Close call!

Boy, did we ever have a close call today.

We've had a tempermental light switch for some time. The girls would have to click the switch several times to get it to light up. Well, today, while they were getting ready for their first ever ballet recital, I walked in their bathroom to a horrific smell. I felt the light switch and noticed it was very hot and it was smoking! Holy crap! I'm so glad Brad was home. I'm so glad we were home with the kids. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to catch this before our lives changed forever. Thank God!!!

We had a new switch on hand, thank goodness, so Brad was able to change it out right away. Next time you have a troublesome switch, listen to it right away and fix it so you never have to go thru the panic that we did. Also teach kids not to throw water on electrical or grease fires. It turns out that our kids didn't know that. Lastly, teach the kids how to turn off the electricity and the main water supply for that matter. Remind them how to use the fire hydrant and where it is located.

I'm so thankful that we had a happy ending to our scary story.

It is marshmallow time.

I'm back.

I think my last post specifically said how the first day of school is actually the opening ceremony of the holiday season. I hate to say it, but I was right.

Today, in my few spare minutes from a family trip to the library, 2 parties and a ballet recital rehearsal, I managed to stop by my blog and I decided it was time to jump back into it. I've was wondering what to write about and then Brandon handed it right to me. You see, I was in the bathroom, getting ready for our lovely neighbor's annual Christmas party this evening and I was encouraging Brandon to ask his sisters to peel him a clementine for a quick snack before the party. He answered, "I don't need a "clementime", I need marshmallow-time. He has been saying so many great thing, but I am forgetting them. That is one of the great things about blogging. Reading the entries brings me right back to the moment. I love it!

Brandon knows the party starts at 7:00. He said, "Mom....I think it is 7:00." It is not, but I do have a few things I should be doing. So this one is short and sweet.

Summer lovin'

Am I crazy? It is 104º and I'm mourning the end of summer.

The truth is that the end to the summer heat is nowhere in sight, but the beginning of the hustle and bustle of school is right around the corner. I can't believe that 2011 is more than halfway spent. Seriously, how could it have gone this quickly.

We are back from our summer vacation and I feel so close as a family. It is a challenge to keep our family feeling close when our schedule fills up and the pressure to get everything done builds.

I also know that once the school year begins, it breaks the seal to the arrival of the holidays. I know, it is July, and I'm freaking out about the holidays. Stress affects all people differently.

My kids have grown up so much this summer. Alicia has braces, Alison has glasses and Brandon is blossoming into the sweetest, most entertaining little boy. We all enjoy being around him, watching him learn about life. I want to capture the preciousness of today and permanently engrave it into my memory.

The other day at the library, Alicia was watching Brandon for me while I was gathering a bagload of books for checkout. She came up to me and said, "Oh my gosh, Mom, he is so cute!" It wasn't what I was expecting to hear. I never imagined the girls to be as "hooked' on him as I am.

Our family feels complete.

E-I-E-I-O!

When Brandon has a good idea, he says "I-dea!" I believe it is the contraction for "I have an idea..."

Brandon calls McDonald's, "Ol' McDonald's." Then on the way there, he says "I'm gonna pet a goat!" We don't go there often, but he is quite familiar with the restaurant. He never seems to question why there is no goat there, though? Hmm. It is not at all like when my first born was 5 and in her only year of preschool. A friend and her mom suggested that we all go to McDonald's for a playdate. Alicia was excited, she looked at me and said, "What is McDonald's?" It was a proud moment for me, and a shocking moment for a few others.

Here is a good one. This just happened while typing this entry. Brandon is constantly trying to find new ways of reaching me when I am busy doing something. He said from the other room, "Mooooooom, I want chocolate milk and you are going to get me chocolate milk."

Aye, aye, Captain.

Hmmmm, I smell something...

It feels like it has been so long since I've had time to update my blog properly, so that is just it, I will no longer be properly blogging. Don't expect a picture. Don't expect accurate spelling. Not until school starts up again this fall, if ever. So many funny things and experiences have passed, and then because I forget to write them down, they end up lost along with my pesky coffee cup. So I've decided I just need to get my thoughts out quickly, when I have them.

So back to my blog entry title. My 2 1/2 year old said to me matter-of-factly, "Hmmmm, I smell something...it must be poop or dinner." He calls them like he smells them, what can I say. I'm glad we were at our home, and not at someone else's. I wish I could remember what he was smelling, but I can't. At least I remembered how to access my blog. Okay, my computer had the password saved, but still, I remembered I had a blog. Work with me here.

Happy summer.

Two year-olds

Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. So true. You want do hear what my little punk did today? He almost cost me a minimum of $85 and a super-sized serving of humiliation. Apparently my little bugger turned off the power supply to the pool. I never knew that useful switcheroo even existed, hiding beneath a camouflaged outlet cover, on the side of the yard where he is not allowed to explore.

We had a very windy day yesterday, which resulted in a lot of leaves and twigs in the pool. I noticed it was very dirty this morning. I was surprised our handy dandy little automatic creepy crawly pool vac didn’t do its usual bang-up job. I thought, hey I’ll just manually turn it on and let it work some overtime. Click....nothing. Hmmmmm? I go to the main switch by the actual pump. Click...nothing. Oh crap! I can actually feel my bank account getting about $1000 lighter. Crap! I call Brad and ask if we want to try to figure it out, or just call a pool guy. It is old and is very quirky already. We decide to call around and get some quotes on just coming out and meeting our pool pump. $85. I call Brad and we go through a little trouble shooting over the phone. THANK GOD! I try the stealth grand master power switch as advised by my oh-so-clever husband. I can hear some phantom ticking immediately. I have a very good feeling about this. I walk back over to the switch of my preference and click...purrrrrrrr. Yes!

