Behold, The Tenth Year!

What a whirlwind is December!

The first week of December was BDC week - this year we performed Behold the Gift. I danced more than I anticipated and holy moly I made it through but I have a long way to go if I'm ever going to feel on top of my physical game again. I've accepted the fact that I just can't right now - sleep is my current priority. Anyways, I digress. Eliza danced also - she loved wearing the costume and checking her make-up status every 5 minutes. And guess who was Baby Jesus? Yep - Blake! He was so very very very very cute up there. Smiling and reaching and eating his toes. He was the star of the show :)

I don't have a good photo of Eliza from the performance, so instead here she is all gussied up in her "Christmas dress" (courtesy of Granny):

Eliza spent a lot of time snipping little tiny fuzzy pieces of fuzz balls to build this amazing art project. After this, I respectfully declined more fuzz balls when Granny offered them.

Ethan immersed himself in the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book.

At a cub scout activity, Ben enthusiastically built a recipe card holder for me while we waited for him in the pouring rain. When he got home, he made a little index card to put in it that said "I love you, Mom!" So I guess it was worth it for me to get him there and be there with him.

I got completely suckered into buying this Santa outfit for Blake at Target. I resisted the first time, even with Eliza's pleadings, but the next week I succumbed. He does look pretty darn cute, but I'm not so sure about the $15 part.

Eliza had a cute little dance recital and loved every second of performing (and of telling the other girls what to do).

And I'm sure there was much more to this stressful season that supposed to be so holly jolly, but that's all I have pictures for so that's all that we'll say for now!

A Couple of Months in Photos

Ben very enthusiastically earned his Bobcat!

We enjoyed an evening at the Walnut Festival's special needs night (free!) - the kids had the time of their lives and were shocked when I told them that Disneyland would be a million times better than the Walnut Festival. And here they thought they'd just had the time of their lives!

Notice my little kid Ethan cramming his big body into the back seat:

Do you think Ben liked driving the bumper cars?

The swim team had their annual awards night and both Ethan and Eliza received participant trophies. Ethan was surprised with an additional coach's award from coach Zach. It said, "Ethan was always a great swimmer. I am glad I was able to work with him. HE would always come to practice on time, swim the laps that he was told to do, and would never skip any, even if he was tired. He was always excited to swim, always wanted to go first, no matter how hard the set was. Even if other swimmers would stop to rest, Ethan would keep on swimming until he was done with the set. He was a good example to the other kids and helped motivate the rest of the lane to keep on swimming."

The photo below was not any special occasion other than having Grandma Joan and the Hiatts over for a Sunday dinner. We get together every so often but rarely take pictures, so this was just for the record!

Soccer Season - Oh, how we love VIP soccer! Both Ethan and Ben practiced every Weds night at the same time, same park, adjacent fields. Then they played games every Saturday morning at the same time, same park, adjacent fields. Lucky us! Both boys just loved playing soccer this year and Eliza enjoyed cheerleading. I love the colors of soccer photos:




(Note that she even chose to wear her turquoise shirt to match the brothers' shirts)

During Thanksgiving week, Betty and I took an adventure with the kids (Jeff had to work - boo). We took the Amtrak train to Sacramento and visited the California State Railroad Museum. The kids were really good and riding the train was definitely the highlight. Here are a few pix:


I love this of my three BIG kids playing alongside the toddlers and having just as much fun:

Waiting at the train station to go home:

Hello Out There?

Where are we???? We are lost in a whirlwind of life. I have 8 blog posts in my queue and I wonder if I will ever finish them. My house is a constant disaster, I can hardly stand the piles of stuff that aren't put away and wouldn't have a home even if they were put away. And here comes Christmas, the season of more stuff.

But I'm not here to complain or dwell on the cynical, merely to say I'm going to start up here and now and not worry about finishing up those 8 blog posts.

And that's it because it's 11:30pm and my milk-hog baby is crying for more more more. So much for starting up here and now!

Teeth

Eliza sported two rows of teeth for a few weeks there:


Until she finally lost one of those baby teeth!


Four years old and two baby teeth are already gone! The tooth fairy came and went and we have no choice but to say: our baby girl is growing up!


At the same time Eliza was losing her first teeth, Blake was growing his first teeth - two little cuties:


And Ethan was dropping molars and canines like raindrops in Seattle.

