Living in the ruins

I got home from So You Think You Can Dance last night at about 1 am. Oliver, who had gone to sleep at a good time but then woke up at 9:30 to find me absent, decided to wait up for me. I think I drifted off to sleep sometime before 2.

In middle of having a horrible dream where Chad was cheating on me and didn't think there was anything wrong with it, I startled awake and realized it was 7:40 am, the exact time when I am supposed to have Colin ready for Bobby to pick him up. Running downstairs, I found him watching cartoons in his pajamas (even though he can tell time, he is still horribly oblivious to it). Chad was already gone for work and I needed to make Colin's lunch and get him fed and dressed. Exactly two minutes into it, Bobby rang that doorbell and I told him to go on without us.

By the time I got all the kids piled into the car, with the two youngest in their pajamas, we were 17 minutes away from Colin being tardy, and the drive there takes 15 minutes with NO traffic. I decided to make the drive over even more fun by going off on an angry tirade to my sweet husband who not only stayed up 'til 1 am for me, but cleaned the entire house while I was gone. He got the brunt of my nightmare and lack-of-sleep-induced grumpiness. Then of course there was an accident on the freeway, so when we got there 15 minutes after school started, I had to take Colin into the office to sign him in. Let's not forget that the other two were in their pajamas. A one year old in a sleeper is acceptable. A four year old in a sleeper? Not so much. I parked right in front of the office and had Gabe stay in the locked van while I ran in.

By this time I knew we couldn't make it to Gabe's 9 am speech session, so I called his speech teacher to let her know, only to find that the number I had for her was wrong.

Long story, and not very eloquently put, but here it is 11 am, I have gotten nothing done today and I just finished off my cheesecake and leftovers from last night. I put Oliver down for a nap at 10 am while Gabe finished off the remaining contents of the yogurt and box of granola. He is still in his sleeper, which he just informed me he had an accident in, and though I want to take a nap with Ollie, I hear him waking up.

But it was all worth it.

(more pictures on facebook)

A Good Saturday Morning

Before the busy day begun,
it was just a drizzly morning
with brothers, cartoons, swords and bagel sandwiches.

This picture reminds me very much of these ones from January.

Colin's First Grade Project

All the first graders at Smith Academy of International Languages make a family tree using the language they are learning. Colin did a great job putting his together, going back to his great-grandparents. Obviously I helped a lot - getting the pictures and helping him get all the information straight, but he did all the writing (obviously - since I definitely can't write Chinese characters). Each of the characters you see on leaves are a label like "Me," "Brother," "Mom", "Great-grandma"..etc, and he also wrote everyone's name. It was a wonderful way to really help him visualize how everyone fits in our family. It was fun to look at it and see the facial features blend together and carry on through the generations. I hope Colin looks at it and sees all the support and love he has surrounding him.

Dear T.G.I.Friday's,

You messed with the wrong couple.

When you made your free burger/chicken sandwich coupons good for only three days, all of which were week days, and made those free coupons somewhat difficult to obtain, I betcha thought that most of your major cheapos would stay home and watch Dancing With the Stars instead.

Who takes the time to sign-up as a friend on facebook, register their email account, hope they get the coupon, print the coupon, and arrange for a babysitter, all to get a free meal on a Tuesday night?


We do, my friend.

When our waiter realized we both had coupons, he actually said, "Well now, bless your hearts."

Thank you for the free chicken sandwich. The onion straws were an excellent touch. How could they not be, huh?

Chad really liked his burger, especially the Jack Daniel's sauce, which he also smothered his fries (and shirt) in. Should I ask how much Jack Daniel's was in it?

Thanks again T.G.I. Friday's.

We will back back soon.....if you give us another coupon.

With love,
The Colemans

PS. A huge thank you to my mom and dad, who agreed to babysit about two hours beforehand!

Gabe's Birthday

Gabe is our low-key kid, so when he shows a lot of excitement about something, you know it is a big deal.

I knew that Gabe's birthday was going to fall on a preschool day, so a couple of weeks ago I asked the mom who was going to be in charge if he could bring cupcakes to share. When Gabe heard the plan, he couldn't stop talking about it, to everyone. We came up with an appropriate boy design together, and I spent the evening before making them.

At about 9:30 on Tuesday night, I had just finished putting the final touches on the cupcakes when I sat down to check my email and found out that preschool the next day had been cancelled. My heart dropped into my stomach, and I quickly sent off an email asking if all the preschool kids wanted to come over to our house for a playdate instead, hoping that since my house wasn't far from where they were going to be for preschool, everyone would be able to come.

Well, it was super short notice obviously, so only one friend ended up coming (thank you thank you thank you Jayden!). I wanted to cry for Gabe. After he asked three of four times where everyone was, he came to the conclusion that they were probably all sick. I felt so bad for the guy. It was no one's fault that he had been disappointed in such a way, but you just want to shield your kids from let-downs like that, especially on their birthdays.

Chad had the day off and after his friend went home we took him to McDonald's. Later he went with Chad to pick the boys up from school and he took them all cupcakes (still leaving way too many cupcakes for me to eat over the last two days).

