Mommy of Many®

Alrighty, I’m giving away the 2nd of 3 pairs of tickets to the event !  Start emailing!  

Enter to win a pair of Famous Goodie Bag Tickets* for you and a friend to Shecky’s Girls Night Out in San Diego on May 14th. Indulge in five hours of cocktails, amazing fashion deals, fab freebies in Shecky’s Famous Goodie Bag, and the best time ever with your BFF’s!  Be the 3rd person to email me at Jen@MommyofMany.com with “Shecky’s Girls Night Out” in the subject box.  The winner will be announced this evening!  

Good luck!

I got the opportunity to have my newest goddaughter for the whole day, today.  Whoo Hoo!  I haven’t had a baby in the house in a while, so I jumped at the chance to cuddle this sweet little bundle.  I pulled up in front of her house, moved Gabi’s car seat to the second row of seats in the van, put Lauren’s seat in the first row next to Luke-Xavier and went in to grab the baby and all that she would need for a day away from her house.  Once I got her car seat locked in and her bag put in the back, we were ready to go.  I got into my seat and turned around to Luke-Xavier’s voice saying, “here”.  He was trying to give her a peanut!  All of a sudden I realized what I was up against!  I have 2 preschoolers at home, who have no idea about having a baby around.  They are both excited about the idea, but have never really been around babies.  Luke-Xavier has no concept of needing teeth to chew or that babies only drink bottles.  I’ve always taken for granted that my kids learned about babies as we went.  Wow!  I had to give a 3-minute talk on what babies could and couldn’t do, what the ate and how they slept, not to mention safety factors like, “you can not pick the baby up”.  So, we got home and unloaded.  

I am SO out of practice!  It’s not even just the baby stuff, like needing to entertain them or hold and burp them (love the holding part!), but it’s the fact that you have to spend so much energy keeping the other kids off the baby!  It’s the not being able to say, “mommy has to work for a few minutes, watch your movie”.  It’s not being able to go to the bathroom without the baby, for fear the well-meaning preschoolers will give her a toy that isn’t safe, drop something on her head, step on her or pick her up.  I DO remember that babies take a lot of time and energy, but it’s all the worry and equipment and guess work that I forgot about.  How? How did I possibly forget after doing this 9 times?  Well, all I can come up with is that all those years are such a blur.  They were a constant flow of movement and thought.  Yes, now I’m always Doing the Dance, but it’s so different!  I can take 5 minutes to myself when I need it.  I can schedule social engagements and count on the bigger kids to lend a hand.  

I wouldn’t trade all of those years, even if I could and I certainly wouldn’t change saying “yes” to today, but it flashed me back to things I’d forgotten and how much work and how different things were for so long!

Babies are one of the greatest gifts and joys that you can be given.  Luckily, all the work and energy that goes into them fades away into distant memories as life moves forward.

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Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for details on how you can be the next winner of a pair of tickets to the Shecky’s Girls Night Out, coming to San Diego May 14th! 

Have a great day~

Now that the house is all clean and fresh and new, I’m having a hard time wanting to put anything back into it!  I like that I can walk through the living room and not have anything to pick up.  I like not worrying that I’m going to trip over something in the hall.  I look at my freshly painted walls and hesitate putting any nails up for pictures.  I don’t want to move the worn furniture back in on top of the new carpet.  They kids have been eating on the dining room floor and when they’re done all we have to do is pick up the plates and walk them to the kitchen.  There’s no table to clear and no chairs to wipe down.  I LOVE IT!  ~sigh~ I KNOW I have to start moving back in and unpacking all the books and pictures etc. but it’s just so nice not to have all the work that goes with all the THINGS.  We dejunked as we packed, but I’m seeing a WHOLE LOT more dejunking.  What do we REALLY need?  A million books that no one has read in years…..300 movies that get popped out of their cases and lie on the floor…..too many shoes…..art work that we’ve admired since the day that budding artist brought it home?  Some serious rethinking of what’s going back into this house is going on.  

Wish me luck on the strength to follow through!

Have a great day~

Over the last 3 days, the pace of life has been pretty quick.  

The squadron is getting ready for the Change of Command in early May and there are always events that lead up to that.  Thursday night was the COC dinner and Clay’s farewell from the squadron was also included in the night’s festivities.  

