Christmas

So, here are a FEW photos from Christmas. For some reason my camera and my computer are not seeing eye to eye, so this is a bit delayed. Also, I've been busy doing some stuff to help Jay with business (advertising, etc).

We had a very quiet and nice Christmas this year. We did get together with friends in Portland (photos are on FB and not my blog yet due to the camera vs. computer issue). We had Grandma Jackie over early (since she was gracing my siblings with her presence for Christmas), we hung around the house and ate and played and baked and generally relaxed. We are truly blessed!

A penny saved...

I'm not sure if anyone else has tried this (or any other) website, but my sister told me about it and how much she's been saving over the last few weeks.

www.thegrocerygame.com

I signed up for the 4 week free trial. It took a bit of time to figure things out and also figure out how to work it into my lifestyle, but my sister was helpful and I'm optimistic. I saved 30% off of last week's grocery bill. It's actually pretty simple AND organized once you get going. (It helps that my sister and her SIL had some helpful tips)

I'll post my (hopeful) progress. I've decided I need to save as much as possible in this tough economy, so here goes nothin.

**BTW, if you decide to try it, please enter my email as a referral. steph.s.adams@gmail.com

Baby, It's cold outside!!

It's been freezing outside!! We spent the entire day, Sunday, holed up in the house.

We drank warm drinks, had the fireplace going, watched Christmas movies, napped(my personal favorite), and the kids spent the afternoon making puppets. The girls then put on a puppet show for us after dinner. We spent the rest of the night cracking up at home videos.

...Not a bad day. :-)

A few of my favorite things....

The Christmas decorations are up. After 14 years (and the last few Christmases having my stuff in storage), I really want to update some of it. After cleaning much of it out, here are some of my fav's that made the cut:




...Still trying to convince Jay to hang more lights along the roof line. :)
I loooove Christmas lights!




This Santa is my very favorite! (and who doesn't love a fireplace?)




The pickle ornament is an old German tradition we started when Blythe and Oliver were babies. It's hidden in the tree and the first child to find it gets a gift. We always make it a treat that can be shared so that whoever finds it can share it with everyone. (just to be fair and not start any unnecessary arguments between 5 kids)




The kid's tree in the playroom that they decorated themselves. (and I used all of my self restraint to not move ornaments to where I wanted them)




The big Christmas tree!

Thanksgiving

In a nutshell...I fell behind, then I had no internet connection at home (except for my beloved iphone), then we had service again (the tower by our house was being serviced), then we had family in town, THEN came Thanksgiving.

Jay's sister, Tina, and her kids were with us last week for the holiday. I couldn't have pulled Thanksgiving dinner for 14 people off without Tina. We also had my mom and friends of ours from Portland over for dinner and fun over the weekend. We all had a great time. So much so that I have only a few pictures to show for it. Really pathetic! I'll post some later, once someone else who is a better photographer/parent sends us some.

Portland 1/2 Marathon

FINALLY I accomplished my first 1/2!!! It feels good to get it under my belt. A friend of mine from college came out to do it with me. We got a hotel in downtown Portland (which I love!) and had a great girl's weekend. We also met up with an old HS friend of mine after the race who lives there. It was a nice break and definitely a fun time!! I didn't do as well as I had been while training, BUT I finished and that's what I wanted to do. It was also raining horizontal freezing rain and hail at various points during the race. For this reason, Jay and the kids (who were planning on driving out to cheer me across the finish line) got halfway to Portland and stopped for breakfast. The following statements were heard by Jay at the breakfast table...

Sophia - I do NOT want to watch Mom run in the rain!!
Hayden - Why she runnin' in da rain??
Blythe - Because she's crazy.

I had called Jay to tell him the conditions before the race, so I figured they may not make it. I did receive a very sweet text from Jay when I went to get my stuff saying that they loved me and were very proud of me....But, they'll come watch me another time. So, they'll get their chance in another month when I run a 10k in Astoria. It's much closer, so it should be more manageable for all of them even if it does rain. :-)

My Happy Place!!!

THIS is my happy place today.

