Missing

It's truly amazing how you can be so jazzed up about spending a weekend without your kids, and 5 minutes after they leave you miss them like crazy. Go figure.

My kids are gone. They are visiting their grandfather for the weekend while Mom and Dad have a relaxing weekend in Las Vegas. I know, I know, Las Vegas is not exactly the most relaxing place, but that's what you get when you leave reservations to the last minute and all the hotels in Coronado (San Diego) are booked. So, we decided to leave our fate in the hands of Priceline (a website we've never tried before). I figured if we chose a 5 star hotel and put in a ridiculously low dollar amount, we'd either get an amazing deal or be turned down. Well, we did get a good deal but the jury is still out on the hotel. We ended up getting the Trump Hotel, one of only four 5-star hotels on the strip. I say the jury is still out because while the hotel seems very nice, it has no casino, no fancy pool, no buffet, and no Starbucks (oh say it isn't so). Oh dear!

But... it is quiet and elegant and close to all the other hotels with action and things to do. We'll be off in the morning (after stopping for my Starbucks Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, of course). Just me and the hubby. Now if we could figure out something to talk about besides the "kids".

The house is so quiet without those three little (big) voices. I miss them.

Moment of Silence

Just when you think you are going to go crazy.... Grandma takes two kids swimming and the littlest kid falls into a deep, deep sleep. Ahhh... soaking up the peace and quiet.

I didn't write yesterday because anything I would have said would have seemed really negative, like I'm a bad parent or something. (Heaven forbid!) Kids are getting a little stir crazy being around each other all the time (I know the feeling). 3 weeks from today and they are back at school torturing their teachers while I get my whopping 3 hours home alone. Why, oh, why don't we have all day kindergarten?

So... playroom is coming along nicely. I put together our wonderful (and cheap) Ikea furniture. Big kudos to my husband for knowing what to do with his power tools. (Go ahead... make a crass comment.) Now, just have to put up the bulletin boards and the picture wire (will explain later) and we're done.

Two more days and we will be child-free. The kids are spending the weekend with their grandfather so that Mommy and Daddy can actually go out of town and have a mini grownup vacation. You know... swimming and eating and playing... gee, same things the kids do. But, it will be nice to be able to do it all without little people tugging on me all day. Problem is, we haven't decided where to go yet. This will most likely be decided by whichever hotel wants to give us a deal through Priceline.

By the way... I wrote another article for ehow.com... this one is about finding friends on Facebook. The more you read, the more money I make.

Getting There...

Got up this morning and decided today was the day to start the transformation from playroom to kids' office/homework/craft room. I've been procrastinating long enough, probably because I absolutely hate painting. The only thing worse is having to actually pay someone else to do it for me. Turned out it was a great color, if I do say so myself.

Tomorrow... put Ikea furniture together. Another think I just love doing (NOT).

The girls got their orange stripe belts at Tae Kwon Do class today. It's been a long road, but I think they are starting to enjoy raising themselves up from belt to belt. They did great during their test last Friday and even earned another star to put on their uniform collar. Good going Temy and Mandy.

Finding My Nitch

I've definitely been feeling a little on the "low" side lately. Maybe it's just the summer blues (although I don't think there really is such a thing). I think it has something to do with the fact that my kids (all three) will be going back to school in 3 weeks and I am feeling the need to do something with my life. Not just to help contribute to the family budget (although that would be a huge plus in my husband's eyes), but something just for ME... to keep me busy with things that I enjoy doing.

So... I love blogging. I've gotten a lot of good feedback from this tiny little blog I started with absolutely no blogging (or writing) experience whatsoever. But really... what can I do with a blog unless someone sees it, calls me and offers me a million dollar book deal? Yes, I know... not likely.

Then, David and I were watching TV the other night (yes, no big surprise there) and we came across a website where people (even people like me) could write articles and actually make money doing it. The site is called ehow.com and it's really easy. You write an article that you hope someone else might find useful and if people view it... bang, you earn money. I gotta admit, I've already written three articles and I had 4 people view just my first one alone. Pretty cool considering I hadn't told anybody about it.

If interested, you can go to www.ehow.com and do a search for "temysmom" which is my screen name. If you like what you see... let me know. If you don't... please definitely don't tell me. I can't take the criticism.

And yes... I have revamped my Cozy Chic Designs business a little. New website coming soon (www.cozychicdesigns.com) and I'll be back on the boutique circuit by October. Fun stuff!

Mom Needs A Break

Today is one of those days where you wake up in the morning and think, "I really don't want to be a Mom today." My throat hurts, my nose is stuffy, I'm tired from being up the past two nights with a sick child, and the thought of little people running through the house screaming, "Mommeeeeeee" is just a little too much to bear.

I need a break.

I need peace and quiet. I need a pedicure and massage. I'd like to make myself something to eat without having to make three other meals along with it. It would be nice to watch what I want on our big screen TV for a change (I usually get the little one in the bedroom). iCarly and Hannah Montana just don't do it for me. It would be nice to take a shower without a 4 year old climbing in with me and using up all my shampoo.

