I've been MIA I guess!

WOW! So May 19th is the last time I posted! WOW! Well, let's see........ had my friend live with us for 6 weeks, been taking care of the kiddos, been dealing with Baby A's bio family and their graciousness (NOT!), had a heat wave..... yeah yeah Latisha, I hear you laughing!....... Jessica had strep throat and scarlet fever, the list I am sure goes on! Just as it does for all families everywhere! But hey, it is my list and I like to gripe! :) Life is really very good! We have been camping, we took a trip for the 4th of July, the big kids took their trip to California, I have driven my husband to the brink of calling work home because we have done so many projects! Throw in a bazillion little days trips and soccer has started, and we still go to Kumon in the summer! PHEW! How do we do it?! :)

When I started this blog I was hoping I would always be witty and whimsical! I have a friend who has a super awesome blog that I love to read! ;)

But such is life! So at least I can pour out my thoughts on occassion and put up a picture or two and call it good! I might even get to doing it regularly..... have to lose the time suck called FaceBook first!

This photo could sum up some of my lack of time for doing things like posting to my blog. I love this kid! You like the notation of evil laughter there at the bottom??? Hm, yeah........

LIfe has REALLY been CRAZY!

WOW! So the past couple weeks have just been one huge thing after another!!! Thinking back though, I think this time of year always gets like this. For a parent with kids in activities and school, this is like the second "Christmas Season". Many sports end their season at this time, school is ending, summer activities are already signing up or you at least have to have the foresight to plan for them, some FALL activities already require getting signed up...... It is exhausting!!!

I added to that finishing up my training for becoming a CASA. Signed my volunteer paperwork, took the photo for my Juvenile Dept badge. No cases as of yet. That can be considered a good thing. I can hope that means less children are in need of a CASA at this time. I doubt that, but I can hope.

Which leads me to another subject entirely.

I am an open, honest, blunt person. Sometimes to the point of rudeness many people would say. I try to temper it, but I run off emotion a lot of the time, and that usually isn't a good way to run. But I am also a fairly objective and insightful person. And then comes naive. I didn't consider myself to be naive until I entered the world of foster parenting...... wow!!!

Now first of all, call me crazy but it's weird that when you become a foster parent there is an assumption that you know how to use Medicaid, you know how to use WIC, and you have a basic all around "know how to use any system" knowledge set. I am not sure why the system assumes you know all these things, but I am going to guess it goes hand in hand with the horror stories you hear on the news about children who die in care at the hands of people who were not properly taking care of them. I know I am not getting the link between these thoughts right for others to understand, but bear with me.

There are people out there who are doing foster care for all the wrong reasons. There are social workers who suck at their jobs, there are CASA's and GAL's that suck at their jobs as well. There are, and I have met a few of them, some foster parents who do it for the money. Which is super sad because even strictly monetarily speaking, the issues even a baby comes with are not worth the less than a dollar an hour that the State reimburses you!! That is CRAZY!!

My real point in all of this is that there are good foster parents, there are good social workers, there are good CASA's and GAL's, CPS does sometimes save a child's life. There are good people working within the broken system, and there are parents who are not fit to raise their child and there are other biological relatives who are not fit either. EVERYTHING should be judged on a CASE BY CASE BASIS!!

Does the system need to be fixed? YES!! Are there people who should be fired? YES! Are there Foster parents who should lose their license? YES!!

Should we assume that we do not need a system of some sort? NO!

The saddest thing to me is that typically the people who complain the most about the system are the people who did deserve to have a child removed from them or from a family member. What I would like to know is when all these caring biological relatives come out of the wood work to complain, where were they when the child was being hit, starved, neglected, or otherwise abused? Nobody should get to judge how you care for your child in a general sense, but when there are obvious signs that a kid is being hurt, then the kid should be removed. I wouldn't want the laws to get too general, because then they start coming for everyone. But we do need to have basic moral guidelines out there by which we can stand up for a child and say that is not OK! You cannot do that even if you are related to that child or even if you have been entrusted with the care of that child.

