. They got to spend the morning playing and although I had anticipated leaving earlier, they were having so much fun that we ended up staying for lunch too.

All five kids playing together.

What is it about boys and cars? Do they ever outgrow it?

I FORCED them to stop playing, for maybe 10 seconds to get a group shot. This was as good as it got, they had much more important things to be spending their time on, thank you very much! Still cute!

There was more chess to be played and everyone wanted to get in on the action.

That camera is in my face again!

Finally the little ones could get down to business, very serious business, just look at that concentration!

Unfortunately, we did have to end up dragging ourselves away. Of course I had to get a quick couple of family shots on our way out...who knows when we will see these guys again?

Goodbye dear friends, we miss you already.

We were headed back to Grandad and Nanny Pam's where a wonderful roast dinner awaited us, before our final hectic day in England.

The answer is 'Yes!'..finally!

2011-03-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

This was our sixteenth day in the UK. We have been able to catch up with friends and family and each time we would visit a new house the children would ask, hopefully

"Do they have children?" to which we would have to reply "No".

Not once had they complained, although they had always been a little more excited when a house we were visiting might have toys. Well today when the question was asked, we were finally able to say "Yes!". Their excitement was contagious. We bundled up in the car again and off we went to visit the Saxbys in Derby.

Mark and I met back in the summer of 1996. We were both on the YWAM outreach to the Olympic games in Atlanta. My very first memory of him was on the underground, where he was making some sarcastic comment about a girl's name. You have to understand that the English sense of humo(u)r tends to veer towards sarcasm, and this girl's name was 'Chastity'. Sometimes it can be misconstrued as mean and although I thought he was rather funny, I was also concerned that he might be misunderstood, either way, he had made an impression.

James and I were already engaged at this point and Mark had a girlfriend and I think that is why we became friends to easily. On these types of trips, with many (often younger) singles there inevitably ends up, crushes, people sometimes get together, or even just wonder...well we did not have to deal with that. We were both happily involved with others and so there was a freedom to be ourselves. At least I think that is why it all worked. Mark may have a completely different point-of-view (and probably much funnier).

Anyway we kept in touch and remained friends, visiting each other, attending weddings. Outside of our family they are the only visitors who have made it over to see us in the States, not once but twice! Our visits may be few and far between, but I feel like we pick up where we left off, no awkwardness or weirdness, other than what is there in our natural state. It just works. I wish we could see them more often.

We arrived in time for lunch and the girls within minutes had a new friend, it was very sweet. They both loved having a new little girl to play with and of course her toys did not hurt. Soon it was time to walk to the local park and pick up Sam from school. Kate stayed with us in the park, whilst Kerry went across to get Sam.

New best buds!

Back at the house the boys settled in to a game of chess and the girls got down to serious business.

Then the kids had dinner and got settled down for the night, Arran in Sam's room and the girls with Kate so we could have adult time. A lovely dinner, some wine, good conversation and laughter and friends, until we were so tired we could not last any longer. Amazingly all the children lasted through the night without waking up or coming wandering to look for us. Maybe jetlag was finally over and done with, only a couple of days before we were to fly home.

Hoo Farm

2011-03-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today Grandad joined us as we went on a fun outing to Hoo Farm. We had been before when Arran was two and Bryttain just a baby. There was so much to see and do, that to be quite honest, I left exhausted! So many animals, not just your common old farm animals.

The children got to pet this huge rabbit, a skunk, a ferret, and a meerkat.

They each got to feed a lamb.

Bryttain milked a (not-real) cow, while Asia petted a calf with daddy.

It is lambing season so there was a barn set up with all the pregnant ewes and those who had given birth. The kids also got to gather eggs.

The picnic areas had trampolines, swings, a zip line, all sorts of climbing apparatus and these giant enclosed sandpits. We literally had to order the kids out of the sandpit, they would have stayed there for at least an hour, but we had more animals to see.

They loved getting to feed so many animals.

Good times.

Another day, another park

2011-03-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

We went on a little shopping expedition this morning as we had promised the kids they could each buy a little something to keep them entertained. This afternoon we wanted something a little more active.

We have been so incredibly fortunate with the weather for our time here in England. We seem to have escaped rain, and although at times it has been cool, it has been bright and cheerful, making it easy to spend time outdoors, which the children love.

This afternoon we took a drive out to Ironbridge to find another park for the kids to burn off some energy. It was a cute little town and although the park was on the smaller side it was perfect for our quick outing. I love that we have had all this time just to spend together as a family, it has been so great.

Precious times

2011-03-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

What a lovely evening we had with the Poulsons. There are people in this life who you are blessed to know and call friends and Tom and Jill are those sort of people, not just with us but everyone they come into contact with. They are family, maybe not by blood, but in the deepest sense of the true meaning of the word. The children viewed them as family too, it was amazing how they were, immediately, so comfortable with them.

We talked all night, sharing our hearts, catching up for all the years we had missed. It was a good time and we are so grateful for who these people are.

Today we walked to a local park to play and feed the ducks, so of course the kiddos were happy. English parks have been a hit.

Asia took the picture of me!

All the parks we have been to have had one of these zip-line swings, which have proved to be a favorite...they are pretty fun.

Sweet Jill doing most of the hard work, James helped a little too.

Bryttain loves the monkey bars, she feels very empowered and fulfilled.

Feeding the ducks (and geese), Asia may have worried Jill a little.

On our way back to their house Brtyttain collected daisies and we made daisy chains. Asia kicked a ball all the way home.

My old best friend, Sarah, joined us for lunch (Tom and Jill are her parents). It was so nice to see her again, the last time I saw her was when I came over for my brother's wedding, on my own. I had been completely jetlagged and missing my family on that occasion, but here we all were together - so amazing. She has not changed at all, just as funny and sweet and wonderful as ever, my only regret is that it was a short time and she left before I had the chance to take a photograph. Although I did manage to get photos of Tom and Jill with the kids. Then it was time to leave.

I can actually be quite funny in real life...at least my kids think so!

It was a long drive and we had been planning on stopping somewhere for dinner and a break. We finally passed through a town and found a Chinese restaurant. English Chinese food is definitely different than American Chinese food (as were the exorbitant prices). We were tired and hungry and our poor waiter could not actually speak much English and just seemed to know the items on the menu phonetically, which meant a little frustration as well as polite attempts to contain our mirth, but we left him a nice tip, which he seemed surprised and happy about. We finally arrived at Grandad and Nanny Pam's, far too late and past all the bedtimes, but the kids soon settled in and were ready for a bedtime story with Nanny.

2011-03-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things do not quite go to plan. Monday morning we were meant to head out, bright and early to visit our friends Tom and Jill in Woking. On Sunday night, however, Wesley told us that he thought the car we were going to be using, needed to go into the shop to get some work done on the brakes. It shouldn't take long, he thought, but they would have to figure out where to take it, at such short notice.

We were also meant to be having lunch with Tom and Jill's daughter, Sarah, one of my old best friends and the kids were going to finally have some children to play with. Well, unfortunately, it also turned out that Sarah's son and Sarah herself, were both sick, so I at least did not feel like we were totally messing her about. The work on the car took all morning, but it had to be done and I am so grateful that Wesley spotted the issue and got it taken care of before we were on the road with our little family in the car.

As James was packing up the car I asked Lou if I could borrow a pair of her scissors to quickly trim Bryttain's fringe (bangs), she is a hairdresser after all. She did one better and offered to cut Bryttain's fringe herself.

Well I just had to document Bryttain's first professional haircut!

A couple of last minute photos of us all to remember Wesley and Lou by and we were finally on the road, arriving at Tom and Jill's in time for dinner, instead of lunch.

More of my 'home'

2011-03-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Today was another full day. Late this morning we headed to Canterbury, a city about twenty minutes away from Whistable, where I lived. My first real Saturday job was in Canterbury at a department store called Debenhams, so I spent a lot of time there. It is, of course, famous for The Canterbury Tales, written by Chaucer, and the amazing cathedral. We wanted Arran especially to see the old wall that surrounded the city, so we started by walking along that.

We walked by the cathedral entrance, but the children were a bit too young to appreciate it and were more interested in finding something for lunch. We will save that tourist attraction for another visit, when they are a bit older.

Chips from City Fish Bar, the best in Canterbury, just down from the Canterbury Tales Museum (if you are ever there!)

Then we were off to Herne Bay for the highlight of the day, and for the kids maybe the highlight of the whole trip. We went to Herons Swimming Pool, an indoor pool complete with jets and a slide and a great kid-friendly, but at the same time not adult-unfriendly pool. I wish I had photos but I do not. With all that water and splashing kids I just could not risk it. But suffice it to say they had the biggest smiles the whole time we were there, they were just SO happy. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves! Our one, almost, mishap was on Bryttain's first time down the slide with Daddy. She was coming down, all smiles, when their combined body weight as they approached the end, created a huge wave, which splashed back into her face. She let out the most blood curdling scream and then dissolved into panicked tears, clinging to James for dear life as he swooped her up and carried her out. It was very sad. From then on he knew to lift her up at the end each time, above the wave and fun times were restored.

We left thoroughly exhausted and headed back to Uncle Wesley's, where he was busy preparing a roast dinner for us all. When we got back, Lou was giving her baby tortoise a bath...most intriguing.

I was given a few minutes to take photos of Wes and Lou, which you can see here, then they surprised the kids with Easter Eggs.

Easter Eggs are all over the stores in England. They are one of those simple things that I miss, out in the States. This was a whole new experience for the kids, that they thoroughly enjoyed - well the little nibble I allowed them as I did not want them to spoil their appetites.

You crack open the chocolate egg and inside find the goodies, in this case, delicious chocolate buttons. Yum!

We finished the evening off with a lovely roast dinner and a glass of California wine. Lovely!

A day out at Port Lympne

2011-03-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

Today we took the kids to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park. Uncle Wesley, Uncle Ian and his girlfriend Amanda all joined us. The trip there, unfortunately took a bit longer than expected. We were 'following' Wesley (who had the GPS), but he went speeding ahead on one of the roundabouts, leaving many cars between us and on the next roundabout we had no clue which way we were meant to go! There was no map in the car and he was not answering his cell phone. So we guessed and hoped for the best...and went the wrong way! We were then stuck on the motorway for fifteen minutes, driving to the next exit before we could turn around to get back to the point where we made the mistake. It was a little frustrating to say the least. We did finally make it though.

