MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It has been a whirlwhind day, but I think the kids had a great Christmas. You can see that Riley was very pleased that Santa did indeed bring her Julie. Zachary got a video game and plenty of stocking stuffers from the jolly old guy. After opening gifts we headed off to Erica's house for brunch and celebrating with the whole family. Now that we are back home I have to make some sense of all this mess. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Only five more days till Christmas

We have had a quiet Saturday before Christmas by avoiding any and all retail establishments. This morning we woke to a beautiful view of the mountains so Riley took advantage of her new digital photography hobby and got some nice shots. Then we were off to the library for some reading and quiet. If you have not tried this, remember next year, there is nobody in the library on the weekend before Christmas. It's a nice quiet place to sit and read some magazines or books. Riley got her first library card today. I'm ashamed to say that it took this long. Zachary got his first when he was three and somehow we just got into the habit of Riley using my card all these years. She asked for one today though so we took the time and signed her up.
When we got home I kept Riley occupied building her gingerbread Christmas tree while I got a few things done around the house. You may wonder where Zachary is in all of this? Well, he has been in his room diligently working on his Lego Death Star. He has gotten quite far after many hours of work. I think it's still going to be a while before he finishes it up. Hopefully it will last him through the Christmas break.

National Geographic Bee

Zachary participated in his school's National Geographic Bee today. His teacher talked him into participating and we refused to let him drop out when he wanted to because he had not participated in the extra study sessions available to him. We told him he could not quit, he just had to do his best. As he advanced along in the rounds his smile just got bigger and bigger

until finally he was in the final round. He was beaten by an 8th grader on an Aztec question. Sad thing is that Zachary originally wrote Aztec and then panicked, erased it and wrote Mayan. He did a great job and we are so proud of him. He was interviewed for our local paper and had his picture taken. The reporter said it should be in the paper tomorrow so I can hardly wait to get the paper. He also won a $50 savings bond. GO ZACHARY!

I think Santa has moved south

I had to go out for a bit this morning and when I returned this is what I found.

Riley had put this up next to her door. The door was closed tight and she was inside wrapping gifts. She bought gifts for everyone in the family at her school's holiday faire and yesterday my sister taught her how to make beaded bracelets. She came home with bracelets for all of her cousins, some friends at school and even her teacher. She did a great job on the bracelets and told me how she picked the colors for each person's bracelet based on their personalities and likes/dislikes. I can't wait to see her wrapped packages. She just came out for more paper, tape and bows. This has become quite a project for her.

And the streak continues!

The Mean Machines played their second play off game today and it was another shutout (6-0). They will now move on to the semi finals in January. We were the last game of the day and it was 50 degrees out, cold winds and ominous clouds with the occasional raindrop threatening a downpour. Don't let the blue skies behind Riley fool you because that is the south and the clouds were all to the north along the mountains. Luckily the rain stayed away until the game was over. I think all the girls earned a large hot chocolate today!

Out of the mouths of babes....

Tonight I told Scott to poke my stomach. I've been working hard at the gym and have really hard abs and really what's the point of working so hard if I don't make my husband notice it? So I told him to poke my stomach which he did and then he started poking my arms, legs, etc. I shrieked (totally ticklish) "what are you doing?" and he told me he was looking for a squishy part to poke. Riley was witnessing all this and yelled, "whatever you do Daddy, don't poke her private parts". ROFLOL! I can't wait to use that one on him later... "Whatever you do don't poke my private parts".

Happy 13th Birthday Zachary!

We sent Zachary on a scavenger hunt to find his birthday present. It turned out to be a hit and the kids had fun running around the house following the clues. He was VERY pleased with his birthday present and I predict he will be spending weeks putting it together. I've never seen so many lego parts in one box in my life

I think he had had enough of pictures by the time the cake was ready. Note the look on his face. LOL!

All in all I think he had a good birthday. Now it's time to focus on the countdown to Christmas.

Zachary

Zachary's 13th birthday is this Tuesday. The thought of my "baby" becoming a teenager had made me nostalgic. So I spent a good part of the morning going through photo albums and I decided to put my new scanner to good use and scan some of his photos (since I did not have a digital camera back then). It was actually a nice way to spend the morning. It brought back many memories. Oh, and there are plenty of photos I would have loved to share, but Zachary forbade it since they were just not "cool". I guess photos of potty training or taking a bath with your sister are not so great when you are 13. That's ok, I'll save those to share with his first girlfriend. Hahahaha!

How I spent my holiday weekend...

This is the end result of a long weekend spent spackling, painting and sawing. Riley's room was in desperate need of painting so we re-did her whole room. It's much more grown up than the pastel colors and fairy border that she used to have. I think this room fits Riley much better though. It's so bright and vibrant, just like her personality.

