Parent Ed Class

The kids and I go to a parent ed class at Glendale Community College. I have been going to these classes since Josh was 6 months old. The kids and I love it. The class is 3 hours long once a week. It starts with free play (there is a big play structure), painting and a craft that is brought in by one of the mothers, rug time with stories and music, snack and then more free play with play dough and bikes. We rotate mothers on the last part of free play so we can have discussion with the teacher and other parents. Jade and I really look forward to our Friday class. I thought the craft was such a cute idea I wanted to post it. It is a paper plate that the kids made into a crown. Jade calls it her party hat ( she gets that from Go Dog Go by, Dr. Suess). Look how cute it is. I want you to know, to get Jade to let me take her picture I had to beg, plead and give her candy.

Hungry

Usually Josh is so sweet and tells me thank you for all the things I do for him. It is actually really nice that he recognizes what I do. He will even list the things I do. O.K. I will admit, I remind them time to time of the many things I do do for them. Know having said that, I will tell you what he told me today. The little turkey looks like he needs some more reminding. I was messing around on the computer, which I probably do more then I should.....but. Anyway, he is telling me that he is hungry, now he just finished his lunch that I MADE for him like an hour ago. So, I tell him o.k. just a minute. We go back and forth of him asking and me saying just a minute. Then he tells me, "dad goes to work all the time and you do nothing". I couldn't believe my sweet loving boy just said this. I'm like, o.k., I'm doing a great job letting him know daddy goes to work for us but I really need to step it up on telling him how much I do for the family. Not to nice to hear but it was kind of funny. I told him to really think about what he said and started to list the many things I do for him and told him he really hurt my feelings, he felt bad. I got off the computer and got him something to eat. He was happy again and so was I. He is still my sweet loving boy!

Vaction

This weekend Wayne was able to go to Mammoth. Wayne has only gone there one other time but said it was the most fun he has ever had. Wayne LOVES down hill riding! So, I decided that when Wayne goes away on bike trips, the kids and I would have our own vacation. The first time he was gone we set up tents in the house. No tents this time but we still had a lot of fun. We went to BJ's restaurant in Burbank and had dinner and a yummy dessert. Then headed over to the mall to play. The kids love playing there. Jade calls it the park. On our way home Josh told me that our vacation was much funner then daddy's. Then later today (Saturday) Brian and Amy invited us to go to Palmer Skate Park in Glendale. Brian has been really excited to take Josh there. It's one of the first cement parks so it's small. Perfect for Josh to start messing around on. Josh brought his bike and his board. He had a blast. It was funny, the kids his age were so impressed to see him on his skateboard. They all gathered around him and wanted to try. I over heard some of the bigger kids say he'll be pro by the time he's our age.

Jade had lots of fun playing with Kealia until she had a big fall. After that she was done. The girls play so well with each other it is so cute.

I love to take pictures but Jade is in this funk where she won't let me take her picture. She turns her head or runs. It drives me nuts. I can't believe that I didn't think about getting a picture of us in front of BJ's or about getting a picture of Wayne before they left. At least my late thinking was able to get them driving away. It was funny, the bike rack was about as big as the car. Here are some of the pictures I did take.

Wayne just got back! It's nice to have him home safely (except for his injured knee).

Wayne leaving for Mammoth

Some of the kids checking out Josh's Sk8board

Uncle Brian and Josh waiting their turn

"classic Jade"

This was shortly after her fall so she was mad

Love how she fold her arms!

Jade smiling pretty for me
(at least she is letting me take her picture)

Holding On........

It's funny how some days your kids grow too fast and other days not fast enough. I'm going to really miss them as they are right now! Although it is a lot of work and sometimes hectic and stressful, these are the best days of my life. Watching them just be who they are is simply amazing to me! It's hard to even find the right words to describe how deep I feel. I know that the feeling is a universal feeling mother's share across the world. I don't love one more then the other at all! I feel lucky for this. I know that many people have their favorites. I feel blessed that I never felt that with my own mother either. I asked my mom growing up if she had a favorite. She said NO of course. She explained to me that there are times one may need you more then another. I have to admit, I always felt like my mom was more my mom. Weird, I know, but I was the last of six for her and there was a huge age gap between all of my siblings. Six years being the closest one in age. So, I had her all to myself, well, a lot of the time anyway. My mom is one of those that can't help enough people, whether it be, family, friends or even strangers. Which is a story in it's own. Anyway, my heart is full of love for my kids and I want to make sure they never doubt it for a second. Josh is my sweet, cautious, very much a pleaser, loving boy. Jade, she is tough, fearless, full of spunk, sass and love. And then there is my sweet little baby Ben. He is for sure the easiest baby for me by far. He has such an easy going temperament. He hardly cries, really! And if he is crying the second he sees me, he pretty much stops cause he knows I'm coming to get him. He smiles all the time and just loves life.... and me :-). I can never take enough pictures or video enough. If I could video every second I would.

When I had Josh my parents moved. At first I was hurt but it has worked out really nice. So far we have seen them almost every three months and my kids LOVE my parents and very much know them. Apu is what they call my dad and grandma is grandma. Apu is Hungarian and that is where my dad is from. I want give them a love and understanding of different cultures and a connection to their own hertiage. I think I have the best parents ever and feel so lucky to call them mom and dad.

Some picture with Grandma and Apu

Labor Day Weekend

Big Bear

We all went up to Big Bear for the weekend. When I say we all, I mean Wayne's sister Amy and family (3kids + a friend), his cousin Taylor and family (2kids), his brother Scott and his girlfriend Heather, his brother Lance and his mom and stepdad Bill. The kids love it! Between all the kids we have 7 under the age of 4. It gets a little crazy at times but we all have lots of fun. Oh, I forgot to metion, there was 4 dogs too.

We had so much fun just hanging out playing in the yard, the street, at the park, the lake and in the house. Josh was riding his bike up and down big hills and got going so fast that his little bike couldn't go any faster and then he would put on the breaks and skid. He was having so much fun. Josh is the only one that doesn't really have a cousin his age so he likes to hang out with Kayla (13) and her friends. But, Jade's 2 cousins are her age (one is only 24 hr. older and the other one is 2 mo. older and both are girls). It's so cute to watch them play together. Then there is 3 baby boys all around Ben's age, Ben being the youngest of the bunch. It's wonderful!

Kealia and Jade

Taylor and the girls-Jade, Kealia and Leilani with Drew following behind

Jade

Wayne and Josh

Josh 4 1/2

Ben

Josh, Lucy, Keerye, Jade and Kayla

THE FOUND DOG

A few weeks before we went up to Big Bear I found a beautiful golden retriever puppy. I was on a bike ride and he was out. He ended up following me home and my pitt bull the kids and I fell in love with him right away, but Wayne didn't. I posted signs and no one called on him, I looked for signs and saw none. So Wayne had me looking for a home for him but I couldn't find one that was the right fit. Anyway, we took him with us and I think Wayne started getting use to the idea, so now he is ours! The kids the dog and I are so happy. I have been spending a lot of time trying to train him and watching Ceasar Millans show, The Dog Whisperer and reading his book. He is great!!! I'm learning so much. Now I know why Tigger had so many issues but that's a whole nother story.

Here is Keerye our King. Isn't he beautiful!

(Keerye means king in Hungarian)