Checking out the tigers

This lion was on the prowl, pacing up and down his enclosure, with an attendant keeping a watchful eye on him. He is apparently at his sexual prime, full of testosterone...with no mate. The female lions on site are all related to him and as his breed is endangered they are searching worldwide for a female (non-related in order to keep the breed strong.) Poor guy - hope they find one soon.

Considering how small a country England is, this place was huge. We walked miles to see various animals, and in many cases, no animals as it was pretty cold and many of them were hiding in their shelters (we assume.)

Checking out these cute monkeys (I forget their official name), especially this Mama and her baby.

What a good uncle - little legs were getting tired. Mind you, so were mine and he did not offer me any help!

Amanda turned out to be the hero of the day, with her trusty Mary Poppins bag. At one point Bryttain fell and skinned her knee and it was Amanda who had plasters (Bandaids), moments later she produced giant cookies. Needless to say, we were impressed and grateful.

An extra option you can choose is the African Safari Experience, which takes you through another part of the park to see more animals. Part of their program is breeding animals and then returning them to their natural habitat, in the wild. They are pretty successful.

Our ride.

Arran sat next to Uncle Wesley, who insisted on sitting next to the window so that he could get the best view, never mind that there was a little boy next to him who would have like to see. Asia excitedly waiting for us to set off.

Uncle Ian, with his girlfriend Amanda, and Bryttain and I, all ready and waiting for our safari experience.

There was a stopping point on the 'safari' where the children could play, snacks could be bought and reptiles visited. We did all three.

We left thoroughly exhausted, but it had been a good day.

Indoor Play

2011-03-18T15:58:00.001-07:00

Rain was scheduled for today, so Uncle Wesley told us about an indoor play area called Snappys. Maybe not the most exciting place for parents, but the kids loved it and were able to burn off some energy. They certainly did not have things like that in this area when I was a kid. There was climbing apparatus and giant slides and ball pits and rope ladders and tubes and probably much more that I did not take in. We even had (a pretty mediocre) lunch there.

This afternoon we went to visit and have a cup of tea with the Ways, a couple James and I lived with when we were first married. They have not changed a bit and it was lovely to see them again after all these years, have a good catch up and introduce them to our kids. Once again they did so great, they played beautifully while we chatted with people they did not even know.

James (and Arran) cooked a stir-fry for us all this evening. Uncle Ian (the youngest of the five of us siblings) came over and joined us for dinner and hung out for a little while too. The girls are funny, each time they meet a new relative they tell me they do not know them, but they are doing a good job of warming up to people quickly.

Quiet Day

2011-03-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a leisurely day. The kids did so great just playing all day long as we took care of practical stuff, like sorting out a car.

Tonight we met up with some 'old' friends, the McGibneys. Their, older, kids were fascinated by our kids' American accents and it ended up being a late night. Poor Bryttain fell asleep on their couch, bless her. I am just so proud of them and how well they have all done on this trip. They have been extremely patient and uncomplaining and adaptable.

Off to Kent

2011-03-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

This morning was our last morning in London with Aunty Caridad. I love how great she is with my kids, I love how much my kids love her and how comfortable they are around her. Despite the miles they have such a strong bond and with her consistent trips out to visit us she has actively worked for that. I am very grateful.

Goodbyes are always hard, but they know that they will see her again.

She drove our luggage to Victoria Coach Station while we took the bus and I cannot even begin to imagine how that would have worked if that had not been an option. We are so fortunate that the new film she was about to start work on was put off for another week and we got extra time with her. What a blessing.

National Express took us directly from London to Whitstable and aside from a slight altercation between our driver and another van driver (complete with foul language and requests for a fist fight) was uneventful.
We arrived exactly on time and were met by Uncle Wesley and 'Aunty Lou'.

The last time I was back in Whitstable was for Mum's funeral and the last time I was in this house was for the same. It looks quite different now and they have really done a good job updating it and putting their own stamp on it, which is a good thing. The kids were excited to see that they have a garden here and that they have their own room. Lou had also borrowed toys for them and had some DVDs ready, so things are looking pretty good.

Tired kiddliwinks watching a movie with 'Aunty Lou'.

A low-key day

2011-03-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

We stayed local today. Daddy was meeting someone at lunch time, so we (the kids, Aunty Caridad and I) walked to Brockwell Park to feed the ducks (and geese and pigeons and crows and everything else that descended on us) and play on the playground.

Arran said it was the best day ever! We can spend all this time and money, but the reality is children are pretty easily amused, all they want is somewhere to play and have fun.

Tonight we had much anticipated fish and chips for dinner. Photographs will never ever be able to do justice them, you have to taste them. But if you have ever lived in England and moved away to a country that does not do the traditional fish and chips, you will know what I mean. I savored every single bite and ate much more than I needed to. Yes it was really that good. Definitely must go on every 'to do' list, if you ever visit England!

Real Tourist

2011-03-14T22:01:00.001-07:00

Today we were officially real tourists. We booked tickets for one of the London tour buses, complete with commentary and even a boat trip on the Thames. We took in some of the main London sites without exhausting ourselves. It was a little cold as it was an open-top bus, but it was well worth it and a great way to see the sights.

Trafalgar Square, these lions were huge.

At the Cavalry Guard.

London Tower (which houses the crown jewels) and Tower Bridge.

St. Paul's Cathedral

The London Eye and a close-up.

Best view on the boat.

Houses of Parliament and the kids posing in front of Big Ben.

Another outing - London Science Museum

2011-03-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

We all slept until 10am this morning, I could not believe it when James told me the time, it was great. I think we are finally starting to adjust and Arran excitedly told us that he felt like he was not going to throw up, good news indeed.

Today we were joined again by Uncle Ephraim and Aunty Faith as we headed out to the Science Museum. There was so much to see and do and we were there for over five hours. The kids are absolutely loving all these fun outings and to have family to share them with is the icing on the cake. They get to hold a different person's hand whenever they want and they are making the most of it.

Again, there was so much to see and this museum had more 'hands on' exhibits. It really was very interesting and educational, for all of us. A little way into our visit, we attended a special talk and demonstration on bubbles (maybe not so interesting for the uncles and aunts who disappeared to the cafe to get coffees!).

We finished tonight off with an Indian takeout...so delicious.

Our first big outing

2011-03-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an exciting day. Everybody woke up feeling much better; the previous night the kids were only up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night, instead of four. We were able to head further afield and have our first adventure. We decided to head to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington.

Waiting for our first bus.

There was much excitement as we waiting for our bus to arrive, that was one memory Arran did have from our last visit five years ago, the buses! They were overjoyed when we managed to sit at the very front on the upper deck. Apparently they felt like they were flying!

It is amazing, still, to me, that almost all of the museums in London are free of charge, it really is so great. The Natural History Museum is an impressive building, not just on the outside but inside too. These are the things that are so easy to take for granted when you are surrounded by them, but having been away for so long, I chuckled to myself as I realized how much I was appreciating all the details. I remember on my DTS in Scotland wondering why the Americans took so many photos of buildings of all things, but here I was, doing the very same thing.

There was so much to see and learn, so many great exhibits. I feel like we barely scratched the surface at the museum, we saw so much, but there was so much we did not get to see. I think one of the highlights had to be the dinosour exhibit, of course. We lasted as long as we could and by the time we left three of four hours later we were all thoroughly exhausted. Our return journey was on the underground, which completed the day's adventure.

Tired but happy, riding home on the London Underground.

Apart from the fact that we were all flagging, the other reason we had not stayed out longer was because my brother 'Uncle Ephraim' and Aunty Faith were going to be meeting us that evening. This was another event to look forward to. I am so happy for all the memories that are being built and relationships being strengthened on this trip. The fact that they brought some books and games did not hurt either. The girls were overjoyed to snuggle up with Aunty Faith and be read to, again and again.

The children did amazingly and I am so proud of them. They crashed as soon as we put them to bed and to be honest I do not know how they lasted that long, not only jetlagged but without the customary naps or quiet times, they are such great kids.

We chatted and caught up and had dinner and shared wine, then finished the evening with a rousing game of ...Scrabble! Old sibling rivalries surfaced, some people, for some reason, seem to think I am too competitive, but I think some people just do not like it if they do not win, not mentioning any names!!!

Trying to adjust

2011-03-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

The proof - we really are in London!

Well we ended up having to keep things pretty low key for our first day. After a terrible first night, our first morning started with both Asia and Arran throwing up at about twenty minute intervals for three to four hours, trying to sleep in between each session. It was exhausting and worrying and quite sad. At about midday, after things had subsided a little, we decided to take just a little walk down the street to get some fresh air and explore a bit. With upset tummies we decided that a bus or train ride might not be the best idea.

Nobody had much energy so our time out was short-lived. Then we decided that James should take the children back to the house to chill and watch some movies whilst I went grocery shopping with my sister. It was fun to be in an English supermarket again and see all the old familiar products, along with many new ones.

In other news, last night half a cup of mint tea spilled onto my laptop and today it will not switch on at all! I am frustrated and upset and all I can do is pray that permanent damage was not done, or that by some miracle God will fix it!

First Night

2011-03-11T03:04:00.000-08:00

It was a very, very, very, VERY rough night! Definitely jet lag, maybe also sickness with two out of our three children, we are still trying to assess :(

Up up and away...

2011-03-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

We made it! We are in England!

"Is Mom talking to herself again?" the airplanes outside the window seemed to be much more interesting.

We arrived at the airport three hours early, instead of two and I must say, it was our quickest, most straightforward experience at an airport, ever. We walked straight up to the desk to check our bags, not one person in line in front of us. We went almost as quickly through security and then we had almost three hours to kill, as our flight was slightly delayed.

Just call her crazy-hands-Bryttain - exciting stuff!

Of course an airport is like a playground for kids. Elevators and escalators, the moving walkways, crazy hand dryers in the bathrooms, planes to watch and all rolled up with the anticipation and excitement of actually getting on a plane and going somewhere fun. As we were in line to actually board the plane, Bryttain was standing there, huge smile on her face, doing a silent scream. It was too cute. Her body, her face were full-on screaming, but she knew how unacceptable that would be, so she mimed instead, I could not help but beam with her.

