Mommy of Many®

Yesterday there was a lot of Christmas Magic happening at the house of M.O.M.

As you know, the kids have been asking about Elf on the Shelf and wondering if and when we would get our own Elf. I was still on the fence and since Christmas is only a week away, I thought we might just skip it this year and ask for our own Elf next year. But then Max was putting on his shoes before school and he was sitting in front of the Christmas ornament box and what did he see?

A little Elf staring at him! He said, “Hey! That looks just like an Elf on the Shelf! I hurried him along and got him and the other kiddos off to school. When I got home I went over and opened the box and guess what happened?! That little green Elf that Max saw had come to visit us and bring along OUR Elf! And he didn’t bring just ANY Elf. He brought the VERY SAME Elf that used to watch over my grandmother’s house when she had HER kids at home. It seems that my sister’s Elf, Buddy, had been wondering about the rest of the family and had visited us and heard the kids wanting an Elf and when he visited Santa, he told him! And Santa, being the saint that he is, knew EXACTLY which Elf to send us! So Pixie, after many, many, many years of being back at the North Pole, has, once again, come to watch over and report back on another generation! This is VERY exciting!

Meet Pixie. We’re so happy that he’s here and so happy to have a little piece of history in our home!

A friend of mine loaned me her Elf on the Shelf book so that I could read the story to the kids. Since our Elf is very old, he didn’t come with a book. All the kids sat down and listened as I told them the story of our special Elf and then read the book.

After the story, Max, Gabi and Lex each went to check him out and Gabi had something to whisper to him.

We’ll see where Pixie shows up this morning. I’m confident he’s a very well-behaved Elf and will cause no mischief.

Here’s to keeping the magic of Christmas alive and to the wonder of childhood!

Doing the Dance of the Children~

A friend of mine owns a race company and I often times help out with the race day busyness. Yesterday, she put on an Adventure Race and Gabi persuaded Anna to run it with her. They picked a name-Electric Pink, made t-shirts and got excited for the fun.

Signing in and getting their bibs.

Team Electric Pink, ready for the race!

I was working a station where the racers had to read a plaque and add up the numbers. The girls are finding the numbers and adding them up.

The entire course was 4 miles long. Gabi made it through most of it, but needed a pick up at the end. But they made it through all the stations and had a fun day of SisterTime in the sunshine.

Clayton and I each worked booths and the boys went to a fun park with my mom where they were able to catch pollywogs, splash through some water and come back smelling like a bath was in order. It was a fantastic way to spend our Sunday morning! We look forward to the next race, whether we’re working it or running it!

Click here to “like” the J & J Sports Productions FB page, check out the fun pictures and let’s encourage this kind of fun event to continue!

Doing the Dance of the Children~

Here we are, in the final days before Back to School. It’s been a busy week with lots of talk about new teachers, new classrooms and new schools. Tristan will start Middle School and is excited for the change. Max will be at school with Gabi and Lex and isn’t so excited for the change (Must say that breaking the news over sushi really did soften the blow!)

We’re trying to make the most of our last bit of summertime, without doing anything extravagant. We loaded up with and headed out for a day at Tahoe with friends. It took us a while to find a place to set up and stay for the day, but once we found parking, the day was fantastic!

The kids had a great time!

These two were buddies all day! Gabi likes to be the “big” girl!

Tristan has moved into the role of Big Kid and does a fantastic job with the lil ones!

All the boys

The other day I took the kids grocery shopping and Max noticed that coconuts were on sale. This is exactly the kind of thing that Max would notice! So we bought a coconut and Google-searched how to open it. Ours had quite a bit of water in it!

Then I took the hammer to it and was surprised at how easily some of the meat had split from the skin. Upon further examination, we realized it was because it was rotten. So much for our coconut! At least the kids had fun watching me pound a screwdriver into the eyes and then hit it with a hammer!

Something new for the kids to explore!

People always say things to me like, “I bet you can’t wait for school to start!”. But the truth is, I love summer and all the school breaks. I love to have the kids home and for us to be on our own schedule. It’s far more difficult for me to keep us all on the schedule that school demands, than to have the kids home. ~Sigh~

But in a few days, I’ll change my alarm back to 4:30am and start waking kids up at 6am and we’ll conform to the rigorous demands of what school brings.

For the next few days, I’ll be Doing the Dance on our time and enjoying every minute of it!

People always wish each other well. And now that we have instant access to each other’s daily lives and routines through social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, we each receive daily bits of good luck and inspiration from those connected to us. But it’s not often that those well-wishes turn into action!