I had no idea that by becoming a foster parent or a CASA I would also become public Enemy Number One. I thought there were lots of other reasons why I would get into that position with some, but not a desire to help. I didn't know it would happen because I got into a system that I know needs fixing and I thought I could better fix it from within than from without.

Everyone has a calling. Thankfully the callings vary, that way all the different areas that need to be covered in life get covered. From the person who obsesses about soccer fields and jerseys, to the Mom who runs the Booster Club, to the Candy Stripers, to the Humane Society workers, the list for volunteering goes on and on...... the different causes people take up, even the ones I don't agree with. Even the people who hate me for both the new jobs I took on. Everyone serves a purpose, checks and balances are necessary......... we need people to have different passions so that everything in the world gets taken care of. Everyone's thoughts and ideas count and are important. If everyone just worked together not only would all the bases be covered, but maybe all the children would be safe..........

What a way to start the week.......

So this is one of those moments where it really bums me out I can't put up pictures of Baby A.

I was in at the computer getting all my various screens going. We had just returned from dropping Alexis off at school. Baby A was still in his car seat, Jessica sat down to watch Curious George.

At some point Jessica decided to get Baby A out of his seat and sit him on the red chair with her supposedly because he was getting fussy. She knows she isn't supposed to, but she must have done a really good job because he didn't make a peep....... or maybe he was just in on it with her.

So I go in the room and there they sit, happy as can be just watching TV. I start to discuss with Jessica how she isn't supposed to do that. Baby A turns his little head and just grins at her and gives her this super adoring looking.......

Yup, he was in on it.......

Happy Mother's Day!!

What an awesome start to a special day! I got blackberries and yogurt brought to me bedside, then Jessica brought me an amazing rock soap for Mother's Day, then I came downstairs to an AMAZING breakfast! I got to tease my husband about talking in his sleep! Joe is going to play me a Happy Mother's Day song on his guitar in tandem with Jessica on the old one....... Alexis will wake up someday!! LOL!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing people I know who play the role of mothering someone! You are all incredible people and I am so lucky to know you!! Have an AWESOME day!!

Semi-Quiet

Ahhhhhhhh......... the house is pretty quiet right now....... Jessica and Bill went on a shopping adventure....... Joe is in the ravine with his buddy....... Alexis is at work all day....Baby A is playing like the peaceful little guy he is!!! This is fabulous!! What sort of adventure do I have in store for myself?!?!? Why cleaning of course!!!

Happy days! :)

Is there someone here with me?

LOL!! Baby A is lying in the corner under his baby gym just CRACKING up!!! Makes you wonder if he sees someone I don't...... He is so totally happy with a big deep laugh that seems like it would only be for someone he loves!! Sweet little man!

Homeschooling

Well, we have officially decided we will continue homeschooling. Jessica really wants to, we have had a great time, we have accomplished everything if not more than expected, and at least as much as any kid in any District school here has. So that is it. People keep asking me, "What are you going to do with Jessica next year?" I wonder....... have I ever indicated that I didn't like doing this? Has Jessica ever indicated she didn't like doing it? Neither of us finds it easy all the time, but we have enjoyed it. She has blossomed academically and socially.... why the question put forth like I have said we hate this or we are failing at it? She knows how to read, she is doing addition and subtraction, she can put a sentence together, she knows punctuation marks, she knows her calendar, she has worked with basic fractions and order of things, she has learned about the continents and the countries in them, she has done basic geometry..... the list goes on and in no way shape or form am I trying to rationalize our decision. I guess I am just sharing it with the doubters and proudly saying we will continue with this choice as long as it is working for me and for Jessica....... I love these two pictures as they sum up her excitement at the beginning of the year when we started this adventure. I feel safe in saying she would tell you just as excitedly that she is going to do it again for 1st grade!

Oldie but goodie stored in the old photo files......

My Biggest Dilemma at Present

So my current dilemma I am sure is something everyone is sick of hearing about from me. I hate it here. I hate Washington. The list of reasons is long and varied, but suffice it to say the grey and gloom and the preponderance of white trash locals (and by locals they permeate the entire state, not just my immediate area).