I'll admit I hate laundry. Well, I hate folding and putting it away, that is. The only thing worse, in my opinion, is cleaning my kids' bathroom. I will also admit that I OFTEN have a basket/entire bed covered with clean laundry. A typical response when asked where a particular item of clothing is is usually "check the clean laundry pile."

Today, Blythe was looking for something and asked where the clean laundry was. I was oh, so proud to say folded/hung up and put away!! This, however, really annoyed her since she had already checked the closet. Even an eye roll and stomping down the stairs couldn't ruin my laundry high today! :-)

You're breakin' my heart

Hayden's new saying is "you breakin' my heart"
Perhaps it's from HSM3 being played on DVR a few too many times during 2 days of rain.
The conversation usually goes something like this:

Hayden- Mom! Oyi(Oli) breakin' my heart.
Me- Why?
H- A Tuz (he means because)
Me- Because why?
His response is usually followed by any number of reasons like Oliver (or anyone else) not doing something he wants.

Last night I tried using "breakin' my heart" on him when he wouldn't go pee before bed.
Hayden- NOOO!!!!
Me- Hayden, you breakin' my heart!
Hayden- No, I not!!
Me- Why not?
Hayden- Tuz (meaning cause) You no have one!!

Obviously Jay found this quite a bit funnier than I did.

Conversation between Jay and I...

JAY - So, when does school start?

ME - (Shoulder shrug) Dunno.

JAY - (Raise of eyebrows then a chuckle)

ME - WHAT? Am I expected to keep track of EVERYTHING around here?!!!

This is why I did better on year around schedule in Vegas. There was never enough time off for me to get lazy. But I don't care. I LOVE summer and think there's something fundamentally wrong with forcing children to sit in a classroom all day when they should be enjoying summertime activities. Just my opinion...

Some Highlights...

The view from my favorite place to sit and relax in the whole world!




The girls on the dock



Ragged Edge. (this can be the before picture of the remodel, Dad and Sonia)



First, I should start with the not-so-highlights of our trip to Bermuda...

It was only Blythe, Sophia, and I. Originally, I was just going to take Blythe, then come back by myself and let Blythe stay longer, go to camp, and fly back with my brother, Mike. To make a long story short, plans changed. Jay had to work and volunteered to stay home with the babies. My dad's place is on the water with lots of cliffs, etc. and hard work with toddlers. (I know this because I took a 4 & 2 yr. old when I was 8 months pregnant. Trust me. Not very fun and somewhat stressful.)

The other downside was that Oliver wasn't able to come with us. He did something earlier this summer that has had him on house arrest. (I'll save him some embarrassment by not saying what) This was tough because I know how Oli LOVES exploring, swimming, and anything outdoors. My girls had SO much fun and I hated having him miss out.

NOW for the good parts...

Summer 2011 we ALL plan on going! (next summer we have something else planned)
The kids will all be older and even the babies will be able to enjoy everything. Plus, if we go for a long time, Jay can come for at least part of it. YAY! Still do-able for me to travel without him with them older.

I LOVE LOVE LOVED seeing the girls do things I used to do there. And loved seeing them enjoy it so much.






I think they watched TV once or twice while we were there, and didn't even last an entire movie. Even the evenings were spent sitting out on the patio talking or searching for tree frogs, etc.

Blythe learned to swim!! She has known how to for a couple years now, but (being my reserved child) hasn't ventured more than a few strokes. She was a FISH!! She snorkeled, swam in ocean waves, kayaked, picked gross things up...all without any fear. We kept joking that she was channeling Oliver.

We were literally outside from the time we woke up until bed. We went to the beaches, swam and kayaked from the dock, took the boat to many favorite places. I'm happy we got SO much vacation in to our (what seemed)short visit.








We were able to spend so much quality time with my Dad and Sonia, and Mike and Allison. Everyone was very accommodating. They all work and yet found time everyday to take us places, come see us, and just making the effort to make LOTS of time for us. I know it's not easy when your own everyday life still happens. Thanks guys!!!





The girls met two daughters of some friends of Sonia and Dad's. They had so much fun together!!! They played for hours on end.


