It's the little things in life ...

Hello family and friends, 

Today, well, today was my birthday. Yup, I am now 31 years old. Hard to believe how much has happened this year, but in reflecting on it I have a few things I'd like to share. Let's call it, "Things I Learned This Year." (Okay so the title is pretty weak, but it's summer vacation and my brain is exhausted!) 

Here goes ... 

* Falling in love is really fun! 

* Enjoy the love that grows between a blended family. Hearing the kids call each other brother and sister (and dropping the "step") is a wonderful feeling. Another awesome thing was when Gavin and Chloe recently decided to call me "Emy." 

* Working part-time doesn't mean that you have a lot of free time at home. 

* Working part-time is difficult. It's hard to tell the office, no.

* Keeping a family of five organized is daunting. 

* Take time to enjoy and LAUGH at the things the kids say. And for heaven's sake, write them down when it happens. Thinking things like, "Oh, that would be a great thing to blog about" doesn't work. You'll forget. 

* A few gems as of late ... 

From Chloe this morning, "Wow, you made it another year!" 

From Gavin last weekend, "Having three kids sure is a lot of work!" By the way, I replied that actually having three kids was A LOT of fun!

From Zack: "Mama, I just love you." This is something he says all the time ... seriously, sometimes 30-40 times a day, at least! 

* Listen to the jokes that Gavin makes up ... some of them are hilarious and others make no sense at all. It's fun, though, to watch the thought process at work. 

* Keep a back-up copy of your grades. You know, in case there is a processing error and, oh I don't know, one of your entire classes gets deleted from the system. 

* Stay positive. Thinking good thoughts leads to more good thoughts. It's hard to remember that sometimes, but I'm working on it. Certainly all the cuts to education have been testing my faith in positive thinking, for sure. 

* It's okay to cry. 

* It's also okay to take time for yourself. Ride the bike, take pilates, veg in front of the TV and watch a mindless, pointless show, whatever ... it's okay to be away from the kids and the family once in a while. 

* Living close to family is truly a blessing! 

* Take lots of pictures. 

* Learn to appreciate a few moments of peace and quiet. I have found that folding the laundry is one of my favorite tasks. Seriously, there's something pretty relaxing about making nice neat piles of clean clothes. (Putting the clothes away is an entirely different story, however ... ) 

* Write hand-written notes to friends and family. In a day of technology it's nice to see something other than a bill arrive in the mail.

* Go camping. 

* Give and receive lots of hugs and snuggles. Even if you're asked in the middle of preparing dinner or answering emails, or cleaning house, or any kind of inopportune time ... stop and snuggle EVERY time you're asked.

So, it's not a big list, but it's a start. There are, of course, a million other things I've learned this year ... but no reason to reflect on all of them ... some of them will stay in my heart. : ) 

Speaking of things that touch my heart ... wanted to share some recent pictures of our kids. They are beautiful! 

Much love, 

--M

Let the summer vacation begin!

Greetings friends and family! : ) 

The Ross household is happy to report that summer vacation is in full swing. With two teachers and three kids in the house, summer is definitely a big deal. 

The school has a really great summer program ... hikes, bike days, visits to the pool, movies, art & crafts, etc. However, we're on a budget and have decided that each week we're going to keep the kids out of care at least one of our days (it was a big disappointment to the kids since they love attending school so much) but we felt it was important. The other days we have the kids will be part-time care ... as Chuck says, there is no price on mental sanity! Plus, the kids can run some bugs out! 

Today we kept everyone home and I thought I'd share the day with you. In fact, after days like today I wonder how we ever had time to work before. :) 

5:50 a.m. Zack wakes up and does his usual, "Mama, mama!" He was sent back to bed since the rest of the house was still sleeping. We're trying to get him to stay in bed until 7 a.m., but he's a morning person and that is a really tough feat! 

6:20 a.m. "Mama, is it morning yet?" So much for 7 a.m. Zack is sent out to the living room to play quietly. 

6:40 a.m. "Mama, I played and now I have something to show you." 

"Zack, what do you want?" Asks a sleeping Mama.

"Well, I'd like you to make me breakfast." 

How am I supposed to sleep through that? : ) 

7 a.m. Chloe joins the morning crew, as does Daddy. Daddy starts breakfast. 

7:30 a.m. We wake up Gavin to have breakfast. (French toast, btw)

8ish: Chuck departs for school. He has a big test, the CTEL on Saturday and has been spending quite a few hours studying. For whatever reason, it's important that Chuck, a PE teacher, have a good understanding of teaching vocabulary and reading skills to English Language Learners. 

9:20 a.m. We (the kids and myself) head to the school to pick Chuck up. 

9:30 a.m. Arrive at the Kuk Sool studio so Gavin can take a test for his blue stripe. Not shortly after we arrive, Gavin and Chloe's mom and her boyfriend arrive to watch the test. Not shortly after that a conversation about pictures of the kids starts and then she begins discussing her disappointment in the fact that she never put together a wedding album of her and Chuck. Um, what? Actually, I start looking for a shot of any sort of adult beverage. Nothing to be found, but the test starts so no more talking. Whew. 

9:45 -10:45 a.m. Gavin does an amazing job during his test. He has a talent for this martial arts stuff. It's fantastic! Chloe and Zack did a remarkable job of keeping busy while the test was going on. I drew Chloe's name in bubble letters for her to color. A little while later, we noticed that she had copied the bubble letters and rewritten her name! Bubble letters are tough and she did a great job! 

11 a.m. Drop off Chuck back at school to study for a little while longer. The kids and I head home to make lunch. Chloe chooses mac and cheese, Gavin has chicken nuggets and Zack opts for a quesadilla. 

12:15 p.m. Head back over to school. Chloe goes with Chuck so she can attend her first gymnastics class. I'm taking the boys to the library. 

12:30 p.m. Chloe's gymnastics class has started! Chuck send me a text message a little while later that this could be something Chloe is really interested in! It's good news because we've been trying to find something she might enjoy. 

1:00 p.m. We (the boys and I) head over to gymnastics to watch Chloe. The boys had a great time at the library ... especially when we found the Star Wars books! They each took a book into the gym, so they could read. We had a good time watching Chloe as well. This  will be a learning experience for her (there is a lot of self-directed time) but she seemed to enjoy running around and trying new things. 

1:45 p.m. Arrive for home. Have a snack ... everyone is hungry again. Chuck and I hadn't even had lunch yet, so we were VERY hungry as well. 

2:30 p.m. Chloe and I leave for an  appointment. 

4:00 p.m. Appointment over, Chloe and I stop by the mailbox, pick up pizza and FINALLY depart for home. We have a great time singing at the top of our lungs in the car. 

5 p.m. Dinner is served. Zack ends up in a timeout because he isn't listening about eating his vegetables. On the way out of his room he bonks his knee on a toy box and ends up with a purple bump on his knee. OUCH! Lots of crying, an ice pack, etc. Poor little guy. 

5:45 p.m. We sit down to watch "Journey to the Center of the Earth." It's a great family film. 

Very soon it will be time for bed. : ) 

Hope this finds everyone doing well. I have some pictures to post, but I'll have to do it another time. I need to go snuggle on the couch with my family. 

Much love,

--Emy

PS -- Emy (sounds like the television award "Emmy") is the name that Gavin and Chloe have chosen to start calling me. I LOVE IT! It feels a lot better than having them use my first name all the time!