Finally on the plane, then in pjs for dinner.

Once on the plane we had a couple of rounds of musical chairs before everyone was settled. The kids got into their pjs and as I started encouraging them to settle down for the night, that is when food appeared. We had already eaten, but they were too excited to sleep and all nibbled at their meals. It was WAY too late before they actually fell asleep, but they did eventually. All too soon, breakfast was being brought around (which no one ate) and then it was time to get ready for landing.

The kids loved having their own personal tv screens. Asia was too cute holding the adult-sized headphones in place.

It was pretty turbulent and all of a sudden Bryttain, three seats away from me, looked at me wide-eyed and told me she thought she was going to throw up. I tried to get James' attention and as he hunted for a sick bag and then struggled to open the stupid thing, she threw up on herself, her seat then finally the bag under her chin. I felt so bad! Then Asia told me she thought she would be sick and started gagging and it was my turn to frantically hunt for anything to catch it in! It was gross and we were all trapped with the seat belt sign 'on', Bryttain sitting in her vomit as we circled, waiting for clearance to land. (Turns out there had been a security threat). Far from ideal!

We made it, all our luggage made it, Aunty Caridad made it. We are here - Heathrow Terminal 5!

Eventually we walked through the customs doors at Heathrow, only to find we had no one waiting to meet us, even though we were an hour late. Turns out the airport had been evacuated and incoming cars had been diverted for an hour. Finally Aunty Caridad and Uncle Wesley appeared, like knights in shining armor.

Thus our adventure begins...

On your marks...get set...

2011-03-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we fly to England, for nineteen days, all five of us! We have not made this trip in five years, at which time we had one two year old and a baby, so this trip will be very different. We really will be making memories this time, and the children will be investing in relationships to make them more tangible.

Sure we could spend the money and go somewhere tropical, with a beach, or save the money instead of spending it (especially as we do not really have it anyway) but family is important. There is excitement in the air, and maybe I am a bit overwhelmed or even in denial as to how much still needs to be done. Piles of clothes, half-packed suitcases, never-ending mental lists...

This time tomorrow though, we will have just taken off and there will be no turning back for anything forgotten. Anything we might need we can buy there anyway and so I must stop procrastinating and go take care of that 'to do' list...now!

AWANA Games

2011-03-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we headed up to Santa Rosa for the AWANA Games. This was Arran's second time competing and he is already so different from last year. I love to watch as he grows in confidence and is able to find fun in new things. We had a pretty large group, so actually had two teams competing for the Sparks. It was a bigger deal than I had expected with teams from all over the North Bay.

'Aunty' Susan helped with getting knee pads in place for the first game.

Everything is much more fun with a good friend to share it with. Love the friendship these two have.

Team tactics.

It was a family affair - we all went to watch and cheer him on, which meant Asia's nap had to be postponed.

The bean bag balancing game. This was tough for him last year, but he did so great this time around.

They did great! No trophy this year but good fun was had by all. So weird to think next year we will have two kids competing. All three kids slept on the way home :)

Another birthday

2011-03-03T23:14:00.001-08:00

So Monday was Bryttain's birthday. Let me tell you that this little girl was excited to turn five. This is the year she will start school, the year she will move up from Cubbies to Sparks, she will graduate to a new Sunday School class...there is just so much to look forward to.

We have our moments, she and I, but she is a joy! She reminds me that life is to be enjoyed and that we should laugh EVERY DAY. She can find fun in anything. She loves to help and is grateful for the little things, she has a sweet nurturing side that is understated and unassuming.

There was no demanding on her big day. She opened one present before Arran went to school then waited (pretty patiently) until the afternoon when we were all together again to open the rest. She requested the same chocolate cake that I had baked for Arran for his birthday and was excited to pick out a pink, flowered booster seat to take with us on our upcoming trip back to England.

As has seemed to become our little tradition, the birthday girl then got to choose where we would go for dinner. Not surprisingly she chose the same restaurant that Arran had chosen just a couple of weeks prior. She really does admire and look up to her big brother. It is very sweet.

I am so proud of the girl she is growing to be. I have high hopes for her. Happy Birthday my pretty Britty!

A little sadness

2011-02-28T22:59:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how a single thought can change so much. This day was meant to be about Bryttain. It was her birthday, this spunky, beautiful, fun little girl turning five! We are also preparing for our trip home to England in just over a week(!) and suddenly, out of the blue, it hit me again that I would not get to see Mum.

It is easy in my day to day life to pretend that she is still around, after all, it is not like I got to see her much after my move to the States. Of course I do not actually pretend, I am fully aware that I will not see her or speak to her, but somewhere in my subconscious she is still a part of 'home'. My sister had mentioned something about her gravestone and that was what started it all.

Did I want to go to her grave site?

Would I want to take the kids?

Was there really any point?

I just felt so incredibly sad, all over again, that my daughters have never and will never meet her. That Arran has no recollection of her, that she has not met these wonderful little girls, or been able to see the boy that Arran is growing to be. All the conversations we were never able to have, all the thanks I never gave.

I think that sometimes we need to cry and yet I do not want to upset my children or have them scared or worried about me, they are still so little. So often we stuff things down, we ignore the pain for a little longer, but it really does not make it go away. The feelings and the sadness are not there as often, time really is a great healer, but when they do resurface they are as fresh and raw as ever and in that regard, where is the healing?

And so I will post pictures from Bryttain's birthday tomorrow, as life goes on and deserves to be celebrated and she of all the people I know, is full of life and joy.

The last joint birthday party?

2011-02-25T22:31:00.000-08:00

We had Arran and Bryttain's birthday party on Monday. It was a school holiday so we were able to book an afternoon session at Pump It up, which had been requested! The thing with these winter birthdays is that a party at a park is pretty much ruled out and with all the friends and siblings and parents, it feels too crazy to try to do it at our house anymore. We had the talk this year, that we probably will not do a party every year from now, some years we will, but some years we may pick a few friends and do a special outing, or go to see a movie...but this year it was a party.

The kids got to bounce and slide for an hour and a half before heading into the party room for cake and drinks, suitably tired out. Parents got to chat or take photos and I did not have a destroyed house to tidy up at the end of it all!

The giant inflatable slide seems to be the favorite these days.

Our girl mid-flight and tumbling at the bottom. Fearless!

All smiles. What fun!

It was not her birthday, but she is still a star.

Sitting in the birthday throne, singing 'Happy Birthday' to themselves, along with everybody else.

Self-explanatory!

Thanking their friends for coming to their party, before handing out the goody bags.

Hot chocolate, tea, coffee and ice cream!

2011-02-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

Saturday went by in a bit of a blur. James was busy brewing a new batch of beer, all morning and in the afternoon when the kids went down for naps, I had an engagement photoshoot. It was a long day indoors for the kids, not that they seem to mind too much, they play SO great together, but, especially at weekends, I feel bad if we do not get out and do something fun as a family. As I was driving home I checked in with James and he told me they were going to run out and get hot chocolate. It was already dinner time and I knew that would wreck their appetites, so I suggested that it be a dessert option instead. That also gave me the option of going too!

One of my favorite places to go in downtown Petaluma is Lala's Creamery. I totally, wholeheartedly recommend it. It is the cutest little old-fashioned ice cream parlor, complete with checkered floor and ice cream made by hand in small batches from local ingredients. They do kid-sized and priced options too, which is always a bonus. We settled into one of the booth tables and hung out together as we waited for our orders. Bryttain was delighted with her bubblegum ice cream and Arran and Asia's hot chocolates were delicious (why yes, I did try them)!

It was the perfect way to end our Saturday, being together for a special treat.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

I had fun setting up for Valentine's Day this year. Once the kids were in bed on Sunday night I set to work, cutting out hearts in different sizes and colors to scatter on the tablecloth and other larger ones I suspended on clear line over the table. Each child got a handmade card I had made the previous week and they each finally got a pillow pal, which have been asked for since before Christmas. Of course there was some candy too.

Their bedroom and our bedroom are both directly off of the kitchen/dining area, although on different sides and it was so cute to hear their delighted squeals when they woke up to find what was waiting for them. Life is so simple and fun when you are a kid.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A date

2011-02-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

It is not often that I get time individually with any of my children and time with Arran had been long overdue. The other day he had asked when we could have a date again and I knew it needed to happen, so last Sunday after church, he and I went out for lunch on our own. I let him choose where we should go and he chose IHOP, so we could have breakfast for lunch. We were put in a two person booth and he was so sweet, insisting on sitting next to me, instead of opposite, although I did make him move right before our food came, as it was rather a tight squeeze.

It was so fun just to hear him talk, and talk, and talk. It felt great to really be able to listen. So often there are little sisters interrupting, or maybe he thinks I am too busy, but this was his time and he made the most of it. He told me all about his plans for his restaurant. He has talked about owning a restaurant quite a lot, but this was way more detailed. He told me would not have to go to work until 2pm each day, when I questioned the need to serve lunches, he informed me the name of his restaurant will be Best Dinners...they will only serve dinners, not lunches. They will also serve food for vegetarians and vegans and all of the healthy food will be $1 but all the junk food will cost $10,000 (I guess he really wants people to eat more healthily). On Mondays all the food will be free, and if you go on your birthday and tell them, then your meal will cost 1 penny - unless you go on a Monday, when of course it will be free. Profit is obviously not a priority yet!

He helped me choose candy for them all for Valentine's Day and pleaded with me to buy him a soft toy. I told him I was not going to do that and he was pretty sad, little did he know purchases had already been made. It was hard to see his disappointment but as much as I wanted to tell him the reason, I knew his excitement would be worth it in the morning.

Love my little boy.

