Mission Accomplished!

At age 4 Ethan joined the Little Dragons program.  The instructors asked him if we wanted to earn a black belt.  Of course he said yes but back then I don’t think he realized exactly what that meant.  In February of 2009 Ethan made the decision to join the black belt club.  This meant he was making a 3 year commitment to karate and at the end of those 3 years he would be eligible to test for his black belt IF he put in the time and hard work.  On Saturday May 12, 2012 Ethan reached his goal! It was an amazing day.  I was filled with so many emotions as I watched my son receive his black belt.

In March Ethan begin the Black belt training regimen.  He was a black belt candidate but there was still lots of work to be done.  This would be the most challenging part of his martial arts career.  Ethan was required to attend conditioning sessions every Saturday for 90 minutes until the day of the test.  The conditioning sessions included running, push-ups, and sit-ups in addition to the curriculum. Each week the instructors were looking for improvements in their technique and overall level of endurance.  On May 5th we found out that Ethan was invited to the test.

The black belt test consisted of three parts: Conditioning and Endurance, Curriculum, and Essay questions.  The conditioning and endurance portion started at 5:30 am.  Ethan had no idea how early that was.  When we woke him up he was surprised it was still dark.  He was moving a little slow and I had to force him to eat something.  But by the time we arrived at ABK he was ready to go.  No spectators were allowed during this portion of the test.  I was a nervous wreck.  Would he be able to do enough push ups?  Would he run  a fast enough mile?  Would he give up?  Why was I so worried?  Deep down inside I knew that Ethan was prepared.  Really he had been training for this day since he began martial arts.  He had wonderful instructors who would not let him be here if he was not ready.  But as a mother I still worried.  Of course when we picked him up he was fine.  As a matter of fact I was surprised at how much he was still smiling.  He was released to go home, but we had to be back by 12 pm.  On the drive home we asked Ethan about the conditioning.  He didn’t give much information.  All I know is that they went to 3 locations, running was involved and he was sweating.  Ha ha!

Prior to the test each candidate was required to answer 6 essay questions.  The essay questions had to be typed on a separate sheet of paper with a minimum of 1/2 page answer.  This was no easy task for an 8-year-old since he has not done much typing.  He wrote his rough draft on paper and was  shocked at how short it looked once typed on the computer.   He was very excited when they were all finished and he could turn them in.

Then next part of the test was curriculum.  This is where they had an opportunity to showcase their skills.  The curriculum included Palgue 7, Chungmu, Staff, Sai, Kama, Self-Defense 7-12, One Steps 7-12, and kicking combinations 7-11, sparring, and board breaking. After the presentation of all the curriculum each candidate read one of their essays. Then it was time for the graduation ceremony.

I have watched Ethan receive many other color belts.  Each of those times I was really proud of him but that did not prepare me for the emotions I would feel watching him receive his black belt.  Not going to lie, I shed a few tears.  He looked so grown up to me once they tied that black belt around his waist.  Truth is he has grown up.  4 years ago he had a hard time focusing.  He didn’t know what he wanted to do and like all boys he had a ton of energy.  Now Ethan is a leader, he sets goals, and encourages his younger sibling and has more confidence.   I am so thankful we made enrolled him in karate.  It requires a big commitment and takes up a lot of our time.  But I would do it all again.  The end result is worth it.

Before I post the pictures I thought I would share one of Ethan’s essays questions:

Do you view martial arts the same as you did when you began?

 I do not view martial arts the same as when I first began, because when I started I didn’t work hard as I do now.   I thought martial arts were about kicks and punches but then I learned martial arts are about discipline, life, and self-defense.  I never thought about being the example when I was younger, but now I try to set the example with everything that I do.  When I started martial arts I never thought about the next move or about stances then I started thinking about my stances and moves when I became a yellow-one belt. 

