Ready

I am ready for Argentina. Passports (all five) are on the table. Turned the thermostat off. Packed Benadryl, Orajel (Isaac popped out three more top teeth just last night), and my camera battery. Boys are packed; swimsuits, church clothing, hats, sandals, long pants, undies, etc. I am packed. Isaac is good to go with lots of diapers, wipes, PJ's and socks. Jared is the last one left to pack. I pick him up at 8pm, we will head home (finish the last packing), and leave bright and early at 5:30am!

I have treats (gummy worms and twizzlers), a leapster, DVD player, cards, crayons, blankies and new water bottles (which Wesley discovered on accident! They were supposed to be stocking stuffers...but, since we won't have stockings this year...I guess it's okay) for their carry-on backpacks.

The house is now quiet as Isaac is taking a little snooze. Poor guy bounced off Wesley's bed while I was putting on clean sheets and did a nose dive into the laundry on the floor. Nose bleed. Crying. Break my heart. He then threw up a little bit of water. Should I be worried? He seems to be acting okay. The teething situation definitely does not help. I hope he sleeps okay. LONG travel day coming up tomorrow!

I cleaned all three bathrooms (happily after my last cleaning experience this week. My toilets sure do look and smell great), vacuumed entire house, dusted, windexed, even scrubbed my kitchen garbage can clean! Wrangler is staying at Cousin Tim's house, he got dropped off last night. The fridge is just about empty from any perishables. Garbages still need to be tossed.

Grandpa Lowe volunteered to take the boys to a movie. They were so excited! I feel so weird having no kids around, tugging at my hair or asking for "chicle o dulces."

We will go to Miami tomorrow (Sunday), stay the night and then leave Monday evening for Bs. As. Argentina. Not much else to do except make myself a liquado, wait for the hours to pass until I pick up Jared, mop the floors last thing, load up the car, lock the doors, say a prayer... and then the journey begins!

Update:
Took Isaac to the E.R. tonight after talking things over with Dr. Pearce. Because of our long trip to South America tomorrow, not knowing how the hospitals work down there, being inside lots of airplanes with cabin pressures, and being under the age of 1....those things encouraged me to take him in. His nose bleed and throwing up made me extra cautious. After a quick intake, an hour wait in the waiting room (didn't let him off of my hip b/c of all the germs on the floor as he crawls around), and a cry-free CT scan...everything came out clean! I was grateful for the "better safe than sorry" feeling I had. The $100 co-pay was worth our peace of mind.

Bed by 1am, getting up at 4am for our big trip! (Gotta do my hair, finish packing and feed the boys cereal all before 5:30am).

Pay it forward

Just a year ago, Leslie Boley came out to DC and "paid it forward" with her service to me. On her hands and knees scrubbing my baseboards, showing me how to shark-mop my hardwood floor, and cooking me dinners as I was recovering from giving birth.

I have been "paying it forward" from her dear service to me. Today was especially difficult for me because of the depth of filth I cleaned. It's hard for me to understand how people can live in places so unsanitary. There's got to be some way that I can not only help clean out the stains and splatters, but TEACH how to run a more organized environment. How do people live in such messes? Is it because they have not been educated? Laziness? Feeling overwhelmed?

It makes me remember back to my own upbringing where my house was spic 'n span. Dishes were to be done. Bathrooms scrubbed. Garbage disposed before it smelled up the kitchen. I didn't care growing up about these small tasks, but looking back, it is what shaped me into the homemaker that I am now. These little things are so important to me now as I run my own ship.

I think the most important thing to having a clean home is MAINTAINING it. As I was venting to my dad about the disgusting bathrooms today he said, "doing it in small measures prevents the need for large, unmanageable projects." I feel like my house is usually clean (NEVER is it ALWAYS clean because that is not realistic!). My daily basics: dishes are always out of the sink, beds are made, countertops are wiped clean, and I vacuum underneath the kitchen table. I have learned to do these things throughout the years. With those small tasks completed, I feel like my home is presentable. The rest of the things get done throughout the weeks as needed.

Another key is to get your kids involved. Wesley and Austin help out now by unloading the dishes, making beds, hanging up clothes, windexing Wrangler's slobber off the door, taking out garbage's and wiping down chairs. By the time Wesley is 7, he will be scrubbing his own bathroom clean (to my standards with softscrub, clorox wipes and windex). I know it is a ton of work keeping a clean home, and everyone has different standards of cleanliness, but what I experienced today was not healthy for anyone.