He was presented with the above plaque which has a picture of him, flying his last flight at the squadron which was just 2 days before this.  Our time with this squadron has been wonderful.  It’s full of great people who look after one another.  Even though Clay has been farewelled, I will get to continue to attend the squadron’s functions because of the type of orders he is leaving on.  I look forward to continuing to attend social gatherings and OSC (Officer Spouse Club) meetings with this group of great people!

That night, we came home from the dinner, changed into our work clothes and got down to business, finishing the packing up and cleaning of our house.  The painters were coming the next morning.  I was able to go until 1 am and then crawled into bed, setting the alarm for 4 am to get it finished.  It was (miraculously) done in time for the painter  and I headed out the door with the 2 youngest kiddos to keep them busy, outside of the house, for the day.  I hadn’t been able to take them to the park in awhile, and to be forced out of the house, with no looming laundry and no hope of computer work, was the perfect opportunity to focus on spending some fun time with them.  We spent a whole day of “fun time”.  ”Fun Time” is exhausting!  

Clay finished his work day and met up with us to take the kids to dinner while I got ready for a farewell dinner with the great ladies from my bible study.  One of the women is leaving for a year to Germany.  Her husband is a reservist and has orders.  She has packed up the kiddos and they are heading over.  She’s taking my godbaby with her, which I am NOT happy about!

We all had a wonderful dinner (at my favorite restaurant!) and were able to spend some time chit chatting and making her promise to use Skype 

After dinner, I met my family in our freshly painted house and we carefully went to our rooms.  The painter was coming back, first thing in the morning and we needed to be ready to go again.  With this mini remodel, we requested that the bedrooms not be done.  This helped us in 2 ways.  First, we didn’t have to move EVERYTHING out of the house and secondly, we could tip toe into our rooms at night and not have to get a hotel.  

But Clay had to rally the troops on his own, yesterday, because I was attending our CO spouse’s farewell.  Normally, this is a luncheon, but Lisa asked that we all do something a little different in honor of a cause that is close to her heart.  So, we all met up for the March of Dimes, March for Babies walk.  

The squadron’s name is the Wildcards and everything is western themed, hence the cowboy hats. However, it was the first time since I decided to try a work out routine, that I’d put on workout clothes.  This quickly brought to mind the whole work out fashion issues I’d had a few months ago!  I chose to solve the problem with a long tee shirt.  :-)

I got to walk along with one of the newest members of the Wildcard family for part of the way.  I hadn’t worn a front carrier in a couple of years.  It felt great!  There’s nothing like snuggling a little baby!

After our walk, we had a picnic lunch in the park.  

Then it was off to find my family and figure out what our plan was for staying out of the house for another day.  We met up at MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) for some fun time in their game room.  The kids love going there because there’s a bowling alley, a game room where no quarters are required and a movie theater where you can pick which movie you want to watch (first come, first served)!  It’s a great place to have a party or spend the afternoon.  While Clay kept the kids busy there, I grabbed Gabi and took her shopping for a bday gift for the party she was attending that afternoon.  Gift picked and then off to the dance party.  It was great to see a room full of 4 and 5 yr. old girls dancing and pretending.  LOTS of fun!

We came back to the house in the evening and it has been freshly painted, new carpet has been installed, the bathroom, kitchen, dining room and laundry room have new vinyl and the entryway has been retiled.  In a few days new window coverings and appliances will be delivered.  Whoo Hoo!  It’s been exhausting, keeping the kids out while still fulfilling our daily obligations, but the house is looking GREAT!  Pics to come soon, I promise.  The only problem is that now I don’t want to move our stuff back in.  I just want to leave it all looking fresh and clean. ~Sigh~  

Today, we are staying out of the house again and have been invited for a bbq and pool party.  The kids are excited and I’ll be happy to relax and watch them play.  Tomorrow begins the unpacking of the boxes and making the house look like we live in it again.  

I hope you’ve each had a great weekend and that your pace of life has been a little slower than ours.  

Have a great day~

Congrats to Lisa for winning the first pair of tickets to Shecky’s Girls Night Out, San Diego!

I’ll be giving away another pair next week.  Don’t forget to check in so that you can win!

Have a great day~

Alright ladies, here it is!  Today is the first of 3 give-aways that I will be doing over the next few weeks.  Enter to win a pair of Famous Goodie Bag Tickets* for you and a friend to Shecky’s Girls Night Out in San Diego on May 14th. Indulge in five hours of cocktails, amazing fashion deals, fab freebies in Shecky’s Famous Goodie Bag, and the best time ever with your BFF’s!  Be the 3rd person to email me at Jen@MommyofMany.com with “Shecky’s Girls Night Out” in the subject box.  The winner will be announced this evening!  