And Mom was downing ibuprofen like candy thanks to a major toothache from a traumatized bicuspid.

Halloween

A Chocolate Lab

A Bat

Elphaba

Greg Heffley (the Wimpy Kid)

Disneyland!

We did it! We finally made it to Disneyland as a family! And it was a BIG success!

However, I had the (not-so-bright) idea to buy a new camera for the trip - small and cheap so to be easier for carrying along each day. Our pictures are therefore lame lame lame. What a major bummer. When the battery ran out on the new camera (after one day), I switched to my Droid camera, which isn't much better. So much for making a memory book of our trip. Can't do that with lame pictures. Anyways, enough griping. I've learned my lesson (and will sell the camera) and now on with our tale ... WARNING - this is an extraordinarily loooong post b/c I actually did a quick journal on my phone every night of the trip. Since this is the official family record of our lives, it's all going down here.

Day 1 started in Tomorrowland at the Buzz Lightyear ride. I think it was a little overwhelming as a first ride for kids who had NO idea what to expect of Disneyland. It was also our first clue-in that Disneyland is a loud place for a noise-sensitive kid like Ethan. I, however, thought it was a literal blast and wished we could go again right away!


We hit Autopia (by the end of the trip, all 3 kids had this ride on the top of their favorite list) and the Finding Nemo Submarines. The most entertaining attraction was the Jedi Training Academy, where our own Princess Leia was chosen as a trainee:

Though she'd been talking excitedly all morning about fighting Darth Vader, when the real one entered the scene, she decided it wasn't such a good idea after all!

Feeling like we'd finished Tomorrowland, we ventured onward. Jeff and Jason took Ethan to Indiana Jones (where he covered his ears, put his head down, and shook in terror without seeing anything)and Janell and I took the other three to It's a Small World. Everyone learned the song, but I could tell that something was bothering Ben. Eliza singing with Janell:

While waiting in line for the princesses, I finally figured out what was bothering Ben. We'd left Tomorrowland with one ride unvisited ... Space Mountain. He insisted we go back, even after I explained the nature of the ride. In true Ben form he persisted, so off we went to Space Mountain. I was nervous for him, and to make a long story short, the ride terrified him. At the end, as we came in to stop, he said, "Phew, that was a close one!" I hugged him (and hugged him) and promised him a milkshake. Poor kid! The up side was catching our buddy Buzz before the ride:

We took a break at the hotel while Janell and Jason did some rides together. We met back up with them in the afternoon to do Soarin' Over California. It was an immediate favorite for the entire group. Actually, everyone got back on right away for a second time! We got the kids home in bed, then Jeff and I went back out on our own. FUN! We did the Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mtn. Railroad and just enjoyed being together in such a happy place.

Day 2 (Friday) started with breakfast at IHOP. We were starving! There's no time to eat when you are having such fun! We waited a long time for the food but then the kids ate and ate and ate. Ben had mac & cheese & fries ... for breakfast (I had to look the other way!).

We started the day at the funny Jungle Cruise. Ethan got some of the jokes, but once again, looked like this for the whole ride:

By now we'd accepted the fact that Ethan really was having fun, just adapting the volume to what pleased him. Note to self: next trip to Disneyland, bring ear plugs for Ethan.

Pirates of the Caribbean next! Ethan was skittish about getting on, but we convinced him to trust us and he liked it (with ears covered, of course). Eliza sang along yo ho yo ho. Ben barked at the dogs.

Next stop Indiana Jones store where Ethan did some shopping and 4 adults lost track of Ben. He was lost for 30 (very anxious) minutes. We contacted security and sent out our own scouts. Jeff found him at the Buzz Lightyear ride (where Ben knew we were headed next) and corralled him until I got there. "Did you know you were lost?" "Well, sort of (which in his mind means no)." I lectured him for a minute about the panic he caused to which he said, "Fast pass? (he was waiting for us to come with the fast pass to get on Buzz Lightyear)" Sigh ... he clearly had no idea the anxiety he caused :(

So then Janell & I took the 3 littles on Buzz Lightyear and Astro Gliders while Jeff & Jason took Ethan on the steamboat to Tom Sawyer Island. Ethan begged for more time on the island, but no, it was time to head to CA Adventure!

