Halloween Fun with the Twins

I am not really a huge Halloween fan.   Don't get me wrong, I love the pumpkin patches, scarecrows, apple picking and fall leaves that connote all things autumn. It's the skeletons, gruesome masks and bloody, disturbing stuff that always strikes me as evil, and completely over the top for a "kid" holiday.  In fact, for me, if my kids weren't so into dress up, I would skip Halloween altogether.  Call me a curmudgeon, that's just the honest truth.  

I am such a Halloween scrooge.  Believe it or not, I actually lodged a formal complaint at Party City last week for their nightmarish display of evil, bloody monsters at the front of the store.  My kids walked in and upon seeing the guy with the blood coming out of his neck, Freddy Kruger whispering, "I'll see you in your dreams," and a shrouded "death" character, complete with a sickle, they had a mini-freak out.  Sure, my kids are pretty sheltered, but they are also very young and I believe, super vulnerable to frightening images.  I don't feel like Freddie Kruger having any part of their dreams.  

When I was a kid, my sister and I always dressed up for Halloween.  My parents never made a big deal about it, and so we never thought too hard about what Halloween was all about or why we participated in the holiday.  Well, just last night as we were tucking the girls into bed, Emma asked me why we celebrate Halloween.  I was stumped.  So I did what I always do when that happens.  I told her that was a question for her dad.  Danny gave a pretty great answer, I thought.  We may dress  up for Halloween, and we may even trick-or-treat a little in our neighborhood, but basically Halloween should be seen as a time to reach out to others with the love Jesus Christ.  I mean, when else do you have a bunch of strangers showing up at your door all night long?  It's a perfect mini-mission project for the kids!  It was at that moment that I remembered the special Halloween tracts I had bought at our Christian bookstore last week.  I showed them to the girls and we made a plan of how we could distribute them along with candy the night of Halloween.  We'll see how it goes.  This is our first year attempting such a plan.  

So after this serious talk with the big girls, I ventured over to the twins' room to ask them about their Halloween costume plans.  Now, given they probably don't remember last year....

....see? They were only two years old!  They don't really know what they are talking about when I ask them what they are going to be.  The conversation, which I videotaped, went from bad to worse...and I have to admit, that I encouraged it.  Funny.

Watch the video to see two three-year-olds take on what they should be for Halloween.  

Sick Day

When one person gets sick around here, the inevitable always happens.  Everyone gets sick.  And depending on the severity of the illness, these bouts usually last an incredibly long time.  I guess the illness has to work its way through everyone, so it takes 6 times as long to cure!  

About 5 weeks ago, I came down with a hacking cough which quickly morphed into a headache inducing sinus infection.  I took one day off of working out for this illness, on the day I thought my head would explode.  Then I went to a session with my trainer when I clearly wasn't over it, mainly to see if he thought I should just skip out on eating in the Zone and take a break from working out for a while.  That was not a go.  He was also pretty unhappy about my four day break from my food diary.  Then I even asked the nurse practitioner who prescribed my antibiotics if I should take a break from exercise.  That also was a no go.  Are those two guys in cahoots?!  

Anyway, the workouts have continued, and I still have the cough and chest congestion.  Believe it or not, I am supposed to get a CT Scan to figure out if the shape of my nasal cavities is a breeding ground for mucus.  Gross, I know.  Sorry.  I have procrastinating on this one for a few weeks.  I know i need to make an appointment for the ear, nose, and throat doctor, but I have so many other things to do!

Today, right after my extreme workout of believe it or not, only 12 minutes, I started coughing and couldn't stop.  "You still have that?" my trainer asked.  Yup, still got it.  

Then the kids got it.  A couple of weeks after my cold began, J.D. started coughing, then Gigi, then Cubby.  After a lengthy checkout by our beloved pediatrician, we discovered that J.D. had a serious left ear infection, sinusitis, and with a 102 degree temperature, possibly the flu.  Gigi and Cubby also had sinusitis and a touch of bronchitis, the doctor thought.  That evening, after the doctor's appointment, everyone was exhausted, including me.  I didn't feel like cooking up a hot meal that my sick kids would surely refuse to eat.  So I cheated...

...with breakfast for dinner.  These pancakes were just what the doctor ordered, so to speak.  The kids never realized that I packed the batter full of two heaping scoops of vanilla whey protein powder!  I piled their plates high with strawberries, and dribbled plenty of syrup.  This plate shown is Danny's.  I also had pancakes, but my syrup was basically invisible.  I also added a few strips of turkey bacon to mine and Danny's plates.  Yum!