So we rejoice and groan over the antics of our little two-year-old boy. I realize as I type this that my husband is no real pool-mechanic genius. He just happens to have been a two-year-old boy before. How can I compete with that?

Thumbs up

I finally found the opportunity I was looking for. Brandon and I were playing with our neighbors. He was having the time of his life racing behind his friend's cool, super dump truck. I asked him if he wanted one for himself. "Seems too good to be true," he must have thought. "I wonder what's the catch." There is always a catch.

Right you are! When my middle daughter was 2.5 years old, this is the route we took to get her potty trained.....fast! Only she didn't want a truck. She wanted Boots, the trusty monkey friend of Dora the Explorer.

Here is the catch. If you want the monkey/truck, than you must poop in the potty FIVE times. That is it. If he is ready, like she was, we will be shopping for a new truck soon. When we were making the poster, he couldn't decide which super dump truck sticker to pick. He said they were all "too puffy." So apparently, even trucks have the equivalent to bad hair days. Good to know!

So in the end, we settled on the Monster Truck. It didn't look puffy at all. So the game is on. I'll keep you posted. 10-4.

Good morning

Yesterday was a full day preparing for a big day, today.

My daughters and I are celebrating the life of an amazing woman. She battled a cancerous brain tumor for over 2 years. For those of you who know about GBM, you know what a miracle it is that Cathy had two more years to love up and inspire her family and friends. Her courageous effort will surely last for generations. Our community is so blessed to have had her influence for 42 shining years. We also get to celebrate the 4th birthday of the sweet, vivacious daughter of some dear friends. It is sure to be a memorable day.

The day started with a quiet wake-up call by my 2 year old son. He has a pretty bad cold. He whispered in my ear while I was still sleeping, "Mom....you lake (wake) up?...pause...I need my chocolate newk (milk)." I so wanted to sleep longer. I told him, "In a few minutes, honey. Go watch your show." Yes, we keep the TV armed and ready with channel 106. He just walks by and turns it on. It usually buys me a few extra minutes of sweet, sweet sleep. Unfortunately, I thought I heard him opening the fridge and moving the gallon of milk. A shot of adrenaline coursed through my veins and I was up and at ‘em. Good thing because I would have missed the incredible display pictured above.

I don't think I'm ever going to be able to whine about a busy day, because I will always think about how much Cathy would have enjoyed any one of my challenges during her long battle with cancer. It is a reality check that adjusts my perspective to focus on blessings and gratitude. Thanks Cathy.

Kids today

Living in sunny Arizona, my kids aren’t exposed to all the elements of weather that many children experience. On the way home from the gym it was unusually gloomy. Alison, my 8 year old, said, “Mom, we are learning about clouds in school. I just saw a gray cloud!” She was proud of her observation. My husband and I, both being raised in the Midwest, exchanged silent, but incredulous expressions.

I guess this is where, as parents, we could have told the kids how easy they have it. Back when we were kids, we had gray clouds for many days at a time. Sometimes it felt like weeks! But we didn’t. As we all got out of the car, I whispered to Brad, “That was bloggable, right? “Oh yeah,” he agreed.

Great Expectations

I find that when I’m most unhappy, it is because my reality isn’t following the path of my great expectations. I have a choice. I can wallow in all of the ways my life has strayed from my master plan, or I can open my eyes and watch what is actually happening all around me.

To expect is to attempt to control the outcome. To watch is to allow the outcome.

Our reality may be different than we had planned, but it is ours to experience and enjoy. Be thankful, take a deep breath, open your eyes, and walk on. Feel free to take the scenic view.

Touched by an angel

I think you'll agree that it doesn't get much better than this!

She was born today, fresh from God, and I was lucky enough to spend a few minutes holding this beautiful angel. One of my dearest friends is the mom of this lovely girl. I'm so fortunate to live so close and watch her grow into a wonderful person. What is it about babies that makes time stop and causes us to slow down and be very aware? It is as if you can stare into that new little face and try to memorize all the intricate details that make them who they are. I keep looking, yet I can't get enough. Let's just say that she is definitely an expression of God and we are all so happy that she is finally here.

Welcome, baby girl, welcome to your world. We love you.

Welcome home, Rocket!

This weekend we expanded our family by one. So the official count is 5 people, 2 dogs, 2 frogs, 1 fish and lastly 1 sweet hamster. Rocket is a lovely addition to our family. He is adjusting well and learning to enjoy his new accommodations and family. We've had him for exactly 3 days now. It is fun to watch him adapt to his new life. The life we have to offer him is very different than the one in which he is accustomed. He needs a few new skills to be up to code at our house, he also needs to bond with us and feel like one of us, which has been going really well. It is helpful to have another dog who is familiar with the program.

We've never gotten a dog at any other stage than a puppy. It is amazing how easy of a transition this has been for us. At age 4, this dog is (hopefully) finished with his naughty/destructive stage. All he needs is some basic obedience work. He starts his Petsmart class on Sunday. I hope he feels as lucky as we feel. His name could easily be Jackpot, because I really feel like we've hit one.