San Diego

Thanks to babysitting by Deb and financial compensation by the National Guard, Tyler and I were able  to go on a quick vacation to San Diego for the annual AAPD meeting where Tyler learned many useful tools to better his pediatric career did not go to one meeting. 

Our trip started out on a good note as Ella threw up gallons as we were driving to the airport. I was feeling more than a little guilty as Tyler and I hopped out of the car and we left Deb to navigate her way home to take care of a sick little toddler and clean up puke that covered the carseat and car. I knew Ella was in great hands with Deb, but I felt awful leaving Ella when she was sick. 

Flying without kids was so incredibly easy. I realized that it was the first time I had flown without a child since Max was born. I almost didn't know what to do with myself when I only had to take off my shoes at airport security!

And now I feel like I need to wrap things up so I'll condense the rest of what I want to remember to bullet points:

• When we arrived at the hotel we realized we were in the more ghetto bay area and in a more ghetto hotel. Then we realized that we were in a room with the most uncomfortable and lumpy bed ever! Tyler was brave and asked to have our room switched. They kindly did switch us to a better bed that must have had a chain smoker staying in it before. Tyler then was SUPER brave and had our room switched again. The third room was the charm. And while perhaps not the Ritz, we had nothing to complain about because we weren't paying for it anyway.
• Walking with Tyler through San Diego and finally settling on a pizza place that took ages despite being nearly empty.
• Morning runs along the bay. Yes, that sounds picturesque, but it wasn't so much. Lots of homeless people, dirty boats, and running into the airport. We realized on the last morning that we had been running in the wrong direction. Had we simply turned left it would have been much more pleasant. 
• A beautiful hike with the Sameen and Brigham and Sister (can't remember her name) at Torrey Pines where I burned maybe an eighth of the calories that were in the burrito I ordered afterwards. It was good, but had I realized that the California burrito had French fries in it I would have stuck with the vegetarian. 
• An afternoon at the Coronado beach where one of Tyler's co-residents has a condo. Swimming in the freezing ocean by myself while Tyler surfed for the first time, and then getting to warm up in a jacuzzi. 
• Meeting up with Berk, Jordan, and Maddi at Balboa Island for lunch and a little Sinfulishous (I have no idea how to spell that). 
• "Is this your first time at Sinfulishous?"
• Berk and I creating our own signature lotion scents at said Sinfulishous and then waiting nearly an hour for the poor girl to mix up our $12 lotion scents. 
• Parking super far away from the beach because there was a parking spot open and then realizing as we walked toward it that nearly every parking spot was open. 
• Watching the boys juggle a soccer ball while me and Maddi chatted and froze. 
• Meeting up with Tanner and Brynne at Ruby's where Tyler and I split a fantastic veggie burger and shake. So very yummy.
• Cramming all seven of us in the car so we could continue our conversations since it was freezing outside. 
• Feeling cold for the first time in ages.
• Hanging out in the hotel room by myself without dinner while Tyler went to the AAPD block party. I don't get alone time EVER, so I really appreciated it despite my hunger pains!
• My first time eating sushi in America (I did have a bit in Japan long ago). 
• The LONGEST CAR RIDE OF MY LIFE as we drove a friend to pick up his wife from a mall that ended up being super far away, and the whole time I thought my bladder was going to explode. I think I appeared very unfriendly, because I couldn't contribute at all to the conversation, but I was trying so hard not to pee my pants. As soon as we dropped them off at their destination I started to cry I was in so much pain! 
• Sitting through the most awkward dinner of my life with the Baylor Pedo program. This probably set me back socially about 12 years, and I don't know that I will EVER be able to go to another group dinner where I don't really know the people. Seriously, it left a scar! :)
• Eating tiramisu. I had no idea. Enough said.
• Knowing that my kids were having the time of their lives with Grams, and that I didn't need to worry made everything so much better.

So there it is. It was fantastic to get away with Tyler. As much as I look forward to traveling with my kids, I hope to have many more vacations with just Tyler. He's pretty fun!

