If I Could've Fit the Beach at Carmel

in my suitcase, I would've brought it back to Missouri.

Because, Carmel, I [heart] You.

More On The Boardwalk

This is the "front" of the Santa Cruz boardwalk
Flynn, Mattie, & Vanessa (see the amusement stuff behind them)

She did end up getting pretty soaked & riding around on the boardwalk in her skimpies

(with an American Flag beach towel wrapped around her legs)

Maybe one of these days, I'll take a good picture

Her highlight of the Santa Cruz boardwalk,

COTTON CANDY.

PS See the stroller she's sitting in?

That's the Zustiak's stroller (one of our friend-neighbors).

They were good enough to loan to us, as our last umbrella stroller

bit the dust a couple of months ago.

It was perfect for our trip, especially the airport, as we had good walks between gates (layovers) & 2 of the 4, she was asleep.

I'd push her to the gate in the stroller, she'd hop out (or be carried out),

then, the gate attendant would check the stroller in,

and it would be waiting for me (among a few wheelchairs & other strollers)

when I stepped off the plane in the new destination.

Only when we got off the plane (her asleep) in good ol' st louie,

the beauty wasn't there.

Nada.

Nothing.

So, I waited & people looked & I waited.

And was instructed to go to baggage claim.

Not there.

So I was instructed to go to baggage claim office.

And file a claim.

What's worse than losing luggage?
Losing someone else's stroller.

So, that night, I didn't go to sleep.

Instead, I had an anxiety attack about losing the Zustiak's stroller.

And the next night too.

Then, Thursday, someone called & asked for me to describe the stroller again.

It was still in Denver (our last layover).

I had a bad feeling about that last gate attendant.

A little too chatty with the passengers.

So the stroller was on our front porch that afternoon.

And on the Zustiak's front porch an hour later.

I guess that's not too bad,

I've flown about 200 times in my life,

and that was the first time anything's been lost.

My Little Pumpkins

....carved their pumpkin the other night

they voted for a "mad" face....and then Gabe did NOT want the jack a lantern to go outside

speaking of Gabe, he still insists that he wants to be a pumpkin for Halloween,

"Me not be dragon, ME BE PUNKIN!!!!!!!!"

I explained that we only had the dragon (dinosaur?) costume. But it wasn't good enough for him. He crossed his long arms as far as they'd reach & put on a scowl (not unlike the jack o lantern's).

Should I tell him that in 10 or so years he'll thank me?

Greetings From Sunny California

My body is in shock, enjoying the sun & weather in the 80's...then an airplane's trip later, my toes are frozen & my heat is cranking.
Did you know that in my sister's area, no one even has a/c or heat? How nice would that be on the electric bill? Of course, what you save on that, you are spending on everything else.
My computer had a virus & while I was out of town, Jeff & our good neighbor-friend & computer guru cleared off the computer & I don't have any photo editing installed right now. So, these photos are huge & straight-from-the-camera, but I couldn't wait any longer to share some.

This could possibly be my favorite sightseeing place of the trip.

Carmel. The beach is gorgeous, no wonder all the stars own a home there on the coast.

Such a diverse landscaping...
red plants, rough sparkly rocks, large kelp washed ashore,
huge cliffy rocks, big cold waves, fog & mist....

Papa was a designated Flynn-carrier.

The Fab Five taking in the sites (& later getting soaked by a wave).

My 4th of 5th time to the west coast & its beauty awes me everytime.


The Mission at Carmel.
A church built in the 1700s.

Flynn had a huge audience for all her flips & somersaults.

Left to right:

Nessa, KK, Hannah, & Flynn

Aunt Gi won't be here for Flynn's celebration this year. And since we were with Gi on her bday, she & Flynn made a cake for them, as well as Uncle Dan whose bday is the day before Gi's.

Flynn loved putting everything in and on the cake that she wanted (sprinkles, sparkles, you name it).

