New Moon/New Abs

As my friends and I headed off to the midnight showing of New Moon, whether we were Team Edward or Team Jacob, the one thing we all agreed on, was that Jacob had undergone an amazing transformation for this film and we couldn't wait to see it.

But before the night came, we had to prepare by purchasing new shirts for the occasion. Usually I order one off the internet with a quote from the movie, but this time I waited too long and had to head off to Hot Topics to buy one. When I walked in, a young man asked how he could help me. I told him I needed a shirt for the New Moon premiere. He said, "Oh, I have the perfect shirt for you." Then he picks up a shirt with Jacob on it. "Oh, no," I told him. "I need Edward." So then he picks up a $50 hoodie featuring Edward.

Now, as much as I would love it, I knew if I spent $50 on something with Edward's face on it, the man who pays the bills in my home would not be pleased. So I told the salesman I needed something cheaper.

He then tells me there's Twilight shirts in the back of the store on clearance. He was speaking my language -- I love sales. So I headed back and found the perfect Edward shirt for my movie night.

When I returned from shopping, I had a great surprise waiting for me. My sweet friend Deborah had made me a necklace that had Jacob's face on it. I told her I loved it and thanked her for it, but told her she made a mistake and it should've been Edward's face. She's trying to convert me to Team Jacob. I told her I'd wear it anyway, considering how yummy Jacob looks in this film.

We left for the theater almost 3 hours early and they were already seating the theaters. So instead standing outside in long lines, we were able to sit in our seats and chat, eat, and take pictures.

Going into the movie, my friends and I were split on Edward and Jacob. But the scene where Jacob first takes off his shirt and you can't help but gasp at his amazing abs, we were all for that moment in time, united as Team Jacob. Then when Bella tells him, "You're sort of beautiful," you could hear the "Oh, yes" from the females in the audience.

Of course when Edward comes back and says things like, "I don't know how to live without you," I forgot all about Jacob's amazing body and was back to Edward.

I already have a date with all my friends for next summer to see Eclipse, which I loved more than New Moon so I can't wait.

I do want to see New Moon again though, so I'm dragging Chris to go with me. Although I don't think he'll be squealing with me at the sight of Jacob's new look.

What a Difference a Grade Makes

This week is American Education Week and parents are invited to go into schools to observe their children. So since Chris and I had the day off, we decided to go visit all the kids at school and had very different experiences.
First we headed off to middle school. As we walked in, I saw Alec walking to his locker and hurried over to him. He turned around and I wish I had a picture of his face when he saw me. It was shock, disbelief and yes, even a little horror. He looked around, making sure none of his friends were watching and asked why we were there. It was his lunch time and I said we came to eat with him. He said he didn't want to stay and couldn't we just go out to eat. I really wanted to eat with his friends, but Chris was more sympathetic and agreed we'd go out for lunch. So instead of observing any of his classes, we just ate at Taco Bell and drove him back to school. He pleaded with us not to walk him back into the school, so I just walked him to the door and watched him disappear into a pool of pre-teens. I realize this is the age where I'm an embarrassment to my little boy, but I can't wait for this stage to end.

Next we went to the elementary school and had a very different reaction when Selena saw us. She smiled, waved and gave us hugs and kisses. She didn't want us to leave and told us she wanted us to come back again another day. Even all of her friends loved us being in the class.

Then we went to see Sophia who was in art class. She was polite to us, but not overly affectionate. She showed us her work, then quickly said goodbye as she ran off to recess.
The kids are at very different stages in their lives and as a result, treat us very different in front of their friends. But the good thing is that when we're home, they're all much more loving and not embarrassed to be around us.
The day was great, because not only did Chris and I spend the day visiting our kids and grocery shopping together, but he also helped me and my girlfriends buy Bon Jovi tickets. And yes, we got great seats and are going in March!

