Disneyland Countdown

It's only 9 more days until we leave for Disneyland and I am surprisingly nervous. I've been to Disneyland twice now, once in 1999 and again in 2006. I had a blast both times, but never felt like I had seen all the park. And with kid(s) both times, it's kind of a swap between experiencing the park and not running them into the ground.

I am hoping this time we can "do" more things. Things that I haven't been able to do before. Such as, visit City Hall, I have never been inside. Eat at a restaurant inside the park, I haven't done that or even ride the Matterhorn. I want to count the number of Mickey heads we can throughout the park. See if we can do a "map" of them while we are there. Also check out the optical illusion when entering the park, it sounds so cool. Plus more things that are special about Disneyland that rushing through just won't accommodate. The kids are older, well some of them, but with 3 1/2 adults (Quinn goes back and forth) that makes it a match up for adults per kid.

Every day with my kids is precious, so much limited time with them, more so with Quinn because she will moving on with her life so soon. I want to bask in it, savour it like delicious chocolate.

We will be staying the Paradise Pier Hotel this time, thanks to Kelly. It is something that I would never do unless I truly had the funds to spend. That has added to my excitement, getting to stay in hotel we really couldn't afford right now, adding all the adventure that comes with Disneyland. Just one more level in our experience.

I've got the passes, hotel vouchers, I've made my lists, planned my attack and now just comes the hard part, getting there.

We will be driving this time. Every other time we have flown, but prices, travel to and from the airport, luggage costs have made it much more expensive and more difficult. So we have rented a 12 passenger van. This will either be a trip from hell down and back or the most memorable time we've had together.

What have you been doing?

It always cracks me up when someone asks me, "So what have you been doing?", "What's up with you?" or "Anything new in your life?". It stumps me. I do a quick rewind over the last day or more depending on how long it's been since I've seen them and I try to pick out something interesting. Really I do.

But all I can come up with is kids - feeding them, playing with them, yelling at them, driving them, washing their clothes, cleaning up their messes, making their appointments, buying their stuff, organizing their stuff, saving their memories so they can look back on themselves, sifting through their toys, cycling their clothes, and on and on...

I can't imagine that would too interesting to anyone else. I have cute little anecdotes that I could share, if I ever remember them when I want to. Wait, I read this on Facebook...oh, you don't do Facebook. Okay, ummm....TV shows...no you don't watch that.

So, nope, nothing really new. Still same-old-same-old. Do I seem boring? Probably. Is my life boring...hell no.

the New Year

Last year:

* Father-in-law has cancer - that sucks!

* Ayla and Harlee turned 2 - yes..they can walk...dammit, now they run. Shopping anywhere now is taken to a whole new level of hell!

* Willow turned 5 - started kindergarten...all day...all blessed day! Then falls asleep when she gets home.

* Quinn is 13 - she is a whole lot of beautiful, followed by a mouth and attitude that generally pisses me off.

* Zane is 6 - now I wish I had more boys, other than destroying things, he is a dream.

* Dave turned 40 - with a lot more gray and still the same stories...it doesn't look much different than the thirties.

* I turned 39 - Jack Benny has nothing on me...and if you don't know who that is...oh well, go back and check your My Space.

* Someone hit Dave, again - Nope, wasn't me. He was struck from behind in his truck, sitting waiting to turn the corner to our house...geez whiz, he had to do it in front of the house. How convenient is that.

* Took a walk on the wild side - had a party at Odyssey 1, playground for rabid children. WOW! What the hell was I thinking...oh yes, I remember, it's Sunday...how busy can it be?

* Girl Scout Cookie season came and went - a whirlwind of hurry up...sell, sell, sell...guess what coming on Jan. 9????

* Tax season gave us enough to float on top of the water, but then the raft blew a leak and we went back to bobbing in the sea of poverty.

* My parents parked in Tacoma, which gave us a "babysitter" for the kids...all the kids. I got to sleep...for a couple of days. But like all good things, the twins came back early. I think they broke their grandparents.

* Ayla had surgery - that was truly hard. It was a minor surgery, but it freaked me out never-the-less because she was anesthetized...then she went and fell on the site and it ballooned up with blood to the size of her fist...ugh!

* Snow, snow, snow...we now have no place to go. The first white Christmas that I remember in my lifetime. We got about 2 feet, maybe more.

* Snot, cold, vomiting galore...pick a month, pick a season, it tends to blur. It's always a good day when anyone isn't sick!

What to expect for this year:

* Zane will be 7, he gets cuter every year.

* Willow will be 6...beautiful, but ohh, what a teenager she will be.

* Quinn will be 14, oh shit, she will be driving in 1.5 years...can someone write me a prescription for Valium?

* Ayla & Harlee will be 3, if they make it past 2.

* Dave will be 41...he..he..he...he..ha...

* I will be 40...really??? What the hell, I guess those line on my forehead really do mean something.

* I have a max of animals I will take in...5 cats and 1 dog. Okay, maybe a fish.

* I get to be a real programmer...wow, like an adult and everything. Maybe I'll even get paid or something.