All in all, a really great trip!! I love getting to see my family and it's tough not having my kids see everyone regularly (most of my side of the family are on the east coast)

At Least She's Honest...

The Drama Queen (Sophia) just came upstairs to tell me she CAN'T clean up her mess in the playroom. Why not??-I asked. (Said with a hip poking out and a hand on said hip) Because I don't want to. The best thing I can say about my stinky day today is that at least she's honest.

It's EXHAUSTING!!!

I'll post more junk later. But, for now, I couldn't resist some of the shots I've grabbed on my phone where poor Hayden has just POOPED out during the move in process.

Waiting for Dad to get home from work while watching out the window....



Fell asleep on the stairs about 6:30 pm....



Crashed in the entry while I loaded up my car with the giveaways (I knew it got too quiet)....


SIDE NOTE: I'm aware H man is wearing a diaper in these photos. We've suffered a major setback with potty training. However, by next week we'll be back on track (with the exception to poo, as it has been an ongoing issue)

Overwhelmed....

So, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I spent the morning (and into the afternoon) in my pj's and without a shower on the phone, internet, and fax machine trying to get everything in place. I have been coordinating all of the "normal" move stuff, and some abnormal things like getting the rest of our things from Florida. I'm realizing part of the problem is that I maybe expect too much of myself. It doesn't all have to be done today or by June 1st, for that matter. So, in an effort to think more positively, I need to remember what I'm grateful for in this move. WARNING: This next part will quite possibly bore those who read, but seeing as though this is my "journal". Tough!! Just stop reading.

I'm grateful for a home to move into, I'm grateful it's a home I actually LIKE, I'm grateful the kids get to stay in their school(they are too), I'm grateful it's such a good school, I'm grateful Jay's business is doing well enough for us to get into a house(it's a tough economy, many people are in the opposite boat), I'm grateful he's finally happy doing this work, I'm grateful for such nice builder/owners, I'm grateful for 2 DVR's, I'm grateful to not have to watch Disney movies or Dora on my livingroom TV, I'm grateful for a playroom, I'm grateful Jay can make his own schedule and go down to FL to get our things(thus saving us thousands of $$), I'm grateful to not be living nextdoor/under Jackie's nose, I'm grateful to get my things from FL since it's been so long since I've seen my Christmas things, I'm grateful to be able to cook with gas again, I'm grateful to not have to be in such cramped quarters anymore(I may need to write just how tough that's been some day just so I can remember years from now), I'm grateful for a new washer/dryer(I've never had new before), I'm grateful for a big bathtub, I'm grateful for privacy(haven't had much of that in YEARS...despite getting pregnant with Izzy), I'm grateful for big beautiful green trees, I'm grateful for the beautiful drive to Safeway and Costco, etc., I'm SOOOO grateful Portland is not too far away(I love Portland, plus u can't take the city out of the girl!), But MOSTLY, I'm grateful for my awesome family!!

Oh, and just so you don't think I've lost it or that I may have been drugged...I still made sure to inform Jay that he had BETTER plan on buying this house because there is NO WAY I'm doing this again in another year!!!!! (plus, have I mentioned, I really love my little home and little town)

Happy Mama's Day!!!

I actually took this from my facebook page, but wanted to remember it in my journal/blog when I get old. :-)
In honor of Mother's Day...

I liked seeing what my kid's actually thought of me. I did this a few months ago, and I still smile through it, and laugh out loud at some answers (he pays me to like him). I'll have to do it with the babies when they get older.


Ask your child(ren) to answer the questions and type their answers in.
Tag other moms with older kids who might have fun with this. :)

I did what Natalie did and asked the big kids separately. Interesting.
B=Blythe, almost 10
O=Oliver, almost 8
S=Sophia, 5

1. What is something mom always says to you?
B-I love you
O-Stop picking on the little kids
S-Suck it up!!

2. What makes mom happy?
B-When we're good
O-When we behave
S-Laughing

3. What makes mom sad?
B-When she argues with Dad
O-When I get sick and have to miss something fun
S-When she's crying

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
B-When she tickles me
O-When she tickles me on the neck
S-When she says funny words