BUT, here is where the dilemma comes in........

We have met most of the BEST people of our lives since we moved here. Reliable, dependable, fun, awesome, amazing people who we never would have met if we hadn't moved here. Yeah, yeah, you all know who you are!!

We LOVE our home. It is beautiful and we have slowly been making all the wonderful changes to personalize it and make it just right. We have been able to purchase little things we always dreamed of putting into a home over the past five years, we have slowly gotten painting projects done, we have gotten to know our home and have figured out future projects and exactly how we would do this or that to make it even better as we grow older.......

Which also leads to finances. We have had incredible financial growth since moving here. Mainly due to Bill's increased prowess in his field, very little because of my book keeping skills or budget management, as that still mostly eludes us......

We have watched our kids grow and are amazed by the people they are becoming. Now this of course would have happened anywhere, but the unique situations that arise because of the "local flavor" if you will has given us many opportunities to see our kids actions reflect the values we have taught them. This makes us very proud parents.

I have experienced tremendous personal growth. I think a lot of this came from moving outside of a zone I had known for most of my life and being put into a situation where I have no family to help me out and where I have to learn to meet people and find people I can count on to help me out in a pinch. I have been able to pursue my field of Early Childhood Development by going into Foster Care (I knew even back in school that I would never use it for classroom teaching), I have now trained to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate for these kiddos, and am able to contemplate a return to formal schooling for myself. I have had the opportunity to become my own child's teacher-- and not in just the parent role but in the actual school teacher role. This was TOTALLY outside my comfort zone since I had always thought just hippies homeschool..... I now know it is mostly religious zealots, but there are a few regular people with various different reasons besides religion for homeschool. It has been AMAZING watching and teaching Jessica to learn to read, teaching her the phonics of reading, teaching her to write and put together sentences, teaching her about our world and the continents and countries that encompass it, teaching her science, teaching her math (she is doing plus 5 addition and is up to subtracting by 3's!). So HUGE growth for me personally.......

We are in a place where Bill can contemplate setting up his own business...... while I am 100% behind him, I am also scared success will mean being stuck here even longer! How sad is that?!?!?!

This State is BEAUTIFUL!! I have seen glaciers, highest mountains, remote beaches, the Northwesternmost tip of the contiguous 48 States, a temperate rain forest, we have slept at the base of Mount Rainier under the blackest night with the brightest stars...... gotten within steps of a fox, deer, and raccoons (NOT IN A ZOO!).....

But then we go back to the greyness......... I don't think anyone can understand it until they live in it and their body tells them if it is too much or ok...... I've always pooh pooh'd at the rain and gone out to beaches and zoos and parks in it regardless...... I've always been glad the temps didn't reach over 100 and known that when we have multiple days of sunny warm weather (it happens in August) then we also have amazing sunsets at night......... which I watch with my husband after little ones have gone to bed and we sit on the oasis that is our deck and sip drinks and Bill enjoys an occasional cigar.........

So I know there is much good........ I just need some sun to keep it in perspective!

"It can't rain all the time"........ right?

Jessica's Party

Well, Jessica's party circuit has come to an end. We had a great time at the Claywerks Pottery Studio in Bremerton. They do a very relaxed fun party by the way!

Latest Kitsap Moment

Ok, so as many of you know I really do not care for living in Kitsap. Washington State as a whole, but especially the area we ended up living in. Oh well right. Life goes on. We have made amazing friends, we love our house, you learn to deal. Ok, so my husband has to take PRESCRIPTION Vitamin D...... oh well........ ok.

Well, last night was one of those Kitsap Moments that I dread having to admit happen in our life in this crap hole place. I can hear some of you already saying, "That happens everywhere." Well, yes it does........ but until you have been here and realize that it is the rule rather than the exception in this place, well then you just don't know and shouldn't tell me that......

