"Sun kissed skin, so hot, it melts your popsicle..."

We crashed the Hollister 1st Ward's beach trip on Saturday.  

It was so fun to be there with family, and hang out with some long time friends (pics later).

There is nothing like walking down the beach with your kids, so they can experience the rush of icy ocean water breaking against their legs. 

There is nothing like hearing someone you barely know shout, "Whoa! White Meat, coming through!" at the sight of you in your swimming suit.

Nice, right? 

I mean really...like I don't know that my skin is not a beautiful california girl sunkissed shade of bronze?

 I started to reply defensively, "Well, at least I won't get skin cancer!"

but I stopped myself at, "Well at leeeeeee....." and bit my tongue.

Keeping quiet.  

It's a new concept for me.

It's a good thing I did, because I turned around to see who was hollering at me anyway, 

and there would be nothing quite like mouthing off about skin cancer to some lady from the ward who only has a partial nose...the rest had been removed when it got skin cancer. 

I should try keeping quiet more often.

and I might suggest that my new pal from the beach do the same. 

Flavor of the Day

We interrupt this vacation to bring you a trip to the doctor's office.
I guess I forgot to add "make sure all three kids get ear infections at the same time" to my vacation checklist.

check!

Just spent several HOURS at the clinic and 5 out of my kids 6 ears are infected, and one eardrum has burst.
And just to paint a little picture of our clinic visit for you:

We were there long enough for me to stop caring that Quincy was screaming at top volume and kicking the floor. I only hoped it would get us out of there faster.

It didn't work.

We were there long enough for the tantrum to turn to sleep. She took an hour long nap in the "tiny room".

We were there long enough for me to answer the "what's this one's pain level" question (that was asked 100 times) with, "How about if you ask them?" and gesture to the kid screaming on the floor with an arched back, the one slumped half awake in a chair, and the baby using all of his tiny man-cub strength to pry himself out of my arms, while biting my finger and throwing the paci across the room every time I offered it.

The doctor also offered Tylenol with Codeine for the kids, "because it looks like nobody has slept in awhile" and Valium for me, to which I think he intended as a joke...but realized by my state of insanity and lack of patience that I would take some if he offered it up for realzies.

After the doctor left we waited an hour for him to write out the prescriptions(not for Valuim, sadly) Another set of nurses came in to ask more questions ("M'am, which one is sick?" ALL OF THEM, people! ALL OF THEM! And really? I'm a M'am, now?), they offered me an old Parents magazine to pass the time while we wait.

The featured article was "30 Simple and Easy Ways Moms Can Relax".
Perfect.

I flipped to the article, and funny thing, I didn't find "get the Hell out of this Doctor's office cuz you've been here for freaking forever" listed as one of the easy, simple suggestions.

At least now I have a reason for why the flight out here was so crazy. Their ears were probably killing them. Poor kids.
Sort of. The flight out here was traumatizing enough that a total stranger came up to my mom when we were at the baggage claim and said, "I was on the same flight as your daughter. You need to take the kids and drop her off at spa. Immediately."

Thank heaven for antibiotics and super tacos. It's been a long day.
Fun will resume tomorrow.

PS-Aaron. I really miss you. Family vacations should be spent as a family. Next year, you're coming out here with us. And I am crashing the "boys only" fishing trip.

Dear Aaron

it isn't the same without you.

{100}

My blog now has 100 readers.

The limit for a private blog is 100.

Now what?

Like, what if my 90 year old Grandma "figures out how to work the interwebs" and wants an invite?

Do I have to give someone the axe for granny?

'cuz my Mima is awesome.

So, if she wants an invite, she gets one, dangit.

I guess, until I find a loophole in the 100 reader limit thing, the rest of you are all on standby for the chopping block.

To Do {CHECK!}

6/22 days in and so far, so good!

It has been TWO YEARS since I have been home to California. I've got quite the list going. I'll have to pace myself if I'm going to get to it all. If I don't, I am not waiting another 2 years before I go back.

