five on friday:: looking forward to the weekend

my computer may crash if i add even one more photo to my library.  i will spend some time today backing up my photos and transferring them off of my computer to a hard drive.  so for now no pictures.


besides that, here's what i'll be doing this first weekend of december.


1. playing with our new iphones.
finally they are here.  i cracked the screen on my phone about a month ago and have been making do.  but when bobby's phone crashed it was time to replace both of them.  he got black and i got white.

2. casino night and taco guy
celebrating bobby's 40th - vegas style with a little mexican food thrown in.  it's gonna be good!

3. getting my haircut.
i am in such need.  wondering if i will go short or keep it this length... stay tuned.

4. decorating the tree
it's been up all week but without any ornaments.  i think we'll do that tonight while we enjoy some pizza and a bloody mary.

5. working on my december daily
loving what i am seeing already.  and i love this post from ali.  exactly why and how i am tackling this project.

have a great weekend.

five people twelve times:: 5.11

may seems like such a long time ago.  i guess because we are halfway through june. or because it was such a hectic month that i have put it at the back of my mind.  i had to look through pictures and review my calendar to remind me of what we did.

rm

started playing softball again and hasn't injured himself yet. i hope i didn't just jinx it.

has gotten so much great feedback on his work.  

is working that much harder to make his dream come true.

got to go rafting for the first time this season.  easy stuff, but he had a huge smile on his face.

finally beat me at words with friends.

is writing the ceremony for his cousin's wedding.

gm

realized her dream to go to chicago.

sat in the front row of the 5th to the last oprah show.  she will never forget it.

spent quality time with her sister.

worked hard on the ancient worlds festival for the boys' school.

went to 2 showers for 2 upcoming weddings.

finally ordered her dress for her sister's wedding.

jr
made new friendships.
went on a weeklong trip to yosemite.
appreciated nature a little more.
crawled through a very narrow hallow tree.
reminded me that he has a heart of gold.
got a bad cold that kept him home for the final middle school dance.
he wasn't too upset about that.

aj
celebrated his 9th birthday.
was very understanding about the whole chicago thing.
had a baseball party with his family and friends.
went away for the first time to science camp.
had a great time and pretended not to miss us.
really got into showing off what he knew about the mayan culture at the ancient worlds festival.

sg
brought her mom and all 3 grandmas to preschool.
loved being the only one at home while her brothers were away.
couldn't wait for her brothers to get home.
stopped at the swing everyday on her way out of school.
is so ready for kindergarten.
is not ready to say goodbye to her preschool.

i hope you are enjoying these posts as much as i am.

five people twelve times:: 4.11

yes, i know it feels like i just posted march.  but the months are going by so fast.

he and she
had a few date nights. one that included a monte carlo night and greek food.
introduced the kids to the food truck.
played cards, scrabble and words with friends and are still speaking to each other.
talked about vacations.
talked about weddings.
talked about finances.
danced together for the first time in a long time.
laughed a lot.

jr
struggled a bit in one of his best subjects.
learned that he can take action or live with the it.
he chose to take action.
is throwing around a football with ease.
got 4 shots and was a trooper.
made a still movie with his legos.
started mock trial again.
was obsessed with his watch and his ipod touch.

aj
pitched another inning, much better this time.
wants to pitch some more.
discovered he may need glasses.
sang with his chorus at a music festival.
road on ghostrider at knotts for the first, and last, time.
stayed calm as his mother held on to him for dear life.
fell in love with roald dahl.
loved throwing his frisbee at the park.

sg
visited the new neighborhood fire station.
spent a lot of time with her friend.
had a quiet spring break.
got new clothes for summer.
wore her pajamas, a crazy hat and had a wacky wednesday at school.
got six shots at the dr. and was such a trooper.
told anyone who would listen, all about it, for weeks.
grew up a lot - she's getting ready for kindergarten.

it felt like just a normal month.  which is a good thing.  it gave us plenty of time to prepare for this month.  cause ready or not, here it is.

five people twelve times:: 3.11

is it in like a lion out like a lamb?  or in like a lamb out like a lion?  either way march came in with a roar and ended very quietly.  march tends to sneak up on me.  i guess because i am just feeling like i am getting used to the new year or maybe because february is such a short month.  either way, it comes too fast. here's the roundup on last month.

he: 
broke his finger playing baseball one sunday morning.
made a beautiful video for our sister-in-law's 40th birthday that made everyone cry.
worked hard and made it count.
rode his bike to the gym, until he broke his finger.
didn't just coach the cardinals, he inspired them.
he supported her for 3.2 miles and then some.
played a mean game of words with friends.
beat his grandparents at scrabble - oops did i say that out loud.

she: 
turned 41.
blogged like a mad woman.
learned that pictures really are worth a thousand words.
felt cautiously optimistic.
hurt her ankle while running 4 miles, but continued to run 5.
crossed the finish line in record time.  ok she doesn't have a record.  well now she does.
had ideas and creative thoughts that kept her up at night.
lost a very special uncle.
had too much on her plate but somehow kept it balanced.