* My last year doing cookies for the service unit, but now 2 girls selling cookies...

* The best part is that I am looking forward to spending it with those I love!

Way too much time

How do people get anything accomplished who don't have kids at home? The 3 oldest are off stretching their little brains in the wonder we call the public school system and the twins are busy terrorizing my parents. And I am sitting (for the last 2 hours) writing and playing on the computer. Egads, I have things to do. When the little rugrats are home, I am a dynamo. I whip around finishing projects, making meals, cleaning the house because I KNOW that I have a finite amount of time to work. But with everyone gone, and I must say a very blissful and quiet house it is, I sit and waste time futzing around the net. Typing my inane thoughts because I can.

This happens every time I get "extra" time by myself. I should have learned that quality time by myself never leads me to finish those special projects I've been putting off. Usually I sit and read or watch TV. Sad, I know, you don't have to say it. But how often does that happen? Reading without stopping every 2/3 paragraphs to tell someone to stop touching the other. Or maybe watching TV where you get the gist of the show but have no idea of what big hoopla was over the plot of the story.

So here I sit, the cat curled up on my desk occasionally tapping extra letters on the keyboard when he stretches. And the dog stretched out on the floor knowing that she'll get to go for a ride when I am done. I have to get ready for an appointment in just a few minutes and I still haven't gotten dressed. I am so much more organized when I have toddlers scrambling around me begging for my attention. That is just weird I tell you.

But they all will be returning soon. The school children have a half-day so they will hit the door just after lunch. The toddlers will probably arrive sooner rather than later because my parents aren't as young as they once were. The lack of sleep and the constant requirements that are needed to keep up with 2 toddlers has definitely worn them down. I imagine they will be waiting on my back porch eagerly handing them over so they can go take a nap.

Then I can get back to being efficient because I have to.

Good Ol' Doc

So I took Ayla in to the doctor to see what the "lump" was all about. Yep, I called as soon as I got up and left a message at their office that I needed an appointment today. Did I get it, you bet! They are amazing at the office and Dr. Bridge is a jewel. He has a thing for Jelly Beans, M&M's and silly ties.

The official diagnose (so far) is Cat Scratch Fever, treatment antibiotics. But the rub was that he wasn't sure what it was. Gee whiz, am I the only one who hates to hear doctors say that? Their confusion and stabbing in the dark always worries me. I know they aren't God, but if they don't know, then we rely on their "best guess". I would rather go play at a casino with my "best guess" then throw the dice with my kids health. But that is what I get to do. Play the odds and go from there. Not the happiest course, but a course none-the-less. I like having action, so I guess that's something. Plus, I do trust the kid's doc, he is thorough and thoughtful about his diagnosis and I know if he didn't know or have a best guess, he would find out.

What caused this?

"Have you figured out what causes that?" is a question I get quite a bit. I have come to hate it. It is supposed to be funny, and of course I shouldn't take offense to it, but it implies that I am either stupid or a whore, neither which are flattering.

Having 5 kids is not a crime against nature or even against the American dream. I truly have to disagree with the 1ny & 2fers (that is what them) who can not seem to understand having more than their little brood. Can you call 1 a brood? Anyway, they look at me with horror in their eyes and offer up that delightful comment. Even more amusing, and I say that with gritted teeth, is the comment, "Gee, you must have your hands full?". Which in polite society is a way of saying, "Gee, can't you keep your legs shut, you rabbit?"

I have even heard as I was leaving the grocery store, "I am glad that isn't me!". Wow! And me with a college education...silly, silly me. If I did not have my little basketball team with me, I would have pimp-slapped her...but then if I didn't, she wouldn't have said it. Yes, I get the irony.

I usually just ignore the really rude people, ignorance is one thing, but you can't cure stupidity. Look who we elected President. Most realize that their hands are full with the kids they have and probably are boggled by the addition of more, so I can let those people slide. I appreciated their comment is more addressed to themselves, realizing that they either wouldn't or couldn't do 5 kids. Don't get me wrong, I am no SuperMom! Hell no. Some days I just get through, some I persevere, some I am amazing, but that is the same with everyone. I am no different, either better or worse than any one person.

God gifted me with these little babies, so He/She must think I can handle it, per the "God gives you what He/She thinks you can handle" quote.

I have come to respect those who have 3 or more, because I know what it takes. You have to be organized and dictatorial, yes I said dictatorial. I have discovered that to make a effective house that runs smoothly and efficiently, someone has to be a dictator. You guessed...I am that person. If you didn't guess it...maybe you haven't met me. I have a strong personality (my husband and friends are probably rolling at that tame word) that seems to work in this envirnoment or maybe I make it work. And since I don't know any other way, then I use what was given to me.

So to all those out there, yes, I do know what causes babies. Yes, we've taken care of that issue, but thank you for asking. Yes, I know I have my hands full, they are my hands. So unless I am asleep or just shuttling other people's children around, then I have a pretty good idea. My shoes, my mile.

So before you insult anyone, walk a mile in their shoes. So that way, you are a mile away, with their shoes.