Ahh To Be Young Again!

So it has been quite awhile since my last post but I have an excuse I swear! It seems as I get older My health gets worse. For those who don't know the first half of the year (not kidding......From January 9th- April13th) I battled with ovarian cysts and endometriosis. Both caused intense pain and even after the surgery Is still causing pain sometimes. I knew that because they were unable to remove most of the endo tissue (since it was wrapped around my kidneys) that I was going to have to deal with it off and on until menopause.  But my body was not done betraying me it seems! I have a tooth that now needs to be pulled (JOY!) and an issues with swallowing that caused me to need to get a camera down my throat and have numerous appointments with Gastro docs and ENTs. It got me thinking how we can take our health for granted and how simple things seemed when you were young and sick.......

My baby started school!

So this post is late but it has been an interesting few weeks. My littlest one started kinderbridge (too old for preschool but not old enough for kindergarten) 2 weeks ago. I actually was surprised at how well i did. I didn't cry or even tear up........really I swear! I think it has to do with Roman's personality. He has always been a very independent and easy going kiddo. I had the worst pregnancy with him. I was in and out of the hospital almost needed surgery and he was almost delivered at 21 weeks. I was on so many meds at the end and he ended up being born early and spent a week in the NICU for a lung issue but the entire time his heart rate never dipped or showed any sign of distress. He was an early walker. He crawled for 2 days and then started walking at 9 months. He was a big boy and sadly his leg muscles were not that strong and his legs bowed really bad. It was a painful few years for him as he grew and thankfully (praise God) his legs corrected themselves. No surgery!! So because of all this he is hardly bothered by anything. (and his pain tolerance is insane high but that is another story) So when we took him to school that first day he was so excited i had to track him down for my good bye kiss! It has been an odd feeling dropping him off at school and having a few hours to run errands with no kids. He loves school a lot and actually is a bit upset he only goes 2 days a week. He loves that our neighbors son is in his class and has made a new friend with the son of a couple I was really good friends with in high school. (small world!).

San Diego!

Ok, so this is a late post and I wanted to get this up last week........but alas.......life gets in the way. We have been really busy since coming back getting ready for what will be my next blog post.

On to SD! We had so much fun this year. I always think we will never have as much fun as we did the year before but some how we do. I think a major factor is that the kiddos are getting older and more fun. Now hold on I am not saying babies are not fun. I watch 4 (well now 5 with the addition of a beautiful little 10 month old) babies during the week and when they are here we have a ton of fun. What I mean is that we are not so totally consumed by things like diaper changes.

This vaca is a perfect example. We went to the San Diego Zoo again. The last time we went Roman was 2 and we had to rent a stroller at the zoo. The main things I remember from that trip were pushing a stroller  that all 3 had squished into up a big hill and having to change Roman in that stroller because he smelled really bad and we were not near a bathroom.

This trip i remember all the animals and fun we had talking about them with the kids. Paris and Austin loved seeing the big cats and of course Romans favorite animals were the monkeys!! He nearly wet himself when Justin told him they sometimes throw their poop.

Of course we also went to the beach almost every day or night after dinner.

Roman was not a fan of the sand this day.......can you tell?! haha!!

Yes he is yelling at the waves.......he was trying to be louder. ;)

Me at the beach! 

And of course......the food! Roman at our absolute favorite place to have dinner in SD. The Bare Back Bar and Grill. The most delicious burgers and beers. It a New Zealand joint using NZ meats and beers!

Can't forget Luigi's on the beach pizza!! Oh and Austin ate the ENTIRE slice!!

This would be the Point Loma Seafood Co. I don't eat here but Justin and the two younger ones can not get enough of the fried clam sandwiches.

We are already looking forward to next year and can't wait to go back. 

My baby is 9!!

My oldest turned 9 yesterday......oh man time is just making a fool of me. It amazes me that it has been 9 years and 8 months since seeing those 2 little pink lines. He is such a wonderful kid it is so cool. We didn't plan things well this summer and are actually going on vacation in the morning. So his birthday was a small one this year. We had it at the in-laws and only invited a few friends and family. I felt bad that we didn't invite his school friends but he said it was fine and didn't mind. So as next year is the big 10 we will make it up to our little man for sure.