Martial arts have pushed me to do more than I ever thought possible and be stronger both physically and mentally.  It helps me set goals and stay focused to accomplish my goals.  It also makes me try harder than before because I have more confidence.  It helps me to always stay on track and helps me want to learn more and try new things.  In the beginning I thought it was going to be easy but now I realize it takes discipline, lots of practice, and hard work. 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Easter recap

Yes, I know I am a week late.  What can I say between football practice, two boys in karate, preschool, and Ethan’s black belt conditioning the week has flown by.

I have never been a fan of dying Easter eggs.  Not to mention Matt complains about the smell when the eggs are boiled and none of the kids will eat them.  Hudson convinced me to make sugar cookies instead.   We cut them into fun spring/easter shapes.  Then I let the boys decorate them with frosting and sprinkles.  They had so much fun!  Hudson insisted on making a pink flower for Megan.  He is always taking care of his baby sister.  So cute!

Easter morning was great.  Hudson and Ethan woke up first to find the easter baskets on the table.  I heard them talking to each other and then Ethan said “Don’t open anything we need to go get Megan and Owen.”  The easter bunny left some candy, angry bird fruit snacks, Star Wars Leapster games and The MUPPET MOVIE.  I can assure you that the Muppet Movie was a big hit in our house.  The kids have watched it every day since Easter.  They also have the soundtrack on my ipod and listen to it several times a day.  I am definitely not complaining as I love all things Muppets.   Megan went straight for the goldfish in her basket and Owen went right for the candy.  No big surprise there.

We spent the rest of the day in Applegate with Matt’s family.  Half of the Frank cousins were there.  All the kids had a great time playing and hunting Easter eggs.  Megan was so busy trying to keep up with the big kids that she didn’t want to stop to grab eggs.  Normally she has to stay inside with the adults so she was just thrilled to be running outside.  Owen as you can imagine wanted to stop and eat the candy from each plastic egg.  It was all entertaining.  The biggest hit of the day was the bubble machine that Grandpa purchased.  All of the kids loved chasing the bubbles.  It was so cute to watch from the window as they each tried to pop them.

I love days were we can just sit around and enjoy the family.  It warms my heart to see the cousins playing together.  It was a very Happy Easter indeed.

Spring Break Part 2 -Disneyland!

After our time in  Arizona we decided to take our time going home spend a few days in southern California.  We told the kids that we would spending a few days with Uncle Bill and Aunt Connie.  But what they didn’t know as that we were meeting them at DISNEYLAND.  It was so much fun surprising them.   We left AZ and drove to Temecula to visit some of our friends.  It was pouring rain so the kids were not able to meet up at the park.    After we  left our friends house the kids asked how long it would be to drive to Uncle Bill’s and Aunt Connie’s house.  It was then that we finally revealed that we were going to DISNEYLAND.  The boys started screaming.  They just couldn’t believe it.  Now Ethan has been a few times before but the last time he was 3 years old.  Hudson went once but he was only 7 months old. This would be the first visit for Owen and Megan.  Unfortunately, with the rain we were not able to see fireworks from our hotel room the night we arrived.  But I can assure you the kids were up bright and early the next morning to start our adventure.

We had two day tickets but they were good for 1 park a day.  So we decided to visit Disneyland first.  We were pleasantly surprised to find Mickey Mouse as soon as we walked onto main street.  Surprisingly none of the kids cried and all wanted their picture with him.  Turned out to be my favorite photo of the trip. Next we had to purchase Mickey ears for Owen and Megan.  We have done that for each of the kids on their first trip to Disneyland.  Owen was happy to wear his but Megan didn’t like them very much. Our first ride of the day was Peter Pan’s flight.  Waiting in line was a bit of a challenge with Megan and Owen but we survived.