When you hear something crash from upstairs and you yell out, "What was that?" and the response is, "Nothing," you know you are in big trouble!

When you ask your child to clean their room and you get the rolled eyes and the response, "Your the worst mother in the world", you know it's going to be one of those days.

I was in Trader Joe's yesterday and the kids were fighting and getting in the way of everybody and I kept telling them to "Move it", "Watch out", "Leave it alone".... when the Manager looks me in the eye and says, "Funny to think that a few years ago you thought it was a good idea to have children." Oh yes... one day long ago we thought it would be fun to have kids. No one ever said the fun would only come in spurts. Mostly it's just a lot of work.

So, my two oldest thankfully got out of the house this afternoon and went to my mother's to go swimming and have dinner. And although they drive me crazy and I know for a fact that when they get home there will be more fighting and yelling... I still miss them and want them home. I guess when you boil it all down, a good mother will always want the kids to come home at the end of the day. I guess I'm not so bad after all.

What's a Typewriter?

So I'm driving in the car today with my 9 year old and she brings up the subject (again!) of her getting a cell phone. I explain to her (again!) that a 9 year old doesn't need a cell phone and even if she had one who would she call anyway because all her other 9 year old friends don't have cell phones either. Then she explained to me (again!) that she needed it for emergencies like when we had an accident and I forgot my phone then she would have hers as a backup. And I explained to her (again!) what a ridiculous excuse that was and she still was no closer to getting that cell phone. (Sigh!)

And then I did what I really hate doing... I actually went there... I told my child that when I was growing up...

... there were no such things as cell phones, in fact, we didn't even have cordless phones when I was her age.

... there were no computers. We had to had write out all our school reports or if we were really lucky we got to use a typewriter. "What's a typewriter?", she asks. Am I crazy? My kid doesn't know what a typewriter is?

... no CD's, DVD's, iPods, iPhones, iTouch, i-nothing!

... cars didn't have electric windows and electric door locks. We had to hand roll down those windows and actually needed a "key" to open the door.

... yes, we did have calculators, but we'd be expelled from school if we were caught with one.

... no satellite dishes, no plasma, no flat screen, no remote controls. Oh dear... am I really old enough to remember having to get up from the couch and actually turn a TV dial to change stations?

So when my child acts like not having a cell phone is the worst thing in the world... I don't have any sympathy.

Being Thankful

I just finished reading the book "Against Medical Advice", by Hal Friedman and James Patterson (yes, that James Patterson). The book is a true account of what happened to Hal's son, Cory, between the ages of 5 and 18. At 5 years old he suddenly had Tourette's Syndrome as well as OCD. The struggle he and his parents went through for 13 years to seek treatment is chronicled and is heartbreaking. Sadly, doctor after doctor could not find a way to help him, despite dozens of different medications.

I certainly do my share of complaining about my kids. I know we all do. They fight too much, they don't clean up their room, brush their teeth, do their homework. But really, are any of these life threatening? My kids are healthy... really healthy... and I know that we don't take enough time to be thankful for that. So they have a cavity... or need braces... or eye glasses. That should be the most we have to worry about.

We know kids who aren't so lucky. Who knows why some kids get sick and some don't. Maybe it's genetics, maybe environment, but mostly it's just the luck of the draw. I, for one, am damn lucky that not only are my kids healthy... they are incredibly smart, talented, funny, and lovable. I think that sometimes we need to get a dose of what other people go through with their medical problems to truly appreciate what we have.

If you haven't read the book... I'd recommend it. It will make you truly be thankful for what you have.

Say NO to Clutter!

If it's summer, can I still call it spring cleaning?

I am on a cleaning and de-cluttering kick. Not sure why... spring is behind us and school doesn't start until the middle of August, but I suddenly feel the need to get rid of all the junk in my house. Oh yes, my friends, there is waaaaayyyyyy too much junk.

So, today I spent all my time cleaning up the "upstairs" of the house. For those of you who don't know my strange house... the upstairs consists of the kitchen/dining room/living room (also known as the "Great Room") and the master bedroom and bath. So... the laundry is done, the kitchen is clean and the living room is free from tiny shoes and polly pockets and empty candy wrappers.

I thought I'd start with the "top" of the house since the "bottom" of the house is something that I am trying to put off tackling until I absolutely have to. The lower level of our house could be an episode of "Clean Sweep". If you haven't seen this show, they take the messiest, most unorganized home and sweep it clean of every stitch of furniture, knick-knack and just plain trash... then they make it look really, really pretty. My problem is... I actually have a degree in interior design... so I have no darn excuse for my house looking like this!

So, the bottom of the house has the girls' bedrooms and the playroom, as well as the office that David and I share. So my idea... change the "playroom" into more of a "craftroom" for the kids. Some place where they can do their homework and work on their projects. Since toys are finally going the way of the dinosaur (I never thought I would actually say this), I want my girls to be able to show more of their creative side. Temera can write... Mandy can paint... and Lauryn...???... well, I'm sure Lauryn has some type of creativity in her.