SMID Spring Concert

Oh how I love SMID. My heart broke a little thinking that this was the second to last SMID Final Concert. Max and Tessa were little champions. No problems getting up on stage for them. 

Celebrating after at La Madeleine. Hmmm, I do not enjoy eating out with kids. I was also a bit angry at Tyler, because I had just found out that during his turn out in the hall with Ella a poor mom had had to take Tessa to the bathroom THREE times while they were waiting for their turn to play. Each time they walked directly across where Tyler SHOULD have been. It should noted that  I took Tessa potty right before the concert, and once during my stint out in the hall with Ella, because I notice when someone walks out the concert hall doors will my daughter. Finally, when Tessa asked to go to the bathroom the fifth time the mom just told her no, she didn't need to go. I'm not sure if Tessa was just bored (it was a very long concert) or if it was nerves that were causing this incredibly overactive bladder.   

Mother's Day

I only wanted breakfast in bed and a nice picture of my children on Mother's Day. And although Tyler was in Austin for National Guard Duty, my kids didn't let me down.

Saturday Egg Hunt 4/7/12

I'm here to inform everyone that my children are absolutely the worst egg hunters...ever. This year Max had to be in the big kid group so that made it even worse. Of course, as long as my kids aren't in tears over their lack of Easter Eggs (they weren't) I am perfectly fine with going home with less eggs and candy than I arrived with. 

Note the empty looking bins they are holding. This was AFTER the hunt. 

After helping Ella find her eggs I went over to check on Max. He was categorized as a "big kid" and had to hunt at a different area. When I saw him he had three or four eggs, with no unclaimed eggs in sight. So I did what any normal person would do, and took eggs from my 1 year old's basket and put them on the ground for my 6 year old to pick up. Max looked at me like I was an idiot, but snagged them anyway since they did have candy in them.  Smart child...

Tessa went off with friends but was so busy running around with them that she only actually picked up a handful. Somehow the other girls remembered to pick up eggs though, so at the end Tessa was given a bunch by a friend. 

Ella had the most success of all my kids. She was definitely proud of herself and her egg-picking-up abilities. 

Tornados and Stars

A few weeks ago tornados went on a rampage through the DFW area. Ella randomly turned on the TV and I heard the weather man saying something about how the worse case scenario of tornados headed directly downtown was very likely going to occur. Scary since Tyler was...directly downtown. That didn't happen and we were safe and sound, but many other areas weren't unfortunately. Max did experience a real-life tornado drill where he had to kneel next to his locker with his arms covering his head. He told me he had to stay like that for a SUPER long time and it really started to hurt his knees. But with the crazy weather that day someone on the Pedo faculty decided they didn't want to use their tickets to the Stars game and gave them to Tyler. Max had a blast, chose peanuts over cotton candy, and ended up with a bobble head of one of the players. So what started as a kind of scary day ended up as a pretty great one.

Sisters

There is already fighting. There is already jealousy. There is already friendship. There is already love.

Ella Rides in a Car

Sorry about all the videos lately, but I had to put on this video of Ella because it is such a good representation of her. Stubborn, irrational, and incredibly persistent. It also shows her mood swings. Yesterday a friend came over to my house and Ella was sitting back on a chair looking at a book. My friend commented on how chill she was, and at the moment I had to agree, but she didn't hear Ella screaming "Mommy" all morning while throwing tantrum after tantrum. When she's happy, she is sunshine, but when she isn't she is HARD. But I have to give her credit, because she isn't that hard when I consider all the events and places she is dragged to, often during her naptime. I feel bad, but her life is anything but stable. Perhaps that's why her personality is the same. 

Ella tries so hard to keep up with Max and Tessa. They had their snow boots on so she insisted on putting hers on, even though it meant she couldn't really bend at the knees. 

This is while she was dancing to the awful farm sound fridge magnet song. Music is a pretty big deal to her (between lessons and practicing for Max and Tessa it is a constant part of her life). She already tries to sing most of the songs that Max and Tessa play. And when she is freaking out, one of the ways to calm her is singing a song she's interested in. 

Super cuddly. She gives great hugs.

Ella puts everything in her mouth...everything except food that is.

All growed up.