These are at the beach in Santa Cruz. It was the boardwalk, the one you always see in tv shows (roller coaster & sky travellers on the coast). But cold & the water was freezing. Flynn is used to the white powdery beaches that she plops down & builds a sandcastle at.

What a fun trip. And a great opportunity for Flynn - to not only see "her girls" but to see a different part of the country. And her first airplane ride! (pics on that later)

Thanks Aunt Gi for the fun vacation! We are counting down the days til we see you on Christmas!

For Documentations Sake

Surely not to complain or anything...

Flynn has pretty officially outgrown her naps. Sniff-sniff.

It's been at least 10 days since she took a mid-day siesta; despite my prompting. And I can't even get her to 'rest'.

So, on this, the month-eve of her fifth birthday, she's dropped yet another tie to babyhood. And is more than 3/4 of the way through her preschool era.

Flynn, if there's anything you should quit doing, it's tinkling at night. Would you be willing to trade the nap-thing for that? What if I threw in a piece of candy corn??

Not to Rub it in to the Fam & Friends Here at Home

But this will be the weather on our trip....
Tonight: High: 90°/Low: 48° SUNNY
Tomorrow: High: 83°/Low: 50° SUNNY
Saturday: High: 75°/Low: 49° SUNNY
Sunday: High: 77°/Low: 50° SUNNY
Monday: High: 73°/Low: 48° MOSTLY SUNNY

Missouri's 5-Day Line Up...
Today: Rain. High 57F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Additional rainfall may reach one inch.
Tonight: Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low around 40F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Tomorrow: Overcast with showers at times. High 56F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Tomorrow night: Chance of a shower or two during the evening, followed by partly cloudy skies late. Low 34F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Saturday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 50s and lows in the upper 30s.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 30s.
Monday: A few clouds. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 20s.

No Girls Allowed

That will be the theme around here all weekend, as Flynn & I (along with Papa, Nana, & Nessa) take off tomorrow for a long weekend with Gi & the girls in C A L I F O R N I A ! Flynn's first ever plane ride (yes, I am nervous) & the first time any of us have seen my sis since June (new record for that by the way).

Flynn made a "California Chain" & it's short now! She is so excited, she can hardly stand it. She asked me yesterday if Aunt Gi will cry a happy cry when she sees her.

This trip will be monumental in a few different ways:

• Flynn's first plane ride
• Outside of hospital stays, this will be my first time away from Gabe or Jeff for longer than 24 hours
• In our entire marriage, this will be the first time Jeff & I are more than 30 minutes apart for the night (I've only left him to go to an overnight ladies retreat in St Louis)
• Flynn's first time going west of Missouri
• The first time Flynn & Gabe will be apart more than one night
• The first time someone other than me will care for Gabe for an entire day

I am a little worried, about having an extremely allergic kid up in an altitude really far from the nearest hospital -- unreachable via ambulance. I am scared I'll give her a snack on the plane that she's suddenly allergic to. Or that there will be cross contamination somehow (despite my plan to wipe down everything within arm's reach of her).

What I'm not worried about is Gabe, as he will be in Daddy's charge.

What a great feeling. To know your kids have the absolute best father in the world. Seriously. These kids couldn't be luckier, for they were chosen by God to be put into a family with a daddy who is so loving, so caring, extremely patient, & very Christlike. Add to his spiritual attributes are the skills & talents he has. How lucky can a kid be to have a dad who is a teacher?? Every moment becomes a teachable one. And something as simple as playing in the backyard becomes a science lesson. Not only does he have knowledge, but know-how. He knows how to talk to kids, knows how to manage a kid's behavior, & knows how to make life fun.

So, I might as well just make this a brag-on-Jeff post. After all, there's plenty to say. I think the best thing a daddy can do for his kids is to love their momma. And love on their momma. And the only thing that might make Jeff pass by his kids when he walks in the door, it to beeline to me to give me a 'Honey I'm home' smooch.