About 6 weeks ago, a long-time friend from San Diego was following me through social media as I was Doing my daily Dance of the Children and juggling my new work schedule and she sent me a message, saying that she was going to try to come hang out with me and the kids and lend a hand. I thanked her and kind of laughed the whole thing off. However, a few weeks later, she arrived at my door for a 10-day stay at The House of M.O.M. I was SO grateful, knowing I’d have company, extra hands and help with keeping the kiddos entertained! But I was also really nervous. People who don’t have a house full of kids don’t ACTUALLY know what they’re in for. I was concerned that after a few days of laundry, dishes, entertaining kiddos, playing board games and noise, that she just may head home, shaking her head.

Surprisingly, I was wrong!

She was fantastic at entertaining kids, listening to ideas, playing games and being patient! Not only that, she’s a fabulous organizer! You should SEE my game cupboard! Everything is neat and tidy. I also have to mention that she’s one heck of a spider catcher! She caught the HUGEST black widow that any of us have EVER seen. It had been hanging out in my garage for about a month (that I know of). She caught it and turned it into a cool observation piece for the kids. Yes, it’s gone now, but for a few days, they got to observe it.

I just want to say thank you. Thank you for taking a few days out of your life to lend a hand and make things run a little smoother over here. You are appreciated!

Wait! Did I mention that we went to Tahoe?! B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L trip! It was a day trip that I wouldn’t have taken, if I hadn’t have had company to show off to. I hope to do it again, soon!

Doing the Dance of the Children and a little ahead of the game because of a friend’s thoughtfulness~

Sometimes it’s a good idea to take a look at life from the perspective of one of the kids. Lex is always a good choice!

Recently, he did a school project and talked about how much he likes soccer and that when he grows up, he wants to be a Ninja. Hmmm…

Just so happens that one of my clients owns a martial arts school-Innovative Martial Arts, and was holding a one day Ninja Camp for kids 6 years old and older. It was too perfect to let pass by without enrolling him!

Off to Ninja Camp he went. One of the moms took a bunch of great pictures. I LOVE the expression of intensity on his lil face! Thank goodness for protective gear!

I hear there’s a one day, Samurai Class coming up. Any samurais-in-the-making out there? Visit the Innovative Martial Arts Facebook Fan page for all info and upcoming events and classes. There’s a lot of Good Stuff going on over there.

My lil Ninja-in-Training soon took another step toward growing up and a few days later, he lost his first tooth! He bit into an apple and the rest was a matter of wiggle and pull. He was a happy boy when the tooth fairy left him a dollar underneath his pillow. He said, “I’m going to eat a WHOLE BUNCH of apples and lose lots of my teeth and then I’m going to the Dollar Store!”.

Looking at the world through the eyes of a 6 year old with Ninja skills is pretty great!

Doing the Dance of the Children~

With gratitude for all who have given of themselves for our country, I plan to enjoy this rare day off with the kids!

I know I’ve been silent over here for the last few weeks. It’s been a whirlwind!

As you know, I started working full-time for a marketing agency as their Social Media Manager. I’ve enjoyed taking care of promoting small businesses and events through the social media outlets of Facebook and Twitter. Good Stuff! I’ve learned a lot in the short time I’ve been at the agency. One of the things I’ve learned is that this is the wrong time for me to take on full-time work. Unfortunately, it’s just not feasible for me to be in an office from 8-5 right now. With summer fast approaching and some personal issues that my kids are having, it’s become clear that I need to be at home as much as possible. So after only 3 weeks on the job, I’ve given my 30-Day notice. I will continue to work into mid June and then it’ll be back to part-time work for this M.O.M. Perhaps after summer I can look at that option again, but right now I’m needed at home. ~sigh~

In other news-Kateri graduated from college a couple of weeks ago! With the help of my sisters and some friends, I was able to take 4 days and go out to celebrate her achievement with her. I hadn’t been out to her since her Freshman year, so this was a LONG overdue trip! I was so SO proud watching her! She’s worked hard over the last 4 1/2 years and now she’s onto Grad School. Her dad and I were both able to be there to watch this marker in her life.

Before the Baccalaureate Mass

After the mass

Receiving her diploma (pic captured from the live stream that was watched by family members at home)

A new graduate!

Celebratory drink

I can’t believe my baby girl, the one who started my journey of adulthood and motherhood is a college graduate! Wow! Life really flies by!

Today I’m going to spend the day with the kiddos at a friends’ pool enjoying some Mommy chit chat and watching kiddos enjoy a day of relaxed fun. Lex will spend a good portion of the day in a Ninja Class, while the rest of us are at the pool. In case you didn’t know, Lex’s lifetime aspiration is to be a Ninja and one of my client’s is a martial arts studio and today they’re offering a fun, introductory class to all things Ninja. Good Stuff!

My little ninja will get some swimming time after he learns the tricks of the trade. Pictures to follow!

That’s it from over here. Just taking it all One-Day-At-A-Time and spending a good portion of each day in gratitude for all the fabulous people who are in my daily network, who step up to help me make it all happen. I am a fortunate M.O.M. to have several loving, giving, helpful people in my life and the lives of my children.