This was his "cake". I didn't want to have a big mess on the in-laws patio so Austin actually came up with the idea to have cookies at the party and take the cupcakes home as a favor! (such a smart kid!)

 

The Favors

And now some pics of the fun!

My youngest hamming it up

And with his Uncle Tony

Inside for present time!!!

Boys! Boys! Boys!

When I had my oldest son I was told how different raising boys were to raising girls. Only having one I did not know the difference. Fast forward almost 9 years (wow he will be 9 on Sunday!) later and how right they were! 


My daughter is a bit of a tom boy. Don't get me wrong she loves to dress up and put on make-up but she can make the worlds best mud pies! (while wearing her princess dress of course)


But her brothers are so very different. She will have me put a band aide on anything and everything. She can tell you where every bump, bruise and scratch came from. Austin usually knows how he got hurt but Roman.........that's another story entirely! 


Roman has always been a tough cookie. At 20 weeks I was hospitalized with very painful Gall stones and preterm labor. His little heart beat never once dipped. He was a preemie (although you would never know it by looking at him) and spent a week in the NICU with air trapped between his lung and chest wall (no idea how to spell the condition). Then when he started to walk he developed a pretty severe bowed leg. Thankfully it has straightened out with his growth spurts and he didn't require surgery. I was a painful process and I think because of all of this he is a very strong little guy when it comes to pain. This is probably the reason he often has a ton of injuries he has no memory of. 


As they get older I think his strength is rubbing off on his older brother. Austin is now unaware of injuries on his arms and legs and just shrugs them off like nothing. I know boys are supposed to be strong and all but it is such an eye-opener seeing the difference in front of me.

Not the best picture of it but this is a black eye Roman had to really think about when telling us how he got it. It took a while but he finally remember telling us (laughing mind you) he ran face first into the arm of the couch. When asked if it hurt or why he didn't tell us he just shrugged and ran off to play.

This is the back of Austin's arm. the pic does not show how much purple is in it. It Just popped up this morning and he was more interested in his breakfast than bothering to wonder where he got the bruise. 


I guess none of this should really be a surprise since i see how they play with each other. Sword fighting and wrestling more than anything else and Roman does love to tackle our 90lb American Bulldog. (She is the best dog and does not mind a bit) It is still one of those things you don't really think about until it is right in front of your face in black and blue................but i wouldn't trade it for anything!

A Crafty Kinda Thing

So my normal craft of choice would involve fiber of some sort. Knitting, crocheting or spinning. I Love to just squish all the yarny goodness! But recently I have gone back to my youth so to speak. I saw a youtube video on Duct Tape wallets and vividly remembered crafting with the silver stuff myself. As I am sure many of you are aware Duct Tape now comes in a TON of colors!!

Just a few of the colors I have been able to get a hold of. I made a wallet for my sister-in-law's birthday and the girls she works with went nuts over them so she sold 4 wallets to the girls at work........later that day my mother-in-law saw them and wanted to buy some off of me as well! I have never sold ANYTHING I have made before. Mostly because I love making things and never know what to charge so i only charge for materials. I am pleased with making a little extra money......i mean who doesn't?! So I have been giving every free moment the past few days to making some wallets. But since I LOVE crafts I don't really consider it a job of any kind.

I have really been enjoying playing with tape!

And so it begins..........

I never really thought I would start a blog but after reading friends blogs and seeing it as a way to keep track of my families milestones I have decided to jump in. Although i was unsure of anything my family does i was reminded of how crazy (I say that lovingly) my youngest is and a blog about him alone would be interesting. 


So on that note I think it would be fitting to have my very first  post be about my baby. I say baby but he will be 5 in October and will start school in August. Today was a fun yet sad day for me. I bought Roman (the baby) his first backpack! Now, he has played with his brother and sister's backpacks and even got a mini backpack while school shopping for the older 2 last year but this is his first only for school bought only for him backpack.


This got me thinking and I realized come August i will be taking my child to his very first day of school for the very last time!! :( I know this is all part of them growing up but it does make me feel like I am getting older and the kids are becoming so much more independent. I know he will enjoy himself so much and It will be a welcome break for me but alas it is proof time flies.....