5. What was your mom like as a child?
B-She got into stuff (Oliver overhears from the other room and says "YOU started fires, too?!!!)
O-She was like me and got into trouble
S-Like Oliver

6. How old is your mom?
B-75 (laughs, then says 33)
O-34
S-6 (at least she didn't say REALLY OLD!!! Like she always says about grandma)

7. How tall is your mom?
B-5 ft. something
O-8 ft.
S-BIG!! (thanks..)

8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV?
B-Housewives of Orange County and the New York one
O-Desperate Housewives
S-Mom shows

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
B-Goes to malls without me
O-Watch the babies
S-Goes to stores

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
B-For being an 80's dancer (??)
O-She'd be a rockstar because she's good at Guitar Hero
S-For cleaning up

11. What is your mom really good at?
B-Changing dirty diapers. (thanks. I ought to be after TEN frickin years!!)
O-Guitar Hero
S-Going to the grocery store

12. What is your mom not very good at?
B-She's not good at helping me with math homework
O-She yells alot
S-But you're good at everything. (I totally didn't coach her on that one, either)

13. What does your mom do for her job?
B-Takes care of kids and she's good at it.
O-Watch kids
S-Makes peanut butter and honey sandwiches

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
B-Sushi, fish and eggs
O-Sushi
S-Salad (far from my favorite, but I'm always eating it cuz I'm always on a diet)

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
B-That she's very nice
O-She makes good deals (what we refer to as compromises)
S-Cuz she's cute! (she's sooo getting an extra helping of dessert tonight!)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
B-Daisy Duck
O-Sid the sloth on Ice Age (thanks)
S-Dora because Dad would be Swiper

17. What do you and your mom do together?
B-She lets me help her cook
O-We watch Discovery Channel shows
S-Snuggle

18. How are you and your mom the same?
B-We both slam doors.
O-Our skin color and we like the same shows
S-Our hair is the same. (Maybe she needs glasses, too. Hers blonde and straight, mine dark and curly)

19. How are you and your mom different?
B-I'm smart like Dad. (suck up)
O-Our hair is different
S-We have different purses. (LOL)

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
B-She tells me.
O-When I'm bad she punishes me so I can grow up and be good.
S-She makes me Top Ramen...pronounced Topo Raaamen

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
B-His cooking
O-He has a good personality and he loves her.
S-He pays her. (LMAO)

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
B-To get a manicure and pedicure
O-PF Changs
S-Restaurants

Some pix of the new digs!!

This house is a reverse floorplan(master,kitchen,dining,great room upstairs..and laundry,kid's rooms,etc. downstairs), which I haven't ever liked before and was surprised to like this one!! The builders did a beautiful job with some nice woodwork, upgrades, etc. and it has a nice view of the bay in a nice quiet town. (at least until the Adams family moves in)




Great room




View from great room into the dining room (wierd lighting, they're not actually mint green walls)



In theory, I'll spend a quiet peaceful hour in this tub surrounded by candlelight and no sounds of fighting children..In actuality, it will be filled with cars, boats, planes and various tub toys. (I did TRY to lay down the law by telling them they weren't allowed in my bathtub. They have their own downstairs)


The deck off the master bdrm. I have visions of having a chiminea(sp?) and a couple lounge chairs out here...of course, I probably can't enjoy this peaceful spot until around 10 at night.

Blessing in disguise

Sooo...ignore the previous post when I said we found a house. I got a VM last weekend saying the owners decided to put the house back on the market and not rent it out again AT THE LAST MINUTE!!! We think maybe they got gun shy about 5 kids running around a house they wanted to sell in a couple years. (Don't they think we enforce rules? Whatever)

We were panicked. There's not much to rent out here on the coast that isn't a dump. Not to be a snob, but we take good care of our homes and eeeww. SO--cut to yesterday-- my mom has a listing that is a spec home and has been on the market for over a year and 1/2. I asked if she thought they may be interested in renting it out. She didn't think so, but has a good working relationship with them and agreed to call the owners(they're builders). They were very interested!! Turns out they are the NICEST guys!! Very accommodating, willing to clear away some blackberry bushes for the kids, allow my input (if I want) on some window coverings, give us a good price on any furniture we may want to keep, etc... AND I LOOOOVE the house!! They did a beautiful job with the house, and we're considering purchasing the house (and maybe the lot next door) after our lease.