She picked the green with the pink chair rail to coordinate with her new bedding, which she also picked out. I had to go back today and buy the lamp next to her bed. We saw it at Lowes and although you can't see it in the picture the shade it light pink with bright pink dots on it. It's just too perfect and I debated whether or not to get it, but once the room was done I HAD to go back and get the lamp for her.

Now if she can only keep her room somewhat clean then I will be a very happy mom, but I am not going to hold my breath on that one.

Our first play off game

Riley's soccer team, The Mean Machines, went undefeated this season and are now advancing to the playoffs. This is our first post-season play experience since this is the first season of official score keeping. So today was her first play off game and it was an exciting one. Riley is our goalie and she did an awesome job. I'm proud to say that it was a shut out. The Mean Machines won 4-0 and are advancing to the next round. We get three weeks off since we only had to win one game to qualify for the next round, but in December it will be back to the soccer fields.

Just a spoonful of sugar...

I have the Mary Poppins song stuck in my head. Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, the medicine go down.... (you know the rest). Why you might ask do I have this song stuck in my head. Well, I'll tell ya! I caught Riley in the sugar bowl tonight. She was in the kitchen and I heard a sound and wondered who was in the kitchen in the dark. Since Riley was the only missing person I called out to ask what she was doing. When she did not answer immediately my radar went up. I went in the kitchen and she was putting a spoon in the dishwasher. When I asked her again what she was doing she stated, with a very sheepish look on her face, that she was "eating sugar from the sugar bowl". YUCK! This does not even sound appealing, it just grosses me out. Riley, however, seems to think it's delicious. "Tastes just like peeps", she says. Come to find out that she has done this on numerous occasions and did not get caught. I figured Scott was putting an awful lot of sugar in his coffee because I kept needing to refill the sugar bowl. Only Riley!!!!

10 Things!

I made this list about Riley for my mom's board and decided to blog it so I can save it for posterity. In fairness I have made a list for Zachary too.

RILEY

1. She is totally enthusiastic.

2. She loves to learn and loves school! She reads constantly, magazines, books anything she can get her hands on.

3. She has a kind heart. She is always worried about things in the news or animal stories she hears about. More than once she has sent off all of her allowance money to a charity that she read/heard about.

4. She is the joy in our family. She makes me laugh on a daily basis and really brings us so much happiness (disclaimer: this is not to say that her brother is not also a joy. He just goes about it much more quietly than Riley)

5. She is outgoing and loves to be involved in activities.

6. She has beautiful hazel eyes that change colors depending on what she is wearing.

7. She still calls me mama and tells me she loves me ALL THE TIME!

8. She is still very much the child at heart. She is completely oblivious to catty girl fights that go on at school. She could care less about the little clicks and things. She is very much a free spirit and does her own thing.

9. She will not allow herself or any friend to be taken advantage of. She will be the first to voice her outrage over any injustice.

10. She is always good to her “baby” cousins who are younger than her. She can’t get enough of them.

ZACHARY

1. He is the most loving child ever. Even now, just months away from 13, he will tell me he loves me and hug and kiss me.

2. He is a good big brother (most of the time). He really looks out for Riley, especially when we are out in crowded places. He is always making sure she does not wander off.

3. He is extremely smart. He is our encyclopedia. He can remember and quote most things he has read and he reads a lot.

4. He is a fairly easy child to parent. He really does try to please and rarely gets into trouble.

5. Has gorgeous blue eyes that are going to have the girls lining up someday.

6. He is very loyal to his friends.

7. He is an excellent student.

8. Very responsible and independent these days.

9. He has a GREAT sense of humor.

10. I'm proud of the young man he is becoming.

A Princess Tea

Riley was invited to her friend Caroline's Princess Tea birthday party. Caroline is my friend Shari's daughter. Shari and I have been friends for about 20 years now so even though she lives about an hour drive away it's always worth it to drive out and visit. Shari and her mom are the Martha Stewarts of southern California so it was no surprise that the tea was adorable right down to every little detail.

The girls had a good time drinking tea, rasberry lemonade and chocolate milk while they snacked on little sandwiches, fruits and veggies. Of course there were plenty of cupcakes and cookies which pleased my little sugar fiend, Riley.

All the girls posed for a picture with their dolls and tiaras. What a cute bunch of princesses. Happy Birthday Caroline!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

We had a good Halloween this year. I volunteered in Riley's class room today and everybody had a great time. They played games, listened to stories, made crafts and then her teacher made witches brew for the kids to drink. It was just 7up and lime jello mixed, but it was really good and the kids loved the bright green bubbling drink. I even gave it a try and it was delicious.

After dinner the kids got ready for the evening. Riley got back into her 50's outfit and Zachary put on his slasher attire and promptly got into character.

I managed some cat ears as a costume, but that was it. Then Zachary took off with friends and went to a party and is still out. We took Riley out with her friend and they trick or treated through the neighborhood except to houses that were scarry. The girls wanted nothing to do with the scarry houses, but they did talk a brave talk in between them. It was always "we're going to go up at the next scarry house". Then Riley would make it about half way, something would scare her and she would run back screaming. Her friend Jennifer did not even make it that far.