I know there is never any doubt in my kids minds that their parents are in love. They sense the commitment. And what a feeling of security for kiddos in this insecure world.

He's happy to tuck in, read a story, & do a bedtime prayer. He cuts their veggies just like they like'em. He knows to remove the valves on the sippy cup when putting them in the dishwasher. He can install a car seat like a pro. He's an advocate for Flynn in every situation.

When this weekend became a possibility, Jeff could've insisted that I take Gabe. He could've insisted that we not go until he could be along. He could've been fine with it with a list of stipulations, which included him not making any sacrifices or arrangements. But he didn't. He was excited for us. And went right to work, helping me brainstorm who could watch Gabe when & where. On top of that, he was downright excited that he & his boy were going to get some serious one-on-one. When at the last minute, I proposed another possibility that would mean him not taking a day off work for Gabe, he was quick to stop me, "I was looking forward to spending the day with Bubs though."

Honey, you might have had a dead battery in your garage door opener, but when it comes to being a dad, you work perfectly every time.

Conversation on the Way to Dance

"Mommy, what does 'that sucks' mean? Is the 'gadage' sucking something? Does it sound like it's sucking?"

Is it okay to say icky words in front of your kids when you're locked out?

Only My Luck

only dumb luck...

So, if your husband leaves you the "broken" car for the day and tells you to ONLY go to dance & come back home (as that's only 3/4 mile away) so that the car doesn't ignite,

be sure to NOT get locked out.

Also,

make sure your boy has underwear on before you leave for dance (& get locked out)

because he also has tumbling & that would be pretty obvious that he's gone commando.

And,

make sure he doesn't pull his pants down & urinate by the car

(notice a trend here?!)

because then the neighbors might have 2 reasons to call DFS.

Also,

when you ask your girl to grab her medicine bag & her dance bag,

be sure that she didn't accidentally grab her LUNCH bag instead of her dance bag

(which looks very similar)

because --

you COULD get locked out

then there would be no way of getting her dance bag

and she'd have no tap shoes or ballets.

and your husband wouldn't be able to help

because he would be 45 minutes away

with an expected return time of after 10 pm.

Remember,

no driving anywhere else

to kill time since you're locked out

until after 10 pm.

That would be unlucky.

(PS "Grammy saved the day!" Gabe said very clearly as she came to our rescue with a battery to replace Daddy's yucky battery in his garage door opener. Thank God that Grammy was close, taking "Woocy" to the groomer. Thank God Grammy saved the day & changed our luck.)

If You Get a Call From My Neighbors

and they tell you that Gabe walked outside this afternoon, pulled down his pants, & urinated off the porch,

don't believe a word they say.

Speaking of Backsides

About halfway through this video you will thank me for sharing it with you. And so will 'purple bunny'.

Opinions are like Backsides

Everyone has one -- and they all sm- well, I'll let you finish that.

And that's about how I feel lately. Like if someone else tells me what they think about something I do, feel, celebrate, eat, wear - or what my child wears, I think I will scream.

If I get another email about why you don't celebrate Halloween or have another person tell me that they're shocked my 4-year old daughter chose to dress up as a little orange, purple, & black witch*, I might cough in your face (incidentally, I'm also a little sick).

I always told my 3rd graders, "MYOB" (mind your own beeswax) & maybe I should bring the phrase back?

So, let's dig into it. Convictions that is. And talk about whom should be convicting whom. And how everyone has a line they don't cross (conviction) & how finding one other person to perfectly share your convictions is about like finding 2 matching snowflakes. As close as Jeff & I are to being one person, we don't even share the same convictions. And while I have lots of "easy-to-measure" convictions (legalism?), I fall short in lots of internal ways (perfectionism, judgementalism, impatience, over-sensitivity, unreachably expectantivism - I know, not a word). I will do some things that you won't do. You will do some things that I won't do. We all have dirt under our rugs somewhere --- some people sweep it further, others don't. God sees the dirt. Some other people see the dirt. And some people have such perfect rugs (the ones with gold tassels) that no one even suspects a fleck of dust lays under there. But it's there.