Bill went to a meeting last night in Tacoma. He was on his way home coming down Sedgwick, which is a major thoroughfare in our town. He was stopped in a line of traffic because they are doing road work in that area. He was on his motorcycle. The guy in the Mazda Millenia in front of him kept fidgeting with his rear view mirror. Bill didn't think much of it. Well a few minutes later the guy gets out of his car, walks back to Bill, flicks his LIT cigarette at Bill's face (luckily it skimmed the top of his helmet instead of flying into the open face shield), shoves Bill, all as he screams at him about F'ing this, and F'ing that SHOULDN'T HAVE YOUR HIGH BEAMS ON. Um, ok....... Bill didn't have his high beams on.......

We were VERY fortunate that about 2-3 cars back was a Kitsap County Sheriff who witnessed the whole thing and almost immediately after the guy shoved Bill the Sheriff lit up the night and had his gun drawn on the asshole.

So the Sheriff arrested the guy. Bill said yes he wants to press charges, and now we wait for the summons for the Court.

Beautiful Easter Girl!!

I am still in shock........ yesterday Jessica, my baby, turned SIX!!!! Can it really be that it was 6 years ago when we woke up to our first full day with her? It is amazing how fast they grow. The older you get the more afraid you are that you are going to miss a moment of life with them. Jessica is an amazing, crazy kid. She is really smart, really funny, very literal, very caring, and very strong-- willed as well as in strength!! Every day I am so thankful to have her in my life!

I didn't know I could be this tired.....

WOW! I don't know if I will ever recuperate!!! Is this getting old??? I could sleep for a week!!! Our routine almost seems easy as opposed to traveling with 4 kids for a week, but I just can't seem to get motivated to do anything!! :) Good thing Jessica had Disney for her birthday! Mom isn't doing such a good job of planning anything for tomorrow!! I suppose she'll live huh?

I can't figure out where else to put this to get a lot of photos on...... this is good for now.

Not the best picture but my favorite.......

A few times on our trip Bill asked me why I would want to go to Disneyland for a family vacation..... he pointed out his friend Eric takes his girls to a wonderful, quiet, isolated lake in Canada once a year, why can't we do something like that? This picture sums up perfectly why I wanted to go to Disneyland......

This is the look on Jessica's face when Tinkerbell was flying over Sleeping Beauty's castle during the fireworks.......


She totally believed in the magic......... And Daddy who didn't get to have any of this when he was growing up shared in a lot of it......

Disneyland is just magical.......

The Final LONG road home........

Well........ we knew that there would potentially be problems with our flights home........ I don't know if I explained why there were ever flight problems at all. My dear sister Latisha works for US Airways..... she gets buddy passes......... you get an amazing deal........ but you are flying standby........ We decided to risk it because typically the very early morning flights are not too hard to get on. Well, we found out the hard way when we headed down that wasn't always true. But we decided to be optimistic on the way home and try again. We got out of John Wayne on time. After my snafu with security........ Latisha got me Tiki Room 45th Anniversary glasses and I wanted to keep them safe so I was going to carry them on. I forgot about it and threw all my toiletries into the bag too...... well, they were were not packed TSA regulation! I just didn't put two and two together at 3:00 am!!! The funny part though was that Latisha was the one with my bag so she was the one who got busted initially!! LOL!! First they asked if she had forgotten to tell them if something was in there and as she adamantly denied any wrong doing she then said, "It's not even my bag!" Which as we all know by now is a BIG no-no!!! We got that straightened out, got everyone settled with some breakfast, and then got on the flight no problem.

Once in Phoenix it was a whole other story!! There they told us they probably could not get us out for a few days!!!! OMG!! We turned to our old standby Southwest...... partly because they saved us before and partly because they are the only ones in the same building as US Airways. US Airways "owns" the bulk of the gates in Phoenix!! So it was go home Monday or take Southwest's offer....... we took their offer...... a significant $$ amount later.......... bear in mind we landed at Phoenix at 8:30am............. we looked like a homeless encampment in the International Wing of PHX!!! It was quiet and they had a "play area" consisting of three foam blocks and mats. We took turns sleeping off and on (me, Alexis, and Joe did), Mom was afraid to fall asleep because she would snore. Bill just didn't sleep because that is Bill. Jessica, god bless her, was awake from 3:30 am to 9:20 pm!!!! At one point she broke down crying begging me to just please take her home!!!