Bug's Life area was so super cute. My not-so-thrill-seeking children loved every ride, and I was impressed that the Disney folks even put their all into a ride so simple as Heimlich the caterpillar. We were also particularly grateful for our special needs pass in this area. I can't imagine having to wait in a long line for those little rides!
We saw It's Tough to be a Bug (loved it!) and then Jason and Janell took the 4 kids to the Aladdin show (another favorite) while Jeff and I fast passed our way onto California Screamin', the ultimate of classic rollercoasters. I wish we could have gone again! Instead we took a stroll through Paradise Pier then met back up with the family.

On the way back to do Toy Story Mania, we caught a roving show of the Green Men from Toy Story. Eliza participated in the show, then Ethan and Ben followed the army truck as it drove to its next stop - running/dancing/skipping the whole way. I had to run to keep up!

Toy Story Mania = AWESOME! Jeff had the high score for our ride. Here's Jason demonstrating his skill:

Then we hit the Carousel and the Ferris Wheel. Jeff, Eliza and Ben went on Grizzly Rapids (Ben got the wettest) while Ethan, Blake and I took a peaceful break on the Redwood Trail. Here are the kids checking out Grizzly Rapids and deciding whether they want to ride it or not (Eliza: YES! Ethan: NO! Ben: maybe)
Eliza and I then raced to Disneyland to try to catch the princesses before closing, but we were too late :( The park was jam packed for the Halloween party that night. The comfort was that she and I got to party with the Celebrate Parade instead. Eliza waved to everyone and even got up to dance and do the conga. It was such a joy to see her so involved in the whole experience. Jeff took the boys to the Lego store in Downtown Disney and Janell and Jason took some time on their own to see the Pixar Parade, do CA Screamin' and eat dinner.

Jeff and I met up in Downtown Disney (they'd been at the Lego store) for pizza slices then booked it home to bed to find Janell and Jason already there. Everyone was exhausted, but the kids were happy cooperative, darling, and excited for a new day. Eliza was asleep within minutes of her bedtime story. I talked with Ben about being lost and me praying and asking Amy, Grandma Joan and Betty to pray too.. "Was finding you an answer to our prayers?" "Well, a little bit." "Now we'll pray to show we are grateful to find each other." I said a prayer then asked him to say a thank you to Heavenly Father. He repeated with me: "I thank thee for helping me find my family." Sweet boy.

Day 3 (Saturday) was Sick Day! Janell was up in the night with D___ (I just can't write that word on my blog) then Jeff a few hours later. By 9:30, when the kids were all ready to go, Janell felt better enough to come along (what a trooper!), but Jeff stayed home to rest.

This was our final day at Disneyland so the day to repeat favorites and do a few new ones. Autopia was first on all the kids' lists! Ben said he was a very crazy driver. We took a loop on the monorail and then stopped at Space Mountain for fast passes and a diaper change. Ethan was frustrated with any lag time.

We decided to try out Fantasyland, but it was just mobbed with people. We did Alice in Wonderland (Ben laughed out loud a few times and Eliza was scared of the Queen of Hearts), then the 3 kids went solo on the teacups. I had to give Ethan a short lecture about being patient about waiting for a few minutes. We were so spoiled with the special needs passes! The children were unwilling to attempt Snow White's Scary Adventure (Ben: "because it has Scary in the name") and Janell and Jason's attempt to get Eliza on Mr. Toad was foiled by a last minute potty emergency - Jason rode alone! So we finished the Fantasyland experience with a lovely ride on the Storybook Boats and then made a desperate escape from the madness!

At CA Adventure we saw the Muppets 3D (okay - Ethan covered ears a lot, of course), then Monsters Inc, then Ben's first legitimate almost meltdown (we should have just stayed with the redo the favorites plan). Jeff met up with us to help with kid cover, bless his sick little heart, because we girls had a date with the princesses at Ariel's Grotto!







While we had our girl time, Jeff, Jason, Ethan and Ben repeated Soarin' Over California and Toy Story Mania, had lunch at the Grill, then headed back to Disneyland for ride on the River Boat. We met them as they got off and Janell and Jason took off on their own. We Smiths tried to go on rafts to Tom Sawyer Island but it was closed - Ethan was VERY bummed. We spent a few minutes watching the big dip on Splash Mountain (Eliza: YES!, Ben: maybe, Ethan: NO!). Eliza, Ben and I hopped on! Eliza loved the zip-a-dee-do-dah song; Ben loved it too, but the big dip was "too scary" ("you thought that was fun but I think you are wrong"). Eliza was scared too, but later reported "I loved it - it was so much fun!" I love that girl!