I just think it's extremely interesting that some people are so proud of their convictions that they want to share them with as many people as they can. Even more interesting when they share them with others who share the same convictions.

What if one day I 'decided' that the color blue was un-Christlike. And so, I got all the things out of my house that were blue. And then I blogged & sent out emails that were about the evils of the color blue. And that's about how I feel about some of the things people tell me they THINK are wrong. I'm like, "good for you that you are being proactive about something in your life that you think is unhealthy for your walk with Christ." But I'm also thinking that I don't see a thing wrong with blue & even after going back into the word & researching 'blue', I don't find anything that convicts me about that color.

I honestly am not bothered after someone passes judgement about a conviction I don't share. I just figure that I just need to pray for them, that they'll feel bad about being judgemental.

Maybe I should send out a mass email about that.

Just kidding.

*Just so we're clear, only one person said something.

I'm Starting To Feel Like They're Teaming Up On Me

I brought them each their drinks, both had OJ.

Flynn wasn't happy,
"Ohh, I wanted milk. Hey Bubs, what's in your cup?"

"Onjoooce."

"Hmm, didn't you want milk??"

In Remembrance

A few months ago, I blogged about the hurt of losing a baby.
Today is nationally declared PREGNANCY & INFANT LOSS AWARENESS DAY.
In searching for this banner, I came across a couple of videos. This one blew my mind! What a bold Christian & how awesome that through her miracle, she will save many lives. Pretty cool that it was on Fox News.
This video is NOT for the weak-stomached, or in my case, the weak-minded, as I cried at each photo. It's a bit amateur, I expect a young person made it, but none the less, the photos & bits of info were quite informative. I read about & hear about abortion & think of the little life that was once inside me that I wanted so badly to keep, but lost. And I just can't understand.

Once Upon a Time, at the Park...

Once upon a time, there was a little boy & a little girl & a beautiful fall day.

There was a request to go to the park, so their momma obliged.

There were tears when the momma pulled up & the park was "broken".

So all the boy & girl could do was stand & watch the big machines at work.

"Momma, the park is broken!"

So... what to do?

I guess we'll have to make our own fun.

"Look over there! At that GIANT tree!!"

"Think we could climb it?!"

"Mom, why does this tree grow sideways?"

"Well, look what it's growing toward?...what is that way?"

"The sunlight?"

"That's right....plants grow toward the light, they need it to grow & live."

"Oh yah, the moon is always that way & the sun is always that way!"

(pointing to where the sun rises & the moon sets)

"I'm going to climb it.

Come on Bubs!"

Not as easy as it looks.

Definitely taller than it looks though.

"Guys, look at me & smile!"

Really high.

"Let's play follow the leader!"

"Flap your arms like a bird."

"Into the meadow!"

"Look at all the butterflies!" (moths)

And then the momma led the children down a path & told them she had a surprise for them...

A creek!

"Can we throw rocks into the water?"

"Yes, just not at each other."

And then the momma let them choose a path to take, which wound around dark shadows & skinny trees.

And when every corner & nook seemed the same, the momma & her children pretended they were lost.

The momma asked the children to find their own way back to their car,

"Quiet! Listen to all the sounds around us, what do you hear?"

"'nakes" said the little boy.

"The machines!" said the little girl.

And so the momma reminded them that the car was by the machines....so they followed the sound of the machines. And through the clearing, they spotted the shine of their car.

"We found our way!!" said the proud little girl.

"Hurray!!" said the little boy (at least, that's what the momma thinks he said).

And so, as they headed to their car & their forgotten pbj's, the momma smiled,

she was glad the park was broken.

You Know It's a Recession When...