Fall Fun, Fiddler & 44

I'm so behind on blogging, so the easiest way to catch up is with pictures. We had a great Halloween. I tried to talk the girls into being pretty princesses with big, flowing gowns, done up hair and makeup. But my little girls had different ideas. Sophia was adamant about being a burglar and Selena loved her shiny race car driver outfit. It was hard for me to accept that they no longer wanted to do the princess theme. I told them maybe next year we could be matching princesses, to which Sophia replied, "I want to be a hobo." (Sigh) I have a year to change her mind.

I love our church Halloween party, because all my friends dress up. Julie, the ghost bride. Laurrel, the cave woman. I went as a pirate this year, even though I was mistaken for a wench and a gypsy. I should've invested in a sword or a patch.
My fellow Twilight fan, sweet Scarlett.

Alec has worn the same costume the past couple of years -- a football jersey. He was excited that he didn't have to come home after the party. He was able to go hang out with the boys, watch football and exchange candy -- he's a man now!

I went for the second year in a row to see the So You Think You Can Dance Concert. It was great sitting next to Mendy, even though she made me deaf from screaming in my ear. Being with her super hip sister Amber made it even more fun. A fun part of the night was Mendy running into an ex-boyfriend. She didn't tell me until after he went by who he was. I was so upset that I didn't get a picture of them together. I don't think his wife would've cared.

We saw lots of friends sitting close by, even our much missed Jenni and Cami who came from Denver and Utah. (Next visit I need to see more of you two!)

A major highlight that the kids were able to experience was their first Broadway play. We all went to see Fiddler on the Roof, and it was Topol's final tour. It was amazing. We had great seats so they had no problem taking in all the amazing singing, dancing and acting. On the way home and for days after they sang the songs -- Matchmaker was their favorite. When we left the theater, we saw the actor who played the rabbi and he gladly posed for a picture with us, which thrilled the kids -- and me!

The biggest event this month though, has been my hubby's birthday. He wouldn't let me give him a party with friends, but agreed to a family bowling party. Chris had an amazing game where he got 4 strikes in a row and then a spare. He was bummed when our time ended and he wasn't able to bowl more strikes. I tried to tell him that I let him win because it was his birthday, but we both know he'd beat me no matter what. He thinks it's silly that I still make him hold up a paper showing his age, like he's a little kid, but I told him my mom used to make my dad do it when he was in his 40's. Maybe when Chris is in his 50's I'll stop. He thought it was funny to catch the paper on fire -- the girls enjoyed it.
I used to think my parents were so old when they were in their 40's, now I know better, because Chris and I are still young!

Ooh La La

I really enjoy eating out at restaurants. I love the atmosphere. I love scanning a menu. I love somebody bringing me food. I love how they clean up my dishes and how they insist I indulge in dessert. But I usually don't go to very expensive restaurants, because I eat out too often to afford that luxury. This week, however, we were invited by friends to go to a very nice restaurant. And at the invitation of Felicity & Nathaniel, I experienced my first French cuisine and I loved it!

Nathaniel, our French speaking expert, helped interpret some of the things the waiter was saying and ordered some appetizers for us that I had never had before. We had clams, mussels, calamari, Pate de Campagne, Saucisse Grille Alsacienne (fancy sausage & potatoes) and a cold tomato soup. The waiter announced the soup had no alcohol, which confused me until Nathaniel explained alcohol is put in a lot of the dishes.

We also ordered virgin strawberry daiquiris and it was like sucking straight out of a strawberry. They were so tasty, I ordered two.

You'd think after all those appetizers we'd be full, but no. We were just getting started. Our main dishes were Viande du Marche (the meat of the day). Not sure what it was but I tasted Chris' and it was good. We also had Canard (duck) and I got Filet Mignon. It just melted in my mouth.