Doing the Dance of the Children~

I’m always looking for fun things to do with the kids that are easy to get to, inexpensive and fun. Downtown Tuesday Nights fits all of those criteria! I remember, last summer, that we stumbled onto a DTN, but didn’t know it was a regularly occurring event. This year, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know about the event from a behind-the-scenes perspective, by providing daily content for the event’s social media platform. This gave me even more reason to grab the kids, tuck a few dollars into my pocket and head out to enjoy the evening.

We spent a total of $5 at the event, but the kids came away with balloons, stuffed animals, tickets and passes to Dave and Buster’s, free water bottles, a few pieces of candy each and the desire to go back next week! We are looking forward to experiencing the fun of the kids’ zone where there are pony rides and bounce houses to be explored. And you better believe that we each have our own list of what vendors’ foods we want to sample. On top of all of that, I’m looking forward to heading down there on a Tuesday without the kiddos, where I can sit for awhile in the margarita garden, enjoy the live music and then walk into The Place for a fabulous dinner. Good Stuff to look forward to!

Everyone we saw was having a good time. The music was being enjoyed, the cars were being drooled over (I have my own dream pick…someday!) and everyone was enjoying time out with family and friends. Roseville’s Downtown Tuesday Nights is full of great things that bring the community together. What’s better?!

The Hank Biggs Band was keepin’ it moving tonight.

This couple was so fun to watch! They made the rest of us wish we knew how to dance!

The kids were in awe of this car. The sign said something like “1922″ or perhaps it was “1944″. Whatever it was, it was incredibly old and amazing!

Max and Tristan both felt that this car was their favorite of the night.

Gabi wanted to pose with this beauty of a car.

This has always been my dream car. Do you see the “For Sale” sign? Do you?! Mother’s Day is right around the corner! Just sayin’~

This is my uncle’s car! We ran into him and his Pride and Joy and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to snap a picture.

Doing the Dance of the Children and Enjoying Our New Community~

It’s that time again! The 3rd Tuesday of the month, which means It’s time to break out your business cards and come on out to meet some fabulous people who want to know what you and your business are all about at the Placer Business TweetUp!

This month’s TweetUp is at Basic in Old Roseville. You’ll find unique and amazing pizza and Happy Hour drink prices, along with an awesome venue in Old Roseville full of history and good vibes. Did I mention the raffle items? Several awesome businesses and sites have stepped up to sponsor this month’s event! I’d love to list them all here, but you’ll just have to come on out to get in on the fun. What I will tell you is that Basic has donated a $25 gift certificate for their awesome pizza! Good Stuff!

Don’t forget to drop by Basic’s Facebook fan page and give ‘em a “like”!

If you haven’t registered for the event, just click here and we’ll see you tonight!

Every year we set leprechaun traps and every year we hope. This year Lex and I got a little jump on the whole thing because he needed to bring his trap into his classroom. See the genius of the one-way staircase? Surely the lil prankster will climb the stairs, peer inside and go after the golden necklace and gold-wrapped chocolates inside. But he will be TRAPPED! Lex added the note and let me know that leprechauns do the opposite of what they’re told, so this is PERFECT! Since the kids will be spending Friday night with Dad, I will let him build any additional traps with the mechanically-minded, super-trap-building kiddos of mine. But this is what I was able to accomplish. I think the biggest question on our minds is whether or not our tricky leprechaun from Pacific Beach has followed us or if we will be facing unknown trickery from the likes of new leprechauns. I suppose the possibilities are endless! I will be sure to let you know what happens.

If you weren’t a follow of The Dance in years past, around St. Patty’s Day, you can catch up on all the antics of our leprechaun by reading here and here.

Happy trap building and good luck! Please let me know what you’re building and what trickery your leprechauns subject you and your families to.

Doing the Dance of the Children and Ready to Catch a Treasure-Hording Leprechaun~

This month the Placer Business TweetUp will be held at Basic, in Old Roseville. This historic building has been home to many businesses in it’s lifetime, but Basic has seemed to make a way into the nightlife and party-planning of many locals. When I mentioned the location, I had several people inform me that they had held milestone birthday parties there. The company started in San Diego (a fact that makes this San Diego girl happy) and eventually branched out to bring it’s vibe here.

If you haven’t already experienced the delicious pizza and full bar that Basic has to offer, this is a perfect time to get to know it! They have just finished revamping their schedule and interior and starting March 23rd, you can come enjoy dinner and live music, every Friday night. You can expect a down-home feel, with a country music focus and attention to the dinner crowd.

Come out to network with a fabulous gathering of local business owners and entrepueners on Tuesday, March 20th. You’ll be able to sample some of signature pizza offerings and take advantage of drink specials while meeting a fantastic group of people who want to help promote local businesses. Then come back on Friday nights to kick up your heels and enjoy the live music!