...your title on your last post, totally meaning 'financial predicament' as your own, is completely (understandably) interpreted as the country's

...you're planning to make "breakfast" for dinner (which hot hubs hates)

...you look at your account online & give the warning, "Don't spend any money 'til payday"; but payday is over a week away

...suddenly garage sale'ing, flea market'ing, & consignment shopping is in style

...more people you know are UNemployed vs employed

...you wish they'd give foodstamp income requirements another look

...Martha Stewart is making wreaths out of bread twist ties

...you think, 'Wonder if anyone on eBay would bid on my old nursing bras?'

...you consider pimping out a lemonade stand & giving your kids 1/8th

...you get caught "counting" the money in the kids' piggy banks

...you & your hot hubby spend evenings in the garage trying to convert wet soggy pull ups into fuel

...you see absolutely nothing wrong with pop-starting a car

...you hope your kids think the mini dvd player in their dark room really is just as good as the $8.50 per ticket movie theater

...you're kinda glad your almost 5 yr old girl can still wear a 2T

...frugality is the new black

If I Win, It Will Certainly Help Our Financial Predicament

nuts@crazy.us

Our phone / internet bill recently took a drastic increase, like by $30. That's nuts.

So, we're switching to charter. And with this change comes one of my most dreaded deals: changing email address.

Did you know?, we used to be "pairoperrys" when we were first married. Pretty funny, as we were only just a pair for 17 mos (would've been longer if said bun didn't pop from the oven very early).

I think an email address says a lot about a person. Especially when it's your main mode of communication & you'd MUCH rather shoot an email versus a phone call (who me?!).

Any ideas on what our new email address could be? I'll give you a hint, the current one is heyperrys @ ____ . While I found that really hard to explain/spell, to people, it served us well.

The following email addresses are out of the running:

stillblamingbabyweight@onthe3yrold.com
losingpatience@neveryellatyourkids.us
sick&tiredofbeingsick&tired@vitaminsdontwork.com
queenoftempertantrums@icanscream&kick.too
myhouseisneverclean@lysolwipesarentjustforcounters.ick
supernannywhereareyou@iwasjudgementalbeforekidsofmyown.us
whatextramoney@hubbyscar.lemon
stillinpjsat9am@hatewearingabra.saggy

These addresses have already been taken:

seymourbutts@underthebleachers.com
rustysprings@ipnightly.com

Hahaha... I'm so immature. My uncle said those (as titles/authors of books) when I was about 12 & I still think it's funny (in that sleep-depriving kind of way).

Okay, suggestions?

Oh the Questions

"Mommy, why does God make some people with allergies?"

I Heart You, "Room Time"

Yesterday afternoon, the kids had just kind of had it with each other (to put it lightly). And when they start picking at each other, I start picking at them. It wears on me to see them hating on each other (but then, why do they LOVE to be right next to each other?...and me!).

This morning, 10 minutes into our day, they started to argue.

No way, Jose.

So, after breakfast, I announced, "When the timer goes off, we will have ROOM TIME!"

"What's ROOM TIME?"

"ROOM TIME is time that we spend in our room. All by ourself. Momma will have two things out for you to play with. Two things you haven't played with in a while."

So, while the timer ticked away its last few seconds, I quickly straightened each little's room & sat out two game/activities/toys they hadn't seen in a month or so.

That was 10 precious minutes ago. Thankfully it's worked out, as I've been on hold for 9 minutes waiting for an at&t representative.

Looks like we'll be having ROOM TIME a couple of times each day, from now on!

This Scares Me

I just watched this & it frightens me horribly.
I have to admit, when I think about our society, the media, the celebrities, our country, our president (both current & future), I will pray. But I shamefully haven't made it a priority.
This scared me into making it a priority.

Insomnia (again)

What is wrong with me? (besides a head littered w/ a bajillion things)

One good thing about insomnia (should good + insomnia be in the same sentence?),
I get a lot done, as there are no little fingers in my way, no little feet under mine, & no one saying, "MOM, look!" every five seconds. :)

Everyone's clothes are lined out for tomorrow (in addition to outfits to change into throughout the temperature-fluctuating day), everything is ready to roll for Sunday.