So, the point of this posting is to remind myself how satisfying it feels to live in a sanitary home, how rewarding it is to provide service for someone out of love vs. duty, the importance of teaching my boys how to clean, and how grateful I am for my instincts to provide a tidy and well- kept home.

Packing list

The countdown is on until we leave for Argentina to visit my mama...5 days! My boys are super excited, I just hope that they will realize what a L O N G journey it will be down to South America.We will separate the trip up in Florida for a day (Sunday) and then travel through the night on Monday. I hope I bring the right clothing for the "summer" days. Supposed to be in the 80's, pretty mild to what we are used to 'summer' being like.

Less is more. I am taking only 3 suitcases for 5 people. 1 suitcase is dedicated to my mom. So, really just 2 suitcases, the boys' backpacks to carry, and a chunky baby in tow!

Lots to clean and lots to pack. Yet, I lack the motivation! By Friday I will be stressed out for sure.

Some items I can't forget, beyond the normal packing items:
passports
stroller
car seat for Isaac
portable DVD player, "new" DVD's that they haven't seen (borrowed Curious George, Cinderella and Nim's Island)
swimsuits
NEW snacks and games for the plane ride (twizzlers, go fish cards, Hot Wheels, Leapster, playdough, gummy worms)
camera and charger
earplugs
Benadryl

For my mom:
nylons
wireless mouse
tissue paper
ziplock bags
hair dye
kitchen gadgets
Christmas tree skirt

For the birthday parties (Isaac, Wesley, Jared):
Spongebob pinata
candy necklaces
slinky toys
sticky slap hands

Besides packing, I also will be leaving my house clean. So....the mopping, bathrooms, garbage, dishes, laundry and Wrangler will all be in order....now I just need to get to bed so I can start the day off right!

Polar Express

I never grew up believing in Santa Claus. I am not sure if it was because my mom's culture did not include Santa Claus, thus she didn't pass it along to me. Or, maybe she wanted to focus on the "real" meaning of Christmas. Either way, now that I am a mother, I kinda struggle to grasp the whole Santa Claus idea. I am not sure how far to go with it. Do we write the letters? Do we leave cookies for Santa and Rudolph? Do we talk about how he is always watching if you are "bad or good?" Do we leave certain gifts, "from Santa?" I want to give good answers to my boys when they ask about him, yet at the same time, I wonder if I just keep a low-key attitude about it, maybe they won't make a big deal of it either? I want them to believe in the magic of Christmas, I want them to recognize it is Jesus' birth, and I want them to understand the meaning of giving and receiving...so, does all of that also include the idea of Santa Claus?

Believer or not, we took our family to the Polar Express in Williams, AZ (outside of Flagstaff). It was a quick 2.5 hour drive there, where we joined up with our good friends the Ashton's. Our kids had no idea what we were doing or where we were going! We took Wesley out of school early and after packing away our groceries from Costco (Jared and I frequent that store every Monday), we headed up the mountain. My boys were so excited to share the car with their friends and watch the movie, "The Polar Express." Lots of questions were asked about what we were doing, but we just played it all down. "Es una sorpresa!"

We arrived in time to get a bite to eat at the local Route 66 diner. Yummy chili cheese fries, salads and burgers. It was then time to change into their Pajamas (new for Christmas!). We had them change in the car and they were chilly! Just putting on our "sacos gordos" and beanies reminded me of our Christmas last year in DC. At this time we were at the White House looking at the National tree lit up and walking around the DC temple. Makes me nostalgic just a bit. My big ol' pregnant belly and carring Austin around b/c he was so tired. In Williams, it was only 19 degrees, but we stayed nice and warm. Isaac's PJ's were extra tight and I loved them. April said, "All aboard!" and they knew exactly what it was! They were going to the North Pole and were going to see Santa!

We loaded up onto the train and the excitement began. There was typical child drama with spilled hot cocoa, fighting over who would sit next to the window, being asked to stay out of the aisles at least 10x's by the "elves," messy chocolate mouths from yummy cookies, and overly-tired children yawning and getting moody. But, there was also a magical spirit of Christmas as we sang the carols (the children just watched since they didn't know the words), waved to Santa at the "North Pole" (Austin told me, "that's not the North Pole! There is no snow!"), and later watched Santa get onto the train to hand out special bells.

