Category — children

It was a GREAT weekend! I just sat down to tell you all about it, with pictures and everything. But I discovered that my camera went home with Kateri.

So I guess we’ll talk tomorrow. Bummer, cuz I was ready to share!

Off to bed to get some decent sleep before tomorrow’s catch-up Kraze Boot Camp class.

I hope everyone’s weekend was awesome.

Doing the Dance of the Children and Wishing I had my Camera~

I wish every Saturday morning could be like this one!

Lex was the only one up for 2 hours. I gave him his bath, put some Bugs Bunny onto the AppleTV and made pancakes and sausages. I love it when things work out so that the kids wake to a breakfast that’s already made. It makes me feel on top of the day.

And check out that morning sky!

Welcome to Saturday in Pacific Beach! I hope the day continues to go the way it’s started. But even if it all falls apart, I’ll be able to hold onto the awesome morning. You’ve gotta grab these moments when they come along and tuck them away to draw from!

Doing the Dance of the Children on a beautiful and peaceful Saturday morn. I wish you all the same.

My girls love to cook. At least one of them is usually asking if she can plan and make dinner. This isn’t to say that my boys don’t like to get into the kitchen, they do. But the girls seem to always be planning something to bake or asking if they can create a meal. I chalk up their love of the kitchen to the fact that I’ve always been open to letting them help. Kids need to learn the basics of the kitchen to build confidence and know how to be safe while enjoying creating their meals and snacks. A few days ago I was peeling and cutting carrots to store for easy snacking and cooking and Gabi asked if she could help. I showed her how to hold the carrot and peeler and she ended up peeling all of the carrots while I did the cutting.

This morning when I asked the little kids what they wanted for breakfast, Gabi said, “squished up eggs”, meaning-scrambled eggs. She asked if she could help me and off we went to the kitchen. I told her she could crack the first egg. I figured if she got shell into the measuring cup, it would be easier to remove it if there was only 1 egg. She successfully cracked the first 2.

This egg exploded. I think she got nervous. We had to take a few moments to clean everything up. I was careful not to get upset or make the clean-up look difficult because those things would discourage her from trying in the future. Accidents happen. All of us have spilled at one point or another. Clean up and move on!

After the clean-up she was helpful with the mixing.

She was proud of her accomplishment and will be more likely to ask to help in the future, which means she’ll be learning valuable skills about how to be in the kitchen and be a “big girl”.

Don’t be afraid to allow your kids to help with household tasks. I know it can be easy to want to just do it for them and get it done quicker and without the mistakes that inevitably happen. But they can’t learn to be successful if they aren’t allowed to make mistakes. If we guide and encourage we will end up with successful kiddos!

Doing the Dance of the Children~

I was getting dinner into the crock pot and it called for a can of Cream of Mushroom soup. No problem! I went to the cupboard and pulled one out, opened it up and discovered Cream of Chicken inside. So I went back to the cupboard took out a can of Cream of Chicken, opened it up and discovered Cream of Chicken inside. I had to open 3 cans before I actually got Cream of Mushroom.

Hey Target-someone needs to check the product/label issue!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Just Trying to get some Dinner Made~

Saturday-no Boot Camp, no school, no work. I stayed in bed listening to the singing birds outside my window.

Then reality set in and I got up and decided to make oatmeal for breakfast. I spent a little time picking the raisins and cranberries from our trail mix and transferring them to the oatmeal. Next it was time to make a copy of JJ’s birth certificate so he could play in today’s rugby tournament. I went to the garage, got out his file and looked for the document. What I found was an empty envelope! Then I remembered-I handed over his birth certificate when we got his passport. I remembered receiving it in the mail…what did I DO with it?! It MUST be in the paperwork piles and bags that I’ve been trying to make my way through. I broke the news to him and we started tackling the piles. FOUND IT! He and Clay ran out the door to meet up with the team.

This was a reminder of how badly I need more time in this house. My usually organized abode has turned into a cluttered mass of confusion. I hate it! So…I’m hoping to spend the day in the house, with garbage bags and filing folders.

Wish me luck!

Doing the Dance of the Children Around a Bonfire Size Pile of Papers and Confusion~

Summer…Oh Summer! Where are you?

It hasn’t looked much like summer around here. I keep waiting to wake to the bright sky and the warmth of a day that’s just gonna get warmer and call you down to the beach. Hasn’t happened yet. This morning it was drizzling and the sky is totally grey. Last I checked, it was 64 degrees. It makes me want to put on some soup and curl up with a movie. But it is, in fact, summer and I don’t have the luxury of curling up and doing anything!