It is officially fall!

We know it's fall when it's time for Shari's fall pumpkin party. The kids look forward to this party for months. Besides pumpkin carving, they have apple bobbing, donut eating contest, hay rides and the kids just run around and have fun. They block off the cul-de-sac and the kids ride their bikes and scooters while the adults get to relax and have fun.

Anything to save a buck!

Every time I purchase a piece of furniture unassembled (and there have been a few) about 45 minutes into the assembly process I think "NEVER AGAIN". But of course with time those memories, just like memories of childbirth, fade.

I definitely don't think assembling a night table is nearly as bad as childbirth, but of course at the end of this process all I got was well, a night table. Luckily my mom stopped by and pitched in on the assembly process (thanks mom) and made it go by much more quickly.

In the end the table was assembled and Riley was quite pleased. She was the photographer documenting the process. So now she has an actual night table next to her bed as opposed to the old kiddie table and chair set that she has had since she was two. The table and chair set can go to charity and thanks to my documenting this experience maybe the next time I find a good deal on unassembled furniture I will pass right by. I'm not betting on it though.

Doesn't it look nice in her room though?

10 years

In some ways it's hard to believe it's been 10 years since our baby boy, Nicholas, left us to be with God, but in others it hardly seems so long. Not one day has gone by that I have not thought of him and wondered what life would be like with him here. There is a family of one of Riley's teammates that has two boys and their youngest is a girl. I watch the two boys play together and wonder what it would be like to see my sons rolling down a grassy hill together laughing all the way down. Or what it would be like for Riley to have two older brothers to look out for her. It's just the simple things like these that I long for.
I had a small meltdown in the car today. It hit me suddenly and I cried like I have not cried in a long time. It started with mere worry over Zachary being very sick with the flu and the thought just popped into my head that God cannot have another child of mine as long as I walk this earth. This may sound dramatic, but it's an emotional day.

Nicholas, Your family loves you. You are missed and never forgotten.

Pumpkin Patch day

Today we went to a local pumpkin patch to take my niece, Presley Jane's , pictures for her birthday party invitation. Her birthday is just before Thanksgiving and it's a pumpkin theme. The invitation will read "little pumpkin is turning one".
So that explains the pumpkin patch and the pictures. The funny thing is that this pumpkin patch is about two miles away from our house. Riley has been asking to go there every year for as long as I can remember. We never have though. We have driven 30 miles away to one with hay rides, horseback rides, bounce houses and where you wander through the fields and pick your pumpkin off the vine. We have also driven out to a local college and picked pumpkins off the vines that were grown by students in the agricultural program there. Both of these seemed to be more of a true pumpkin patch experience. Riley, however, has always begged to drive the two miles down the street and pick a pumpkin that has been dumped in a dirt field covered with straw. I think what she truly wanted was to play the carnival games and play on the bounce houses and slides there. So today her dream came true. We went to the local pumpkin patch just for the purpose of taking Presley's pictures, but in the process I spent a mere $8.50 and made my daughter VERY happy. She played the games and ran into her friend Rebecca and I even saw a few neighbors there. Apparently the pumpkin patch is THE place to go on a Sunday afternoon. We got some cute pics of Presley, but I was a bad mom and forgot to take pictures of Riley while she played. Oops, maybe next year.

Suicide bomber?

This may look like Scott is readying himself to be a suicide bomber, but don't worry there is no need to call homeland security. This is what Scott had to wear to bed last night. For years I have been telling him (read NAGGGING) he needs to get checked for sleep apnea. He not only snores like a freight train, but he also startles in his sleep and then makes a weird sound like he is not getting air. He startles so much that he wakes me up several times a night.

So after much prodding and no success I lucked out when his doctor called one day and I happened to answer the phone. So I mentioned it to her and asked her to speak to him about it. I'm such a rat! So she referred him to the sleep study department and he had his appointment there yesterday. They sent him home with this contraption to sleep with. It monitors his movements, breathing, heart rate and stores all the information. He turned it in this morning and they check the data. I had way too much fun at his expense because I thought he looked HILARIOUS in this contraption. I'm such a supportive wife.

LegoLand!

Zachary's room is Legoland, Legoville, Lego central! The only "toys" that he owns anymore are Legos and they are everywhere! Thankfully they are contained to his room since those suckers really hurt when you step on them in your bare feet, but this is what his room looks like AFTER he has cleaned it.

He just can't bear to take them all apart and I can't blame him since he puts a lot of time and effort into building them. The problem is that he has legos everywhere even after I have spent plenty of money at Target for storage bins for them.

His Lego creations cover his bookcases, the shelves on his wall, and most of his floor. He has asked for the Lego Star Wars Death Star for his birthday and I would really like to get it for him. He has wanted it for two years now and I know he would love putting it together, but I honestly don't know where we will put it when he is finished.