The kids were happy.

Happy enough to ignore their utensils.  

Poor little J.D., who hadn't had much of an appetite all day, downed his pancakes with fervor.  You're eating a ton of protein right now, buddy!

Right after breakfast, I mean dinner, one of the girls discovered their tuckered out little brother asleep on the couch.  Probably passed out from the sweet goodness of dinner!

Little sister Gigi, I mean Doctor Gigi, checked on the patient multiple times.  

I love this picture, with her little doctor headband on.  It's like she's studying up for an exam, or writing a prescription.  Maybe we'll be able to show this to her later on when she has graduated from medical school and we can say, "Look!  You had such an early interest in medicine!"

Or maybe we'll show her this one.  Gigi could easily be a fireman.  With her fiery personality and sometimes hot-headed temperament, a firehouse might just be where she belongs!  Too cute!  

We are still not 100% over here, but we are on the mend, thanks to plenty of antibiotics, a humidifier, and plenty of protein pancakes!

Aunt Diane's 70th Birthday Party!

My mom is one of five siblings.  The four sisters are very close, vacationing together, and planning regular dinners out.  My mom's oldest sister, my Aunt Diane, just turned 70 years old.  It's so hard for me to believe that someone like my Aunt Di, which such charisma, vibrancy and energy is 70.  Her approach to that decade has made me re-define how I think about the 70s.  I remember when I thought 40 was old!  I definitely don't think that anymore, having a 45 year old husband and all!  Aunt Diane is one of those rare people with an eternal positive spirit, a spirit bound solidly in her steadfast faith in God and a deep love for her family and friends. 

A few months ago, as her milestone birthday approached, my aunts and mom all convened to start planning a be-boppin' super cool 1950s themed party.  I think my sister Ayron immediately went online and ordered the cutest poodle skirted outfit out there as soon as the theme was revealed.  Anyway, the clock was ticking, and the aunts got to work on putting together an unforgettable evening for their dear sister.  Decorations and costumes were ordered.  The song list was carefully organized.  A program was planned, and invitations were sent out.  

My mom and dad hosted the party at their house, and after quite a bit of post-summer yard work, the yard looked amazing.  On the morning of the party, Ayron and I went over to the house, and decorated, taped, blew up balloons.  Without our kids around to help us filter our language into mature verbage, my time with Ayron basically reverted right back to the roots of childhood.   Ayron teased and insulted, and I laughed and attempted to verbally get her back.  That wasn't happening, she's way to quick for me, but it was fun, and nostalgic to try.  

The party was a wonderful success. Most of the family came, including a few surprise visitors.  The food was delicious, reminiscent of a '50s diner.  The evening couldn't have been more beautiful. The breeze kept the air cool, and the sunset was glorious.  

I have a few pictures to share with you.  I hope you enjoy stepping back in time to the 1950s!

Here is my Aunt Di who was easily the most beautiful and fun dressed person at the party!  Happy Birthday to you Di!

My little family, minus the crazy twins, arrived in our finest 50s duds.  The girls and I are matchy-matchy in our pink and black poodle skirted outfits.  Danny is a 50s era biker, like Marlon Brando in The Wild One.  He said almost no one knew who he was.  Most people came up and said, "Great costume!  What are you?"

The girls are THRILLED about the costume party!

I loved the checkered cake alongside the adorable invitation.  

See? Isn't Ayron adorable?  I am trying to be authentic in my tennis shoes and bobby socks, but she chose a little more wisely in her chic silver ballet slippers. We had so much fun that night!

Dad looked so handsome in his white jacket and pink carnation.  And yes, I caught him singing that song multiple times throughout the night.

Cubby was super excited about these sweet 50s specs.  She and Emma wore theirs almost all night.

My mom and dad are now hooked on costume parties.  They loved dressing up!  Who knew?!

Here is my Aunt Di next to her prom queen picture and just behind her is the original prom dress that she wore!  

The girls, along with their cousin, sang, "How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?" They sang all four verses, and Cubby's "arf-arf" was perfect!!

And here are the four sisters!  My now super-fit Aunt Lynn is there on the far left, then the birthday girl, my adorable mom, and sweet Aunt Bette on the far right.  