Okay, get rid of the tiny, rickety desks that they have been using and get some heavy, duty, sturdy ones for them to really work on. Then I need to buy a sturdy shelving unit that they can store all their supplies on (crayons, markers, scissors, glue, tape, paper, etc., etc.). Oh... and get some inexpensive but funky colored boxes that they can keep their schoolwork in (you know the kind... you know you are going to toss it, but you can't really do it until the end of the school year). Shouldn't be too hard, right?

Of course, I am dreading our office space. Two people (with a lot of stuff) sharing one office. The only good part is that I use it during the day and HE uses it at night. And how exactly did I manage to accumulate these hundreds of books? I know I can do it... I think I can do it. No, I KNOW I can do it.

I'll post pictures.

How Time Flies

Saturday nights during the summer in Santa Clarita we have "Concerts in the Park". Bands from all over play on stage at Central Park and the place is packed with local residents out for a good time. We've gone in previous years to hear various bands... and mostly we spent our time telling the kids, "It's almost over", "We'll leave soon"... you get the drift.

So tonight I thought I might get the same response. We met a bunch of friends there at the park and when it was time to go (lights came on, cars headed for the exit), all I heard from my kids was, "Is it over?", "Why do we have to go?", "Can't we stay?" Well, how do you like that? My kids didn't want to leave. Never mind the fact that I barely saw them all night. My nine year old went off to play with her nine year old friends. My six year old went off to play with her six year old friends. My four year old decided to hang out with her teenage cousins and talk them into taking her to the playground. When did my kids become so independent? They didn't need me... they needed friends!

Oh friends... one minute they love them, the next minute they hate them. So hard to be a kid these days. But gosh darn it... you need friends. I can't say that I love all my kids' friends, but it is a joy to see them interact... to keep secrets... to share stories. This is where they learn about relationships... how to deal with pain and loss... mean kids... popular kids... bad kids (and good kids). Seeing my kids pick and choose who they want to be friends with is really something to see. The thought process that goes into it is truly amazing.

When my nine year old daughter tells me that she doesn't want to be friends with another little girl because she is mean to other girls, well, my heart soars. Yes, despite all my mothering doubts, I did something right... my daughter has empathy. She cares for people. And, she knows wrong from right. Raising kind, caring kids... isn't that what we all strive for?

It's hard work, but at the end of the day when you realize your kids have grown another day older (and a whole lot wiser), you know it's been a good day and you've done your job.

Time flies so fast.

The Little Things

Sometimes it's the little things that make your day.

I got "the" letter in the mail today from Highlands Elementary School (my kids' school) letting us know that Lauryn got morning kindergarten with Mrs. Dominguez. Exactly what I wanted. I know, I know... not that big a deal in the scheme of things, but when something works out just like you wanted it to... well, that's kind of a nice thing.

Yes, my last baby will be starting kindergarten in one month. Hard to believe that all my kids will be in elementary school (although all three get out at different times). Whatever will I do with my three hours a day?

I don't get why Santa Clarita is the only school system in Los Angeles that doesn't do full-day kindergarten. Honestly, my daughter has been going to preschool for 2 1/2 years already... I think she can handle a full day of class. I've worked in the kindergarten classes... they barely have time to zip through the material they have. It's rush, rush, rush from one project to another. And how are kids supposed to learn at this pace? I seem to remember when I was a kid, we spent weeks on end just learning how to write an "a". (Funny how the "a" we learned in no way reflects the typewritten "a".)

Oh well... I will not be the mother who stands outside the door with a tear down my eye wondering if my baby is missing me. Oh please... life moves on... kids get older... heck, I'm getting older. Lauryn will handle it just fine... just like Temera and Amanda did. I won't be sad... I'll be at Starbucks enjoying my peace and quiet. Even if it's just for three hours a day.

What a Day...

Amanda lost one of her top front teeth last night after agonizing over it for weeks. At least it came out at home, not while we were on our trip. Amanda was very concerned that the tooth fairy wouldn't know where to find us if we were in a hotel. Alls well that ends well... the tooth fairy made her usual visit and Amanda found a crisp, clean $1.00 bill under her pillow. Yeah tooth fairy!

We decided since Daddy was working in Century City today that we'd take a little trip and visit him for lunch. Now it has to have been at least 10 years since I was at the Century City mall. My how things change. I barely recognized it. They moved the movie theatres to the opposite side of the mall... and the food court is upstairs and totally different than it used to be. This was "my" mall... where I used to shop and see movies and go to dinner. Today, with three kids in tow, I felt like a total suburban mom who wouldn't (or shouldn't) be caught dead in a place like that. Bloomingdales? Who are they kidding... my kids get the finest clothes Target has to offer.

And, we wrapped up our day in the pool. Century City was 80 degrees at 2:30 pm. We got to Santa Clarita at 3:30 pm and it was 105 degrees. Crazy! It might be just a small, community pool... but we're thankful we've got it!