We can't wait to move!! This was the BEST blessing in disguise ever!!! I really feel blessed and that this will be a great opportunity for both parties.

I'll post pix soon!!

Things I Like

Things I like about potty training:
Being able to have the training potty outside so I don't have to bring dirty boys who dig in dirt in the house.

Things I don't like about potty training:
Everything else!!

What every man wants...

A toilet, a flatscreen, a snack and something to drink.
All at the same time.

Did I sign on for this???

I've wondered, on occasion (or so), would I have signed on for this life???
I suppose I knew what this life would entail, but have wondered if I saw that picture through rose colored glasses when I said, "OH YEAH!!! I'M IN!!"

Marriage, kids, jobs, job changes, businesses, school, moves....
I'm not sure I would have chosen this, given all of the evidence, but I wouldn't change it.

So, here's a brief update on our Oregon adventure so far:

1) We decided to stay at Jackie's (Grandma, although I'm not sure when my siblings and I started referring to her by her first name) through the end of the school year. This has worked out to our advantage since we've discovered we should live on the coast (for now) as the majority of Jay's jobs are on the coast on second homes.

2) Sophia was quite behind in kindergarten. She's a very young 5 yr old. (8/28 bday) She came from not so great school system AND was on yr. around school in Las Vegas. Her school here in Oregon is 9 month, very well rated, and is one of only a handful of all day kindergarten. Translation...she had been to approx. half the amount of school when we got here the beginning of Feb. Now, after we have done extra work at home and at school, after her teacher has met with the principal, after I have met for the last time with the teacher....we can officially say Sophia will be moving onto the 1st grade next year. Phew. Honestly, I wasn't so concerned with her repeating, so much as not wanting her to be frustrated by school this early on. Guess I'm mostly relieved it's no longer a question.

3) I'm happy to say the kids are all adjusting well to the move. (especially the older kids) Their teachers all say they're doing surprisingly well. Hayden really seems to be getting more attached to Jay. (this has been tough on Jay, since all of the other kids think Jay hangs the moon) Izzy really hasn't been a problem. She's young enough. The older 3 have all done great. I have amazing kids!!

4) Looks like we FINALLY agree on a house!!!! I probably have a file of 60+ listings. I've taken day trips to Portland 3-4 times, and 2-3 trips up the coast to look at places. Ugh!! Now we've got to officially sign a lease, BUT...so far looks like this is the one. It butts right up to Ft. Stevens State Park with lots of bike and hiking trails, quiet, nice neighborhood, etc. BTW, we decided to rent out here on the coast. I've mentioned we plan on making our way to Portland, but since Jay's got more work out here, we'll give it a whirl.

Guess that's about it...
I've needed to post FOREVER!!! I'll post some pix soon. (ie. birthdays, Easter, etc.)
Like I said, probably not what I planned, but I love a great adventure!!!

FINE!! I stink at keeping this thing up to date! :)

For you, Janine...JK. You know I love and miss you. And Melissa. Miss you tons too.
You're both always so good at keeping your blogs up and attempting to help me do the same. Luv ya!!

Anyway, not much to report. I'll post some pix soon. We've been busy with Jay's new business (and all the stuff I didn't know that would entail...business licenses, bonding, insurance, actual JOBS, etc.) and getting the kids settled in, as well as unpacking neccessities and the junk the kids think are neccessities. Then there's switching health insurance, bills, blah blah blah. AND, last but not least...finding a house in Portland area.

OK. Done ranting and making excuses.

We're all doing well. We've been busy. The kids LOVE their new school. YAY!!
Like I said, I'll post pix soon. Hope you're all doing well!!!