Our flight out was at 8:10 PM........ then it got delayed and we actually left at 9pm!!! We landed at Portland sometime very late........ arrived back at Mom's even later....... then we slept. Glorious sleep!!!

We headed back to Washington sometime in the late afternoon. I believe we arrived home at 4:30pm......... I completely lost track of time........

My Family loves their mother with her list........

Ok, so my family knows I am a little OCD, not truly because I do not have an unnatural preoccupation with death, but you could probably find a therapist out there who would say I am close enough!

Anyway, Wednesday night I went through the Disneyland and CA Adventure maps and wrote down everything we had not yet done that I wanted to make sure we did! LOL!! There were little things I knew we would miss if I didn't and then I would be bummed!!!

First and foremost we had to go on It's a Small World....... we had to go see Pixie Hollow... we had to get our Mouse Ears.... we had to go to the Tiki Room........and Aiden still needed a photo and autograph with Mickey Mouse!!!



So, today was our "Magic Morning" where we could go in an hour early....... We headed in and did a pretty good job, we entered the park at 8:25. The kids were bummed Space Mountain was closed, but Mom and Alexis went on Nemo. Joe and Jessica did Matterhorn and Buzz again. Then they hit Space Mountain right after it opened. I think they got to go on twice before the crowd really grew!

At 12:30 we had to book it over to CA Adventures. We had a lunch date at Ariel's Grotto!! We got to meet Ariel and 4 of her princess friends!!! We ended up seeing 6 altogether though! This is what happens when Mommy's are tired and will drag a sit down lunch out as long as possible!!! Right as we were getting ready to go, I had come out of the restroom and heard the announcement that Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) was on her way out. Well, the nice man who had seated us in the beginning asked her if she would mind visiting our table! She said yes, so we got an extra princess!! This was especially awesome because she is Isabella's FAVORITE!
After lunch we headed back to Disneyland. We got so lucky and instead of having to go all the way back to the back where Toon Town is, we caught Mickey right up on Main Street!! he signed Aiden's book and took his picture with him. This also had us right in front of the Mad Hatter and so we all made our Mouse Ears. Then the girls got MAJOR front row seats because we were right where the parade comes out in the evening!!

By this time it was getting late....... time flies in these places...... really it becomes inconsequential, but whatever........ So I willingly exchanged a trip to the Tiki room for finishing souvenir shopping and taking photos with everyone with their Mouse Ears on at the front of the park........pure exhaustion has set in......... time to go home.........

Wednesday-- Back to Sea World

Today we returned to Sea World. When we went the other day we didn't quite make it to the Shamu show, and you cannot say you went to Sea World and not have seen the Shamu show!

First up was the dolphin show!! It was AMAZING!! What was REALLY cool was as I went into the show at the last minute there was a guy yelling that if you want to have your pictures taken with the dolphins after the show, then sign up!! So I did! That was AWESOME!! That is the kind of thing I hear other people talk about but never quite hit the right place at the right time to do it ourselves!!! It was a pretty good substitute for the Wade With the Dolphins Encounter. All of the kids could have done that encounter, but to be honest we were worried about watching our spending in case we had to fork out more money for airfare again on the way home........ Anyway......
I'll post Shamu pictures when Mom gets them sent out!

Tuesday-- California Adventure

Ok, so we made it through Monday without losing anyone...... literally and figuratively....... neither in the crush of the crowds or in the venomous barbs being tossed around in our exhaustion!!