After riding Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and the teacups we made our way to Tomorrowland.  My goal was to get Ethan and Hudson in the front row of the Jedi Academy Training so that they would have a chance to be picked to participate.  We got over there just in time to see the end of the first training.  The boys loved watching it however, when Darth Vader came out Hudson was a  little nervous.  He started asking me if he was real or fake.  But he was still wanted to sit in the front row.  I actually only expected one of the boys to be picked but much to my surprise BOTH Hudson and Ethan were chosen.  They were so excited. I only wish I had remembered to take a video.  I got some pictures but it was hard with both of them up at the same time.  Without a doubt this was their favorite part of Disneyland.  Stars Wars is huge in our house.  They insisted on riding Star Tours 3 times.  But I must admit it is pretty cool now that did the an upgrade on the ride and it is in 3D.

Hudson kept asking for Donald Duck.  I found that funny because he had never mentioned Donald Duck before.  We took a walk to Toon Town but we were not able to find him roaming around.  I took the younger kids back to the hotel room for an afternoon nap while Matt, Uncle Bill, and Aunt Connie took the older boys on bigger rides.  I love my sit and stand stroller since it allows the older boys to ride in the stroller too.  However, while walking back to the hotel Owen fell asleep.  The sit and stand is not able to accommodate TWO sleeping children.  I am sure all the people passing me got quite a laugh as I was trying to hold Owen’s head up with one hand and push the stroller with the other.  Of course once we got back to the hotel he woke up!  But we rested at the hotel for an hour anyway so that he would be ready for the second half of the day. We found the rest of our group at Splash Mountain.  Matt failed to tell the boys that Splash Mountain had a very big drop but they loved it!  The rest of the day they were begging to go back.

Turns out Ethan and Hudson love roller coasters.  We took them on Space Mountain and they chose to sit in the front row.  At first we though Hudson was crying.  Turns out he was laughing while shouting “this is awesome.” Oh I can see that once they get older a trip to Magic Mountain will be necessary.  Now Miss Megan on the other hand did NOT like Pirates of the Carribean.  She didn’t scream or cry but she was definitely not happy to be on the ride.  Owen had fun on the canoe ride but those sitting in front of him may not be so happy with us.  Owen paddled as hard as he could which in turn just splashed all those in front.

Obviously I am not as young as I used to be.  A full day at Disneyland is exhausting especially with 4 kids.  Ethan was determined to stay until the park closed at midnight.  Thankfully we convinced the boys to sit down and rest while we waited for Fantasmic to begin.  This allowed us to view the fireworks above the castle.  Owen of course fell asleep before anything started.  Megan watched the fireworks but fell asleep before Fantasmic.  The other boys loved the show.  They were glad we made them sit down.  Hudson was so very excited when finally saw Donald Duck aboard the boat at the end. When Fantasmic was over they were ready for more rides.  We rode Star Tours one more time and then let Ethan created his own Light saber.  At that point Owen was getting far to heavy to carry around since he was still asleep.  So at 11 pm we started our walk back to the hotel.  All I kept thinking was thank goodness California Adventure does not open until 10 am and we can sleep in!

California Adventure was a big hit with all the kids.  It was fun to see the expressions of Owen and Megan because they recognized a lot more of the Pixar characters.  Our first stop was A Bug’s Land.  Matt took all the boys into the 3D show It’s Tough to be a Bug while Megan and I stood in line to get our World of Color fast pass tickets. I found all the boys at the exit of the show and Hudson was clearly upset.  Matt is laughing.  Hudson will ride any roller coaster but 20 minutes inside It is tough to a bug freaked him out.  He did not like when all the lights turned off, Hopper comes out and a bunch of giant black spiders fall from the ceiling. Hudson could not get out fast enough.  Owen kept pointing to the statue of Hopper outside saying no. I am pretty sure the bugs would have freaked me out too.  Megan and Owen were loving all the other rides inside A Bug’s land.  Only problem is that Ethan and Hudson thought they were too slow.

