Disneyland

I pretty much could recap the whole trip, but I think I will just post some of my favorite pics. It's hard to take pics and handle kids, so we don't have a ton. I have some videos too, but I am still deciding what to post. My brother came with us the first day to Disneyland and we had a lot of fun. Plus it was so nice to have another child wrangler!!! Props to anyone who does this alone with small kids. (actually when we were in California Adventure some random guy came up to me with his just turned 4 year old and asked if we would take him in a show with us because his daughter was asleep in the stroller. Uhhh. I just hoped he wasn't ditching his kid with us after I agreed. The little kids was so scared and on the verge of tears. Hello, complete strangers. I did my best to make him feel better but that was so weird. So no props to that dad)
We had a good time being nostalgic for Disneyland when we were a kid and literally got on every ride we wanted with almost no wait. The stars were aligned for us. It was great. We stayed until 10pm. The kids had had a little power nap and I think they could have made it another hour. I couldn't believe how great they were. Our favorites were for sure the Buzz Lightyear laser ride. Ben was literally trembling with joy to get to shoot Zurg. We did that twice. Amelia got to drive the car in Autopia and she loved that and we even took the kids on Pirates of the Caribbean. Ben was excited until we dropped into darkness then said, "I would like to get off now" but Jared convinced him that pirates were cool and he soon was having a blast. Amelia hid her head and covered her ears the whole time. We left to pick up Phil (who had to work Friday so he took the train down to meet us for Saturday) after the fireworks and and a few more quick rides on the teacups and carousel. Great day.
The next day Phil joined us for CA Adventure. Kids got a chance to see some of their favorite characters which made their day. Ben was so excited to see Woody and a army man until he got up there and then saw how big he was and changed his mind. Amelia was a little reluctant too. Then we heard Jessie was coming out so we sat and waited so she could see Jessie. We had a clear shot for her to give Amelia a high five and out of no where a little girl swarmed her and then people started coming up so she just walked away. It was a little disappointing to me, but Amelia was so happy that Jessie waved at her, I guess I couldn't be too bugged. In the pic you can see her next to her hat. She loves looking at that picture.

Amelia was getting to be a little daredevil. She was putting her hands up and loving it in this teacup ride. Ben on the other hand hated it. Look closely at the middle pic in this series. Sums it all up. Our favorite ride was also the Toy Story Mania ride. You get to go through in 3D and shoot carnival type games. It was very fun and it sprayed air and water on you and let you stay and play for a good amount of time. We were lucky to get on it right away so we didn't wait the first time, but the whole rest of the day it was a 45 minute wait. But it was so good we did it again.



Amelia's favorite ride was the Jumping Jellyfish. She did it 3 times and loved it. You basically sit on it and it takes you up and then gently drops you a little then back up and down 3 or 4 times. She had no hands and was looking over the edge laughing the whole time. When I went with her I wanted her to hold my hand and she said no because she wanted to put her hands up and feel like she is falling. What!!! Where did this come from. This child as a baby would scream if you pretended to drop her or throw her up in the air. Now she is putting her hands up on rides. Phil was loving it too.

We ended the night with some good seats to see the World of Color show (a water fountain and light show) The kids (and me) loved that. On our way out we got to see the fireworks from Disneyland again and thought about forcing the kids on some rides, but they were sleeping so soundly we just decided to go home.
I'll have to post some videos later.

Someday......

I would like to drop Amelia off for a playdate or bring her somewhere new and not have to hand over one of these!!! A 4 inch long epi pen along with an inhaler and pre-dosed benadryl packs. Then I hold my breath that they won't back out as I watch the blood drain from the adults face as they see the size of the epi-pen in relation to Amelia and then even more paleness as I try to be as upbeat as possible and explain, "you will have to stab her in the leg then call 911 and if it's not working, stab her again. But you will be fine". Since they are freaked out enough and swear to keep all food from her, I don't go on to say, "she will resist you and you will probably have to use force, and don't let those chicken legs fool you, she is strong. And did I mention she might throw up all over you too!! But the upside is if you are using the epi-pen, she probably won't be able to scream once the swelling gets too bad." I like them to think that the procedure will be something like this picture. An adult lovingly and slowly taking the time to teach the child how to do it themselves. I can just hear her say, "Good job Joey. I like the way you are ergonomically holding that epi-pen to avoid wrist strain. Don't forget to stab it into your upper, outer thigh using slight force. On the count of three. Ready, 1......"

More than once I have heard, "aren't you afraid it will go right thru her leg????" Haven't thought about that until now, but now that you mention it, you should try not to break the needle in her leg or stab it in her bone. Oh, and try not to stab yourself. It is made to go through clothes and known to go completely through fingers. But you'll do fine!!! (lots of big smiles and pats on the arms or backs) Good luck!! See you in an hour or 2!!!