eat:
check! check! -Super Taq (carne asada super taco, super burrito, carnitas torta...there will be many visits)
check!-Togos (pastrami)
check!-In-N-Out (double double with cheese, no onions)
check!-Pink Berries (with raspberries, kiwi, and mango)
-Dari Delite (chocolate crunchy peanut butter milkshake & crinkle fries)
-Eriks Deli (Pilgrim's Progress and REO Speedwagon and a chocolate chip cookie w/ walnuts and lemon zest...mmm, 'cuz nothing says "lunch" better than a 750 calorie sandwich with 44 grams of fat. Yes, really. You're better off with the 600 cal Double Double, than the REO at Erik's. Who knew?)
-really good produce. Cantaloupe that is soft and tastes the way it only tastes on the Pacific Coast.
check!-Fruit from Mark's trees. Peaches and apricots...Yum.
check!-The giant artichoke. It won't be the same without Aaron. It's one of our places.
-HalBQ-I hear the new specialty is grilled Alaskan Salmon.
-Lunch somewhere with Mark...he's a busy guy, lunch is a good way to see him.

run:
-see above list. All that food? I'll look like Manuel Uribe (um, check.) by the time I leave Ca, if I don't get some running in.
check! (ouch.)-My sister Amy is planning to drag "Fat Meg" on a 13 mile run through Tres Pinos with her "fun" club, titled, "The Psycho Running Group". 13 miles. (check...14!) That's a half-marathon, folks. If I go, I might die. Or, at minimum, I'll die. Worst case scenario, I won't die, and instead will have to live with the shame of throwing up all over myself, then passing out in it, and everyone will see what I've eaten on the inevitable binge eating that will occur once I arrive in the golden state.

shop:
-IKEA
-Gilroy Outlets
-my fave little downtown shops in Gilroy and Hollister
check!-Target (shhhhh)

play:
check!-MH aquatic center
-Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
-Gilroy Gardens
check!-Jelly Belly Factory
check!-San Francisco: Ferry Ride, Pier, dodge seagull poop, teach children about homeless people and public transportation, eat sourdough, chocolate, frozen bananas, and taffy, Girls Golden Gate Bridge, Take a Trolley Ride
-Monterrey Bay Aquarium
check!-Dennis the Menace Park
-Cannery Row (mmm caramel filled ghiradelli squares)
-See the monkey, eat chowder, and let the girls get seashells at the Fisherman's Wharf
-The beach with old friends and their kiddies
-Getting together with High School gal pals w/out the kids to laugh and catch up.
check!-Spending a couple days in Ceres at HolleeAnn's place, playing, swimming, laughing, napping, check! running w/ Fonzo, hopefully catching a glimpse of busy busy Jordan, and looting HolleeAnn's preschool supplies and accessories. check! Maybe looting J's closet, too.
-The Oakland Temple. Only an hour 1/2 away! Awesome. Mom, you're coming...or babysitting, your choice ;)
check!-Gymnastics and Tumbling and Playing at USA Sports
check!-2 Cousin Birthday Parties and 1 Baptism
-Pony Ride playdate with friends and kids
-Karaoke @ Victoria's
-Girls night with my mom and sisters. It's happening.
check!-Cousin time for my kids. They're going to love all the semi-supervised running around with all those boys that they're going to get. They can't wait to spend hours jumping on the trampoline, playing on the swingset, building forts, riding bikes, learning about StarWars, skateboarding, Legos, and video games, and just plain being wild kids for a few weeks.
-there is just so much more, but I've lost interest in this post, and you probably have too. Plus, I need to go finish packing!

See why I need 3 weeks?
What's on your list when you go to Ca?

Validated

My wildest dreams have come true!

The following email announcement I just received makes me very very happy.
This for all the times I have had to walk through a sea of smokers (smoking right outside the classroom door), just to get inside the building to get to my class. I mean, if you're going to smoke, fine....but please don't do it where I have to smoke it, too. Stay out of my air, Yo.

"As of August 1, NWACC will become a Tobacco-Free campus to comply with the Arkansas Clean Air On Campus Act of 2009. This Act makes it illegal to smoke on all state-supported colleges and universities in Arkansas, including all buildings and grounds owned and operated by the institutions."
Many thanks, Lawmakers.
And now a note from me:

Dear NWACC students,
Feel free to go smoke in your car, and not invade the air of everyone around you.
And by "smoke in your car", I don't mean, "sit in your car with your window cracked one inch open so you can hold your cigs out the window to keep your own air fresh while you selfishly stink up everyone else's, forcing them to roll up their windows".

Sincerely,
a Non-Smoker/Non-Secondhand Smoker

Git Free Chikin

Friday was "Cow Apprecation Day" at Chick-fil-A.
We made costumes.
We got free food.

I'm not above that.

"I gotta get some chicken in me!"

The kids had a lot of fun putting together and painting their costumes.
My favorite part was when we walked in, they rang a loud cowbell, gave my kids stuffed cow toys, took our picture, and everyone in the restaurant said, "mooooooo!".