Breaking News

2011-02-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

For the past several months Arran has been praying regularly for a way for us to go back to England for a visit. Traveling internationally as a family of five is not exactly in our budget and we had told him it would take a miracle and he would need to pray to see it happen. He started off so enthusiastically, but as the months have gone by some nights I would do the praying for him but he was becoming disillusioned. Last week when I had asked him if he wanted to pray that, before he went to sleep, he had told me that he did not feel like God was answering his prayer. I had tried to explain to him that he should not give up, that sometimes God's timing is different to ours but that He was listening. I understood how hard it was for him, a child's perspective on time is so different. Well today I found a deal that was remarkable. Not only was it the lowest price I had found in years, but we also had travel miles that could be used to help a little. I phoned James to see what he thought, I shot e-mails to family regarding dates. Of course I second-guessed whether we should do it, spend the money, but we felt like we could not afford NOT to do it.

I booked mine and Asia's tickets on the airline's site then went through our rewards site to book the other three....only to hit a glitch, a big one. I started to panic. I tried again and the system told me again, that the itinerary was not available. I was a little freaked out, I had two of us booked (with non-refundable tickets) and three of us now, supposedly unable to book. I got on the phone with a live person, who was no help whatsoever. She went through the same procedure twice, to tell me the same thing. I was a little stressed and frustrated at the lack of help. The process of booking the tickets had gone from a theoretical ten minute job, to an hour and a half. The kids were expecting to visit friends and friends were expecting us. We prayed, I called James and he said he would call to see if he could get any further. I took the kids to play with their friends.

I waited and waited, most anxiously for a call. It was nerve-wracking! I was distracted and antsy and impatient. Finally I called HIM and found out our tickets were booked. I still can't believe it. It has been five years since our last visit back to the UK as a family, Arran was only two years old, Bryttain was a baby and of course Asia had not even been thought of. The kids are SO excited and now we just have to figure out the details of when and where we will stay and how we will get around...oh and renew Arran's passport.

School Valentine's Celebration

2011-02-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

Arran greeted me with a card and a present.

Monday is Valentine's Day, but as there won't be school Arran's class celebrated and had their little party today. The girls and I got to go and help him check out his loot and he gave me my beautiful valentine's gift he had made.

He made a necklace and a keychain and said I could choose which one I wanted. I graciously took the keychain as I doubt James would wear the necklace too often. These hearts are a Cherry Valley tradition and parents wearing them on Valentine's Day can recognize other parents.

The girls are always so excited to go and spend time at his school and Bryttain is very aware that in a few short months she will be in that classroom with some of the same children. That is one of the nice things about it being a K/1 class, she already has some familiarity, not just with the classroom but also with some of her future classmates.

Arran very sweetly promised to share some of his candy with his sisters once he got home and in the meantime Ms. Lewis brought round heart-shaped rice krispy cakes. Then we said our goodbyes and went home for lunch, returning to pick him up a little while later.

My boy's birthday!

2011-02-10T22:19:00.001-08:00

I feel like a broken record sometimes, but I just do not know where the time goes. I mean, seriously, how could this wonderful little boy already have been in our livese for seven years? And why does it feel so much shorter? He is growing up so quickly. He is sweet and kind and compassionate, beyond his years.

Birthdays are a little harder now he is in school; the mornings are such a rush. James and I figured (the night before) that we should just let him open presents in the afternoon, when he came home from school. Somehow, unfortunately, we forgot to let Arran know this minor detail! He woke up this morning, excited for his birthday. We explained the plan regarding presents and he was disappointed to say the least.

"I don't feel special, I don't feel like it's my birthday"...how horrible did I feel at that moment?

Plan b was quickly put into place; he would get to open one present (which James hurriedly threw into a Hello Kitty!!! gift bag with some tissue paper) and open the rest in the afternoon. He was over the moon to receive a talking Doug, the dog from 'Up".

He went to school with a plate of chocolate chocolate chip cookies to share with his class, that we (the three kids and I) had made yesterday and an 'Olivia' book he had picked out as a gift for the classroom. All was redeemed.

After school he went on a play date. I had been so torn in the week when the play date invitation came. I knew that he would love it, but the selfish Mommy in me wanted to not feel like I had missed out on his special day, especially as the kids have AWANAs on Thursday nights. In the end we decided to go out for a family dinner instead of the kids going to AWANAs and so I let him have his play date too. Oh the dilemma of it all.

The girls and I baked him a delicious chocolate cake while he was out. It actually went pretty smoothly and was fun, compared to the slight fiasco of four of us baking the previous day, with my not feeling my best and being far too impatient. My poor kids. I did a good job of actually taking photos as they greased the pans and added ingredients and somehow have managed to delete them from my memory card, so sad.

Arran came home from his play date happy and excited. His specific request for dinner was for Chinese buffet, followed by dessert of his cake at home. He went to bed a happy little boy and I could not be happier or more grateful to be his mother!

Opening presents in his special birthday crown his teacher made. Bryttain loves to help.

I just love that although he is getting so big, he is still just a little kid who LOVES his soft toys.

Happy Birthday Arran, we love you!

Strangers

2011-02-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

I often mention how hard Friday nights can be, a night James is gone for music practice with the band 'Strangers' he is in. Well last Friday they played at a show in Lake County, a couple of hours from here. Amazingly we were able to find kind souls who actually came at 2pm(!) so that I could drive up with him for their early sound-check and set up, and be there to take photographs.

It was fun to be be able to be a part of something that he truly enjoys and see some of the hard work pay off. It is a very different type of photography too, so it felt good to face a new challenge and of course all the extra time with my hubby was a nice bonus. Now we just need to find some more local venues for them to play at and the kids could come to watch too.

Reunited!

2011-01-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

Well when I wrote about Asia's roly poly the other day, it was a cute little conversation she had had with her daddy that I did not take seriously at all. Today, however, that changed. I was in my room when I heard Bryttain yell out excitedly

"Asia! I found your roly poly!" which was followed by delighted squeals from them both.

"Mommy! Mommy! Bryttain found my roly poly!" and she spent the next hour plus, letting roly poly climb all over her, gazing at him/her sweetly, being oh so gentle as she would hand him over to Bryttain for a turn. Lunch was no longer a priority as she could not bear to put him down! It really was the sweetest thing ever.

Pet of a lifetime?

2011-01-24T22:48:00.000-08:00

James took each of the kids out on individual dates today and for Asia that meant going to get a hot chocolate and a visit to the pet store. On their return James recounted a little conversation they had had on the way there which went something like this:

ASIA: I wish I could have another pet one day.
JAMES: Another pet? Did you used to have a pet?
ASIA: Yes.
JAMES: What pet did you used to have? (This was news to us both)
ASIA: A roly poly. But it got lost.

Our poor deprived kids. Hopefully, one day soon, we will actually get a real live pet.

Family Fun

2011-01-22T23:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my absolute favorite type of day, we had no agenda except to spend time together as a family. Late morning we decided it was so nice out that we should head out to the beach. I know it is January, but it was such an amazingly gorgeous day that it seemed the thing to do. We drove out to Doran Beach and it was absolutely perfect. The sky was blue, there was no wind to stir up the sand, there were families and surfers and everyone just enjoying the great outdoors.

Bryttain set straight to work filling her bucket with sand, Arran stood at the edge of the waves running back and forth as they came in and out. Asia was pretty content to stay close by me, it was very sweet. It was hard to believe how warm it was and it was lovely to feel the sun shining down on us. What a treat!

Poor Bryttain got surprised by a wave at one point, and ended up falling, completely soaking herself. It was so sad, although a little comical. Fortunately we had some spare clothes in the van and a blanket for her to wrap up in, my poor baby.

We had not expected for it to be quite as nice as it ended up being, so we had not brought a picnic with us and eventually had to head out to find something to eat.


Hungry and tired, waiting for our food.

After our yummy lunch we raced home and, incredibly, all five of us took a nap! Then up we got and went out for round two of our day of fun.

The night before had been a Skate Night for Arran's school, but with James' music practices also being on Fridays we had not been able to go. It just would have been too much for me to try to help three kids skate, on my own, especially for their first time. It needed to be a family affair, so that is what we made it. We headed up to Cal Skate for their Saturday Family Night. I loved seeing their different personalities and their progression as the night wore on.


The one and only photo we managed to get, with James' I-phone.

Asia, who had been reluctant to leave the carpeted area around the rink, once she got out on the rink did not want to come off and after her first time around, did not want to hold my hand. That little girl is one determined three year old! Bryttain was ready to go from the moment her skates were on and our ever-cautious Arran took things slow and steady, but by the end of the night was doing great. They had so much fun and I have so much fun just being a part of it all. I love my family so much and I love these days when it is all about being family, it cannot be beat.

In celebration of spring!

2011-01-19T17:52:00.000-08:00

OK so I am fully aware that it is not technically spring yet, but it certainly felt like it today. The sun was out in full force and I was able to wear a t-shirt and even pull out my flip-flops. It felt so good to feel and not just see the sun; it truly lifted my spirits. Of course, not having felt the sun for a while, my feet were needing a spruce up, so I decided it would be fun to paint mine, and the girls' toenails.

They were so cute excitedly trying to decide which color they each wanted, they might as well have been in a candy shop. These are important and hard decisions to make when you are faced with such an array of color!

Cubbie Bear visits again!

2011-01-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

This past week Asia was absolutely ecstatic to get to bring Cubbie Bear home from AWANAs. She has thoroughly enjoyed her first month at Cubbies and is so cute reciting the bible verses she learns, with big words that she can barely pronounce. She was pretty good at sharing, but there were a few nights with shouting and tears regarding whose bed Cubbie would sleep in, or shortly into the night as she would demand to have him back with her. The limited understanding of a barely three year old!

Asante Chiildren's Choir

2011-01-10T23:19:00.000-08:00

We went as a family tonight to see this choir perform in Santa Rosa. They are from Rwanda, here in the States to say thank you to the many people who have been sponsoring them and to raise awareness of the work being done there with orphans and widows. Asante means thank you in Swahili.

They were so full of energy, with clear sweet voices. Colorful costumes shared a little bit of their culture with us, as their bodies swayed and lept and jumped and danced to the beat of their drums.

Bryttain kept asking about Indians as I reminded her that they were not from India but Africa. Arran was mesmerized and Asia was intent on getting a piece of gum. Once I finally relented (on the gum) she bounced and smiled and clapped with the best of them. I love being able to expose them to new things and as we drove home we talked about how little, children in Africa have, compared to them and how fortunate and blessed they are, even though most of the time they do not even realize it. We all take so much for granted.