Tuesday we hit California Adventure and it was a whole new day. The whole atmosphere of the park is different too. Very stereotype California. Very sunny, very bright, very laid back....... the whole day just started at a way lower stress level!! The park is beautiful. The rides are bigger and more theme park that you would expect nowadays. It is a lot smaller feeling, so it was a lot easier to kind of let the kids roam. We had a great sit down lunch at the California Trattoria and it was nice to be sitting and being waited on. Not to mention to be eating something that at least didn't taste like park food. Vince, Latisha, Mom, Bill, and I sort of just sat back and let the kids go off and do a few rides on their own. Here is a picture of my fabulous orange sorbet dessert...... so fresh, just what you want sitting int he sun on a warm fabulous California afternoon!

I went on the Tower of Terror with Bill!! That was FUN! I think he was laughing a little too hard at my actual terror though when you drop and then they swing some big doors open in front of you that look out across forever!!!

This was a VERY good day. We left the park fairly early and headed home to have a BBQ with Erica, Buzz, and the kids. They had a GREAT time putting on shows in the hot tub and we all sort of just stretched out and relaxed some more. Renting a house when gone so long with so many kiddos, DEFINITELY the way to go!!!

Monday... Ups and Downs Day

Well....... not a lot to say about Monday. We were SO TIRED....... everyone was VERY crabby....... this was your stereotype, I need a vacation from my vacation day.......

Actually, I must say we did do an amazing thing in the morning...... we went to brunch at Goofy's Kitchen. It was SOOOOO cool!! Jessica got the bulk of her character autographs at this one.....

We Actually Enter Disneyland!

Sunday was our first day at Disneyland!!

It doesn't take too long to find parking and we get a halfway decent spot. Ok, so then we head in. Latisha says find the Will Call office........ come to find out they have no will call office...... so even though we pre-purchased our tickets we get to stand in line with the masses........ the hordes....... the oodles of people!! We are not early risers even on a good day, so as you can imagine we are arriving at Disneyland at lunch time. So there are lots of people in line with us. Everyone is super nice though and people are all so excited to be there. You can start to feel the anticipation!!

WOO HOO!!! We are at DISNEYLAND!!!!
So we get our tickets, get inside, get a stroller........ and stand in line!!! The kids seem flabbergasted that every where they turn for anything they want they have to stand in line...... We hit a mediocre number of rides this day as we drag butt and feel very tired!! Jessica, Alexis, and Mom stood in line for 2 hours to go on Space Mountain!!! That is Jessica's favorite though!!!

I went on Buzz Light Year with Joe, every time I tried to take a picture he would spin our cart! RUDE! I wasn't even taking shots of him!! LOL!!!

We finish today by being joined by Buzz, Erica, Sam, and Zack. The kids had a GREAT time!! It was like our kids have always known each other and it hadn't been 3 years since we had seen each other!! Thank goodness Erica joined us because Mom thought Mickey's House was closed!! Erica showed us how you are supposed to go in the side door! The kids got their first autograph with Mickey himself!!!

On to Sea World!

Ok, so for our first full day in sunny CA, we went to Sea World. My friend Tracy and her daughter Cara met up with us. Sea World is so cool!! They have a GREAT show called Pets Rule. It is right up there with the Shamu show as far as not to be missed if you go to Sea World!!! Cats run crazy on the stage doing tricks that you would not expect them to do!! Dogs did cool things, even birds, a pig, and ducks!!! It was awesome!!!

We had some pretty good BBQ, for being park food. Saw some very pink flamingos! The kids fed the seals, went on two water rides, and had a great time!!! We had to buy a new outfit for almost everyone. It caught us by surprise to get cold in California!! We expected to go on water rides and dry right off!! LOL!! But by the end of the day it was pretty cool and the kids went on a water rapids ride that really got them wet!!

Let us not forget that we got to go have REAL Mexican food for dinner. Tracy took us to Santana's and it rocked!! The food was so authentic and so fresh and so good!!! And it only cost $35 to feed all of us! THAT is a good Mexican meal!

It was an awesome day. It felt SO good to be in weather that was warm and sunny!! VERY uplifting for the mind and body!!!

Disneyland Day 1 continued.... (yes, there is more)

So........ Mom jumps out of the mini van........ finds Vince and Latisha, retrieves Jessica before my head explodes, I tell Bill just to drive up the wrong damn aisle and get me the hell out of there!! OMG!! That place gets CRAZY on a Friday night!!!! We head over to our rental house and we find the key under the mat....... we all breathe a collective sigh of relief!!!

