Why? Why ohh why did you do that?

So today we lost, not one, not two, not three, but 4 yes 4 shoes. Hannah and Sierra thought it would be fun while on a run to remove their shoes and toss them overboard. They are now somewhere along the 8 miles I run on campus...next time no shoes, obviously cuz now we don't have any.

CHRISTMAS HELP

So despite the fact that every year I swear I won't do it, it appears I am on track to do some Christmas eve shopping. But at the very least I have an excuse:
Elf's are messy.

Family Tree

Austin recently had a project from school where he was to make a family tree. He made a large poster version and while I was cleaning up the other day found the "rough draft." Which is my personal favorite. See if you can find yourself.

Costco....love hate

So they have two places for toddlers to sit in the shopping cart and I would be lying if I did not say that's 80% of the reason I go there. It's become shall I say easy to take my 4 kids there but have to admit to always being some kind of spectacle for everyone else. Jackson typically hangs off the shopping cart while Austin plays go fetch for me. We know we're done when everyone is carrying something and items begin to fall off the cart. The strategy is less keeping things from getting smashed(eggs, bread, etc.) and more keeping things the girls can and will eat out of reach...today it was the strawberries, before I could get to them they each had a fist full. It's always exciting to see the checker outers trying to put everything back into the cart. Today after we checked out Austin asked me if that was our "highest score ever." Now the most fun happens in the parking lot, I don't think I have ever made it to the car without having something fall to the parking lot and subsequently block traffic while I try to herd my children to the car. Now those of you who know me and what I drive will no be asking how with so many kids and so little space HOW do you get everything into the car. Simple answer, magic. That and we eat about 20% of the food on the way home.

Austin Quote

While driving through down town SF Austin asked "why is there so much bad guy writing here?"


FYI "bad guy writing"= graffiti

Photos by Jackson

Jackson LOVES to take pictures with the phone, camera, and whatever he gets his hands on that can take a picture.
These are a few samplings of his works.

In sickness and in health

So we all have(except Todd who's never sick) what I believe is H1N1. Austin got sick Sunday and has been a friend of our couch for the last 5 days and the girls got it yesterday. Jackson seems to be unaffected though there's no way he has not been exposed so hopefully he'll not get it but I'm just waiting for it.

Jackson went on a field trip to the local bakery this week and came home with fresh bread....it went well with the chicken soup.

Halloween

Trick or Treat?

The making of a ninja turtle. So like so many things I thought a month ago, sure no problem I'll make a ninja turtle costume for Austin complete with his list of accessories. Well like so many times before the day before Halloween I was frantically searching for the glue gun because I can glue faster than I can sew. But after staying up with a fever of well over 100 degrees I did as promised and delivered the ninja turtle costume...and Austin was happy.

Jackson, like always was less demanding. He simply within 15 seconds of costume shopping had decided on Darthvader. A character with which he shares not one recognizable

personality trait. It was a hoot to see Darthvader getting onto the school bus. Jackson was cute trick or treating as he was yelling back to everyone as he darted away with his candy "Thanks, Happy Trick or Treating!"

Hannah and Sierra were Cinderella and Snow White. Hannah, always the princess was quite enamored with her huge dress that lit up. Sierra was fine with it as long as it did not slow her down. They lasted about 20 minutes into Trick or Treating before Todd (more than happy to volunteer) took them home and put them to bed (in their dresses.) It was fine as those things happen here frequently but Hannah woke up in the middle of the night freaking out as her dress lights up and it looked like a disco in the room as her dressed sparkled in the darkness, she may never wear lace again!

Grandma's Visit -

We were lucky to have my Grandmother here for a visit. She came down on the train and we picked her up at the train station in San Jose. She stayed here about 10 days and it was a delight to have her. I realized today that it had been about a week since I touched a dish...and they were all clean! We had the privilege of being with her on her 84th Birthday! My brothers Daniel and Jordan as well as my cousin Joel and Candace and Joel's new girlfriend went to Lake Anza in Tilden Park for a picnic.

Grandma also walked with us to the Farmers market and go

to see the kids Halloween parade at school.

We took her to see "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs" in 3D, not sure how she felt about that experience but we enjoyed having her there and seeing her in 3D glasses was a treat.

I know we all us grand kids felt blessed to have had such an idyllic "grand-childhood" and we all feel lucky to have such an amazing woman in our lives.

We love you Grandma-Thanks for coming!!

Austin Happy to Sad by Austin

I was happy when I did not have asthma but I have asthma now so I am sad.

i wish it would go away.

Pumpkin Patch

So today we went with Jackson's class to a local pumpkin farm. Jackson picked out a great pumpkin and the girls tagged along. The girls thought they were in the class and did everything they were asked including going through haunted house.

"Play Dates"

So Todd hates this term, not that I blame him adding the term "date" to your 4 year old just seems like trouble. But none the less the days of "going over to Jamie's house to play" has been replaced by "play date with Jamie." And these days it seems to be all I can do to keep up with these "dates" It seems the boys at least love to come over hear. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have 4 kids and cannot properly supervise, or maybe it's just that the back yard has decades of decaying fence, rocks, and even a whale vertebrae(don't ask or tell the Federal government, apparently it's a crime to even have such a thing) but all the same they love to build forts and destroy things in our back yard.