They still have a few more concerts in Santa Rosa, before they head south and fly back to Rwanda on the 22nd.

Haircut time.

2011-01-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

My sweet boy had somehow, at some point, got it into his head that the first day of summer was the only time he needed to get a haircut. He has such great hair and I think it suits him longer, but he was at the point where he had a constant head tilt, to keep it out of his eye and I really missed seeing those beautiful eyes of his.

Over the past few months I have suggested that we cut it, but he had been adamant that he wanted it long. Finally, right before the New Year, he decided he would let me cut it.

I find it quite comical really, that he would rather let me, his clueless mother who had never cut hair before he was born, cut his hair. I make it up as I go along, it takes me forever and it's not like I can give him the exact cut he would like. Each time I offer that he could go and get it cut by someone who knows what they are doing, it would take, maybe, fifteen minutes and the whole thing would be way easier. For now though, it is not to be. I suppose it saves us some money, but it certainly stretches and challenges (and stresses) me.

Oh well, all's well that ends well. As I am posting these before and after shots I cannot help but think to myself that I should encourage him to look really down and scruffy and tired in the 'before' shot, to make him look extra good in the 'after'. I think that is what all the pros do :)

Our Christmas Season Recap!

2011-01-05T23:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! That was a busy few weeks. It was all good, but I feel like I blinked and it was gone. Of course that is not true, my little sister "Aunty Caridad" was visiting for three weeks, and just left today. The kids SO look forward to seeing her every Christmas and really, fully, expect it. It is a part of our Christmas tradition. I love that we have traditions that we can all look forward to.

This is what all the anticipation is really about...one for the house, one for me!

There was the annual Gingerbread House Party, hosted by the Rileys. Each year is a little more fun, as the kids anticipation gets higher and now that all three of them are so much more independent. Bryttain did not even sit on our table with us this year, she opted to sit with her friends. I swear she is more like a teenager sometimes, than a four year old.

Arran and Bryttain sang "Who would imagine a king' at the church Christmas party and in church on Christmas Sunday.

James and I got to go away overnight, without children(!), whilst my sister ~~bravely~~ looked after them and worked on all sorts of fun projects. It was lovely! Not sure who had more fun, us or them...well on second thoughts...

There was shopping and eating out. Aunty Caridad wanted a steak, so we headed to Cattlemens. You cannot beat their Thursday night deal, with kids getting a free steak dinner and house margaritas only $4! No margaritas for the kids, but the girls did suck on the limes and pull funny faces for us.

Bryttain's ballet recital.

Baking and candy making. The kids made the chocolate lollipops and the chocolate crispy cakes!

Christmas Day of course. We had three very excited, very grateful kids. I remember as a kid (although I was probably older) waking up at outrageous hours to open presents. Well our kids were up early, but they patiently waited for us all to get up so that we could open presents together, after reading the story from the bible. We managed to skype online and chat with my brother Wesley and his girlfriend Lou, as well as Grandad and Nanny Pam. I am so grateful for technology and that the kids can 'see' family in other parts of the world.

Then in the afternoon we headed over to spend the rest of the evening with the cousins...best of times. All in all it really was a lovely Christmas.

Big girl starts ballet

2010-12-18T23:33:00.000-08:00

I am so behind on everything. My computer has been in the shop for the past eight days and I finally got it back.
December 12th, Asia had her first ballet class. It was a much anticipated event! For her birthday we had bought her a leotard and ballet shoes, all of her own, not hand-me-downs. She was so cute with her little black gauzy skirt, so excited and I was just amazed at how well she did.

The reason I had moved Bryttain up from the 3-4s class to the 4-5s class (even though the time worked better for our schedule) was that each time a brand new three year old would come in, the class seemed to slow down while the new student adjusted and the teacher worked on getting her up to speed. Some of the new students showed, quite clearly, by their lack of focus and ability to follow direction, that this was probably their first exposure to any kind of organized activity. But Asia astounded me...she was so attentive and worked so hard, following instructions and she looked like she had been having classes for months.

Of course, she has been watching Bryttain in her classes and Bryttain 'teaches' her at home, but she was truly amazing and she LOVED it.

There was a moment at the end when my heart broke a little for her though. This class had already started working on dances for the Christmas recital and their little leotard dresses had been ordered and were handed out that morning. With it being Asia's first time, she had missed that cut-off. She was not aware of all of that and as the dresses were handed out she saw one lying on the floor and excitedly grabbed it and came running to me to show me. I of course had to take it back as it was not hers and tried to explain to her that she would not be in the upcoming recital, but could next time.

She was SO disappointed, but she really tried to hold it together, she did not want to cry and was trying desperately to be brave! She turned away from me and wiped her eyes, smearing her stamped hand all over face as the ink merged with her tears. I could feel her pain and it was heart wrenching.

I know it is just a part of growing up but I so wish I could spare my children some of these moments.

I love this little girl more than words can say and am incredibly proud of her.

Prettying the tree

2010-12-08T23:38:00.000-08:00

Love our nativity...the kids had fun arranging (and then I re-arranged)

Sunday was our day to decorate the tree. Normally on Sunday afternoons James and at least the two older kids, sometimes all three of them, go to the Thai Church in San Rafael, but there were big plans for that tree!

First things first, Daddy strung the lights

Asia, as usual, was on hand to provide comic relief; trying on stockings, hiding in boxes, wearing the lights.

Busy little bees!

It really was a team effort.

Arran decided, way at the start, that it would be he who placed the star on top.

Admiring their handy work and the end result. Good work guys!

Such a fun family afternoon.

We got our tree!

2010-12-05T23:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went out and bought our Xmas tree. I love the idea of participating in cutting down our own tree, but the last few years we have bought our trees from Costco instead. A few times we have tagged along with friends (for the experience first), but it was hard to justify the much higher price, for not necessarily a better, or bigger tree. This year that all changed.

A good friend told me about Celesta Farms, out in Sebastopol. It was just a little further than a lot of the other farms, but it was a beautiful drive and the prices were great. They also threw in free netting of the tree as well as free coffee, cocoa, hot cider and cookies, all of which a lot of the other places charge for. The kids are at the age where they really can appreciate the whole experience now, so it was the perfect time to start a new tradition.

On a mission to find OUR tree.

Everybody had the chance to help with the sawing...until finally...TIMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The prize. Good work everyone. Great team effort.

Posing with hot chocolates and free cookies. The only picture I made it into, but at least there is one.

It really was a great experience and it was so fun to see them all so excited and eager to help. I loved it. More memories being made for our family. Fun, fun, fun!

A long day

2010-12-04T01:03:00.000-08:00

Fridays are always long days, but this one has been especially so. I used to look forward to Fridays, it was almost the weekend, but those days are long gone. James' band practices on Friday nights, so it is just another day, made even longer, which I now, unfortunately, do not look forward to.

Today Asia seemed very angry and I know it was because she wanted her dummy. She still did not ask for it, but nap time was very, very, hard. She was MAD! Even though I let her come in my bed and tried to help, she was NOT HAPPY. She did not want to lie down, she did not want to sleep, she was crying and yelling and was not acting like herself at all. It was very sad. It lasted over an hour, before she finally, exhausted, fell asleep.

Add to that equation, the fact that we had our carpets cleaned today and so I was trying to keep the kids off of them and in our kitchen area and we were not a happy household. It took them all a long time to settle and actually fall asleep.

Tomorrow, or today as the case may be, is a new day. So glad that we can all start over.

Our birthday princess

2010-12-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

Asia is now three years old. This is my sweet baby girl and yet she is baby no more; her beautiful chubby cheeks are reducing in size, she no longer wears nappies (diapers), she speaks clearly, in full funny sentences. SHE tells ME that she is not by baby anymore and that that makes me sad, she is right and she knows it. Of course, it is also hard for her to understand that she will, in fact, always be my baby.

Wednesday was the big day, and there had been much anticipation. Turning three came with some big changes, which we had been talking about daily, for weeks. The biggest hurdle was going to be giving up her dummy (pacifier), but she would also be able to start ballet classes and get to go to Cubbies.

I had no plans (I am not sure why exactly) for a party, but at the weekend as we had been talking about it almost being her birthday she asked

"Mommy, on my birthday can I go to my party?" and I realized that she was expecting to have a party.

It was then that I started to scramble. We needed to keep it small, as at this time of year it is too cold and dark to do anything outside and our house can feel very full very quickly. So we invited her two little best buddies and the cousins and one other family in town and we had twenty five people, just like that. It was a little crazy as we had fifteen children ranging in age from six months to seven years, but the important thing is that Asia (and James) got their party.

My three kids love dinosaurs these days and their favorite show is Dinosaur Train, so I was pretty happy when I found this cup cake mold on sale a while back.

My lovely, gracious husband whose own birthday will ~~forever~~ for the next few years, at least, be overshadowed by his own daughter's. His cake may not look like much, but I can guarantee you it was dark chocolate goodness, dense and rich. As you can see, he was celebrating his first birthday! We just could not risk the house being set on fire, had we used the correct number of candles :)

Asia handed over her dummy to me before even opening any presents on Wednesday morning and we bagged up all the spares which (as far as she is concerned) were then thrown away. She has not asked for one again. Nap time was hard and she kind of whined and fussed for quite a long time, but she did not beg or plead or ask for it even then. She has totally surprised me. I am so very proud of her.

Riding her new pink bike at her party - yes she was riding it indoors :)

Happy birthday Asia.

Happy birthday James!

Black Friday, White Snow

2010-11-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally, in the States, the biggest shopping day of the year, known as Black Friday. Stores open at ridiculous hours and offer special incentives for people to start their Christmas shopping and get the best deals. Now if you know me, I am NOT a morning person and my enjoyment of shopping decreased rapidly with the arrival of children and the departure of money, so you will not find me at any store at 3am!

I have started my Christmas shopping from the comfort of my own home and did venture into one store yesterday for one particular item which was not available for the same deal online as in store, but yesterday was all about the snow. My poor kids...Arran is the only one who has ever seen snow, when he was still less than two years old, as it just does not snow in our area. In San Rafael though, a town half an hour from where we live, every Thanksgiving they bring in snow machines and provide free sledding for the kids. Then there is a mini-parade, when Santa Claus arrives and lights the town's Christmas Tree.