Go! Go! Go! Email! Email! Email!

Good luck~ 

*Tickets may not be redeemed for cash. Shecky’s is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. Duplicate or tampered tickets will not be honored. Must be 21 or older to attend. Proper ID will be required at the door. Contents and value of individual Goodie Bags vary.  Ticket valid for one time use only.

It’s a BEAUTIFUL day in So. Cal! I had a busy day planned with two dentist appointments and then LOTS of packing and cleaning since the house is being remodeled starting on Friday. After I got the kids to the dentist, I realized that the sunshine was calling my name and that I couldn’t resist the call. So, instead of heading home to put the kids in the playroom or the back yard, we went to the train at the mall (I have a stash of tickets that I keep in my purse) and then couldn’t help but walk around and enjoy the day.

My silly kiddos with their prizes from the dentist

The train on a sunny day!

La Jolla has been overrun by cows and these 2 were displayed at the mall. Gabi was trying to show Lex how to milk this one. Never mind that we live in San Diego and truly have no idea how to milk a cow!

A stop at the fountain for some wishing was in order. Lex took his wish pretty seriously!

A trip to Pottery Barn Kids for plenty of hands-on fun is always a good idea.

Gabi looked and looked through these beautiful skirts in the hope I would say we could buy one. Not today.

As you can see, it was a really nice morning. But now, I’m back home, all the kids are home from school and I’m faced with all the work I didn’t do. I suppose that’s what the un-sunshiny evening is for!

Have a great day~

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Don’t forget to check in tomorrow to find out how you can win a pair of tickets to the Shecky’s Girls Night Out in San Diego on May 14th!

As you know, we are preparing for Clay’s next deployment and it’s just around the corner in May.  With the help of some great friends who offered their house and yard and the many great people who came to help say, “See you next year”, we had a great party!  

Thank you to everyone who came to wish Clay well and offered their assistance to our family while he is gone.  Thank you to John and Casey for offering their great house and yard (look at how beautifully it was decorated!) and thank you to Nelson of Dakine’s Hawaiian Catering for helping me out on such short notice!  If you’re in the San Diego area and are in need of some great food and great service, check them out!  

We still have a little time before Clay walks out the door, but it’s so jam-packed with a mile-long to-do list, that taking this one evening to visit with friends and family was a nice distraction.  

This is my favorite picture of the evening! 

Good night~

I recently found out about the Shecky’s Girls Night Out event that’s coming to San Diego and wanted to share it with you!  Check out the link to see what a great event this is going to be!  Not only am I going, but I get to share the fun with all of you!  I have 3 pairs of tickets that I’ll be giving away between now and the event, which is on May 14th at the Air and Space Museum, in Balboa park.  

Be sure to check back for details on how you can win a pair of tickets to this fun event!

Have a great day~

It’s been Go! Go! Go! at the Lang house for the last week.  All the kiddos were home so that we could celebrate Easter as a “whole” family (in Max’s words).  We had 5 days together before Kateri had to head back to school.  We are lucky enough to have JJ for a few more days.  The little kids really get a lot out of having the oldest kids home.  And I must say that Kateri and JJ do a great job of making sure to give the little kids extra attention, when they are home. Here are some pictures and descriptions of what’s kept the Lang Clan busy over the last week-

This pair of ducks showed up last week and the kids have been enjoying them, ever since.  They spend the day resting on our front lawn.  They wander the neighborhood for their daily exercise and then show up at our front door to let the kids know they’d like some more attention.  It’s been a lot of fun for the kids!

JJ loaded up the 4 youngest kiddos and took them on a bike ride to the store for kites.  Then he took them to an open area (not pictured) to fly them.  Here, one of them is being flown over our house.

Kateri and JJ helping the kite back into the air.

We attended an Easter party and egg hunt at a local park.

Luke-Xavier finding eggs

Gabi, on the run to find some eggs!

Max’s, Happy Egg Hunting face!

Clay with some of the kids and a friend, goofing around at the park.

The younger kids enjoyed coloring eggs to give to the Easter Bunny.  Kateri lent a hand and the ducks came to keep an eye on things.

Of course there was Easter, itself.  It’s a time of celebration and remembrance for us.  We attended Easter Sunday Liturgy and then went to one of our favorite places, The Island Club, for brunch.  It was a beautiful day!  We really could not have asked for better weather!