jr: 
took cartooning as his elective and loved it.
earned a scholarship from his school for the second year in a row.
had a parent teacher conference that made them proud.
learned that effort and care directly affect his grades.
went to a middle school dance and didn't dance.

aj:
pitched one inning in his little league game.
learned that speaking up is the only way to be heard.
rode space mountain for the first time and loved it.
had a parent teacher conference that made them proud.
was an adorable oompa loompa.  but doesn't see theatre in his future.

sg:
had tons of playdates with her friends.
made orange juice with oranges from our tree with her dad.
got pink eye and was so patient at urgent care for 2 hours.
learned her limits the hard way.
loved being the snack girl and planning the menu for her friends.
is officially signed up for kindergarten.

we:
went to disneyland with the grandparents and had so much fun.
went to san diego and spent time with family.
filed our taxes early and got our refund.
couldn't believe we were paying almost $4 a gallon.
focused on supporting, teaching and listening to each other.

check out the past months 5x12 here.

five people twelve times:: 2.11

february

the shortest month of the year but filled with so much love.

we looked up at the sky a lot this month.  during the day it was to watch the clouds go by, or the rain come down, or to catch a bit of the sun rays when it would peek out. the weather seemed to take some drastic turns this month.  it even drove our friends back home to sacramento at the threat of snow closing down the freeway.

at night we were looking at the moon for andrew's month long moon journal.  he observed the night sky every few nights and wrote about what he saw, heard and felt.  it had all of us wondering was that a waxing gibbous or a waning gibbous?  what constellations could we see?  many nights we didn't see the moon and that made for some inventive entries.

we managed to avoid the dreaded flu that was making the rounds at school.  students and teachers were out for days.  but we made it through unscathed.  lots of hand washing and chicken soup seemed to do the trick.  bobby swore by emergen-c too.

we made it to the snow one more time.  this weather brought many inches of fresh powder to kernville.  no skiing this time, just sledding and snowball fights.

my sister is getting married this year.  so, we got to go dress shopping with her and the bridesmaids.  the five of us + my mom sat and watched as she tried on dress after dress.  full ones, fitted ones, beaded ones, princess ones.  it was so fun to see her dressed up and looking like a bride.  she did end up choosing a beautiful dress but i won't share the pictures.  it's bad luck!

bobby has been working really hard on a few projects at work that look like they may be taking off.  one of them in particular is a very personal project that has been getting some attention.  we are praying that it finds it's way into the right hands.

andrew started playing baseball at our new league.  it's more laid back then where we have played before but andrew is a laid back kind of player, so it works.  we have a lot of friends in this league and they seem very organized and concerned with the learning more than the stats.  so we are excited.  bobby is one of the assistant coaches too.

bobby and i went to a parenting lecture at the preschool.  we have been struggling with sofia and felt like we needed some reinforcement and new perspective.  the lecture focused on defining the personality of each child and then how parenting must adapt to each personality.  as luck would have it we have one of each. a compliant child that lives by the rules.  a fence sitter that follows the rules until they see where they can bend some of them.  and a strong willed child that sets their own rules.  ok, it's not that cut and dry but that's the basics. i'll let you figure out which is which.

one of the things that stuck with us is that we can't change who the child is.  the strong willed child will always be strong willed, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  but we can't parent her (i mean "that child") the way we do the others.  it just doesn't work the same and we both end up frustrated.  we have to adjust our parenting to that child.  and we are working on that.

it's not anything we haven't heard before.  set the expectation, give a consequence, let them choose and then follow through.  what will take one child one warning to get something done will take another child one warning and a time out and another child one warning, a time out, kicking and screaming, 20 minutes of crying, more consequence and then they get it.  we both get it.  so far it's working.  we just have to be consistent and follow through.  here's the book we read in case you are interested in learning more about this technique.

we are always working on being better parents.  sometimes it feels like because we have three kids we should know what we're doing.  for the most part we know what to do but we don't always do it. and sometimes it's just a complete disaster. i admit that it's easy to give in to the whining, or nagging.  it can be easier than having to deal with the tantrum, especially in public.  but if we want certain behaviors to stop we have to be firm, no matter what the reaction.  some times i realize that i put sofia through a lot.  she goes to pto meetings with me, the grocery store, dr's appointments.  she would rather be playing at home or at school, but this is life right now for us.  i see what a few more moments of my time and undivided attention mean to her.  i am making an effort to show her that i love spending time with just her.  pretty soon she'll be in kindergarten and this time will be gone.  i want us to have fun memories together.  i want a little more peace and a lot less struggle.  it takes time, and lots of patience.

february was a good month for growth and accomplishment.

five people twelve times:: 1.11

i love a good idea when i see it.  and i copy it.  i saw this idea on tara whitney's blog last year but was not ready to implement it.  i knew that in january it would become a feature on my blog.  there was something about starting at the beginning of the year that just seemed right for me.  