We were on our way to the big roller coaster when the boys saw the Phineas and Ferb dance party going on.  Yep, Hudson and Ethan got right out there and danced with all the other kids. The Ariel ride was a big hit with Megan and Owen.  Ethan LOVED the California Screamin’ roller coaster.  He did say that he closed his eyes when they went upside down.  Hudson was upset that he was too short for the ride.  But we later found a smaller coaster that he could go on.  The Toy Story Mania ride was fun for all.  Megan loved seeing the characters and the boys loved playing the video game. Speaking of Toy Story, Owen has watched the second movie more times than I can count.  We were standing line to take a picture with Buzz Lightyear but he had to leave.  Then Jessie arrived.  The older boys got out of line but Owen waited.  He was very surprised to meet Jessie in person.  It was so cute. Megan just tried to take off her hat.

Matt took the kids to see the Aladdin show and Ethan begged me to take him to the Tower of Terror.  He kept asking me if we were really going to drop.  But once again he loved the ride.  Although this one did scare him just a little bit. Last but not least we took Hudson and Ethan on the Soarin California ride. We managed to get in the front row.  Hudson really thought we were flying.  He kept saying this is awesome.  Ethan on the other hand is at that age where he knows something is going on.  He kept trying to figure out how the ride works.  But thankfully he only whispered to me and Matt that we weren’t really flying and allowed his brother to still have fun.

We were able to get a good view of the World of Color water show.  Ethan wanted to be in the splash zone so he sat way up front.  Hudson was totally impressed by how high the water was.  Every time the water went above the ferris wheel he would scream.  Everyone around us thought that was pretty funny.  At this show the park was closing down and our two days of Disney were coming to an end.  We made one final stop by the churro stand.  For some reason Ethan really wanted to eat one for dinner.  Only at Disneyland do I allow them to eat churros and cinnamon rolls for dinner.  Ha ha!  It was a great two days and we made lots of great memories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Break Part One

Four years ago we made the decision to move to Oregon.  We were thrilled to find a family that wanted to rent our house immediately.  We  thought our property management was doing regular inspections and that our house was being cared for.  Those renters moved at the end of February so Matt decided to take a trip down to AZ to check out the house and do some repairs.  The kids and I decided to tag along for some much needed sunshine.  Turns out we were not so lucky and our house was trashed.  Poor Matt had to spend  16 hour days fixing up the place.  I won’t give you all the details on the house as it still upsets me.  But I will share stories on how the kids and I spent our time while in the Valley of the Sun.

Nothing ever goes as planned.  We actually had to leave a day early to beat the storm that was on its way to Medford. It is about a 19 hour drive (if you count all the potty breaks with 4 kids) to our destination. We quickly discovered that Megan was not a good traveler.  She wanted out of her car seat and became very vocal about it.  Owen was trying to watch a movie and he finally looked over at her and yelled “Meggie, Shut Up!”  Of course Matt and I couldn’t help but laugh.  Owen doesn’t talk much which made it more funny.  Plus we were all thinking the same thing.

A big thank you to my cousin D’Anna and her husband Scott.  They opened up their home to us.  They were such gracious hosts and it was lots of fun hanging out with them.  They have one daughter Evelyn, who is actually going to be a big sister in just a few short weeks. The look on Evelyn’s face when she discovered 4 other kids playing with her toys was priceless. Megan and Evelyn had this love hate relationship.  They would always want what the other was playing with and fight over it.  Yet every morning the first thing Megan would want to do is hug Evelyn.  It was so nice to let the kids just play out in the backyard.  The weather was beautiful.  Miss Megan loved playing outdoors until she discovered that D’Anna had a big pet turtle.  I mean a turtle that was big enough for Megan to ride.  She freaked out when the turtle started roaming the yard.

Since I had a little free time I decided to take a drive to the new DPR offices.  The boys kept asking where we were going and I simply said to see Mom’s old work.  Of course the boys then thought I was kidding as they said “Mom you don’t work.”  Funny children I have. But my former co-workers quickly assured the boys that I used to work there.  It was so fun getting to see the new office but I was extremely nervous that the kids were going to have a melt down or break something.  Later that afternoon I was able to spend some time with the girls from the office as we attended a spring training game.  It was fun to catch up, watch some baseball, and soak up the sun.