Glass Pumpkins

So most would question my sanity if I said I was taking my kids to view hand blown glass pumpkins. But my friend Teressa(who's like an adopted grandma to the girls(she's also the one who came at 2am when my water broke and I had no plan)) convinced me it was a "good idea" as long as we brought some duck tape to keep the girls in the stroller. It's typical of Palo Alto that in a place where people have money to spend/waste that they would start such a thing as collecting glass pumpkins but it's huge here. They are beautiful and maybe I'm just jealous that I will never own one(at least not in the foreseeable future with the 4 sets of hands I live with.)

Fall is here

So sorry it's been a while.  Todd and I recently took a trip to Ausitn TX to check things out, aside from the fact one house came with a Lambargini it's really hard to beat California.  Todd's parents came here and watched the boys for a couple days and my parents took the girls.  It's so great to have family you trust your kids with and they all seemed to have a good time.  This last weekend we went to Tahoe and Todd ran the Tahoe Marathon.  It was a fun race(well for us at least) we got to drive along the corse and cheer him on, plus it's just beautiful there this time of year.  

Todd also had a birthday and I can't remember if its been the last two or three years we have celebrated it in the same place....The CVICU at Summit Medical Center.  It's a great party place if you happen to be hospitalized on your B-Day, we've also had Easter dinner there...home is where your heart is.  Todd got a "Rad Racing" tee shirt and if you missed the 80's hit well you'll just have to watch it.  Todd and the boys have been enjoying it....a lot. 

So it seems like every time you buy a piece of baby "gear" you pray it's the last one, car seat, stroller, pack....whatever it is you are always asking yourself....how many of these have we bought?  SO because I've been running so much and because my last stroller has major issues we got another one....and it's amazing!  I could push Todd around in it with ease.  

MY BROTHER DANIEL IS GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!TO SOMEONE AMAZING!!!!!!!

Yes it's official, and may I say that I am soooo happy. I love my brother, he's my best friend and I love Candace, she's a jewel in the crown of our family and as corny as that sounds I can't help it I love them both and am so excited for them!!!

Saturdays

I have found that one of the toughest days of the week is Sat. Ya, I remember being a kid, getting up and watching cartoons(or our video of 2 sesame street episodes.) And truth be told my kids do the same. But somehow this day unlike others during the week always seem to end in the biggest messes and tears. Today the boys went to TKD practice and I took the girls on a run while the boys were at practice along the Stevens Creek trail. Unfortunately after a small accident last week(wheel fell off while going) the stroller has an alignment issue so I think I may have ruined my shoulder. We then we went to Walmart(we rarely go anymore) to find a specific Transformer that had been saved for. Transformers are all we're about these days. Austin then went with his friend Jamie and his dad on a bike ride to campus (Stanford) where they go often to dive in the fountains for change...yes this is where he got some of his Transformer money. They are so into this that they now bring goggles so they don't miss any coins.
Jackson meanwhile shut Hannah's finger in the door and then proceed to offer her every toy(that was Austin's) in the house to make her feel better.
Crazy days.

JACKSON QUOTE

So one of my goals with this is to record some of funny things that are said during the course of life. Today while I was jelling the heck out of his hair(to cover the chop job haircut I gave him last week) said "I LOOK LIKE AUSTIN, MAKE ME LOOK LIKE ME."

HANNAH AND SIERRA

Now 15+ months old they are ruling the world, or at least our house. Hannah, still the princess now has learned that with her high pitched screech she can quiet a room and command attention. Sierra, ever the adventurer has learned to climb and climb she does. We now have to keep our dinning room chairs on the table so that she will stay off the table. They are very sweet and have learned lots of new words. "Dogie" being their favorite along with saying "Hi" to everyone we pass.

JACKSON

Jackson just turned 5 years old. He is a great boy and is so fun to be around. He likes to ride bikes, ALL THE TIME. He had a fun summer playing around the neighborhood. Jackson knows how to work my iphone better than me and loves to use google earth maps to show me where we live, are, and are going. He loves to dance and with the passing of Michael Jackson it gave him the opportunity to give his own personal memorial via dance. Jackson just started a young Kindergarten class and gets to take the bus to school and loves it. His sisters always stand at the door and wave goodbye. Jackson also got a Hermit Crab which he named "Blue." Which is appropriate as he has blue on his shell. Jacksons Hermit crab, unlike Jackson, is a Hermit. He was out most of the day we got him, got a good look at everyone, and has barely come out of his shell since.

AUSTIN

Austin is 7 years old and is in second grade. He currently is really enjoying Transformers and Todd is liking that as they can watch the old episodes together. Austin loves to ride his bike on our street and make books. Austin is really good at Skateboarding and coloring pictures. He also loves his sisters and brother and is a good big brother to them. Austin got a letter from the Pres. Obama in the mail yesterday after having drawn him a picture and written him a letter, he however, will not show anyone as he says it's "too special." Austin is doing Tae Kwon Doe with Jackson and currently has one yellow stripe on his white belt. Austin got to go to a Fray concert with me this summer. He does really well in school and enjoys playing with his friends Jamie, Jamear, Devon, Deanthony, and Sierra and Hannah.
Also he got a Hermit crab named "Cool Dude"

Welcome to our Blog

Welcome to our Blog. I can't say I ever thought I'd do this but have been inspired by my sister in law who outdoes me in every way. SO here it is a written record of our comings and goings. And because I realize my brain damage is getting worse not better with the passing of time I think this will be a good way to remember this fun time!
Right now Austin is 7, Jackson 5, Hannah 15months, and Sierra 15months. Austin has started second grade and Jackson is in a Pre-K class. Todd is in his 5th year of training at Stanford.
All together life is great, we are busy but happy.