Click here to register for this month’s Tweetup.

Don’t forget to head over and “like” Basic’s Facebook Fan page after you’ve registerd for the TweetUp.

See you there!

Sara W!

Congratulations Sara! Your Friends and Family Fun Pass will be sent directly to you.

Thank you to everyone that checked out the giveaway and entered for a chance to win!

My little blog has been very busy with fun business lately; cleaning tips, restaurant reviews and giveaways-All Good Stuff! But I’ve missed talking about the kiddos and what’s going on at the house of M.O.M. Here’s a little sampling of what our days have been filled with…

The kids were off from school last week, so there was time for Lego building with friends!

Arianna made the JV softball team and as a fundraiser, they served at a Crab Feed. Yum!

We enjoyed an afternoon of exploring at the Exploration Center, the park and the library. You know I’m all about FREE fun and this was great!

Max and Tristan worked hard at making this machine work.

Lex tried out a game.

A couple nights ago we had a lot of wind and rain. Yesterday I walked outside to discover that our trampoline had sailed up and out of our yard, over our fence, across the bike trail and came to rest in the green belt. Luckily, the girls got home from school and were able to easily get it back into our yard.

This week, Gabi is the V.I.G. (very important gorilla) in her class. Each of the classes has a mascot and Gabi’s is a gorilla. For her special snack, she asked for dipped strawberries. Her sisters and I worked together to make these yummy creations. There were extras for all of us to enjoy with breakfast. That’s the way to start off the day!

In addition to all the kid-fun, I’ve started a new job. It seems that all these years of plugging this blog and podcast along have taught me enough to be able to help others in the Social Media Marketing realm. I’m now the Small Business Consultant for Wind Farm Marketing. It’s a good hat to wear!

So off to work I go!

Doing the Dance of the Children~

It only comes around once every 4 years and what better way to jump for joy than to jump, leap and have fun at Sky Zone?! To celebrate this rare day, Sky Zone Sacramento/Rocklin is offering special Leap Day pricing.

$8 / hour pricing all day and operating hours include 3pm – 8pm.

Plus, anyone who comes to jump can purchase additional 30-min jump passes (for future use) for just $2.29 each – up to 4 per person.

If you haven’t ever visited a Sky Zone, here’s a great chance to take advantage of the world’s first all trampoline, walled playing court. A seemingly endless sea of trampolines, all connected to form one massive trampoline surface, with angled trampolines that allow you to literally bounce off the walls. This ultimate 3D play experience is enjoyed by all ages, shapes and sizes.

But don’t worry! If you can’t hop over to celebrate Leap Day, here’s your chance to win a family and friends pass! This in an $80 value with 10, hour-long sessions that are good for up to 4 people at a time. You and 3 friends can jump and play for an hour and you’ll STILL have 6 hour-long sessions left for other visits. This pass has no expiration date and is only redeemable at the Sacramento/Rocklin Sky Zone location. Free fun! What could be better?!

To enter please head over to Sky Zone’s facebook fan page, like them and then leave me a comment here, letting me know you’ve done it. I’ll choose a winner at random on Friday. Enter! Enter! Enter!

Good luck~

Michelle H!

Congratulations!

Details will be emailed to you. Thank you to all enteries!

Michelle, I’ll see you there~

*Don’t forget, if you didn’t win, you can still buy a ticket and join us!

You know I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for cool, FREE, fun for the kids. Being new to the area, I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears open and in the last week I kept hearing about the lights on Pebble Creek Dr. Last night, when there was nothing but boredom and bickering at my house, I told the kids to load up and be ready for something great. I managed to convince even the teens to get in the van (a sure sign that extreme boredom had been reached!). Off we went to find the lights. On the way we found some great houses in our own neighborhood and a house not too far away that modeled itself after the famous internet video of a light display playing to Trans Siberian Orchestra’s Wizards of Winter. Good Stuff! Then we found Pebble Creek Dr. Oh MY GOODNESS!!!! House after house of themed light displays. We were in a long line of cars that drove very slowly through the loop. It took us about 20 minutes to creep through the neighborhood and the kids were constantly finding something to shout out about-”Look! Frosty! It’s Charlie…”. We saw many, many favorite characters and amazing decorative feats! There’s even a red wishing well in front of one house that’s playing a video and is a drop-off point for canned food to benefit the hungry. If you’ve never been over there and are local, GO! And if you HAVE gone, go again! We will.

The only problem I can see is that when we were on our way home, we were saying our night prayers and Lex had this prayer, “Dear God, please let my house look like those houses for Christmas.” Yeah, I whole-heartedly believe in the power of prayer, but I am no Christmas light’s genius!

Doing the Dance of the Children to Other People’s Talents~