Ethan and Hudson don’t remember a lot about living in Arizona.  But they both asked about the train park. We met our friends at the McCormick Stillman Railroad park for the afternoon.  They all enjoyed riding the train and playing on the playground.  But I think their favorite part was probably the ice cream break.

We spent an afternoon with G.G. and Tom at LeisureWorld.  The kids were dying to go swimming.  That is not something we can do in Oregon right now.  The boys loved riding the golf cart to the swimming pool.  Megan had never been swimming before.  She loved the water.  She actually was upset that we wouldn’t just let her go.  I kept thinking that once she got her face underwater she would slow down.  Nope!  She wasn’t afraid at all.

Ethan and Hudson spent a day with Granddad.  They went downtown to ride the light rail and visit the science museum.  It is funny that they called the light rail a train.  Hudson thought it was too slow and made too many stops.  Oh that kid always keeps me laughing just by speaking his mind.  The loved the science museum and told us all the cool things they learned as we drove home.

There is just never enough time when we go back to Arizona.  There are so many people and place we would love to visit.  This time we were limited because of all the work  needed on our rental property.  But I can assure you that we will be back.

Happy Birthday Ethan!

With my 1st pregnancy, my due date was Feb 25th, 2004.  I was worried about having a baby on February 29th. So my doctor suggested we wait until March 1st to induce.  We arrived at Good Samaritan hospital early in the morning to get things started. However, Mr. Ethan Sterling Frank was going to make his grand appearance on his terms and not a moment before.  It took 36 hours to be exact.  I guess Ethan thought March 2nd would be a better birthday.   As I am sitting here typing this post I can’t believe that today we will celebrate Ethan’s 8th Birthday!

Ethan has always been independent.  Like many other mothers I would try to baby him but he will have no part of that.  On his first day of Kindergarten I wanted so bad to drive him to school and walk him to class.  Of course I knew he could do it by himself but I wanted the pictures and just to share that moment.  Ethan wanted to ride the big yellow school bus.  As hard as it was for me, I had to let him do it.  In the long run I knew I should be thankful he was excited for school and not afraid for the new adventure.

Ethan can  be stubborn.  Potty training was a nightmare.  Seriously I tried everything I could think of for months and he just wouldn’t do it.  We sent him to preschool in pull-ups which meant he had to be in a younger classroom.  At the end of the day the teacher informed me that I should put him in underwear the next day as he had used the potty all day long.  He literally made up his mind after one day of preschool to start using the bathroom.  You can not force Ethan to do anything he does not want to do.  I realize that can also be a good trait.

Ethan has never met a stranger.  I have lots of memories of going to the park where Ethan would introduce himself to any kids that were on the playground.  He would get upset if they were too shy to respond.  He would just keep talking to them until they felt comfortable and were ready to play.  He still walks into a room full of people and instantly makes a new friend.

At age 5, Ethan set a goal to get a black belt.  He trains 4 days a weeks and assists in other classes.   Next month we will begin conditioning sessions  to prepare for the black belt test.  I have a feeling this is going to be an exciting year for him.

Here is a trip down memory lane….Happy Birthday Ethan!

Yellow Belt and Harley Davidson Party

Here is another post about Hudson.  Yes, I realize I do have 3 other kids but this has been a busy week for Hudson.  Not only did he turn 5 but he also tested for his yellow belt in karate!