it's simple really.  once a month take a family picture.  then write about what that month was like for your family; the good, the bad and the funny.  eventually i will turn this into a scrapbook layout.  in fact this month i know exactly what i am going to do.  easy and fast is the name of the game.  

i think what i am most excited about is looking back at the pictures of the five of us at the end of the year.   so here goes:

january

a new beginning for all of us.  january can be hard because we have come off a 2 week winter break.  bobby gets that time off of work, which is such a blessing for us, so we all get to be together.  and that's hard for me to let go of in january.  but we did.  bobby went back to work, the kids went back to school.  and i went back to my routine.  but with some changes.

i worked hard on my blog.  this time i didn't really plan anything out.  i just started writing.  what i was going to say was a bit vague.  i had areas that i wanted to focus on but i wanted to give myself the freedom to be inspired and write what seemed right for the moment.  i thought about it all the time and i ended up writing five days a week.  that felt right to me. i knew 3 people read my blog regularly.  but if i wanted to take this to the next level i would have to share it with more people.  make myself vulnerable, get feedback to see what works.  so i share it on facebook, twitter and on the message boards.  and guess what, people read it, and commented.  it's kind of really cool.

in talking to a mom at the preschool she mentioned that she was starting training for a 5k.  that is something that has been on my goal list for ever.  "i'll do one before i turn 40."  "i'll do it when i lose 10 lbs." "i'll do it when i have a running partner." it was never the right time.  but this year without much notice and without thinking about it long enough to change my mind, i committed.  i showed up.  i ran.  i wanted to die.  i didn't think i could make it. i made it.  and i was alright.  and i kind of wanted to do it again.  this time, all i needed was the will.  training is tough, but i love having the challenge.  and i know i can do it.

bobby worked hard on getting the bikes fixed up for the family.  his goal was to be able to ride his bike to the gym in the morning, work out and then ride back.  and he did!  he got everyone helmets and has taken sofia to the store a few times on his bike.  he is always working hard on something.  i love him for that.  he also pushed me to get my craft area organized.  i'm not sure if it was just because he wanted me to have my own space, or because he was tired of seeing my stuff all over the house.  either way, it works for both of us.  he put my table together, built a bookcase for the boys' room, hung curtains.  he worked on getting things done.  

and at work things are looking positive.  projects are moving in the right direction.  his boss is better and working on a few exciting things.  

jordan started off with birthday celebrations.  here at our house with the family.  and then at the end of the month with his friends.  because his birthday is new year's day we can get away with not having a party.  but this year he wanted just a few of his friends to come over for some video games and pizza.  i was so touched when he told me that he wanted me to tell people gifts were not necessary.  i didn't. and he was very appreciative of each one.  this is the last year before he is an official teenager.

his basketball games started this month.  he has really grown as a player.  a little more aggressive, a little more into the game.  last week he made the first basket of the game, and of the season for him.  it's great to see him enjoy this so much and be a part of this team.  and i am so thankful for the coaches who motivate him.

he won his class spelling bee and was top 4 in the school-wide bee.  his word was "sashay".  he spelled it "sachet".  correct spelling of a different word.

andrew was a lumberjack in the third grade performance.  no lines, no solo.  in fact i think he was on "stage" for less than 2 minutes.  afterwards i asked him if he had wanted a bigger part.  "no, i would have to learn too many lines."  no need for the spotlight.  

he's been doing really well in school learning his times tables and working on his moon journal.  he can get a little frustrated at getting things just right.  but he's working on it. we all are. twice a week he stays after school to play with a friend until jordan's basketball practice is over.  that means they don't get home until almost 5pm.  long day.

i had sofia's conference this month at the preschool.  this time it wasn't questioning if will she go to kindergarten, but how much she is enjoying her last year of preschool.  the teacher had so many positive things to say.  this was my favorite part of her written evaluation:  "she can run with a bunch of kids, engage in rough and tumble play, and then move to planning with friends in the sandbox on how best to build something together, delegating jobs to others and often taking charge of the process."  spot on.

we are working on improving our parenting relationship with her. we are fully aware that you can't parent all of your children the same way.  but in reading this book, i have stopped asking myself the question, "why is she acting like this?"  and started asking, "what can i do differently next time to avoid putting us through this." it's a process.  sometimes i just need someone to help me see the light. she may be cute, but she's not the boss of me.

we loved that wipeout is doing a winter season.  the only show that we all watch together.  who doesn't love the ski lift, and the 7 letter word?

we made going to church on sunday a priority.  and treated ourselves to dinner out afterwards. a great way to end the weekend.

we went to the snow and had the most awesome boys vs. girls snowball fight.  

we racked wine.  and then drank some.

we saw pictures of our new baby cousin in colorado.  hoping we get to meet him soon.

there was peace in the house.  i was on top of things.  i was focused.  but i am aware how quickly that can change.  i can get overwhelmed.  i can let things slip and fall back into old habits.  but for now i am enjoying it.