Now maybe it makes more sense why I hesitate to leave her anywhere or ask people to watch her!!! It's kind of a big favor to ask someone to make sure you keep my child away from all food, and if in the unlucky event something slips through the cracks, you will have to be a nurse and administer this huge needle to her while trying to remain calm and not traumatizing the other children around you while they have to watch this unfold! And if I can't get to you quick enough, you will have to load up in the ambulance to go with her to the hospital. I feel like a bad person asking someone to take on that responsibility, but I realize she needs friends and opportunities, so I am getting better about letting go. Little bits at a time. Maybe by the time she goes to college I will be ready!!
If you have been one of the people that have watched Amelia, you are the best!!! And I am so glad no one has ever had to endure the fiasco of an epi-pen yet!!!

When I decided to write this, I got on epi-pens official site because I wanted a pic for this post. Also, they updated the packaging and directions and I was curious what they had to say about it. I found myself watching the instructional video on how to use it (you know, to keep myself up to date on using this monster) and then was horrified to see the needle being pulled out of the person's leg and it seemed like it just kept going. This is the still image but if you are curious and WILDLY bored (seriously, you have got to get a hobby if you are willing to read this let alone, watch this video!!) you can see the video and see what I am talking about. The orange part is the needle case. BIG. So I guess I should be concerned about it getting in her bone. Yikes!!
But seriously, I'll do fine!! Someone come pat me on the back now.

Uploading old pics and can't resist this one

I wanted for my birthday cake this year either something really decadent and chocolately or cheesecake. I didn't get my butt in gear in time to get all the ingredients and a pan for the cheesecake I wanted to make, so I thought why not this cake from Costco. Besides, I don't know if you are supposed to make your own birthday cake, right?!? This cake was huge. Hence the pic of it next to my hand. HUGE. I got rid of half with my class at church and then we picked at it for a few days until we had chocolate overload. I decided I was going to cut up some portions of it and freeze them and then I would have a little slice of cake on hand for those days I need a chocolate overdose. (it lasted 3 more days. Apparently I need a chocolate induced coma on a regular basis. But I did get some help with it so don't be too disgusted). Anyway, I literally turned around for 2 seconds to open the freezer, and then I hear Amelia screaming, "look at Ben". I look around and find this little monkey dipping his hands in my cake "Pooh Bear style" (like a paw in a honey pot) trying to get as much as he can before I notice. When I did notice, he just laughed and went in for a double dip!!! I think he knows it was pretty cute. I guess he needs a chocolate fix once in a while too.

Relief

Amelia's had her first dentist check up today and it went really well. Dentist said her teeth looked great. Amelia was really good. All they did was count her teeth and look for cavities. No cleaning or anything hard. The only problem we had was she was taking deep breaths when she was nervous and it kept fogging up the mirror and little camera. I would say that is a pretty good problem. It did help that we heavily bribed her with money to buy a bathroom set for her dollhouse. It worked like magic. It also helped that the dentist was really friendly and gave both the kids a bag full of prizes AND let them pick out a toy. They were so excited and Amelia can't wait to go back. Now if only I could convince her that getting shots isn't that bad!!!

House Camping

So for President's day weekend we decided to go camping. But it was pouring rain with no end in sight, so we pitched our tent in our back house. It was a great trial run to see who could hack it (Amelia) and who couldn't (Ben). Remember we are sleeping indoors, on a memory foam mattress, no hard ground, no rain, no bugs or dirt and only a little cold, but we had a space heater to help with that. We played games and read books and ate marshmallows and cookies. The kids got to play with flashlights, sleep in sleeping bags and we looked at stars through the roof of the tent. It was cute and fun. Ben did not like sleeping in a sleeping bag and tossed and turned all night. Finally I let him just crawl in the bed with me. Then at the crack of dawn Amelia sits bolt upright and yells, MORNING!! It was hilarious, but also way too early, so we convinced her to crawl into the bed with us too and managed to sleep until 10am, all of us snuggled together in a pile of blankets. It was great. Baby steps to camping outside!!! I love my city kids and frankly it was the easiest, cleanest camping I have ever done. I didn't mind it too much!!!