On Jan. 18^th, Hudson joined the Black Belt Club.  This means he made a three year commitment to karate.  At the end of the 3 years he should be testing for his black belt. As a member of the Black Belt Club you are allowed to take unlimited classes.  The classes are offered 6 days a week and Hudson wanted me to take him every day.  Of course Ethan is also in the Black Belt Club so you can imagine how many days I am already up at the karate studio.  I told Hudson that we would try for 4 days a week.  He was so excited for his first class.  He didn’t care if he was the youngest person.  He was eager to learn and excited for the new curriculum.  At the end of the week Hudson told me that Mr. O’Conner needed to speak with me.  Hudson was eligible for testing! I was given his intent to promote form and Mr. O’Conner told me they were impressed with how well Hudson was transitioning from Little Dragons to the Black Belt Club.  I was a little surprised at how quickly he was eligible to test but at the same time I realize that Hudson has been watching his big brother in karate for nearly 4 years.  Ethan has helped Hudson practice at home and does a great job mentoring.

Last Friday Hudson completed his test and received his yellow belt.  This was his first test where he had to demonstrate forms by himself.  The instructors had nice things to say and were happy with his testing.  He needs to work on not moving his  upper body as much when he kicks.  But otherwise is doing great.  Master O’Conner said that he was impressed with Hudson and sees a lot of the same qualities that he saw with Ethan.  During the test Hudson was asked what he likes better kicks or punches.  He responded with kicks.  He also said that the flying side kick was his favorite.  As you can imagine Hudson was very excited to attend class on Monday with the new yellow belt.  Keep up the good work Hudson!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hudson’s Harley birthday party was held at  Abby’s Pizza.  This was the first year that he invited friends from school.  It was nice to meet some of the other parents.   Of course we had plenty of Harley decorations.  Instead of goodie bags this year I sent each child home with a new hot wheel car.  I must admit it felt a little weird not preparing some sort of football cupcakes!  But Hudson said this was the best birthday party ever so that is all that matters.

Am I already 5?

At 6:30 this morning Hudson runs into my room.  The alarm is ringing but I am not completely awake yet.  He doesn’t wait for me to open my eyes he just starts talking. “Mom, am I already 5?”  Yes, you are.  Happy Birthday, I reply.   ”I knew it because today is Wednesday February 1st,” he told me in a matter of fact tone.  What an adventure these  5 years have been.  Hudson is definitely one of a kind.   He keeps us laughing, questions everything and has a very specific way of doing things.

Hudson can take 30 minutes to put on his shoes because his socks have to be just right and the shoes tied perfectly in a double knot. If he is wearing a jacket it must be zipped up or he will not walk out the door.  He will not eat sauce on his spaghetti, jelly with a peanut butter sandwich or frosting on a cupcake.  He puts all the movies back in the correct cases and in alphabetical order.  When we tuck him in at night the blankets have to be arranged in a certain order or it is just not right.  Some days I find it all very funny and some days it can be frustrating.

Hudson wants everything to be perfect.  I hide the pink erasers when he works on homework or he will never finish. He has a fantastic memory.   He remembers all the spanish words that my mother teaches him.  He has taught himself how to read and loves to learn math problems.  I can’t wait to see what he does once he starts kindergarten in the fall.  He absolutely loves school.

Hudson can also be mischievous.  In December he told me that it was hard staying off the naughty list so he thinks Santa should have a funny list.  But he can also be very sweet and is very protective of his little sister.  Out of all the boys he is the one that takes care of her the most.

We have always celebrated Hudson’s birthday on Superbowl Sunday as he  insisted on cheering for the Cardinals whether they were actually playing or not.  I knew one day that tradition would end.  This year it happened.  He has requested a Harley Davidson party.  Yes, he is growing up and it is so much fun to watch.  Below are pictures down memory lane as it starts with the day he was born then one for every year.

Happy Birthday Hudson!

Christmas Recap

Anyone else have a busy Christmas weekend?  Please tell me that your kids were  hyper and unable to sleep because they were super excited for Santa’s arrival.  It was a great weekend and according to my 7-year-old, the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER.  Nevermind that he says that every year.