Then our stomachs weren't quite bloated enough so we ordered dessert. Chris ordered Gateau au Fromagede Chavre (goat cheese cheesecake with fruit compote). I doubted his selection, but it was tasty. Nathaniel ordered a fancy Sorbet et Glace that came encased in a fancy ice cup. And I have tasted chocolate mousse before, so I thought. But not until I put a spoonful of Mousse au Chocolat from Tersiguel's restaurant, did I realize what I had been missing. It was amazing. Everyone took a bite and agreed that we could never go back to regular mousse again. We also agreed we probably wouldn't eat for a few days after this night. We left very satisfied.

It was a great night experiencing something new with special friends. It's going to be tough going back to fast food after this night.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Today my baby is 6 years old. She's been asking every day for the past month when it was time for her birthday. She had a bowling party over the weekend with her friends to jump start her birthday week. Thank goodness the side bumpers were up. Bowling took a long time because the balls took about 30 minutes to make it down to the pins, since the kids couldn't throw that hard. But they all loved it.
Today was finally the big day. She happily went to school knowing her dad and I would bring her a cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, fries and a shake from Wendy's for lunch. Lunch with kindergartners is so fun. All her friends wanted to sit with us. They asked us questions. They wanted to be in the pictures. And they hugged us goodbye. Chris even spoke Spanish to two of the kids. It was very impressive.

After school was over, we took her to Silver Diner where there's a jukebox on every table. They play 50's and 60's music and she can eat pancakes for dinner, topped off with a strawberry shake.

Then it was time for a shopping spree. I asked her which store she wanted to go to and big surprise, she chose Toys R Us. After she maxed out the credit card, we headed home and found a huge surprise from her dad. The present said she could only have it if she promised to share it with her siblings. She agreed and then squealed with happiness as she opened Rock Band. The kids wanted to start rockin' out tonight, but we put them to bed and told them their partying would have to wait.
I'm so grateful for my sweet Selena and so glad she loved her special day!

Weekend Update

Our time at our neighborhood pool is over. Unfortunately the pools close Labor Day weekend no matter what the weather is like. But they do throw a fun catered party with a DJ, dancing and dining. What makes it so great are all my close friends who joined the pool so we had a great summer swimming together. Well, the kids would do most of the swimming while we would talk, occasionally read, and talk some more.

After four days of school, the kids had four days off. Chris went off to California for his grandma's 90th birthday. He was able to see family members he hadn't seen in years. I love the picture with him and his older brothers. He's bigger than both of them now, which is nice since they used to pound on him when they were younger.

For Labor Day we took the kids to the circus. This was their first time, as well as my first time seeing a circus. They loved the clowns, elephants, the acrobats and the man getting shot out of the cannon. Selena had cotton candy for the first time. She begged and begged for it. Then after we paid $5 for it, she tasted it and declared, "I don't like it." Sophia and Alec happily finished it off for her. Then she asked for popcorn, soda, balloons, lighted wands. Holy cow they were selling everything there. We stayed strong though and bought nothing else.

We ended our long weekend at Chevy's where the girls loved their lemons, the boys loved their drinks and I loved not having to cook!

I Can Hear The Bells

It's that time of year! Summer is over and the kids are back in school.

For some reason Alec wasn't excited about my wanting to document the occasion with pictures and a little video. I thought all pre-teen boys loved that kind of thing. But after given the choice of pictures in our home or out at the bus stop, he "happily" posed for me. I told him he'd appreciate all these pictures and videos years from now. And he did make me tear up before he left. He gave me a hug and said, "I love you." I'm sure he doesn't realize how much that meant to me.

My girls were totally different. They loved picking out their outfits and posing for pictures. We walked to school and I had a little mishap. My cute flip flops broke. There was no fixing them and there was no walking on them. So I had to take them off and walk bare foot not only to the school, but walking through the school, which I didn't enjoy.