The lines were long, but they did go quite quickly and having cousins to stand in line with, the second time around helped pass the time too. They were all so excited, but when Asia got to the top she chickened out, it was just a little too scary, as each child had to go alone and could not be accompanied. Second time around though, she went for it and loved it.

We finished off the evening with hot chocolate, topped with marshmallows and whipped cream. Hopefully we will be able to have a visit to some real snow this season, but we shall see.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

I think that this may be the first time that I am in the photograph for Thanksgiving, after twelve years of celebrating this holiday. Apart from my first year in this country when we visited my friend Karen's family, we have spent every Thanksgiving with our good friends the Buschs and whomever else they ~~took pity on~~ invited.

There have been some smaller gatherings, especially in our pre-kid days but this may have been the largest. They moved sofas and chairs to make room for the super extended table, so that we could still all sit at a table and feel civilized and like one big happy family. With twelve adults (another two had been expected) and six children, this was no mean feat.

As is our tradition, we went around the table and each person prayed or stated something for which they were grateful. With so many people rather than having free reign this year, each person was asked to keep it to one sentence, so that the food would still be moderately warm by the time we were finished. None of the children, other than Arran opted to say anything, but he said the sweetest little heartfelt prayer, thanking God for Thanksgiving because he had so much to be grateful for and he liked that it was a good reminder for him.

As usual there was way too much food, and too much dessert, but it was all so good. We have leftovers in the refrigerator for lunch tomorrow which is always a nice bonus and one less thing to deal with on another day.

We have so much to be thankful for, on a daily basis. Each night before I go to sleep I reflect on my day, no matter how hard or tiring or fun it was and thank God for as many things as I can think of, but I love that this country as a whole sets aside a day to do that too. There is always something to be grateful for and the world would certainly be a better place if we all focused a little more time on those things than on the things that drag us down.

A glimpse of beaty!

2010-11-22T22:39:00.000-08:00

First day of Thanksgiving break was to be a good day; we were going to see the cousins! There was much excitement and anticipation, and fun had by all.

As we drove home, earlier than the two older children would have liked, so that the youngest child could get her nap, I kept glancing in my rear view mirror. The battle is to prevent her from falling asleep during the drive as she is too old to transfer to her bed now without waking, so I had handed her a little ziploc bag of cereal to munch on. It did the trick, but Arran and Bryttain crashed hard, they were out cold. Arran very rarely naps any more and Bryttain about half the time these days so I decided to drive for just an extra ten minutes to maximize their little naps, taking the risk that Asia would remain awake and not have her chances of sleeping destroyed.

I am so glad that I did, or I would have missed the highlight of my day. As I did my U-turn on a quiet country road, preparing to head home finally, I caught, out of the corner of my eye, the end of a rainbow. I LOVE rainbows. They lift my spirit. Every time I see one it is like a little gift that God is personally handing me. It makes no difference that everyone else can see it, it is for ME! I will never cease to feel the excitement, they will never become just another sight to take for granted, it is an amazing feeling that is hard to put into words.

Sometimes we can get bogged down by the dreariness, the rain, the stresses and strains of this life, but all it takes is a small shaft of sunlight at the right angle and we can be surrounded once again by wondrous beauty. Without the struggles we would not be able to appreciate these precious moments. It was a much needed reminder, for which I am very grateful.

Pumpkin Pie Social

2010-11-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

This week is Thanksgiving. There will be no school, for the whole week this year, which is very lovely; no rushed mornings, no messed up nap times for the girls and of course, extra time with Arran. As a warm up for the celebrations and festivities we had a Pumpkin Pie social at Arran's school on Thursday. Children from his class and the class next door sang us songs and each child got to tell us what they were thankful for (Arran was thankful that the celebration was not canceled and got a little chuckle from everyone). Then we all ate pumpkin pie, which the children had made themselves, Arran served us himself and was so grown up.

The girls always enjoy going to school, but Asia, for some reason, seemed to be having a hard time. I only took about six photos but when I stood up to move across the table to get a shot of her with her sister, she just fell apart. I seriously was about four feet from her, these are tables for little children after all, but I may as well have left the building. Fortunately it only lasted a few moments, once I was back in reach and able to give her a cuddle and a kiss all was right with the world again.

All three kids ate all....the cream and left the pumpkin pie, but I could have predicted that.

Tea for two

2010-10-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

...otherwise known as 'Would you like some tea with that sugar?'!

My girls love to have tea parties, but the truth is, that really it is all about the sugar. We have a wonderful little tea set that Aunty Caridad bought for Bryttain last Christmas, but it is a little disproportionate. The teapot and cups are perfect, but the milk jug is way too small and the sugar bowl a little large.

They feel so grown up pouring their own tea (although I normally start the ritual for them). On a regular morning they sometimes will just share whatever tea is leftover in my mug, but when they get to have a tea party they are allowed sugar! Sweet, warm tea, what could be better? Well, other than sugar on it's own! If a little spills, they quickly dab it up with an ever-ready finger. Once their tea has been drunk, out comes a finger again to salvage every last grain of sugar that might possibly be at the bottom of the tea cup.

There really is a little bit of British left in this house. I acknowledge that a smidgen more training is needed, but they will be ready for tea with the Queen before we know it!

Tolay Fall Festival

2010-10-28T23:23:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday Arran had a school field trip to the Tolay Fall Festival. We had stumbled across it as a family a couple of years ago, before he had started school so I knew it would be a fun outing to take the girls on too. I feel bad that I cannot get more involved at the school, but a lot of things just do not work with two more little children in tow. I asked ahead of time though, if this one would be OK to bring them on and got the all clear. His teacher was very gracious, or wise, as the case may be, knowing I would have the girls with me she opted not to assign me as an official helper, responsible for anyone, but instead let me tag along with Arran and his assigned parent-helper.

Checking out some snakes!

We started in the Nocturnal Animal Barn which was packed, not only with kids, but starfish and snakes and spiders and scorpions and a very 'interesting' taxidermy collection with everything from a fawn to a bear, all sorts of amphibians and I am sure we only saw about on third of the collection.

A very important part of every day is, of course, snack time. We all met up again briefly for bottles of water, Graham Crackers and cheese sticks. The girls were so great, I had told them that it was Arran's trip and there might not be enough snack for them but they didn't complain or whine, just waited patiently. Fortunately there was plenty and Asia carried her water bottle around with her and (her piglet) the rest of the morning.

We took a hay ride out to the pumpkin field and thus began the search for the perfect pumpkin. I have no idea what makes the perfect pumpkin on any given day, but this can be quite the process; how it looks, how it feels, how heavy it is. It is a task to be taken most seriously...and not to be rushed. Fortunately Arran had both his sisters on hand to 'help'. The one rule I gave him was that he had to be able to carry it, it was his responsibility not mine. I was, on and off, busy carrying an almost three-year-old!

Once the selection had been made, each child wrote

their name on the bottom of their pumpkin. Perish the
thought that a fight might erupt on the bus ride back to school as to the rightful owner of any given pumpkin.

We took the hay ride back then checked out some farm animal, ran through the hay maze and did some potato prints and seed planting in the eco-village. There was so much more that we could have done, but by then it was time to head back to school and for me to get the girls home for naps.

Snug as six bugs in a rug

2010-10-12T23:03:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that I am going through long neglected photos?

At the end of September we packed up the van and headed to Sacramento to visit some old YWAM friends from our Chico days. James was playing for a worship night they were holding and as he had to be there two nights in a row, for practice and then the event, we did a sleepover, family style on the Friday.

The kids were so excited, to see their friends who they adore, and to get to have a sleepover was the icing on the cake. They were all up way too late, I mean probably the latest ever, outside of traveling adventures. Their little friend had set up their play tent in their sun room and somewhere along the way, the children decided that all six of them would sleep there, together!

I seriously wondered how it would play out, two two-year olds, a four-year old, five-year old, six and seven-year olds, side by side on the floor. Well the lateness of the hour definitely played to our advantage and they all crashed quickly and actually, amazingly, stayed there all night. Poor Arran apparently got woken by Asia several times, asking him to put her covers back on and the next day they were all pretty tired, especially as they woke up just as early as usual. But it was fun.

It was great to hang out with friends (we also stayed up way too late) and Amy took us out to do family photos too on the Saturday, which we had been talking about forever. I am so grateful for the friends we have in our life, near and far. It does not matter how often or, in this case, infrequently we see each other - we can pick up where we left off and just be ourselves.

Just hanging out together...

2010-10-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, after the kids were ready for bed, I told them they could read for a little while, before it was time to go to sleep. James was out at music practice and I just needed a few extra minutes, for them to actually wind down.

When I walked into their room ready to pray and sing for them, they were all three of them in Asia's crib, with Arran reading to them, it was wonderful. They are so cute together and he is such a great big brother and it just thoroughly blessed me... again! I love my children!

AWANAs - Crazy Hair Night

2010-10-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

There are many Thursday nights, when the kids are once again getting to bed later than their usual bedtime, when James is at music practice and I am at the end of myself, trying to get them settled and not completely lose it, when I wonder if it is all worth it. But it is! They love going to AWANAs, they feel accomplished learning and reciting their verses, they have fun with friends, playing games, and Asia is counting down the days until she turns three, because then she too will be able to go to Cubbies.

Yesterday was 'Crazy Hair Night', which they had of course been looking forward to. At least this year decisions had (somewhat) been made in advance, so we were not scrambling quite as much as years past, trying to come up with ideas of what to do.

Of course Asia did not want to be left out, so we did her hair too.

Sweetness

2010-09-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

My lovely Bryttain. She napped in my bed today, it is just easier to separate the two girls at nap time, the point being for them to nap and not just play. I was exhausted too and fell asleep before her as she lay quietly playing with a doll. When I woke up, this is what I found; she had zipped her baby inside her cardigan and fallen fast asleep. So precious.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-09-13T21:43:00.001-07:00

It was my birthday last weekend. Another year older, most definitely grayer, hopefully (but I doubt it) wiser. I know I am loved, and that is a great feeling, there may be plenty of things that we do not have, but I am blessed.
I was brought breakfast in bed (a little earlier than would have been my preference) and hand-made candles and cards and decorations.