Christmas Eve we drove out to Matt’s parents house for a big family photo shoot, this was a gift for my in-laws.  It is not every year that the entire family is together for the holidays.  The biggest challenge was coordinating everyone’s work schedules.  It seems that our family works in Health Care, Security, and Retail, which of course meant that even though it was a holiday people still had to work. But we managed to find a time that everyone could meet in Applegate.  JulieAnn Photography always amazes me.  She does a fabulous job.  This time there were 25 of us to photograph! I was so afraid that all the guys would hate me for even suggesting professional photos, but in the end I knew we would love the results.

After the photos all of the cousins just wanted to hang out and play.  A few of us decided to attend the Christmas Eve Service at Applegate Christian Fellowship. This service is held outdoors in the amphitheater.  The trees are covered in lights and they have two big bonfires going to keep warm.  Oh and lots of hot chocolate and hot apple cider! As I expected the amphitheater was packed.  We actually had a hard time finding a place to sit.  It was amazing to sit outside and reflect on the true reason for the season.  The lights on the trees were beautiful but it was when they turned those lights off that  things really light up.  It was then that they had each of us hold a candle and they started to light them one by one as we sang ‘O Holy Night’.  Yep, I cry every year at that exact moment.  Seeing the amphitheater lit up with all those candles is simply breathtaking.

Once we got back to my in-laws house the children were begging to open one present.  It seems Grandma and Grandpa had a few tricks up their sleeve.  They allowed the kids to open not 1 but 2 presents.  The first one was new pajamas and the second one was a pillow pet.  Those were a big hit!  All of the kids were saying how long they had been wanting a pillow pet.  It was so funny!  They each got a different character.  Megan got a red ladybug, Owen a Moose, Hudson an Arizona Cardinal, and Ethan a Dallas Cowboy.  I honestly can’t remember what all the other cousins got.  Grandma and Grandpa knew what they were doing because all the kids were excited to put on their new pj’s and sleep with their pillow pets!

Getting our wild bunch to sleep proved to be a little harder.  They all fell asleep on the ride home but didn’t want to go right back to sleep once we got to the house.  We had all the kids sleep in the same room so they would wake up together to check out the tree on Christmas morning.  I don’t put any presents under the tree before Christmas and of course they were hoping Santa would leave a few things too.  The finally fell asleep around 11 PM and I know I fell asleep sometime after 12:30.  Of course I kept tossing and turning because I wanted to make sure that I woke up as soon as they did so that didn’t miss their reaction to all the presents.  However, I did not expect to be woken up at 4:30 AM!  My first thought was to make them go back to bed.  But they were so excited.  Actually Ethan and Hudson were so excited.  Megan and Owen on the other hand were not amused.  Hudson and Ethan begin shouting Santa has been here!  I asked them how they knew that and they said because the cookies are gone.  But we didn’t look at the presents.  Then Ethan says I hope I get a scooter.  Which of course happens to be the one item that is NOT wrapped, so right then I knew they had already peeked around the tree.  It was settled a very early morning it was going to be.

There is nothing sweeter than seeing the kids open all their presents.  They were so excited about each one.  Santa brought scooters for all the boys.  Miss Megan got a little rocking horse.  Their other gifts included new clothes, books, games, legos, and movies.  Owen immediately started playing with his Leapfrog Text and Learn.  I am sure some of you have received misspelled text from me before thanks to Owen.  Now he thinks he is pretty cool with his own “phone” to push buttons and write texts all day long.  Hudson immediately wanted to play his Paper Mario game for the wii.  Ethan was ready to dive into all the legos.  Megan just wanted to ride her rocking horse.  After opening gifts it was only 5 am.  Megan was ready to go back to bed and we turned on one of the new movies.  I remember seeing the opening credits but fell asleep shortly after that.  Ha ha!