Selena was a little reserved. She didn't say much. She sat in her seat and started coloring while I hugged and kissed her goodbye. Her good friend Ashtyn is in her class, so that makes me feel better that she already has a friend.Sophia requested that she walk alone to class. After all, she is a third grader. I told her there was no way that was happening -- I was getting pictures! She realized there was no way out of it, so she put a smile on her face. Oh, did I mention Sophia's teacher is young, blond and beautiful? Yes, I'll be going on all the field trips this year.
So far the school year has been great. After two whole days, no one is behind on homework. No teachers have called about misbehaving students. And I'm not a ball of stress yet. Selena's teacher did call tonight and say how she loves having Selena in her class and how sweet she is. Selena lit up when I told her that her teacher called just to tell me what a good girl she is.When Alec showed me his new math book, I knew I was in trouble. I didn't take that class until high school and I don't even remember it. So I guess I won't be helping him with this subject.

Here's hoping the kids have a great school year. Not only do they have class work to look forward to, but while Alec is busy with football, the girls are not only taking ballet classes, but also a new dance class - Hip Hop! Should be a fun!

Last Days of Summer

We only have one more week and then free time is over. No more sleeping in. No more sleepovers. No more staying up past bedtime. It's almost time for homework, homework and more homework!

But before that happens the kids have been enjoying pool time, parties, and lots of sleepovers.

Sophia and Selena would have a sleepover every night if I let them.

My sweet girlfriends happily pose for pictures.
These boys, however, I had to man-handle them in place, threaten them not to move and to please smile -- stubborn!
On Sundays when the kids are all dressed up, I try to get a "happy" picture of them, but today they weren't in the mood. They said, "You're not going to put this on your blog are you?" Of course I am! Even if they don't have their happy faces on.

Big Hair/Big Cheeks

As I've been looking through old photos, I've come to some realizations. One is that I had very big bangs and lots of curl in my younger years and the other is the sadder truth that my cheeks were huge! I had no idea when Chris and I were first married I was Delta Burke's double. But back when these pictures were taken we didn't have digital cameras so there were no redo's like we have now. Even if I have a stranger take a picture of me with my friends, I check it and make them retake it if we look funny. Obviously if I had seen the above picture immediately, it would've been deleted on account of chubby cheek syndrome.
The picture below I love because of all our fluffy hair and all that paisley print. We used countless cans of Aqua Net getting ready for this photo shoot!

The Reluctant Flyer

There are times when something is happening in your life or you're having a conversation with someone and you think, "This is a bloggable moment." I had one of those experiences flying home on the redeye flight from Las Vegas to DC this week.
I expected an uneventful flight considering everyone should be sleeping, but I was wrong.
Because we get the leftover seats, I rarely get to sit by my kids when we fly. But I was only one row away from Selena, so I asked a lady to trade seats with me since I knew Selena would be more comfortable sleeping on me than trying to sleep sitting up.

As I took my seat next to Selena, the man sharing our row leans over to me and says, "Just so you know, I'm a very nervous flyer. I took a couple Xanax so I should be fine. But if I act strange, that's why."
As I looked in his eyes which were very close to my face, he did have a glazed look going on. But other than that he seemed like a normal man.
Then he got talkative and told me how he hates flying, but does it all the time because of his job. I told him to just think of it like a roller coaster ride. Then he said he hates roller coasters and any kind of ride that goes fast. He then mentioned how he shouldn't be like this since he's an officer in the military and has done two tours in Afghanistan.

I said, "And flying on this plane is freaking you out?"
He told me how his dad was a pilot, but his mom would never let the kids fly because it scared her and she's still never been on a plane.

As we took off, he had his head down between his legs and was mumbling to himself. Then he'd sit up, grab at his hands, and put his head back down again. Part of me wanted to comfort him and the other part wanted to say, "Dude, relax!"