The Portland 411

So, to begin with, we had a ROUGH year. Let's face it, with Jay working in Oregon (building Jackie a house, then getting a contracting business off the ground) we've had a rough COUPLE of years. That being said...we've been working hard to get our family unit to "be as one" so to speak. I mentioned before that the kids and I spent their track break in Oregon.(for those of you fortunate enough not to be in year around schooling, that was Thanksgiving until Jan. 5)

During that time, amongst other adventures (see previous posts) Jay took me into Portland to spend 4 glorious days and nights WITHOUT ANY KIDS!!!!! We had so much fun! We stayed in an amazing hotel in downtown Portland called the Vintage Plaza in a beautiful suite. We did some sight seeing, lots of dining out (gotta say it again) WITHOUT KIDS, and WAY too much shopping.

I'm pretty sure his motives were to talk me into this whole moving-to-Portland-and-starting-up-a-new-business-and-life thing, BUT, I guess it worked!!! Originally we had planned to wait until Jay found us a house in Portland before moving everyone up there. (he's currently living in the apartment above Jackie's garage that he built) However...the kids and I were home for about a week after spending all that time together, and I decided (in his defense, Jay says he thought of it too. Whatever) that even if we have to live in a two bedroom apartment for a few months. It was better than being apart any longer. I LOVE Vegas and always will, but it just didn't feel like home anymore. SO, Jay is driving down (as I blog, yuk yuk) with truck and trailer to help me pack everything up to move up to Nehalem, OR , or as I like to call it...East Deliverance, OR. (For some inexplicable reason, Jackie chose to move from Cannon Beach to the middle of nowhere on the coast. About 20 min. from Cannon Beach, and now about 1 1/2 from Portland.) So, once up there we will be in tight quarters, but the big kids like to stay at Grandma's next door. She has a huge loft where they have beds, tv's, video games, etc. And that is where we'll be temporarily until we find a house in Portland. But, believe me!!!! Those living conditions will DEFINITELY motivate us in the house hunting department.

Soooo, that's the story in a nutshell. Wish us luck and blessings in the move. You know we'll need it!!

NYC baby!!!

One of the places we went while we were away during track break....
The (big) girls and I went to New York to see the Christmas Show at Radio City. It was amazing! I haven't seen it since I was probably 7 or 8. We met my Dad and brother, Mike, and his friend, Bobby there. We had SOOOO much fun!! We went everywhere including FAO Schwarz, ice skating in Central Park, as well as meeting up with old friends on the east coast. Then we spent a few extra days at my brother, Bobby's. He now lives outside of the city, but still works there.
It was a great trip until.....the adventure home. We were delayed 1 1/2 days at Bobby's (no biggie), then we got stuck in DC without lugguage for another 1 1/2 days. BUT, I did get 3 free round trip tix out of the ordeal. Gotta love a bargain!! That'll take 3 of us most of the way to Bermuda next summer!
Anyway, we finally made it to Portland, OR where Jay picked us up at the airport only to be delayed THREE nights before being able to make it to the coast where Grandma lives and where the other 3 kids were staying with her. It was a massive snow storm and what would have normally taken a little over an hour, took us about 6 hours on back roads to get to her place.(see pix below. That was our route AFTER the back roads were plowed) This was now about the 22nd. And we were supposed to be back in Vegas by then and Grandma was supposed to be in Ohio at her sister's.
HOWEVER....we managed to find an open Toys R Us to finish our Santa shopping, and, wouldn't you know it, found a tree farm along our route where the people were stuck there at home because of the snow and managed to find a great tree.(see pix below) All in time for Christmas!!! Not what was planned, but it worked out just fine and we were all together for Christmas, so that's all that matters!!!

FINALLY!!!!!

I know, I know, I know. (Janine and Melissa) I haven't updated this in FOREVER, but we've been swamped with stuff. All 6 weeks of track break, we were traveling. That's my first excuse.

Anyway, we're getting ready to move up to Oregon in the next couple of weeks, but before we go I'll be sure to post a few pix, etc.

Jay has been working and has started a contracting business in Portland and on the coast. So, for now, we'll be moving out to the coast, and once we find a house we'll be moving into Portland.

That's pretty much everything in a short version. Oh, and unfortunately, this was the best picture of the bunch. Gggrrrrrr...

Hope all our friends and family are well in the new year and had a great holiday season!!!