We headed back out to Applegate in the early afternoon.   The kids were able to run around outside with their cousins all day.  They took turns on the mini dirt bike and quad. Ethan was allowed to drive the mini dirt bike by himself.  He really liked that.  The other boys went for a ride with Dad on the quad.  Actually Owen almost ran me over as I was trying to get a picture.  Matt asked him if he was ready to go and instead of saying yes, Owen hit the gas.  Not that I am surprised.  We had a fabulous Christmas dinner and a great time was had by all.  By 7:30 I was in bed for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

It is Christmas time! We have been busy trying to keep up with 4 kids. I can honestly say it has been a great year!
Megan celebrated her 1st birthday last month. We did a Wizard of Oz theme since she was Dorothy for Halloween. She started walking just before her birthday and now there is no stopping her. She does her best to keep up with big brothers. She is very quiet unless it is time to eat. She continues to have Daddy and brothers wrapped around her finger.
Owen, “the bear”, is now 2. He is full of energy and tears up anything in his path. He is proving to be a very stubborn boy that doesn’t always learn his lesson the first time. He is a very hard worker and never misses a chance to help Mommy with chores. He is a boy of few words but is trying to talk more. He constantly carries a notebook and crayon so that he is always ready to find Blue’s Clues.
Hudson is almost 5. He started preschool in September and loves it. He would do homework all day long if we let him. He loves to read and do math. He also enjoys learning Spanish. This month he received his white-belt which is the highest rank in the Little Dragons Program. He will be moving up into the Black Belt Club Program after the first of the year.
Ethan is almost 8 and currently in the 2nd grade. He is the child that likes to be involved with everything. He always has a full social calendar. He is still active in Karate. In September he received is red-black belt. This belt introduced the weapon, Kamas. Now the real work begins as he starts conditioning and training for his black belt. He is on track for the black belt test in the spring.
Matt has spent a lot of time in Cleveland for training. In May, he was there for general x-ray training. He just returned from a 3 week trip for Cath lab training. He enjoys the classes but would be happier if they were in a new location. He has seen all the sights of Cleveland now. In October we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We were able to spend 5 days in beautiful San Francisco. It was a great time and just what I needed to relax before the busy holiday season. For updates throughout the year you can always find pictures and funny stories here or my other blog Marisa 4.0.

Christmas festivities

This weekend we started to get in the Christmas spirit.  Not that we were being a bah humbug before but Matt was training in Cleveland.  The boys insisted on waiting until Dad was home before we visited Santa, or looked at Christmas lights.  So as soon as Matt returned the boys had a list of things they wanted to do.  We went to Harry & David to meet Santa.  This was our second year visiting Santa at this location.  I love going there because it is not as crowded as the mall and all the proceeds to go the softball team from one of the local high schools. Plus we can go shopping for moose much inside the store afterwards.  Hello, that is so much better than a candy cane! Miss Megan was not impressed with Santa.  She screamed the minute she sat on his lap.  The boys kept looking at her like what is your problem.  Poor Santa didn’t know if he should give her back or if I still wanted the picture.  Yep, I am that mother that wanted the picture for the scrapbook even if she was screaming.  I never did get the boys to all look at the camera but it is a fun candid shot anyway.

The next night we took a drive around town to look at Christmas lights.  Of course our first stop was Dutch Bros for some hot chocolate.      The boys would drink Dutch Bros every day if I let them.  We found a bunch of decorated houses to look at and it was the perfect way to end the weekend.

I should also mention that Hudson had his preschool Christmas program.  They sang three songs for all the parents.  For weeks Hudson had been telling me that he was not going to sing since the thought Christmas programs were stupid.  He is a very stubborn child and sure enough he stood in the back row and didn’t sing much.  He did however do all the sign language.  He was just very glad when the program was over.  Later on he tells me…”Mom, it is hard to stay off of the naughty list, I wish Santa had a FUNNY list”  Oh Hudson, if that were the case you would definitely be on that list since you make me laugh everyday.

With only five days left until Christmas you can imagine how loud it is at our house.  Winter break has begun and the boys are full of energy.  This is going to be a fun week!