And that was the end! Jeff was totally spent from being so sick and the kids were tired. I got Blake and Jeff settled, picked up soup for Jeff from IHOP, then took Ethan and Eliza swimming in the hotel pool. Ben stayed in the room and played word games on my phone.

After everyone was in bed, I went back out on the town. I scouted out World of Color, did Soarin' (caught breaking rules with Stroller pass - major guilt) and did some shopping. I met up with Janell and Jason for a bit but I was too exhausted to stay for rides/shows.

We were so grateful to Jason and Janell for travelling from Virginia to spend the weekend with our family. They were helpful and happy and just so easy to be with. We love you!

Ethan cried and cried when we got home, "back to long days of fifth grade and all that hard work all the time! I want to be entertained with something new every 10 minutes!"

And that (phew!) was our trip to Disneyland.

Back to School

I have no pictures from the first day of school. It's simply (another) something that I just can't pull off each year! Ethan was a little anxious about starting 5th grade, but being at the same school, with the same teacher he had in 3rd grade, with Betty still as his aide, made things pretty smooth. I think his nervousness had everything to do with knowing that another year older means more work and responsibility. Isn't it hard to grow up?

On the first day of school, Ben was pumped to be starting at a new school. We spent four months prepping him for the transition, and many phone calls and emails back and forth with service providers at the new school site. We were cautiously optimistic (not a great classroom for him, but a VERY supportive principal who was greasing the skids for mainstreaming asap). But then the shock came with a phone call from his school behaviorist saying that they felt he should move to a different school site to a non-public setting. LOOOOOONNG story short, I was livid. What followed was a very stressful couple of weeks and some of the lowest of low moments in my mothering career. But we made it through to the other side and are feeling cautiously optimistic (again?!) about Ben's new placement.

Eliza had to wait a couple of weeks after her brothers to start school, and bounded back to preschool with pent-up enthusiasm. She just loves it there. I'm rather amazed at the girl social system that establishes itself even in preschool. The first week at pick-up time Eliza was either in tears or ecstatic, all based on who she got to sit next to at closing circle. Thankfully, that has leveled out and she's pretty content with anyone or no-one now. Phew! I don't know if I can do this girl thing!

And Blake is not in school yet, of course, but just my constant companion for all his siblings school stuff. Thankfully, he's a very skilled tag-a-long.

This school year I agreed to be the treasurer for the PFC at Ethan's school. It's proving to be a much more time-consuming commitment than the secretary position was. But I'm hoping that after an initial learning curve the demands of the job will level out and not sap my time and energy as much. We shall see!

Here's a picture that I took in late September as a gesture toward a first day of school shot. I include simply because a blog post without pictures can be such a booooorrrrre.

40 Years!

Jeff's parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this summer! And they wanted to celebrate with this motley crew at Bucks Lake:

and happily, we were all able to oblige! It was such fun to all be at the family cabin together. It was Labor Day weekend so the water was low and the beach below the cabin made for a perfect launch point for fun activities.

Geocaching:

We found 4 caches around Bucks Lake in our first attempt at geocaching.
Here are the kids with our first find under "troll bridge."

Beauty Shop, courtesy of Aunt Janell:

Smores:

Boating:

Some tubing, some skiing, some cruising...

One afternoon Jeff, Janell, Jason and I took our 4 + 2 Bolinder kiddies for a loooong adventure on the boat. Even little Blake came along! We cruised the lake, took some swimming dips, found a geocache, and stopped at the marina for ice cream. There was a scare that the boat was malfunctioning and would not start, but the kids said a fervent prayer and the boat started right up ... Phew!

Swimming and Beach Play:

Ethan spent hours using this big stick as a lever, attempting to flip this big rock.

Jetskiing:

We rented a jetski for 2 hours and the time just FLEW by between all the riders. We now make a confession that since we were the last family to leave on Monday, we took the opportunity to rent a jetski all to ourselves for an hour before heading down the mountain.We played games, shared memories, ate lots of food, and mostly enjoyed one another :) Jeff and I made an ABC book of memories from Jim & Colleen's 40 years. It's so fun to be able to custom make books like that. It's a treasure! I hope the extended Smith family will get to vacation together in future years. It's so fun for cousins to get to know each other!