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Living Like Kings

12 years and ready for more

Call me a glutton for punishment….. we just celebrated our 12 year anniversary and we are ready for more.  Some wonderful friends from church cared for our children so George and I could have Friday and Saturday together.

We enjoyed the quiet and the sleep and the time together.  We were able remember life before babies and why we started this circus in the first place.  We’re best friends and I’m so thankful!

 

 

 

 

We went to SanDiego’s SeaPort Village and enjoyed the harbor and the hubub….and the hats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’d always wanted to see the Star of India… the oldest iron hulled ship still afloat. Turns out it ran salmon from Alaska to other harbors, no wonder we were kindred spirits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had greek food while we watched the ships sail by. We’ll try not wait a whole year to spend some concentrated time together… my husbands a really fun guy!

You’re a darling, Darling!

My Bubbly Tub

My Mom recently sent me a book titled “Five Minutes Peace”.  Its about this elephant momma who is trying to have just five minutes peace… all to herself.  Her kids end up following her everywhere … even jumping in the tub with her, jammies and all…and she ends up back in the messy kitchen with a piece of toast and the newspaper. I am very much familiar with this hide and go seek that happens with mothers and small children. 

This morning  I tried to take a bubble bath. Aravis had been up since 4:20 with molars coming in and neither of us had gone back to sleep.  I poured a generous amount of high quality peach scented bubble bath to create a warm and fragrant froth.  The sweet aroma and roar of the hot water attracted a crowd.  Little sleepy heads popped into the bathroom like crocus flowers at the first hint of spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their glee at the big tub of bubbles was more irresistable than my desire to soak. I quickly stripped them and slipped them into the bath. And for me?… delicious pictures to relish as I sit in my jammies…still.

Ponytail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jedi’s

 

 

 

 

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We watched the first of the Star Wars movies this week and the kids have been living in this fantasy world since then. Zaccai was convinced his Madeline wig was super manly since Quigon or whoever had a ponytail.  Hannah made this mask with our neighbor Tom who does paper mache at the nursing home across the street. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have had increased injuries this week due to our light sabers… or lifesavers, as Wesley calls them.   We are working on our forcefields since Jedi’s don’t use sheilds.

 

Grateful

Homeschooling has challenged me as a mother and simply as an individual.  Not much of a planner and usually rebellious against structure I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to follow the curriculum.  But like I learned on the Prism weight loss program, structure and committment are keys to accomplishing our goals. 

I have been so pleased with the Sonlight curriculum.  We have enjoyed reading together.  Homeschooling requires me to do what I love most…. snuggle, nurture, educate and learn with my kids.  Its the stuff I used to do AFTER I got all my chores done; now its a priority so we get to do it everyday.  I am not as much of a pushover as I used to be, but I do get sat on occasionally.

Kaeli and Hannah are certain that glasses make them smarter so they’ve been wearing them, especially for lessons.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to teach my kids, to laugh together unhurriedly and discover things about the world and eachother.  It is always busy at our house but I feel peaceful.  Praise God!

Oh, I’ve been living in an Ah-Ha! I had earlier in the week.  I had felt anxious for no reason at all.  I couldn’t rest my body or my mind… why does that always happen when I try to Sabbath.  Well, I waited in my anxiousness prayerfully until the Lord shed light on what was amiss in my heartl.  I figured out that Gratitude is the path to Peace.  As I shifted my focus from all that must get done, or things I wanted to do, or things I thought I wanted and became thankful for a full life.  I experienced peace.  I imagined a black chaotic whirl of anxiety and a cobblestone path leading to Peace, all yellow and brilliant… kind of mixed with Joy.  Each rock on my cobblestone path was something I was grateful for.  This image has helped me keep perspective and a right attitude this week.

Darling

Diego gets a little love

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a happy pair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aravis' hair is getting long

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growing so very fast

 

Dog-Dog

Aravis is talking more now.  I am officially Mama and she says hi to folks when she wakes up from her nap.  Brothers are bubbas.  She just squeals when she sees Hannah and shreiks when she sees Kaeli…. but they’ll be best of friends sooner than later.  Kaeli is a bit exuberant with her affection and it seems to have scared the baby.  Lately though Aravis will let Kaeli carry her around and read books to her, its awfully cute. 

Here she is calling to the doggies.   Sorry about the siren, when you live a block from the hospital you just get used to it.

Best Birthday in a decade

We had the privelege of going camping with some friends, the Silos family, from church.  Zaccai and their daughter, Hannah, were born 1 day apart so we had a weekend of celebrating… and catching minnows.

Zaccai decorated his cake in a nature theme.  Our time at Guajome park was wonderful.  There was a balance of natural terrain and manicured lawn and play areas for the kids.  They loved feeding the ducks and Aravis couldn’t get enough of the swings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was lots of fun having the grandparents come play.  The park was 1 mile from the Silos’ home so the folks walked down on Friday to have a birthday lunch with us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found out that Gina is pretty good at duck duck goose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

George and Melzar were awesome storytellers and we played games by the fire till we saw heads bobbing … mostly mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved letting the kids go off and ride bikes together.  The kind of childhood fun we used to have but are too careful to let our kids have now.  The buddy system worked great and they came back to camp only for food!