Too bad I'm going to be so exhausted, it will all be a blur.

We're leaving at 7 am to begin our day. Wow, if I go to sleep right now, I'll get under 5 hours of sleep. But, five hours of sleep is better than nothing!

So I just need to go to sleep now.

Right now.

Okaaaay, NOW.

Go.

Bow Chicka Wow Wow

That's what Gabe just said to me. Peanut butter (his food of choice) spread from smile's end to the other.

But he said that AFTER we watched a squirrel scamper from one side of our patio up to the playset & climb across the wooden A that supports the structure. It delighted Gabe. And he looked at me & said, "Tee the quirrel Momma?"

We both laughed while we watched the top of the bushy tail from behind the playhouse. All I could think of is the squirrel who drowned in our pool last year - which of course, made me laugh harder (mmmmwwwwoooohahaha).

That's when Gabe looked at me & said, "Quirrel Happy."

Just to be sure I heard him correctly, I said, "The squirrel is happy?"

"Yep."

And I am too buddy. You & the cute things you say everyday make me a very happy momma.

Busy Bees

That's been us. Hence my lack of blog.

I'm working on a post from yesterday...which includes photos (therego my delay.) Yes, I just said therego. And the line before I said hence.

We've been working hard with church stuff, trying to enjoy the fall weather, missing daddy during soccer season, & preschool.

The other day, Flynn said, "We talked about Autumn at school. Autumn is the same thing as Fall. Why does it have two names?"

I told her, "Lots of things & people have more than one name. Like you call me Momma, but you could also call me Mother. Or Daddy could be Father."

She totally got it, "And I call Gabe, Bubby!"

Soon we'll be switching closets over to the new season. This has to be one of my most grueling tasks. Because my kids closets consists of 95% hand-me downs & garage sale duds, this takes serious organization. Add to that, my girl grows at an incredibly slow rate. Some of the clothes in her closet are 2T. And she's four. She has been wearing some of these outfits for two years. She knows how to stretch her dollar like her momma.

She still insists that I refer to her as Gum Drop. And she already has a game plan for her birthday party. Apparently, she's having a DANCE BIRTHDAY THEME. Dance Birthday? Come again?
Yes.
"Momma, remember last day when I was showing you, 'Step-step-cha cha cha'?"
"I do remember, you made me do it."
"Well, that's going to be one of the things we do at my dance birthday."
Do you think she'll have a lesson plan like I had for her party last year?

The other day, I had to take kids to a doctor's appointment with me. The nurse asked if they are twins.
This is the same appointment which proved itself stressful (& not just because I had to make an appointment for hernia repair surgery).
But because I took the little dvd player. I made Flynn carry it in its case. Which she dropped in the parking lot.
And Gabe fell asleep & I had to carry him (that's why Flynn was carrying the dvd player).
And then I waited in the wrong waiting room (why would a dr's office have TWO waiting rooms? and if so, why wouldn't you tell me when I signed in?).
So then I was a few minutes late for the appointment I should've been early for.
And then, there was no outlet for me to plug the dvd player in. And the battery [I thought] had broken off when Flynn dropped it.
And there was only one chair.
And Gabe head-butted Flynn. And she cried really hard.
And my sister had forewarned me that this surgeon was getting a little older, losing his bedside manner, & getting a tad crabby. (he was actually fine) Which made me nervous about the kids being in there, and crying. So I started to panic.
I was trying to finish filling out the paperwork I got there early to fill out (but remember, instead I sat in the wrong waiting room?).
And the kids weren't having just sitting there doing nothing.
So I feverishly began a search in my purse for something.
I almost gave them an altoid.
Instead, I found 2 pens & 2 scraps of paper.
The surgeon came in. He was examining my abdomin (which is a lengthy examination these days, ugh).
Gabe got really quiet.
I looked over.
He was writing ALL OVER himself.
I didn't care. Because he was quiet.
And --
hairspray really does get ink out of clothing.