here's the story

when chris and i started dating...courting...engaging...marrying...living together, he would always start his stories with 'here's the story' or 'the story is...' i have noticed after 14 years of marriage, i do the same thing. funny how that works, huh?

so, the story is this.

a couple of weeks ago we had an offer on the house. the contract was delivered. the price not agreed upon. the contract was not negotiated. we were a bit disappointed. we do have the house on the market. we do want to move. but i will admit, when they decided not to pursue the home, i was relieved and happy. we didn't have to really leave.

well, last week the realtor contacted us and told us the family wanted our house and agreed with our price and needed us out of the house the end of july.

friday night i cried. saturday morning i cried. we signed the deal and i cried. saturday night i cried. sunday i cried all during church.

does this mean i don't want to move? not really. i'm anxious to get on with this new chapter in our volumes of storybooks...but i can't believe we are leaving a home we love. a home we have created and enjoyed. a place on earth that is beautiful and warm and inviting and lovely. we have been so happy for the past 7 years and it's hard to think about leaving loved ones. packing up our happiness, wrapping it in newspaper, placing it in a box and journeying to a whole new world.

the only consolation is we are moving to open arms of family that can't wait to see us.

since we have to be out of our house in 4 weeks, we decided to throw us into our car, travel during the night to embark on our search for our newest dwelling. a brand new book to open and start writing. i'm sort of feeling a bit overwhelmed.

to. say. the. least.

so...that's where this chapter ends today. for the moment, i'm just folding the corner of the page over so we can finish later. we are off to see a house.

cross the fingers.

these days...

...are wonderful.
and lazy.
yesterday we woke and dragged our bodies to the beach.
perfect.
the weather.
the water.
the waves.
fell in love again with the ocean.
came home to quiet rest.
then to the beach again to see the tide.
covered the beach.
beautiful.

two dads

there was a morning in my history. a morning just like all the others. had to wake up earlier to get the children up early. that yellow bus would be outside with door ajar and we had to be waiting before that bus would round the corner.

this morning i was a bit annoyed. annoyed with my other half. why did he get to sleep in longer? why didn't he ever think to offer to let me sleep in? just one glorious morning not having to wake at the crack of dawn? that's all i need. just one morning. why did i have to drag his children from their slumber, force them to dress, brush teeth and hair? make sure they had food for breakfast and lunch. make sure the shoes were tied. check back packs. make sure they were waiting and the bus wasn't honking...

and as we stood side by side, me grumbling to myself, him getting a drink of water, it donned on me...

...maybe, just maybe, he wants to sleep in one day. maybe, just maybe, he doesn't want the weight of the world on his shoulders. maybe he would like to rest from taking care and making sure he has a job to go to in the morning. a job so we can have our desires.

and i was a bit embarrassed. at myself.

i gently placed the dishes in the sink instead of chucking them at his head. (i've never actually had those thoughts. really.)

chris is a good provider. a good person. a hard worker. a great surfer. a better dad. i'm constantly watching him thankful he's mine. thankful he's the father of these crazy bunch of children. i love him. they love him.

so happy father's day to him.

and to my father.

every post i write i think of my dad. i can't say "my kids", or "these dang kids are driving me crazy", or "i love these great kids of mine." because growing up every single time anyone would say "kid" my dad would say, 'they are not baby goats. they are children.'
so every single time i write a post and every single time i write the word "kid" i change it to "children" because they are not baby goats. they are children.

i'm thankful for his example. for his hard work. for his love. for waking up every morning and walking to work. for being a wonderful dad. i love you too dad.

lana's turn to party

with ceily at girl's camp and eddie camping out in luxury in the mountains ("mom, we slept in a king size water bed last night!), lana's friends came over for a girls plus one boy party. the storms came, so no pool. but the dancing was so worth it!

overheard:
girl one: "oh, did you know that too much cheese and mayonnaise causes claustrophobia?"
girl two and boy one: "what? what do you mean?"
girl one: "oh, i'll have to tell you later when we are not at the table. it really isn't table talk while we are eating."
me to self: too much cheese and mayonnaise causes throw up.

the dancing came right before the movie watching. i was dying with laughter. it was hard keeping it in. i didn't want to inhibit any of the girls' natural, animalistic, pole dancing abilities. i wish all were here to witness with their own eyes.

a little breakdancing

a little solo dance

a little interpretive dance

a little just-feel-the-music-and-let-your-body-take-control dance

darkness came and we projected the movie and they didn't fall asleep like i had planned.
after turning out the lights maybe 200 times and telling them it was time for bed, they finally slept. they each had their babies nestled next to their bodies.

the morning came and after finding signs of a tea party with my laundry detergent...we headed to the pool...after piling into the car...we noticed the flat tire...after ordering pizza...chris came home...after finally making it to the pool...they swam and swam.

i returned the extras to their waiting families. and slept.

soon...

another baby is coming.
can't wait.

10 year olds

heard last night
boy one: "i thought this movie was suppose to be funny. it's just mediocre."
boy two: "what?"
boy one: "mediocre."
boy two: "what is that?"
boy one: "mediocre is pig latin for horrible."

movie playing..."...did you eat a lot of paint chips when you were growing up..."
boy one: "paint chips? what are paint chips?"
boy two: "pieces of paint, duh."
boy one: "ewwww gross!"

boy one: "come on. you have to tell us who you like. our life will never be complete until you tell us."

boy one: "wow. this place is a mess. who's gonna clean it?"

so many more. some inappropriate, but funny.



we had a house full of 10 year old boys. eddie's grand plan of having 10 best friends over for a schools out party. i scaled down the numbers to 4. five 10 year olds ate me out of house and home.
they stayed up until 3am. and then awoke at 6:45am.

are you kidding me!?

they can be heard outside at the moment. each is carrying some sort of weapon.
as i walk outside to take a look- one casualty so far.



boy one, with tears in his eyes: "i feel like my ear has been pierced."
boy two: "how do you know? you've never had your ear pierced."

boy two, with tears in his eyes: "look. my gun broke."

love! love!

love!
these kids.
alot.

again...

...we prepped for our end of the year recital.

this year eddie, lana and ceily all participated.
lana and eddie each played a duet with their teacher. ceily sang a solo.

yes. you just read that correctly. ceily sang a solo.

i always watch my children in their various activities and think to myself that i would have never, ever, even thought about doing what they are doing at their age. i would have rather sat atop a hill of fire ants instead of performing a solo in front of complete strangers.

but i have to give that girl props. she did it. and i sat in the audience and was mesmerized by her beauty. she said she "failed dismally" because she didn't breathe properly and missed some notes. but i tell you, no one cared. or even realized. bravo ceily.

eddie performed "if i were a rich man" and many in the audience wanted to get up and dance the Tevye dance. one lady had her arms going. he was disappointed he didn't have more solos prepared. after the recital he asked if he could have voice lessons. (i'm shaking my head right now.)

lana's rendition of "are you sleeping" was perfect. her little head bopping to the beat was too cute. she requested her hair straight.

desire granted.

noah sat between me and chris reminding us evey two seconds that he was hungry and didn't eat anything for dinner because he didn't like that stuff.

we then returned home and ate ice cream sundaes.

a pretty good fhe if you ask me.

ps...three more days until school ends and our morning routine OVER. this morning lana threw a very large fit. she's still here. refused to eat breakfast. refused to get on the bus.
why?
because i didn't do her hair properly. she wanted the hairspray applied BEFORE the headband.
i don't even want to look at her.