Worst Quote of the Christmas Season

"But I want what I want!!!"  Unfortunately was quoted while throwing herself down on the floor in a  customer packed Gymboree store.  

The Crazies and the Grumpies

sorry...i don't really know if either of these are actual words but i have been surrounded by the crazies and the grumpies.  

where oh where is the holiday spirit?  this is not totally true because the crazy lady behind me in line at the post office was definitely in the Christmas spirit which i figured out after she told me all about her years as a nurse before she went into aero space engineering while wearing a very festive Christmas sweater with light up earrings.  did i mention she also told me every item she was going to be purchasing at her next stop...walmart?  

the grumpiest had to be the woman who was working the shoe department at a very high end mall near our home.  since i don't shop there, i did not have any idea that they don't carry children's shoes.  she informed me in not a friendly way that no they don't carry children's shoes.  i must admit my response was not much better.  i said "of course you don't have children's shoes because this is the ..........  "  i'm sure most of you can imagine where i was.

unfortunately i became the grouchiest online customer of the day when i could not get a coupon to work online and had to call the call service of an unnamed store.  my luck was getting a new employee on the phone who did not know what state phoenix was in nor did he know how to get my coupon to work.  if the unsaid items show up by christmas eve it will be a true miracle.

so here's to hoping i can remember what the season is all about.  (not that it is santa, it was the only picture i could find at the moment)

Up for Sale

According to this ornery girl her mother is up for "resale".  She informed me yesterday that she wanted to resale me after I got after her for marking up her face with an orange marker.  She said, "I have the chicken pox."

I said, "Now I have to take you to Walmart looking like you have a rash."

I am waiting for her picture to be posted on that People of Walmart site.

(picture taken this summer in Colorado on my friends farm.  Notice the very cute red mud boots.  They made the whole outfit!)

Ireland

So the place is Ireland.  Last week Blake and I traveled to the emerald isle.  Blake interviewed for a two year position there.  We are still in the dark if the opportunity will arise but we are still holding out hope that maybe it will happen.  We spent six days (really only 4 with all of the traveling) getting to know Dublin and doing a lot of sight seeing.  Here are a few photos in random order of our quick trip.
View from our hotel room.  This picture really does not capture the busyness of Dublin.  One night 80,000 screaming soccer fans walked past our hotel room.  The next night 80,000 screaming rugby fans sang Irish songs as they walked past our hotel room.  We did not realize until the second night that our hotel room was directly over a pub.  All of the fans seemed to come out of the pub singing at some point during the night.  
Christchurch stained glass.  I loved this old church.  My camera really did not do the place justice.  From the tombs downstairs (no photos allowed) to the gothic arch ways, I could have spent many an hour taking it all in.
Christchurch exterior.
Our hotel.  Our room was last room on the right, second floor up.  Pub was right down stairs by that green sign.  
Malahide Castle.  We were too late to tour but we walked around the grounds.
I loved all of the doorways.  Everyone has character.  I need this "c".  
A statue of Mary and Jesus in Christchurch.  

Interior of Christchurch.  

Sorry this pic is going the wrong way.  This is the spire on the north side of the Liffey River.  According to our tour guide the north side has always been the working class side of the river with the south side the more wealthy.  (U2's recording studios, Bono's house and all of the foreign embassies were on the south side)  The spire has been nicknamed the stiletto in the ghetto and a few other names which will not be mentioned on this family friendly blog.  Our tour guide, a cute 27 year old from Dublin was not too impressed with it.

What I loved about Ireland...

green every where, even in the fall.

almost every where is closed on Sunday morning.  

no nonsense. 

Example: Our bus driver told everyone to be on time back to the bus.  At one point he almost left a couple because they were a little (two minutes) late.  Told a few people on the bus to be quiet or they would have to find their way back home.  I'm sure in the U.S. he would have lost his job or someone would have threatened to sue.  Sounds like a weird thing to love but I really appreciated his attitude.  He wasn't upset with them just matter of fact.

sense of country pride.

tidy towns.

and of course Irish accents. 

So if it happens we will let you know, if not we loved our little get a way to one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Would You?

if you had the chance...

would you move to a foreign country?

would you pull your kids out of school again and move thousands of miles away?

would you sell that cute house you just bought that is finally feeling like home?

would you sell everything off including your suburban that has way too many miles?

would you give up hundreds of sun shiny days for hundreds of inches of rain?

would you give up that lush desert for something a whole lot greener?

would you leave that wonderful support group you have in family and friends?

would you move knowing that the job only lasts two years and after that who knows where you will be?

would you give up that cute little iphone that you can't live without?  (I guess I don't have to give it up but I won't be able to call everyone like I do now.)

would you go knowing you don't want to drive there because everyone drives on the other side of the street, the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car, and there are way too many pedestrians walking around?