April and I must've each taken over 50 pictures each, so hopefully at least 10 of them turned out decent. It is a task to get 7 kids to LOOK at you, let alone SMILE and pertend to have fun! Isaac was all over the place with his wiggle worm body, but he LOVED watching Jared blow the cold air into his face and would giggle from head to hips (which he loves to thurst).

Pictures with Mrs. Claus were fun and the boys each wrote a letter to Santa. Wesley asked for a Wii, which we are not going to get. Then he asked for a DS (which he nor I even know what it is!). He is easily influenced by his peers (Mason asked for the same thing). He eventually just asked for some gum. Austin asked for a new sister. Not sure about that one. I know papa helped him write that one.

We got home by 11pm, and the children slept soundly in their comfy car seats with great head supports. These memories are what make childhood wonderful. We've gotta make the efforts to capture these moments while they are still magical for our children and BELIEVE in Christmas. Thanks April for the great idea and for making it all happen!

Scrooge

I am not putting up Christmas this year. Why not? A few reasons:

1. We are leaving in a little over a week for South America. My mom lives in Argentina and we have been planning a visit to see her for a year now. Why put up Christmas when we are leaving two weeks before it will even come? Then to come home to unpack bags, as well as the holiday?

2. Jared is not here. It's not very fun to put up Christmas AND take it down by yourself. The "family" life is not the same when it's just ME doing all the leg work. We did hang up a strand of Christmas lights outside. And I mean a strand. It's actually dangling from the garage door. I want to have traditions for my boys, but if I can get away with it for now...so be it.

3. We have no tree! Last year we bought a fresh pine tree in Maryland (at the local Home Depot), and the year before we left our tree in El Paso, TX when we moved.

4. No room. I really have no nooks, corners, shelves or areas to put up the decor.

5. Lack of motivation or desire. I simply don't want to put forth the effort, all to just take it down in a few weeks, alone, and overwhelmed.

So, call me scrooge. Tell me, "Ba-hum-bug!"

Christmas this year will be spent in a non-traditional setting...en la Argentina. I promise next year to start up with traditions again for my boys; elf on the shelf (one I would like to start), monkey bread for breakfast, PJ's on C-mas eve, acts of service, gingerbread houses, caroling, seeing temple lights, and putting up our Christmas tree!

For my boys

Dear Adrienne

In 15 years, I want you to read this again when you are in your mid 40's (2025 ish). By then, your boys will be in their late teens and early 20's. There are a few things that I want "our" boys to know how to do and be:

1. Know their way around the kitchen. I want them to have a few recipes that they can easily make. I want them to know how to make homemade bread, bake brownies, grill on the BBQ and whip up some pasta dishes.
2. Chores: laundry, dishes, keeping bedroom clean (including making their beds, clothes picked up), scrubbing the bathrooms and mopping floors.
3. The Waltz. They need to know how to lead a girl onto the dance floor, maintain good posture and with confidence show her how to move around in the box.
4. Piano. Basic sight reading, church hymns, and anything else they like.
5. Car mechanics: how to change oil, fill up air, check for leaks and the 101 on brakes (Jared will be in charge of that department).
6. Service. I want them to know how it feels to help someone else move into a new home, or mowing the lawn for a neighbor, or helping out at a volunteer unit. I plan on exposing them to as many things as we can do as a family. Christmas caroling? Plates of cookies? Babysitting?
7. Work Ethic and Money. Summer jobs, weekend paper route (will newspapers even be around by then?), PT jobs after school (if not too involved in sports), earning extra money through allowance. I want them to understand responsibility, balancing a paycheck, discipline and the value of a dollar. Teach them about saving money, importance of a credit and using debit cards.
8. Affection. I want lots of hugs, kisses, smiles and wrestling to go on para siempre!
9. Grooming habits: flossing every night, hair combed, color coordinating clothing (gotta impress the ladies!), keep nails trimmed and clean, shaved neck beard and cologne.
10. Spanish. English. Be bilingual in both languages. Proficiency to take AP classes in High school and to continue to grow with their knowledge as they get older. Perhaps even study abroad?
11. TESTIMONY. Not much needs to be said there. May it be their own! Having experiences to share their beliefs with others (prior to their missions), and learning to how to pray.