Today’s Dance goes something like this-

4:30am-wake up, check email and get ready to leave the house at 5:30 for Boot Camp
6am-Kraze Boot Camp
7am-Drive home
7:20-Start breakfast, listen to Max and Lex “play songs” on their toy piano, give Lex 2 timeouts for bad behavior, feed everyone, make coffee
8am-Shower and answer emails
9:40am-Leave to pick Maddi and Anna up from Summer School
10:30-Sports Therapy, Massage and Chiropractic for JJ and me
12pm-Make lunch
12:40-Take Mariah to work
2pm-Hair appt for me
4:10pm-Have kids and food packed and ready to leave for JJ”s rugby game, drop him off, take kids for walk until game starts

After the game, we’ll come home and get ready for the nighttime routine. I’m beat! The last 2 days of Boot Camp have kicked me hard! I better eat some “energy” foods and take my vitamins cuz I’ve got NO time for feeling tired!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Hoping not to Trip~

Yesterday evening the rest of the family arrived back from their trip out to Nevada. I had gotten all the laundry done and some other household tasks completed, knowing that once they walked through the door, there would be a whole bunch of new work to be done. I was right.

The laundry’s been going since 4:30 this morning. There are plenty of bags to be unpacked. Gramma and Papa sent lots of snacks that needed to be put away.

The kids had a great trip! They haven’t visited with Clay’s family in a few years and it sounds like Gramma and Papa did it up right. These San Diego kiddos went for a hike and ate snow. SNOW! in July! Definitely not something you can do here.

So, it’s back to the full-time Dance of being M.O.M. It’s good to wake up to Gabi’s curly head in my bed again and to hear the constant hum that is the sound of the kids talking throughout the house.

But I will admit that the quiet was a really nice thing to have. I moved through the house, doing chores, with only my thoughts. A really nice thing to have every once in awhile.

Doing the Dance of the Children~

Week 3! Week 3!

After a 3-day weekend, it was back to Kraze Boot Camps at 6 am, this morning. I heard the alarm and groaned. I kept giving myself 5 more minutes, 3 more minutes, 1 more minute, until it was TRULY the last minute to get out of bed and still show up dressed and ready to go. I was feeling LAZY from the break. But, I knew-deep down-that once class was over, I was going to be happy I had gone and that I could mark off another successful day of making healthier choices for myself, which ultimately translate into a better M.O.M. for my family. So off I went with Kateri and Jez in the car with me. We were all dragging!

Why today was a success-I went! I ran both the big-loop laps! I know I have plenty of friends who ACTUALLY run and that running 2 laps around a park loop doesn’t sound like much to whoop about, but I AM NO RUNNER and this is a HUGE step forward in my abilities *patting myself on the back*. I can do more push-ups and stay in a plank position longer. I like that my successes aren’t measured by anyone else’s capabilities but that we’re all there, each day, to live a little bit healthier, have more energy and make better choices for our fitness.

So far I’ve lost 4 1/2 lbs, am drinking a lot more water, am choosing my foods better and am drinking WAY less coffee. I have more energy and I actually look forward to working out (except on the day after a 3-day weekend).

Good Stuff!

Come on out and join the fastest growing fitness Kraze in San Diego! Let’s make better choices together!

And don’t forget to mark your calendars for next Monday when Mommy of Many™ will be joining Aaron-Dr Kraze on his weekly on-line radio show to talk about fitness for moms and families!

Getting things in the mail is always fun (except bills, of course!). A few days ago I opened the mail to find a sample of Snikiddy® Baked Fries for the kids and I to try out. I was impressed with the fact that these were a baked snack that contained no preservatives, no corn syrup, no trans fat, no hydrogenated oils AND are gluten and wheat free. I try hard to stay away from corn syrup in all of my children’s foods, so I was excited to have them try something new that fit that criteria!

I think my 7 yr. old, Max, gives the best review of this snack. After he ate a handful of the baked cheddar cheese fries, he said, “Mom, those are really good! Can you please email them and ask them to send you some more?”.

There you have it! Kiddo tested-M.O.M. approved~

The majority of my family is gone and the kids that are still here were away from the house with friends or quietly in their rooms today. This is what I’ve been waiting for, to be able to tackle this house. I’ve scratched the surface of tasks that need to be done and there’s PLENTY more waiting for me over the next few days. There’s lots of clearing out to do. We live in a small space, which means there’s not much room for clutter. When clothes are grown out of, they need to be packed up and sent to cousins and when books aren’t being used, they need to be donated. This is the chore that’s waiting for me in every room of this house.

I’m grateful for this time! I was home, full-time, for the vast majority of 16 years. When I went to work last Fall, many household tasks got put on the back burner. I’m hoping to catch up!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maddi turned 14 today! She had summer school, helped with chores and then was picked up and treated to some birthday pampering by a friend. When they headed over to the friend’s house, she was surprised to find out that a party was waiting for her. What a great birthday! What great friends! I hope this is the beginning of a great year!

Now, this tired M.O.M. needs to talk about my morning at Kraze Boot Camps and hit the sack.

Good night~

Summertime in the Lang house has officially started! Never mind that we’ve been out of school and off of work for a couple of weeks. It’s just not summer until there’s a trip! 6 of the kiddos, a friend of Clay’s and Clay have pulled away from the curb and have begun the 1st trip of summer 2010. They’re heading out to Clay’s parents’ house in Nevada. Long drive!

JJ brought some juggling equipment. Fun for the 4th of July!

I’m home to get this house in order, continue Boot Camp and get Anna and Maddi to and from summer school (with a lil help from my brother).