Amelia's first day of soccer

Oh, where to even start. This is a novel, but a good story. You can skip to the end of this and see her playing in the video. Cliff notes version: hated it for 50 minutes, loved it for 10. Let's hope next week is more of a success.
The whole story, every little painful detail:
We decided to let Amelia pick some rec center classes. She chose soccer and gymnastics. I think soccer because Olivia (the character she was for Halloween) plays soccer, and gymnastics because she saw girls wearing leotards and she thought it was close enough to being a ballerina. We got her all signed up and just had to wait a week. Waiting a week for anything with Amelia is pure agony. Most of the time if we know something special is coming up, we keep it a secret until sometimes the day of or the night before to avoid the constant questions of "is it today" and "when are we going to.....". I told her the day I signed her up because she had to endure a slew of shots and blood being drawn (see my older post) so I thought it would be a good idea to let her know about soccer to try and get her mind of her pain. By the time the ibuprofen kicked in, I regretted it. Everyday until then we were asked if it was"soccer day" yet. No, not yet, no Amelia, then an explanation of the days of the week, showing her the calendar marked with a picture of a soccer ball on the day she will go, counting the days together to see if that would sink in to her that it's not today. It didn't. But it wasn't that annoying since we were happy to see her excited.
First thing Amelia needs to know, "what can I wear to soccer?" She, of course, must be fashionable. Soccer is merely a name we call an opportunity to have a new dress up outfit. But, she was right to be concerned, we didn't even own a pair of sneakers or sweatpants for her. Those are not fancy!!! Luckily I had stashed a pair of hand-me-down shoes from her cousin Claire that fit perfectly and were purple and the same brand as my shoes (matching mom is a big deal to her) Thanks Ju!! Then on to find 2 pair of warm up pants. In my mind, we're set. The night before, when she is supposed to be sleeping, she is still figuring out her outfit and yelling to us from her bed which pants, socks, shoes, hair accessories and shirt she will wear. Tuesday morning at the break of dawn we hear, "It's soccer day!!!" The rushing of feet to come in and ask what shirt she will wear, since we didn't buy a new shirt specifically for soccer, she was having a hard time visualizing the full costume. Mind you, it doesn't start until 3:30. It's before 7am!!! We painstakingly get thru the day and it is here, 3pm, time to start getting dressed, braid hair and all that for soccer.
Loaded in the car and we pull up, she is so excited. I asked her if she was feeling scared, and she exclaimed "no" so quickly and excitedly I was surprised, but relieved. This is going to be so much better than I thought. We walk around the car towards the field and the clinging starts. OK, it's expected. Get to the coach and he asks her her name and she boldly answers, Amelia, while still smiling. Coach tells her to pick a ball and play with it until everyone else gets there. Amelia finds a pink one and is thrilled. She stands there waiting and then it happens.
She turns around and I see the panic in her eyes. She doesn't know anyone, she doesn't know how to play soccer, she wants mom and Ben to play with her, not these people, the sun is in her eyes and her sunglasses are in the car, she's cold. Some explanations and deep breaths to get her relaxed. Not feeling like we are in trouble yet. Coach gets them started with some warm ups and it's too much. Here comes the uncontrollable sobbing while racing off the field to bury her head in me. Coach says that if they are feeling uncomfortable then parents can join in. I did, but it wasn't seeming to help. 30 minutes of sudden outbursts of tears and the following comments (plus more that I can't remember) in her loudest voice, "I don't like soccer", "this is NOT fun", "no one is playing with me", "I NEVER said I wanted to play soccer", "I am done, I want to go home now", "I don't like running", "I don't know how to jump", "I am going to throw up (gag, dry heave)" any desperate attempt to get out of there. I contemplated leaving but I knew that it would make an impression on her that would never be able to be erased. Besides the fact that I am totally embarrassed at my child's seemingly spoiled brat outbursts, I am getting frustrated that she isn't even trying and find myself at some point saying, "I paid for this class and you are going to get out there and have fun". Cringe!!
At 40 minutes, she is not crying, but dragging her feet and flopping her arms and looking at everyone with a sheer disgust.
At 45 minutes, it is time to actually play a game. Coach hands out pennies. Amelia gets a green one, not a red one. I am sure that will set her off. It did, but I quickly marketed it that the only other girl is also on her team and wearing green, and look at how cool these shirts are you can just wear them over your clothes!!! Crisis averted. Then she is starting to actually participate and she's smiling.
At 50 minutes she runs to me and says, "This is so fun. I LOVE soccer. I want to do this every week. I can't wait to play again" Success.
Sticking thru 50 minutes of agony for 10 minutes of joy. Isn't that basically the overall ratio of our pain to joy with kids?? And I would do it all over again!! Maybe.

Here's a video. Please mute my annoying screaming. But this one is one of her actually kicking it and running towards the right goal. It's pretty cute. And the coach is so overly positive about her kicking it because of all the previous drama. I thought he was great to be so positive to her.

Take your credit

(this picture doesn't do this justice)
Yesterday in the mail I got a package. I was so excited when I saw the return label from The Vintage Pearl, a website I have loved and coveted for a stamped mother necklace ever since Ben was born. I was hoping that inside was just the tags to get me started or something even close to that. So you can imagine my sheer joy when I found this perfect little necklace with my babies names and a little pearl. The kids helped me open it and Amelia was so exited to read the names and put 2 and 2 together that it was them. She had a list of guesses who she thought it was from, but there was no card or info or anything on who sent it. We searched the labels and packages over and over and nothing. This person obviously knows my kids names, knows I wanted one of these and knows it's my birthday. I waited until the mail came today thinking maybe an explanatory email or card would come, but it hasn't and the suspense is killing me. Sooooo, step up and claim your thanks. I love this gift and it is killing me to not know who I should be thanking. I have been wearing it ever since I got it and every time I move it makes this soft little tinkling sound and I smile because it reminds me that I am wearing a cool necklace, that I love my kids, and that someone loves me enough to give me such a sweet personal gift. So thank you for putting a smile on my face.