My question for you is would you?

Luckiest Girl

On Thursday, that sweet husband and I are heading here....
or maybe here...
or maybe here.  Sorry don't know what is up with my blog.

More to come...

Dancer

After much begging and pleading I let Caroline try out for the dance team at her old dance studio.  She made the team and has been dancing twice a week there since July...and loving every minute of it.  Way back in July the team danced at the Mercury Halftime Show.  Caroline was so calm and relaxed about dancing in front of a small crowd.  (not too many tickets sold for the game)  
Good luck finding her in the crowd of girls.  I really need to invest in a new lens.  

Here Piggy, Piggy!

Swine Flu has officially hit the Mc House!  One girl confirmed only three to go!  

6!

Charlotte has turned six!  I can't believe just six years ago this big girl was born.  Here are our top six reasons we are so in love with this girl.

1. Charlotte loves nature.   She loves to bring home rocks, flowers, bugs, and a lizard or two.

2.  Charlotte can make a new friend anywhere...school, dance class, swimming at the gym.  

3.  Charlotte is still "in love" with a boy from last years pre-k class.  She informed us she only loves shy boys and is still going to marry Nyle.

4.  Charlotte believes all must be fair.  This can become quite annoying as her mother but it might come in handy during her career as an attorney.

5.  Charlotte has a fantastic imagination.  She makes up stories and games to play with her friends and little sister.

6.  And I'm sure she will be mad at me someday for this but...she still sucks her thumb and it is so darn cute.

Happy Birthday my big six year old girl!

2 Moms, 8 Kids

Two moms, eight kids, two trailers (Mel did have a 5th wheel), a whole mess of sick kids (including two throwing up simultaneously in a 29 foot trailer), two moms also catching the lovely bug, a few trailer plumbing issues, SeaWorld, Old Town, bike rides, Point Loma Lighthouse, rollerblading through Mission Bay Park and endless hours at the beach, all of this added up to a priceless vacation that we hope the kids will never forget!

Favorite quote from a store employee in Old Town..."Are you a school group?"

Favorite quote from Sea World...Rio to Sea World Staffer about celebrating her 4th birthday at Sea World, "Actually, I wanted to go to Disneyland."

Better Days

Since my last post we are all seeing better school days.  Isabel is making a few friends.  A sweet girl invited her to sit at her table at lunch.  It is amazing what one small act of kindness can do to one's confidence.  Don't get me wrong...she still doesn't want to go to school but at least the tears have stopped and I have seen a few smiles.   

Here are a few pics from the first day of school for everyone.  Caroline is making friends and is a helper during the morning announcements with the coveted job of calling the office to say they are ready to begin.  She missed out on camera man or announcer.  Charlotte is friendly with everyone but would like to "skip school" to sleep in.  Grace continues to love her preschool and is even talking to her teacher and some friends this year.  She would not talk to her teacher last year until around April.  Here's is hoping all of you (my 6 readers/friends) had a wonderful start to your school year.

a hope, a wish, a prayer

What do you do when your oldest heads off to a new middle school without any friends?  What do you do when 6th grade girls don't seem to notice your sweet, adorable, daughter after 4 days?  What do you do when you are both in tears over moving her from some of the best role models you could have ever hoped for?

Keep on hoping, wishing, and praying for a friend like this one to come into her life.

Coldest Winter I Ever Spent...

...was a summer in San Francisco.  Love this city, love the food, love seeing family we haven't seen in a while, love the cool weather.  Loved this short sweet weekend away!

Way back in June we were lucky enough to head to Berkeley, CA for my beautiful cousin's wedding.  The bride was gorgeous and the groom as equally handsome.  Somehow I don't seem to have a picture of Andrew and Megan together.  I really need to work on my photo skills.

Grace loved being part of the wedding day activites.

Before the wedding we hurried off to San Francisco for a quick look at a few of the town's sights.  Pier 39's sea lions.

A quick trip to the Golden Gate bridge.

No one wanted to miss out on Berkely's famous concrete slide.  What kind of parents would let their children ride down this thing on cardboard?  

Uncle Richie had too give it a try too.