This is what I want for "our boys." You have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders as their mama. I am sure the time will go by quickly and I want you to feel proud of them and secure in their future. They are God's children and what a privilege it is to raise them here on earth. Just remember the bigger picture and work on it!

Road Trips

Grateful List


Day #30:
*I am excited to be done with this month-long gratitude list! It's required more creativity and opened my eyes to more things, but I am looking forward to posting "random" daily life posts.
*Enjoying some cheesy chili cheese fries
*Bundling up my boys in "sacos gordos" and watching Isaac laugh at the cold breathy air in Williams, AZ.
*Costco, you are my favorite grocer. I loved going to buy a huge block of cheese, frozen strawberries, mangoes, organic peanut butter, vitamins, zip lock bags (for Abu), grapes, eggs, milk, protein powder, Jared's birthday bike, 4lbs of fresh spinach and of course a churro.

Day #29
*Listening to my honey give a fantastic talk on Moral Discipline (it really was one of his better talks he has given. He is such a great public speaker!)
*Whipping up some chicken/zucchini spaghetti with fresh green beans and crescent rolls for lunch guests.
*Watching Isaac sing along to the i-pod in his ears. So cute! "ga ga guh ga"

Movie Theatre

Grateful List
Day #28:

*Going to see New Moon with Nikki Thrower and then shopping for shoes! We both agreed that Edward needs to get a bit more toned, but Jacob sure did look amazing. How wonderful it was to ditch the kids to feel like a girlfriend and have a great time!
*Cooler afternoon with a gorgeous sunset, perfect weather for the park.
*The Boley's for picking Jared up at the airport (and letting my kids take a nap at their house while doing so 'til 11pm).
*Helping Wesley with some reading homework and watching him sound things out...h-e-r, her!
*BOGO sale that got me some fun New Balance kicks.

Turkey Day

Grateful List

Day #27:
* Visiting with my dear friend KariAnn Young. For her sweet laughter, witty sense of humor, common bond, listening ear and beautiful laughter. I wish we only lived closer.
*Taking Wesley on his first bike ride to the grocery store. A few crashes later, he did a great job and has a few rainbow band-aids to show from it. Isaac and Austin happily rode in the trailer.
*Watching a fun movie, "Monster-in-law" while running on the treadmill. The 45 min. of cardio flew by as I laughed and enjoyed some personal time.
*Spending the morning together as a family before Jared drove back to Burbank. A few breakfast burritos, playing with Isaac, and taking the boys for a joy ride around the block in "dad's car."

Day #26: (Thanksgiving!)
*Jared and I played the "thankful game." He thought it was silly. A few favorites: job security, health care, shoes, gospel, family, car, medicine, knowledge, etc.
*Football, soccer, and baseball at the park with los primos.
*Pumpkin pie, stuffing, fresh cranberries and saucy gravy were a few favorite dishes!
*Gorgeous 80 degree weather!

Wheel of Fortune

Grateful list
Day #25:

*Letting my boys stay up 1/2 hour to watch Wheel of Fortune together. They thought it was fun to see the letters go up. I enjoyed eating my long grain rice and chicken dinner that took 1 hour longer to cook than expected, thus the boys settled for poached eggs and toast.
*Anticipating Jared's arrival at 1-3am??? Still stuck in L.A. traffic and driving...
*Good samaritans. I found a lost dog and between myself and another family, we hope to find the owner of the pooch.
*Sweating at the gym. Highlight of my day. (Then again, so is Isaac at any moment of my day!)
*Ability to type, read, see, hear and communicate.

Blue Skies

Grateful list

Day # 24:

*Austin vacuumed my kitchen floor from lunch time. Another reason why I have kids!
*I LOVE Arizona blue skies....all 242 days of the year.
*Lysol disinfectant spray. I just feel better spraying down all faucets, doorknobs, light switches and toilet seats.
*Teaching Wesley how to ride without training wheels. Took lots of patience, scraped knees, tears and encouragement, but he did great for his first day. Muy bien Wesley!
*My dear, chunky, sweet, big eyed, gurgly, happy, and kissable baby. Need I say more? I am so in love with that adorable boy. I could hold him, tickle him, feed him and kiss him all day long. I cherish the moments I steal with him EVERYDAY (b/c I know how fast they go!) to love on him. Never grow up Isaac! I love you so much!