Here's Aunt Di with her three children, as well as her three grandchildren.  This was one of the sweetest moments of the party.  Diane's children each gave heartfelt, loving speeches of love and appreciation for their mom.  They told stories about her loving, generous spirit, which permeated their lives as children and on into adulthood.  After their speeches, Diane told everyone how her faith in God has helped her maintain such an attitude of joy despite a life with both happiness and pain.  Her words were so clear and beautiful.  Life without God is not even half a life.  She gave her life to the Lord as a young child and told herself she would live her life to serve God.  She is such an inspiration to me!

The girls had a great time at the party.  Right around 8:00 PM, their coach had turned into a pumpkin.  With tears in their tired eyes, they headed home, and slept hard all night.  They loved being 50s girls for the night.  What a wonderful event, a celebration worth every minute of preparation.  Seeing the smile on Aunt Diane's face throughout the party reminded me how much family means to me, how much love is present in my life, and how blessed I am to have been born into this family.  

One Month In! A Fitness Update

One month ago I began a whole new wellness strategy.  I had tried all the diets: Weight Watchers, South Beach, keeping a food diary, and had even paid a whole lot for a shnazzy nutritionist.  Each time I tried something new, I lost a few pounds, only to gain it back a few months later.  Even though I had dieted pretty thoroughly, I had never given regular exercise a shot.  I would intermittently jump on my elliptical machine, or take a leisurely walk around Cattle Call, more to take a break from household duties than for any kind of attempt at improved fitness.

But this time is different.  This time, I hired a personal trainer, joined a class-heavy, strength training focused gym, and the results have been amazing.  I now work out three to four times per week for an hour. Twice a week I meet with my trainer, who is something of a guru in the Crossfit world.  He takes working out extremely seriously, and places a huge emphasis on proper form and workout intensity.  I believe his motto may just be, "If you are not close to throwing up by the end of the workout, you haven't really worked out."  It may not be, but that's pretty much the result for me.  I'm exaggerating a little, but I do feel totally wiped out after my twice weekly workouts.  I usually have to run out to my car afterwards to re-fuel with a protein shake to quell my shaky stomach.

After a week or so of intense workouts, I began keeping track of every morsel of food in a food journal.  The food journal is required by my trainer.  He looks at my food and makes dark circles in pencil around the "bad" stuff.  For example, the second time I went to a training session, he encircled my confession of "two balls of chocolate chip cookie dough" with a large dark mark.  He encouraged me to look into getting on the Zone diet, and I did.  I bought the book on Amazon for about $2, and after skipping the scientific stuff, got down to the meat of the plan, and understood the basics in a few days.  Basically out go the sugars, and in go the vegetables!  I weigh and measure my food, and write it all down.  In order to be in the Zone, one has to have a certain balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.  It is all very precise and individualized for each person.

A typical breakfast for me now is 3/4 cup of egg substitute scrambled with a whole mess of vegetables like onion, bell peppers, spinach, and salsa on top.  For the fat, I usually add a tablespoon or so of light cheese on top.  I have a salad or half a sandwich for lunch on most days, always with 3 ounces of protein and a small amount of fat accompanying.  A now favorite afternoon snack is two vine ripened tomatoes, sliced, with 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese and one tablespoon of guacamole.  Delicious!   Dinner is another three ounces of protein, a large green salad, and a pile of veggies.  I usually have a cup of raspberries or strawberries for dessert.  This plan is super filling and very doable.  However, I have never had to shop so often!!  We are taking trips to the grocery store, mainly Costco, every few days to fill up on fresh produce and meats.

Believe it or not, even the kids are slowly taking to this new way of eating.  Tonight for dinner they had hamburger, onion, and black bean burritos with sauteed squash and steamed carrots.  The only one who complained, Gigi, went to her room for complaining, then came out a new person, and ate her entire dinner, now cold, without a hiccup!

I can go off the Zone one day per week, and believe it or not, it is not as much fun anymore.  I have such a hard time getting back on the next day, that it hardly seems worth it....at this point.  I know it's very early in the game!  I do still have a sweet tooth.  Usually at night, which has always been my weakest point, I want to reach for something sweet.  While in Julian lately, I bought some really delicious hot tea flavors, like coconut vanilla dessert tea, and hazelnut.  Most of the time that cup of hot tea will do the trick to stave off that craving.