The kids woke to their filled baskets.

JJ and Tristan helped to serve Easter Liturgy

The whole Lang Clan on Easter Sunday.  It was a beautiful day and it was so nice to have everyone together!  With Clay’s upcoming deployment, this will have been the last time that the family was able to be together for a little more than a year.  So, we took the time to enjoy it!

As you can see, it’s been a flurry of activity at the Lang house.  I love it!

Have a great day~

A morning exchange with Max

Max-Mom, you’re a millionaire.  Millionaire Mom.

Me-Wow Max!  I like the sound of that!

Max-It’s cuz that’s what we should pay you for all you do.  Millionaire Mom!  Millionaire Mom!

Me-Thanks Max!  I feel like a Millionaire Mom.

What a great way to start the day!

I hope you each have  a great day~

Happy Easter!

I’m exhausted from a day of beautiful weather and enjoying the family.  The prep work to make this day happen has caught up with me.  After 4, separate, dress-shopping trips and countless trips to various stores for basket fillers, I’m happy that the day was enjoyed by all.  But now I’m listening to the vacuum as it struggles to pick up the mess of Easter grass that’s been left on the living room floor and I’m ready to start the week of Spring Break that’s ahead.  

I hope it’s been a beautiful and blessed day for each of you! 

Thank you for visiting the site and listening to the show.  I always welcome your show ideas, questions and comments and you can reach me by using the “contact” link to the right.  

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A bright and blessed Easter to each of you!  

The Easter bunny has visited and the younger kids are enjoying their baskets.  I’m trying to pry the older kids out of bed so that everyone can find the eggs that the bunny has left.  Wish me luck!  

Many pictures and stories of this day to follow.

Happy Easter~

Easter is on it’s way!  This means that my older kiddos head home to celebrate.  This year it’s especially important for everyone to be together because of Clay’s upcoming, year-long deployment.  This is the last time the whole family will be together for a long time.  Kateri got into town 2 nights ago.  JJ’s plane came in last night.  But, when my phone rang at 4:30, yesterday morning, I knew it couldn’t be good news.  Sure enough, it was JJ, letting me know that he had fallen asleep at the bus station and missed his bus.  We’re always looking for the best, fastest, cheapest way to get him home and this time around had decided he would take a bus to the airport in Baltimore and then take a nonstop flight from there.  After hearing his words I said, “talk to your dad” and handed the phone to Clay.  JJ let him know that he could catch another bus in 4 1/2 hrs.  FOUR AND A HALF HOURS?!!!!!  Well, that not only would make him miss his plane, but every other plane to San Diego for the whole day.  So, the computer and phone started buzzing with the search for the best way to get him home.  We thought we could get him a ride back to the local airport and just buy him a one-way ticket from there.  But, he didn’t have much cash on him (even though we had sent plenty.  He’s amazingly generous and ended up with not much left for himself).  We tried to get him a cab and pay for it via credit card, over the phone.  NOPE!  Clay called the school to see if someone could pick him up.  NOPE!  It seemed that he was going to have to catch the next bus, show up at the Baltimore airport and spend the night in the USO.  Thank goodness for the USO!  Then the phone rang and one of the dorm fathers from the school just HAPPENED to be going to Baltimore and could pick him up from the bus station and get him to the airport.  He actually made it to his original flight and was home by 9 pm.  I was very thankful for the way things worked out, but can’t help but wonder if a lesson can be learned if everything always works out.  

~sigh~  

For now, I’m just happy to have all the kiddos at home for a few days.  We will have a reflective and prayerful Good Friday together and a joyous Easter.  I love these times!

Have a great day~

Here is a picture blog of Lex’s special day at Disneyland

Luke-Xavier arriving at Disneyland for his 3rd bday

Hi!  Would you like an M&M?

Hi there!  I’m Luke-Xavier and it’s my birthday.  I’m at Disneyland!  Would either of you care for an M&M?

Look who’s over there!

Mickey, trying Lex’s ears

Let me help you

For your efforts, you deserve an M&M!

It’s good!  You deserve it!

After the picture would you like an M&M?

If I keep meeting new friends, I’m gonna be out of M&Ms!  Wonder how many are left?

Me and all my Disneyland friends LOVE M&Ms!

It’s really nice to meet you!

Nice to meet you too.  Aren’t you going to offer me an M&M?

This was a very happy birthday!  I LOVE Disneyland (and M&Ms)

Peace all!  I’m outta here!