Children provide such a wonderful perspective on life. It is so easy as we get older to forgo things, such as parties (which inevitably I would end up doing all the work for anyway) but Arran was determined that we should do something to celebrate my day. Well a month or so back I had bought tickets for Six Flags on one of those online deals, the kids have never been, the weather was going to be great so it seemed like it would be a fun way to spend our day. Between animals and rides the kids had a blast. It was hot and sweaty and exhausting but it was fun. Just watching my children enjoying themselves, brings me so much joy.

On entering the park, maps had to be scrutinized and decisions made. Arran especially. loves this job.

The kids loved the seal and sea lion show. They actually thought they were talking and did not quite connect that there were people behind the scenes talking into the microphones. So cute!

Up close and personal with the stingrays.

Walrus.

As Arran and Bryttain prepared for this ride, Asia was absolutely devastated to not be able to go on. She was truly confused, heart-broken, and finally a little mad!

To distract her, I took her over to another ride. I had not realized that adults could not go on with their children on this one, so I wondered if she would change her mind. This little girl is fearless though, she got right on, sat next to a little boy she had never met before and held on for dear life. She never ceases to amaze me.

Then she forlornly watched as the other two finished up on their ride. She was pretty sad. Good news was though, that man behind her seeing how sad she was, filled us in that she could in fact go on with an adult, just not on her own, because of her size.

I love this shot James captured...just a tiny bit out of focus, but I like that it captures the motion. She was SO happy to get to ride the giant swing.

She is such a mommy's girl right now. We took photos of each other as we waited very patiently (for a VERY long time) as James stood in line to get cold drinks for us. Yes, she really took this picture! I helped with some of the weight, but she put it up to her eye and composed and pressed the button. That's my two year old!

There were many rides.

It really was a pretty hot day, so the water sprinkler areas were a huge hit.

After cooling off, we heading to the warm and humid butterfly house.

There were many animals, not all of which I got pictures of. It has been so long since we have been to the zoo, so this made up for it a little.

Fun times all around.

Pure Mischief

2010-08-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning started off innocently enough. Arran's soccer practice was at 9am and James took him, with Bryttain joining the excursion, to hang out with daddy and watch her big brother. I finished my breakfast and decided I should tackle the mountain of clean laundry that needed folding, I had, after all, procrastinated long enough. Asia was busy playing, but had transferred the play stable with some other toys to our bedroom floor so that she could play and be with me at the same time.

She is such a sweet, chubby-cheeked nugget of love. As the piles of folded clothes grew larger on our bed I remember her saying

"Mommy, I found a bead!"

I did not think too much of it, she is after all my third child and we have never had any untoward incidents with beads. Of course, all of that was about to change. I have no idea what went through that little girl's head, or why. It would maybe have made sense if she had snuck it into her mouth, would a pink bead taste like strawberry, or some other tasty pink morsel? But no! The next thing I hear is her crying and it was then that she informed me that the bead was stuck up her nose!

I felt so bad for her, she was obviously in pain, but I could not see it. I spent the next half an hour trying to get her to blow her nose, no, not sniff, blow (two years old, remember), sneeze, cough...anything. I wanted to see if I could gently massage it down from the outside, but she complained that it hurt. The tears were increasing.

I went online and found it to be quite a common problem, although it seems raisins and peanuts are equally as popular with young children for sticking up noses. Several pages I found suggested a simple CPR type maneuver where you press on the empty nostril and gently blow in the mouth to see if that will dislodge the blockage. That did not work either and she was none too impressed. Soccer practice was due to be over so I called James; I needed fresh ideas.

We tried all the previous suggestions again, with one of us (trying) to hold her still this time. By now we could see the evil bead, as daddy had brought his flashlight in from his truck, but that thing was not budging. With the flashlight we could clearly see the hole in the bead, so her airway was not being badly obstructed and James thought that with a thin enough piece of wire he could maybe hook it out, but she was pretty freaked out and very much over the whole ordeal. She did not want anything else going up her nose.

I finally decided that we were probably going to need some professionals, so got on the phone with an advice nurse to see if we could get her in to the Saturday pediatric clinic. I had no desire whatsoever to head to an ER where we would be kept waiting for goodness knows how long and (this is America after all) end up paying who knows how much? There was an appointment available for later that afternoon, so I took it, but I was still reluctant to declare defeat. I knew it would be way more traumatic for her to have some stranger poking around her nose and to be honest it was not exactly how I had envisioned spending our Saturday afternoon together.

As James made the kiddos lunch I had the bright idea to hunt around for one of our bulb syringes. We had used them when the children were smaller to suck out mucus or snot when they had colds and were too young to know how to blow. But could I find one? No! Of course we have not needed to use one in years.

Some good friends live nearby and I figured I would try them as a last resort - they had one, and more importantly knew where it was in their house (amazing)! I jumped in the car and drove over there immediately. They also offered a saline rinse, which sounded like it would be an ordeal to try on a reluctant child, but anything would be worth a try. Their 'grandma' mentioned a sheet wrap if we needed help keeping her still.

I tried sucking the wretched bead out, but she was pretty nervous and would either try to bat it away, or turn her head at the last moment, even with one of us holding her, it was not happening. We both tried. Finally I decided we needed to use a swaddle. I had a piece of stretchy fleece which I lay down on the floor and told her to lay on top of. What a fun game! I put her little arms down by her sides and wrapped her up tight, then as James held her head still and I blocked her legs, her arms contained, four good suctions and that sucker came out! Her panic turned to relief and the ordeal was over.

Lots of hugs and kisses later, the doctor's appointment canceled, we think a lesson was learned. I asked her later that afternoon if she will ever put another bead up her nose and she was very emphatic with her

"NO!"

There's a ball to be kicked

2010-08-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

Today was Arran's first meet-up and practice with his little team, as part of the Petaluma Youth Soccer League.

When he was much younger, two or three (I cannot exactly recall) we had signed him up for Lil' Kickers, but that was a long time ago. It is still sad to me that there is so little physical activity in schools over here and that sports really have to be done in your own time, but it is what it is.

He had really been looking forward to it, which I am sure was aided by his recent watching of bits of games in the recent World Cup. He certainly looked the part in his new shinguard covered, knee-high socks and his soccer cleats.

Our little boy did so great, none of my fears of him being nervous or reticent at meeting a bunch of new kids, were realized. He jumped right in. There is a lot to learn, but I think it is going to be a fun, growing experience for him. Next practice is on Saturday morning.

The girls watched from the sidelines whilst chomping on pretzels, they played on the playground a bit too.

I have no idea how we will manage our schedules when we have three kids doing different activities, I think life is going to get very busy.

My other problem is that before this I wanted a 70-200mm lens, now I know I NEED one!!!

What a big girl

2010-07-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Asia's potty training has been very self-paced. We had the usual incentive (one M & M for a wee, two for something more substantial!) but other than that, have not pushed it. She was never very interested in the little potty and went for the regular toilet, which was more than fine by me. One less thing to empty and clean!

It is so different than when Arran was a baby. Of course at that point it was me and him at home and I could give him my undivided attention, but I think the truth is that although he did great, it was more a case of me staying on top of it, I would set the timer at 30 minute intervals and ask him to try, we had stickers and rewards, we went from nappies to pull-ups and finally when several MONTHS later he was there, underwear. It was a lot of work.

I was WAY more relaxed by the time Bryttain came around and waited for her to be pretty interested.

Now Asia is finally there. I have known for a while that she got it. She could produce every time she went to the bathroom, half the time she was taking herself, but I had just left her in nappies (diapers), and occasionally tried a pull-up. She knows the difference though and would just get lazy.

She could run around naked though, for hours, with no accidents, so today I decided, out of curiosity more than anything else, to just put her in regular underwear. Not one accident! She told us each time she needed the bathroom and even fell asleep in her bed at nap time, before we registered that she was not in a pull-up...and stayed dry the whole time. You could have picked up my jaw from the floor at that point (we will not be trying to repeat that one for a while though).

Anyway, I am INCREDIBLY proud of her...and here she can tell you the news for herself.

Another one bites the dust

2010-07-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday the kids were running around being totally crazy, when all of a sudden Arran came rushing in, completely devastated. His top tooth, which had been hanging precariously for days, had finally in the midst of the chasing and wrestling, been knocked out. He did NOT want to show us, but Bryttain excitedly showed off the booty, as proud as could be. She is so funny, it was not even her tooth.

Try as hard as I might, Arran did not want to let me take a photo, and James scolded me for trying to catch the moment as my little boy cried (I was not completely heartless, daddy was cuddling him at the time already). Finally after some tickling we got half a reluctant smile. My little boy looks so different now.

Time for a haircut

2010-06-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

It has been just over a year since Arran's last haircut. For the last couple of months he has been saying that he wanted to get it cut on the first day of summer and that was yesterday. There was too much going on, so today was the day.

Now, I have no clue how to cut hair and have been making it up as I go along, so it can be a little stressful. Arran was determined that he did not want a buzz cut this year, which last year made things a lot easier, but had pretty precise ideas, which unfortunately he did not do a great job of explaining to me, added to that the fact that he seem to think that I do, in fact, know what I am doing...so it is what it is.

It is so nice to see BOTH his eyes again. Maybe this will be just stage one or a few stages, we shall see.

Three Wise Monkeys

2010-06-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

I am very behind in my blogging. I have photos from the last day of school and Uncle Ephraim and Aunty Faith's visit over the past couple of weeks, but those aren't for today. James has been down in Mexico all week on his yearly mission trip, building a home for a needy family, so it has been me and the monkeys.

They're not really wise, but they are good kids and even agreed, for a few moments, to let me take photographs of them as they knew I wanted a nice one for Father's Day.

Here is one, just for fun.

Hear, See and Speak no evil :)

Last day of school

2010-06-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

It was officially his last day as a kindergartner, I seriously cannot believe it has been a year already. OK, so a school year is not quite, technically, a whole year, but it is pretty darn close. He has grown and changed SO much, no longer a timid little boy, he is really quite a big boy now, confident and self-assured.

For the last day, Ms. Lewis had a little ice-cream social at the end of the day, uh-huh, fill them with sugar then send them home!