I have lost 10 pounds so far, and I am thrilled beyond words!  It took a whole lot of work to get here, but it was worth it!  All the sacrifice and sweat to achieve this weight loss motivates me to not go back and regress.  I have about 15 more pounds to go, but according to my trainer I am not supposed to think in terms of numbers on the scale.  I can't help it!  He wants me to think in terms of inches and body fat percentage.  I guess I am just over the moon at this point at how much better my clothes are fitting, how I don't get out of breath as easily, and how my trainer now calls me, "tough."  Life is good!  And now, I'd better put my kettle to boil, it's time for some tea!

A Letter to the Tooth Fairy

We've had our share of lost teeth around here.  My oldest has already lost five, and my second has lost four.  Both girls have had loose teeth for a couple of weeks now, and it became a sort of mild competition between the two of who would lose theirs first.  Well, while brushing her teeth tonight, Emma's finally gave way, and oh the celebrating!  We've had quite a few dinners where meals are carefully eaten.  She has gingerly taken each bit of food, scared of a painful bite, plus the poor thing lives with the fear of swallowing the tooth since that has happened twice before.  

But no, this was a perfect lost tooth.  No pain. Very minimal blood.  A dream of a lost tooth, really.  She set to work writing a letter to the Tooth Fairy, which has become a family tradition.  

Here she is composing the letter, with little sis watching.

It was a pretty lengthy letter.  

Here's the new smile!  See those big holes on the bottom?!  Such a sweet little 1st grade smile...I love it!

Emma had plenty of supporters!  Little sisters surrounded her, and the excitement grew as they headed for bed.  So much excitement in fact, that I had to capture it all on video....

My favorite part is the last bit, about how she should give a gift for the Tooth Fairy.  As if a beautiful, shiny baby tooth isn't enough of a present!!!!  

Danny's Day

A few weeks ago, I asked my sweet hubby what he wanted to do for his birthday.  He answered with what has now become a tradition with, "A family desert ride culminating in dinner at Camacho's (a favorite mexican food restaurant just south west of El Centro)."  Danny planned out the ride by calling the family, and it seemed as if the ride was a go.  His greatest desire was for all four kids to ride along in the jeeps, play in he sand at various stops and enjoy the desert adventure.  

But the best laid plans changed, as they often do.  His birthday, which was yesterday, was a hot, hot day.  The kids interest in the ride evaporated with the rising sun.  His dream was deteriorating, and he was about to call it quits.  After talking it over for a bit, we decided that the long, five hour drive probably wasn't the best idea for the kiddos anyway, and dinner at Camacho's was fun, but the drive was far, and the kids usually got pretty antsy at restaurants.  So, I volunteered to make dinner, and the ride was shortened to just two hours.  The kids got on board with the new plan, after a stern talking to.  I think my exact words were, "This is Daddy's day, and we are  going to do whatever he wants with a smile on our faces! .....or else."  

Here's the whole gang, all smiles, heading out to the desert yesterday afternoon.  The kids are covered in sunblock, but are totally excited about the adventure.  My dad is on the far left, then Danny, Uncle Chris next, and "Uncle" Luke on the far right with J.D.  This looks very promising! 

The twins rode with Daddy and Uncle Chris.  After the ride, I heard they loved the bumps, and screamed and squealed with glee.  Gigi slid down a massive sand hill on her bottom, resulting in quite a sandy shower experience later that night!  J.D. is in absolute heaven.  His smile cannot get any bigger.

The girls rode with my dad and Luke in my dad's new toy.  

As for me, no, I didn't go on the Jeep ride.  I stayed home and had THREE AND A HALF HOURS on my own in the house without a soul.  At first it was eerie, but I quickly got over that and fully enjoyed the free time.  Think movie, hot tea, bubble bath, and then I got to work making meatballs and marinara sauce for Danny's birthday dinner.  Heaven!

When they returned home, the kids were tired, but happy.  They loved the desert!  But more than that, I think they loved their dad even more for taking them along.  We ate a family dinner of my homemade meatballs and sauce, Grandma Susie's delicious salad, garlic bread and my mom's yummy squash.  Danny's requested meal was a hit with kids and adults alike.  

On to the presents....

Apparently Daddy needed a lot of assistance, or should I say assistants, when opening his gifts!

A sweet moment....

Luke went all out with Danny's favorite gift of the night, a shop vac!!  Yep, that's a friend who truly knows us!

J.D. and Grandpa Jim decided to try it out as a telephone.

Cake time!  Luke played Happy Birthday while we sang. 

I think that may be 45 candles!!

Again, the kids gathered around to give Daddy a hand with the cake blow!

It was a very special, memorable evening.  Danny is now halfway through his 40s and life is so good.  Happy Birthday, Danny!