Once we were in the air he listened to his iPod, had his head pillow and I assumed he slept, because that's what I was trying to do.
We didn't talk again until we started to land. At this point he's looking out the window, rocking back and forth in his seat while mumbling to himself. As the plane landed, it was loud like landings usually are and there was some jerking. He did not enjoy this and made a more audible moan while he put his head between his legs again.
Now, I don't get nervous when I fly. But even if I did, I was so fascinated watching him I wasn't even thinking about the possibility of something going wrong.
He was still nervous and mumbling as we were coming to a stop. At this point I grabbed his arm and said, "It's okay. It's over."

He said, "I know. I don't know why I do that every time. I should just sleep. But did you see the lightening storm we were going through?"

What? I thought he was sleeping during the 5 hour flight, but apparently he was checking for danger out the window. "No. I was sleeping. Why were you looking? You should've kept your eyes shut."

He said, "I can't. I have to have total awareness of the surroundings."
Then he asks me if I've heard of Tourette syndrome. I told him I had. And he said he also had that, which didn't help his situation.
He said he's here in DC for a week and then has to go through the flying torture once again.

I must say he was the most intriguing passenger I've sat next to. I've heard of people having anxiety when they fly, but I've never seen it firsthand. And this man was medicated! I can't imagine what he'd be like if he didn't have those pills to relax him.
I wanted to tell him that I was going to blog about him and if I could take his picture, but I didn't want to add any more stress to his day.

Vegas Fun

Having a sister in Vegas is very convenient. We can go to nice restaurants, enjoy all the sites and not have to pay for a hotel. One day I took all her kids to the strip and we went to the M&M factory, looked at the lions at the MGM and of course showed them the fancy hotels. Then Susana and Jason took us out to dinner at a yummy BBQ place where we ate way too much meat, but it was so yummy.

Then if just living in Vegas wasn't enough, my sister and her hubby also bought a boat, which almost convinced Chris to relocate. We went to Lake Mead where we swam in front of the Hoover Dam. The kids loved it. They tubed and enjoyed being thrashed around on the water.

Chris hadn't been skiing in many years, but got up and looked like a pro. He impressed me, because I never got the hang of it. My sweet sister watched my kids for me one night and Chris and I went to see Lance Burton, Master Magician at the Monte Carlo. I love vacations with built-in babysitters! Visiting Vegas gave me the baby cravings and gave Chris a boat craving.

Family Treasures

My sister Laura and I tackled a major project for two days. We went through all of our family pictures. That's elementary school pictures for six children and yes, my mother bought school pictures every year for every child, just like I do. We also had a ton of birthdays, Christmases, proms, and vacation pictures to go through. So we went through boxes and boxes of photos, separating pictures for each or our siblings. It was so fun reminiscing as we saw photos of events we had forgotten about and complaining about how we looked because of some unfortunate style choices we made.
But also in these boxes of treasures we found my parents missionary pictures from Mexico, where they both served and some of their wedding photos. We also found pictures my mom never showed us of her youth. For some reason she didn't like showing us all her pictures and I don't know why because she was so beautiful.
I also found tons of pictures from my high school days and I can guarantee once I get home to my scanner, there will be many, many Flashback Friday posts with lots of big hair.

Selena and Alec with their triplet cousins, Tatum, Liam and Shane.

The last time I saw my nephew, I know I was taller than him. He's now a man at 17. Time goes too fast -- I remember changing his diapers!
Connie and I have been friends since puberty. Then we became forever linked when her sister finally gave into my very persistent brother and they married. We also both chose the same job path and are loving our careers as court reporters.
Ever since my girls have been taking care of the newest baby of the family, they're begging for a new sibling.
I'm grateful for my sister-in-law Cheri for taking on the job of being my brother's wife. It can't be easy living with a man who constantly called me "butt munch" when we were growing up.

When we got to the desert, Chris took Selena to a motorcross track to watch the races. She came home and was saying, "I didn't take the picture!" I was confused until she showed me all the pictures they took and this is what I saw -- a not so attractive bottom. She was laughing. I think it was the highlight of the races, laughing at a man's unfortunate sitting position.