There was no room on Arran's table, so Bryttain quite happily sat with the 1st grade boys!

Fun in the creek

2010-06-03T22:36:00.000-07:00

Warm weather is here! We are so happy, for so many reasons and last Sunday we got to enjoy another, the first for us this year, creek-side picnic at the Burtts. It is such a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

The kids could not be happier; splashing and playing in the creek ranks pretty high in their simple little lives. Sun, friends, water, food...what's not to like? Sitting in the shade, chatting with friends, watching children playing in the water, hearing the joy and laughter, is all good for the adults too. I am sure there will be many more over the summer, each as eagerly anticipated as the first.

I am grateful to this family for opening up their home to help us all build wonderful memories of fun times.

Bryttain ballerina

2010-05-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening Bryttain had another little ballet recital. I love that she finds so much joy in her dancing, she lights up as she talks about it and as she does it. Asia cannot wait until it is her turn and every week asks me

"When can my do ballet mommy?" (I love the way she talks).

Last night she watched me put Brtyttain's hair into a bun and then insisted that I do hers too, it was SO tiny, about the size of a grape, but we did it. She was so happy and proud. That little girl has music in her. Ever since she was a baby she would shimmy along to the music in stores, a big grin plastered across her face. All my kids love music, but I think it runs a little deeper in Asia, she is always singing.

Bryttain is front row, second from the right.

Bryttain with her Tuesday morning, 10:30am classmates.

I am sure that to an outsider, these little recitals, with three and four year olds must seem a little disjointed and far from perfect. For the parents and family members and friends who fill the room, though, those are the cutest little, most adorable girls in the whole world. We are as proud as could be as they dance in their tutus and I do not know who is beaming wider at the end of it all.

Proud daddy with his girl, and Bryttain with one of her best friends.

Open House

2010-05-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to believe that Arran is finishing up his first year at school. Kindergarten is almost over and it has flown by unbelievably fast. When I think back to his first day and how nervous he was and how hard it was for him to let me leave, and then I think of the big boy he is today, it is astounding. He has grown and changed so much, he is more confident and self-assured, he is reading like a pro, he is taller and minus a couple of teeth and there is his long hair, of his choosing. He is such a little boy, full of energy he loves to be silly but he still has his sensitive caring side.

Last week they had an Open House and so off we went to check out some of his recent work. Somehow in the craziness of trying to get the family out of the house in time to get there for the start and leave enough time before James had to leave for music practice, I managed to forget to bring a camera!!!!!!!! Oh well - thank goodness for camera phones, FAR from perfect, but better than nothing for sure. Mental not to self, a camera should be attached to one's body at all times so as not to miss perfect picture moments, or just those moments that you know you will always treasure.

He is so proud of all of his hard work, as are we and he loved being our little paleontologist guide (hence the costume). Bryttain cried when we had to leave, she cannot wait for it to be her turn.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

In many ways I am only six and a quarter years old, for that is when I was born as a mother, when my beautiful son came into this world. Before then, a different person existed, a shadow of the me I am today. I did not know that I would never be the same again.

By far the best, the hardest job I will ever have. Joy and laughter, frustration and squabbles; no two days are the same. I love my children with my whole heart, yet I often make mistakes and have to ask their forgiveness.

I am grateful for this time I have with them, that is fleeing far too quickly. Yes, I will always be their mother, but a day will come when they do not need me in the way they do now. Bryttain tells me that when she is grown up and has children of her own, we will be neighbors. She cannot imagine, at her tender age, a time when she would want space from me, but I fear the inevitable. Arran says that he will always live with us, but I know his future wife may well have other plans. The joy and heartache of being a mother.

I love my children more than I ever knew I would or could. How could we know what we would become, how we would feel?

To all those mothers out there...Happy Mother's Day

To my beautiful, sweet, loving children, thank you for accepting me and loving me. You are my treasure and my heart is forever yours. I love you!

Texas - Day 5 (Saturday)

2010-04-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we piled into the truck and headed for Alvin, three hours away, for a surprise birthday party for Uncle Ireland. Yes, Uncle Ireland lives in California with us, but there we were in Texas for his party. It was perfect, we got to see all sorts of extended family without driving all over the state, with tired kids.

Uncle Ireland walked in to "Happy Birthday To You"...not realizing it was for him. Blowing out the candle on his cake.

Grandpa's band played.

There were a lot of people to meet...

Daddy introduced them to their Great Grandma

Grandpa with his Mom.

Grandpa with his sisters and Mom.

There was dancing with cousins

...and more dancing.

Family!

And I really was there too...not always behind the camera.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today was Earth Day and also our local Raley's store's first anniversary. The kids, well the two older ones, got their faces painted, they all got to pot some plants, eat some cookies and we got more reusable grocery totes.

For a shopping trip with kids it was relatively pain free and even fun!

Texas - Day 4 (Friday)

2010-04-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

As we had driven from Austin to Gonzales on our first day, I had been astounded by how beautiful it was. The fields were lush and green and full of the most amazing wild flowers. I seriously had not seen anything like it before; fields just full of red, blue, white and yellow flowers. I knew immediately that we would have to make some time to do some photos. Then it hit me, we had no nice clothes with us, the girls had nothing cute, no dresses, we had nothing that would even vaguely match. What had I been thinking? Oh yes - I had been thinking that at $100 a pop for any checked bag, thank you very much American Airlines, we would not check bags but each have a carry-on. It worked fine, we just brought the basics, that was all.

We had to stop at a Wal-Mart to buy nappies/diapers (too much space to pack them) and I found cute $5 dresses for the girls, I was happy, we would be able to make something work.

After breakfast, in town, on Friday morning, Grandma Betty took me to a western store and I got a new dress, we would be able to coordinate...now the photos had to happen!

James' younger sister Canna had told us of a pretty location and drove us out, just before the sun set. It really was beautiful with horses and bluebonnets. The horses were curious and all came trotting over to check us out and see what was going on, unfortunately that sent both our girls into cardiac arrest. Bryttain started screaming and clung to James for dear life, whilst Asia made a dart for safety, heading back to the truck. So much for picture perfect backdrop. The horses got shooed away and we plopped the kids down.

We were cutting it fine, but we worked quickly and got a few shots of the cousins together.

Canna and her little girl.

James and the kids. Then for some reason my sweet little pumpkins refused to all have their photos taken with me together. I was a little frustrated at first, but instead, I now have a wonderful photograph with each of them individually and I will treasure these. Thank you James for taking them for me, I love you.

We were losing light so quickly but we had to at least try to get a family shot, poor Canna was holding her baby and my camera so we only have one that turned out, but we have ONE! I have said it before and I will say it again...I LOVE my little family so much!

Texas - Day 3 (Thursday)

2010-04-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

Minners (also known as minnows to those outside of Texas) were the order of the day today. Grandpa was buying them to stock his ponds, allowing them to get established before stocking with bigger fish, who would need something to eat.

We also visited Gonzales Memorial Museum, to learn a little more about Texas history. Apparently the first shot of the Texas revolution was shot there. Grandma was our tour guide and even bought history books for us to bring home to continue our education.

After lunch, it was back to the ranch to stock the ponds. The kids were fascinated and enjoyed 'helping'.

Highlight of the day, however, had to be Uncle Emmy's arrival with his horse! After I had inquired of the horse's name, I had to re-inquire as I was unsure if the answer was Denny, or Dunny. Arran sensing my confusion, excitedly explained to me that cowboys speak their own language. He 'learned that at school!' Uncle Emmy quickly became Arran's hero. A real-life, good-looking, friendly, member-of-his-family, cowboy.

Other than the horse's name I have actually been very happy to not need a translator on this visit. It would seem, also, that everyone has been able to understand me this time around, progress has been made.

Texas - Day 2 (Wednesday)

2010-04-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today started with the grandparents taking us to the McKenna Children’s Museum. There were all sorts of fun activities and the kids had a blast.

Then on we went to a real-life cattle auction. Certainly not a regular activity in our day to day life back in California. Yup, you cannot just go to Safeway when you want to buy a cow, and now our children have (kind of) experienced what is involved, up close and personal. I swear the auctioneer was not speaking real words and just rolling his tongue and speaking gobbledygook. They loved it for a while, but Arran soon announced that he was bored and ready for the next experience.

During lunch at Chili's Bryttain managed to spill her whole cup of water on herself and wailed at the top of her lungs about how uncomfortable she was and how wet. Fortunately I had a long sleeve shirt for her to change into, but she was not happy. It was then that Grandma pulled a classic grandma move...off she went to find a store and came back ten minutes later with a new outfit!

Texas - Day 1 (Tuesday)

2010-04-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

After a breakfast at IHOP, a stop at Wal-Mart and an hour's drive, we arrived at the ranch, just outside of Gonzales, Texas. We had driven by cattle but up by the house we met a couple of horses, some dogs, a rabbit, many roosters, some chickens and even some wild, but captive, pigs.

Asia was all over the dogs, particularly Nina who she has been petting and hugging and loving at every opportunity. Every spare moment, she loves to go outside and hang out with the dogs and is continually begging for somebody to go outside with her.

Arran was quick to inform Grandma Betty, as she fixed dinner, that his mom ‘The Expert Cook’ would be happy to assist with any needs she might have. Grandma Betty was ‘tickled’ by that I think, because she had a good chuckle. He went on to inform her that although he was not an expert cook, he was an expert mixer, so if she needed any help making cookies or cake, he would be happy to oblige. Well how could she refuse an invitation like that? Off she went to the pantry and returned with a mix for brownies, which she had the kids whip up for dessert. They were in seventh heaven, because as we all know, the best part of baking is licking the spoons afterwards.

Texas bound

2010-04-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

None of the children have been to Texas. The last time Arran met his grandparents, on James’ side, he was a baby, only six months old and the girls have never met them before. It is so hard when family is far away…our poor kids have grandparents they barely know, while friends all around them are surrounded by doting family.

This has been a long overdue trip, on Monday we headed to the airport for a new adventure. We flew into Austin, Texas close to midnight and exhaustedly arrived at our hotel and fell into our beds, finally, at 12:40am. Grandpa Jim and Grandma Betty would be driving to pick us up the next morning and a few hours of sleep were needed before then.