Then we took to him to Red Robin (of course!) for dinner. We had a great time and he was spunky and happy for the rest of the evening. A corn-dog, melon slices, a sundae, a balloon and presents, surrounded by people who adore him. He seemed to get over the cupcake let-down.

Guess it was a great day afterall!

Keepin' It Real Wednesday

Let's face it -

Some things just aren't the same with all boys.

Girls in the Garden

In the spring, I was greeted by hundreds of Cosmos sprouting up. They had re-seeded themselves from my neglected garden last year (which was even more neglected this year). Cosmo blooms are beautiful and delicate and lovely, but they are not my favorite flower in the world because they grow tall and leggy all summer long, taking over your flower bed, to finally bloom in the fall for a month or so.

So I was plucking these babies up all year long (as much as it pains me to pluck any flower babies up). Hundreds and hundreds of them.

I let a couple dozen of them stay, and though the feminine flowers are currently blossoming delightfully, the tall plants that they blossom on are falling forward with rotting foliage at the bottom.

Blossoms, lovely. Plants, ugly.

In a fit of rage, I pulled some of the mature Cosmos out last week, blooms and all. Only a few - I just couldn't bring myself to pull all of them.

Last Saturday I was so happy that I let those last plants stay. During Gabe's party, my niece Lettie asked, as she always does, if she could pick some of my flowers. She knows that Aunt Katie has a soft spot for little girls and flowers, and I told her, as I always do, to pick to her heart's content. She and her sisters plucked just about every one of those flowers, and I was happy to let them do it.

Lettie the wood nymph

Jovie

Callie

Ruby

My sister-in-law Sabina, who was gifted several flowers by her nieces.

Can you believe these girls? Just about every skin, hair, and eye color, and each of them so beautiful in their own way.


This was Ruby's bouquet. Doesn't it look like it could belong to a bridesmaid?

Even after all their plucking three days ago, I went out there this morning and there were dozens of new blooms awaiting. After a summer of hating those Cosmos, I am still going to have a hard time talking myself into pulling all their seedlings up next year.

Gabe's 4th Birthday Party

We had a surprise party for Gabriel yesterday with the family. He was completely surprised and just plum tickled all night long.It was very simple - chicken nuggets and homemade mac'n cheese, and we just let the kids run wild.

I took a video of the surprise and here are some stills from it. They didn't work as well this time because of the lighting, but I thought I would share a couple anyway.

Look at Evan in the air!

I love this kid so much.

Thank you to those who came. I think Gabe truly felt loved!

Return the Favor

Chad walked in from Home Depot last night, covered in sweat and completely out of breath. His face was splotchy and the first thing he said was, "You owe me big time!"

He had just finished squeezing, finagling, and hauling four very large trees in and out of our van. Not to brag or anything, but Chad is not exactly a weakling (he has guns, I'm tellin' ya), so I knew that if he was spent in such a manner, it had been a difficult task indeed. He warned me that my van was pretty dirty, and I hushed him and told him not to worry.

We went out to the van this morning to head to the YMCA, and I opened the door to find this mess.


Gabe said we needed to get a new van, and I almost agreed. Trashed. Completely trashed.

After scooping and vacuuming inches of soil and evergreen needles out of my year-old van for an hour, I think it is now clear who owes whom.

And don't think that Five Guys is gonna cut it this time.

You know I love me some Oprah...

....and I love me a whole lotta Nie Nie.

Tomorrow, they come together.
Will you be watching?


I am sure it will be inspirational.

Candy Corn Anyone?

As a part of Family Home Evening tonight, our kids got to choose some candy at the store.

When Gabe grabbed some candy corn, I said, "Good choice!!"

Colin and Chad said, "Yuck."

How about you?

Dinnerplate Dahlia

I'm in love.

A Good Afternoon

Did you hear them sing the song?

Dear Teacher,

Please excuse Colin from school today. We had a little family field trip.

He got to meet some lions.

He learned a few things about lorikeets

(like, don't let them land on you)

He learned how NOT to feed a giraffe,

and he met a wise, elderly tortoise, who whispered some Old World secrets in his ear.

It was a successful day.
I'm sure you will agree, there are some things that you just can't learn in school.


Sincerely,
Colin's mommy

PS. Can you let Mr. President know that I think the school days are long enough already? Thanks.

My Heavenly Father Loves Me

I sat here at my computer tonight, looking at the pictures I took during my busy busy day. My eyes kept going back to this butterfly one.

A simple tune played itself over and over in my head, and I thought, "He gave me my eyes, that I might see the color of butterfly wings."

Only then did I realize I was feeling a little blue. The simple message of that primary song touched me as I looked at the rest of my pictures from today.

He gave me my eyes, that I might see...

A granny and a grandson, running and laughing on a perfect fall day.

Brothers loving each other.

A flower bending itself to the sun.

My baby, so proud that he sat himself down on the little log chair.

My mom enjoying the exquisite orchids just as much as I do.




A praying mantis that made Gabe giggle with joy and had him talking all day long.

I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world

Heavenly Father

created for me.