Priorities

I'm not sure what happened to my husband, but he actually wants to go back to Disneyland. With the girls. In the near future. I am pleased, but nevertheless confused. This is the same man who didn't want to go until Natalie was 10 or 12 years old, and now he wants to go twice in one year! Perhaps there really is magic in the Magic Kingdom, after all. 

So, now we add another trip to Disneyland to our ever-growing list of things we want and/or need to do and/or purchase. The list is adding up quite quickly, and living on one income means setting some priorities. Unfortunately for the girls, Disneyland Part Duex is way down on the list. There's a plethora of dental work that needs to be done, and software for the new computer, and family pictures in the Fall (finally!), and Christmas to save for. So with all that in mind, we have created this:

It is our Disneyland jar. We are putting all our spare change and whatever else we feel like contributing (no marbles or plastic beads, Bea!) into it to save for our next trip. I have a feeling it's going to take a while. Oh well. We will teach our children (and ourselves) the value of saving and setting priorities. The girls emptied their piggy banks into the jar of their own free will, and Natalie even contributed her last dollar from the tooth fairy. We'll see how long the enthusiasm lasts. And we'll see how long Jay lasts before he starts moving Disneyland up the priority list.... the old softie. 

Difference Between Boys & Girls, Part 1

Last night, the girls happily chatted as we ate dinner. 

Dexter, on the other hand, was shooting me with a green bean.

(I guess he wasn't a fan of the cuisine....)

(An old picture, but one that demonstrates the difference between boys & girls. The girls would never have - and still never have - thought to climb on the desk. Dex, on the other hand, thought of it before he could walk.)

Already

It's hard to believe that three months have come and gone...

Cal is smiling a lot and trying to roll over. He absolutely loves his swing... it's his favorite nap spot:

"Bring me the head of a pig!"
(a little Brian Regan humor for those of you in the know.)

Automatically Up'd Our Cool Quotient

Well, it's official. We are now Mac people! Our previous computer served us well for many, many years, but it was continually being attacked by various viruses and it was on its last leg. So, after much discussion, we decided to purchase an iMac. 

Jay was told by our friend Dave, who works for Apple, that the smell of a new Mac out of the box was something we had to experience. (Those Apple folks *really* like their products....) So, of course Jay had to check it out. 

Jay claims it smelled like a new car. Smelled like styrofoam to me. I was expecting daisies or strawberries, or at least an ... wait for it... apple orchard. Hehe! Get it?!? Apple orchard??? Cuz it's a Macintosh! Ok... moving on. 

Despite the disappointment with the smell, we are very pleased with the Mac thus far. I love the new screen. I can actually see my beautiful blog background in all of its glory! (My previous monitor cropped the sides and I couldn't see all the cute little retro bottles.) 

There are only two problems:

1) It can't run PAF (Personal Ancestral File), which I use for all my family history files. I'm told I can make it work, but it sounds like a big pain in the patootie. 

2) I thought for sure that every new Mac came with a free black turtleneck and horn-rimmed glasses, but I guess I was wrong. Dave reassured me that they sell them at the Apple store, though. It's a good thing they do, because I don't think I can be a Mac owner without them.

We're back!

You may not believe it (as I hardly believe it myself), but after a year or two of nagging asking Jay, we finally took the girls to Disneyland! Look! I even have photographic proof:

The trip was very spontaneous, which is not my forte, but hey! I'm trying new things this year. We hastily made arrangements two days before our intended departure, and we kept the whole thing a secret from the girls. On Sunday I had them put together a puzzle I made of a picture of Sleeping Beauty's Castle emblazoned with the words, "We're going to Disneyland!" Natalie's reaction was priceless; she was sure it was a joke. (As if we'd be that cruel!)

The trip was a grand success, if you subtract the huge rain storm on Monday and Jay's emergency root canal. Yep, you heard that right! Poor Jay was up all night Sunday night in major pain. He decided to go to the emergency room at about 2 a.m., where they gave him the name of a local dentist along with a prescription for some painkillers. (Ask Jay about riding the Matterhorn while on vicadin....) Monday afternoon he made it to a dentist who gave him a root canal, and by Monday evening he was feeling like himself again.

The rain wasn't that bad, once we forked over $7.50 per poncho (with official Disneyland markings!). There were virtually no lines, which is what kept us going. Tuesday was a mostly sunny day, and we spent 13 hours total in both parks. Wednesday the weather was the nicest, but by then we were all pretty worn out. We left for home that afternoon, picking up the boys from grandma's on the way. (Thanks, Grandma & Emily!) It was so nice to have "bonding" time with the girls, but I did miss my boys.

Highlights of the trip:

• The Aladdin Show in California Adventure - I loved the look of awe on the girls' faces
• Soaring Over California - seriously cool
• Freaking the girls out on Space Mountain - poor things!
• Bea's love of the Matterhorn (she rode it 4 times!)
• Natalie being brave and going on Indiana Jones with Jay
• Witnessing a proposal in front of the castle - she said yes. :)
• Disneyland at night - I don't care if Jay makes fun of me for saying it, but... it *is* magical.

They Can Be Sweet, Too

It's good to have a friend...

(They must bond over TV. )

Four

Legend has it that Marie Osmond once said that going from two kids to three kids was the most difficult transition, and adding any more after that just meant "one more potato in the oven." Now, I hate to say this because she is the patron saint of Mormonism*, but... the woman doesn't know what she's talking about.

Going from three kids to four kids is very hard**. I don't know how it's possible, since Calvin is only a couple months old, but four kids make 10 times more of a mess than three. And don't even get me started on the laundry situation. Then there is the difficult impossible task of making sure you are doling out the right amount of attention to each child. I feel, in the words of Bilbo, like butter scraped over too much bread.

Now, to be fair to Ms. Osmond, I think the situation is made more difficult by the fact that Jay works 12-hour shifts, which means I am alone for dinnertime, AKA "the witching hour." You moms know exactly what I'm talking about. But more importantly, there is Dexter. He is not yet two years old, and therefore demands a disproportionate amount of my time and attention. In general he has taken the addition of Calvin well (he doesn't try to poke Cal's eyes out or anything), but he does take his frustration out on me quite regularly. He has recently taken to screaming at me, hitting me, and trying to grab the bottle whenever I am feeding Calvin. It is quite frustrating. I have had to put Dex in "time out" in his crib at least once per day (because mama doesn't tolerate hitting, for any reason). But I hate the way I am feeling about him right now, because I know it's not his fault.

Now, I don't want any of you to be alarmed. I am really doing OK and taking each day - each hour, actually - as it comes. And I know it will get easier as both Dexter and Calvin become more and more independent. But for now... I am worn out.

* No, Mormons don't really have patron saints.
**this post is not intended to scare you, Brenda. I'm 100% sure that you will handle four kids with your usual grace & style**

Passing it On

It has become increasingly apparent that Jay has passed on to the girls whatever gene it is that controls the ability to instantly memorize movie dialogue. Now, I'm no slouch when it comes to quoting movies, but Jay's ability is the stuff of legends, and the girls are almost on par with him. For instance, yesterday in the car I overheard Bea quoting a movie she has seen once, about three weeks ago:

"Is this a kissing book?" she said with disgust. And then...

"I'm WAITING!" (in a perfect Wallace Shawn voice)

Yep, that's right. She was quoting The Princess Bride, and obscure parts of it to boot. I was so proud.

So, while Jay was passing on that particular gene, I was passing on this one:

Four for four, baby. Better start saving for the orthodontist now.