Yea for summer! Yea for trips! Yea for time to get things in order! Yea for stealing a lil time for M.O.M! Yea! Yea! Yea!

Doing the Dance of the Children-in Summertime~

Today should be called “Procrastination Day” instead of Tuesday. I woke up with almost no drive and feeling emotional. I putted around until the LAST minute then headed out to my Kraze Boot Camp class, knowing that if I didn’t show up, Aaron (my trainer and Boot Camp Master) would likely show up at my door and I’d be drug to one of the other classes that are held during the day. No thank you!

Kateri and I got our sleepy behinds to class and the work-out definitely did me good. Something was different about today’s class. I can’t say exactly what it was, but it was good. There was running (there’s ALWAYS running), but it was more broken up. I liked that. We did 1/2 a lap and then stopped for push-ups and then finished the lap…with more push-ups. The time just seemed to go by quicker today.

Kateri’s friend, Jez, who’s been joining us in the mornings didn’t make it out today. Instead, she chose to go to the 6pm class and Kateri (mad woman!) joined her! Way to go Kateri! 2 classes in one day! I hope your legs hold up tomorrow morn! Mariah (my 16 yr. old) also went with them to check it out. From what I’ve heard she really liked the work-out. Whoo Hoo! Way to go girls!

Ok, I’m off to bed and hoping to wake up with a more energy than I did this morning. I felt like Eeyore, with the little rain cloud following me around. No good!

What am I gonna do if my kids keep joining?! Can you imagine trying to discipline a bunch of kids/young adults who do Boot Camp 5 days a week?! Talk about being overpowered. This could be the start of a mutiny!

Have a great night~

It’s Monday and the week is full of good stuff! Arianna turns 15 today, Maddi turns 14 on Thursday, the kids and Clay are heading out for a trip to his parent’s house later in the week and it’s back to Kraze Boot Camps for me (I think there’s a haircut and some wine and chit chat with a friend thrown in there too!). A good and busy week!

I’m trying to stay focused on all the good things because I’m starting this morning a little tired. Lex was sick last night and it cut into my sleep. Poor lil guy! I’m also worried about going back to Boot Camp and being sore again. I haven’t been sore since Thursday and I’ve enjoyed being able to walk without a waddle. I did stay active, but not nearly at the level of the classes. I walked the 3 littlest Langs thru downtown, on Saturday and yesterday I took a bike ride. I quickly found out that the muscles I’d been using in Boot Camp were not the same muscles it takes to ride a beach cruiser with slightly low tires.

So, here’s to Monday! It’s gonna be a good week full of lots of good stuff!

Happy Birthday Anna! I hope this is a great year!

Having children lends itself to craziness. Not only is my head scattered sometimes, but I find myself saying things that would normally sound totally mad and yet, sometimes, I mean them.

This morning I was walking through the house picking things up in each room and I found an open tube of Ritz crackers in the bathroom. I called out, “who left their crackers in the bathroom?”. Or take yesterday, when Clay couldn’t find his wallet and I said, “Have you looked in the freezer?” I meant it!

Of course there are times I don’t mean what I’m saying, at all. I’ve been known to call the kiddos to dinner by saying such nonsensical phrases as-”Dinner’s ready! Get your pjs on and get in the car”. Somehow, they decipher the code of M.O.M. talk and show up to the kitchen to eat dinner.

I’m fairly certain that most of you mamas out there, find yourself speaking this same language of nonsense and near-madness and that, somehow, everyone understands you and things are successfully done in your home. I take comfort in knowing I’m not alone in this.

So, on with this busy Saturday of cleaning, kid’s sports, events, paperwork, computer work and food prep. I guess it’s time to brush my teeth and go jump on the trampoline…Oh! You know what I mean!

Doing the Dance of the Children With a Scattered Brain and Madness on My Tongue~

Happy Father’s Day to all you Daddies!

We have plenty of reason to celebrate over here today. Not only is it Father’s Day and the kids are handing Clay handmade items from school, a cup of coffee & breakfast in bed, but it’s also JJ’s 18th birthday and he just arrived home last night! Big day of celebrating!

JJ graduated from High School a month ago and then headed off with his classmates and a few chaperones to tackle the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. They made this trek by bike over more than 2 weeks. He brought back a couple of newspaper articles that feature the boys sleeping on the street and singing along the way.

We were happy to get him back last night and we’re anxious to hear all the stories he’ll have to tell about this trip!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On top of all our celebrating, I’ve got to remember to get to bed at a decent time tonight and pack up my exercise mat, hand-weights and some water because tomorrow I join the fastest growing outdoor boot camp Kraze in San Diego-Kraze Boot Camps! I’m still a little nervous about taking this on and yes, I’m worried about being sore and tired, but I’m also really excited about how I’m going to feel as I move through this program! I’m inviting everyone to come out and join me and so far I’ve got one friendly face that’s decided to take on the challenge of getting into a healthier mindset with me-Kateri! Whoo Hoo!

So Happy Father’s Day and Happy Sunday! To the summer!

Once again I’m Doing the Dance of the Children with all 9 kiddos in the house~