Erica Ewing comes over to drop off Aiden's stuff I had shipped down. I cannot believe it had been three years plus since I saw her!!! Her kids are adorable and she is such a great and funny mom!! She has a great perspective on their kid behavior and just makes me laugh as she deals with it. Being a stay at home mom is what it is. Sometimes you rock it and sometimes........ well......... most of my friends reading this are stay at home moms, so you know what we would all insert here some days!!!

The house we rented is AWESOME!! Very well put together and very cozy. The beds were comfy, the couches were comfy. Big flat screen tvs in every room, a fabulous hot tub, a beautiful above ground pool. Everything is very well maintained and just perfect. It felt so good to collapse there!

Well, Aiden is awake.......... so I will have to finish our adventures later!

But for as badly as it started Day 1 ended on a rockin note! We made it to SoCal and it was awsome!

Disneyland Day 1 Continued.....

Ok....... so we survived the flight and buying new tickets, and a layover with no stroller..... Jessica had a great time on the plane. She turned her window covers into stage curtains and really put on a fabulous display of flashing light throughout the entire 5:40 am flight. I am sure everyone loved it. Especially on the second leg of the flight when we arrived in SUNNY Southern California and the light was VERY bright!! LOL!! You choose people, a little flashing light show or a screaming kid.... I know what I choose!!!

Everything went smoothly when we got into John Wayne. We were able to gather all our belongings, picked up the rental car: yes people I spent a week in a mini van. Never ever would I suggest a Kia Sedona, thought I was going to perish with my family on I-5 in Southern California! Little bucket of bolts and plastic that sways when you pick up speed-- which it eventually does after much praying and heavy pushing on the gas peddle........ I did manage to avoid having to drive it all week though!! HOORAY! You go Bill you min van papa.......

We got to the rental house which looked great from outside, dropped our stuff in the garage, hit Target for supplies, and then of course what trip is complete without visiting the local Costco.....

So now we are stocked up on groceries and everything and decide it would be a great idea to go run by Disneyland to grab our passes from Will Call.........

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA............

First off there is no "running by Disneyland"........ you pay for parking, you drive around many times, you drive up the wrong way many times, you exchange dirty looks with the lady in the Mercedes SUV who is dragging an orange cone under her car (indicating she also went a wrong way at one time), you completely start to freak out because there is no damn parking, you want your kid out of your friends car, you have been up and stressing out for way to long, it is check in time at the house........

CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!!!!

Disneyland...... Happiest Place on Earth?!?! Day 1

PHEW!!!!!!!!! WOW!! I cannot believe we survived! to be honest I cannot believe several people in my path throughout the course of this trip survived, but that is a whole other story!!

It all started out last week when we found out that our buddy passes were not going to get us out of SeaTac in a timely fashion. My girlfriend, god bless her, said there is no way they will get you on a flight, head to Portland. So instead of just Mom having to book it up here Thursday night I had to have everyone loaded and ready when Bill arrived home from work Thursday night and we headed down to Moms. We got there around 10:30, got the kids settled and then got back up at 2:30 or so.........

We arrived in Portland to SUPER rude staff of US Airways telling us they didn't think we would get on the flight and that we probably wouldn't get on one for a couple days!! I started getting pissed, Jessica started crying she wasn't going to get to see Mickey...... everyone else started ducking for cover. Bill and Mom started roaming the airport and we got to a Southwest Gate Counter where we met James who for a small fee saved our butts. I am being sarcastic here when I say small, but he did save our butts....... He got us on a flight 20 minutes later and we were on our way!!!

We had a layover in Oakland where we learned never ever send your stroller all the way through. Gate check it and get it at each stop....... Babies get very heavy after being held on the plane and then being held during a layover..... they also get very annoyed........

Testing

Just testing to see if I got this started right...... I've always thought it would be cool to share all the things I blather on about..... we'll see what comes of this.....