It is never easy...

Just when I get done with kids school and take a deep breath - Good old God throws a curve ball. I found out yesterday that both my kids will be combo classes at Las Brisas - now that is not the end of the world and Isabella will have Mrs. Willis again and she did learn alot this past year. Both kids will be the youngest in the combo class, which I guess is good.
But then I get woke up out of a deep sleep last night and all these things are going through my head. It is tight financially for us to send the kids there, we do it but it means we don't have a ton of rainy day money ( and that was a problem in Jan when it was raining). I work so we can send the kids to private school but if I would still have to work even if they didn't go there due to the cost of bananas and gas on the rise.
So I get up this am and call the school district (okay side note...I work in corp relocation and apparantly when we purchased this house in Wildomar CA, I did not look into the school district which is something I would recommend my transferee's do...ugh!).... so our home school may or may not become a title one school (which sounds yuck to me but my aunt who is a teacher said that is good). I am going to enroll them and see if I can get a intraschool transfer to Coal Canyon in Murrieta which just was rated 10. Donald Graham just was rated a 7. I did mention it to Isabella to get her reaction and she is such a blessing, she was open to it and said "mom I can meet new friends", that made me feel so much better. We went over to the school and the principal showed us around, it is so very different then Las Brisas.

I need prayers from everyone for me not to worry and that it will work out, whatever is suppose to happen.

I have such mixed emotions. While I want my kids exposed to diversity since the real world is filled with it, I also love the protection, love and support they get at Las Brisas. I worked hard this year to help build the PTF with Cami and so proud of what we did, and feel if I walk away now I might be a quitter. But then I turn to the financial part - the relocation business is tied to homesale and my bonus is not even enough this month to fill my car with gas. Mike's work has slowed down so much and it is scary and it might be that we just can't afford $1000.00 a month tuition.... Then I think how selfish are you - get a night job at Target and then I think - who will make dinner and do homework if I am at work at night - UGH!!!

I am just going to give it to the Lord and ask for guidance, I know that we are not to live strapped and with the economy the way it is, and construction slowing down, Mike is going to continue to work less and not more. And I just can't count on the Lottery that I think I might win!!!

Both kids were so cute and when we got home, Isabella said "wow that place looks cool" and then I went upstairs and cried.... I know they will be fine there but the problem with that is I HATE the word FINE!! I hate that they won't be at school with their cousins - that is a hard one too.

I think the biggest thing is I want it to be my decision and not one that is forced. I have time since public school starts August 13th and Las Brisas doesn't start until September.

Just keep praying for me to relax and let God do his work.

Friday, no kids and just my luck...

So school is officially out, I will post Soren's graduation picture, so cute...It was a great day and the party was alot of work...no I mean alot of fun. The kids had a great time at Mulligan' s yesterday and poor things couldn't even sleep in today because I had a dr's appt at 8:30am so they had to get up early to go to Cami's house.

Cami and Chris invited our kids to the beach with them camping, they will be coming back tomorrow since Isabella has dance recital practice with Mike.

So Mike and I are kidless... sounds fun huh - we could have "romance" right in the family room - ya right...poor Mike went to work last night at 11:30pm and got stuck in the horrible sigalert on the 5 freeway this morning, he had to get off the freeway and turn around in his 9 axle truck and be re routed through Tahachipee(sp), it took him an extra 5 hours to get home, and then he picked up the boat and we realized the tags aren't paid so off he went to the Temecula DMV at 3:30 on a Friday. It actually went quick and now we can take the boat out for a Father's Day cruise on Sunday morning.
okay okay.... back to our "romance" - he is currently asleep on the couch and if I left him he would sleep until morning...but our next door neighbors are having a graduation for their daughter, we don't really hang out with them and grateful they invited us (plus I could use a free beer), I can't find the invite and their daughters name is something like Quinesha... Hello don't want to get that one wrong.

Tomorrow our other neighbor (our good friends) are having their sons graduation party, so tomorrow I will be cooking in the am - I will post the recipe...I'm making this great Asian noodle salad - (actually it is on Pioneer woman's website and it is awesome). It helped us last week, we are still trying to be vegetarians for June (last night I realized I ate a piece of pizza with sausage on it), it was so good you didn't miss the meat. Also making the buffalo dip - another crowd pleaser, I will try to be a GREAT blogger and take a picture and post the recipe. I think my blog readers is now at 4 people so someone will appreciate it.

I hope everyone enjoys my "tangent" blogs - you know me when I tell a story, there is always a bonus story hooked to it - it drives Mike crazy, he can't keep up.

We have the worst luck, when we finally have alone time, we are both too exhausted to enjoy it. I will be forcing some "romance" later - maybe after he has had a few beers.

Have a great Friday night.

xxox
Caroline

Crazy Busy Week

This is the kids last week of school and I have to say I am looking forward to not having to make sure their uniforms are clean and "where is the chapel sweater" (which is usually a classic Weds fight) and making lunches....oh do I hate to make lunches, and homework...ugh! I know next year 3rd grade homework is only going to get harder, and that I "might" not be able to figure it out.
I will miss that their brains work hard everyday and need to make sure they don't watch too much TV all summer. I am so blessed that Cami will watch them again this summer, she has tried to retire several times... but I'm grateful to her for watching them again and again. I told her I would pay for her hair dye after this summer, since more grey is bound to pop out.

The 5 kids are getting older and to the more challanging stage when together all day long. Parker wants alone time with Isabella, on the same day Isabella wants to play "diva" girls with Elizabeth, and then Soren wants Parker to teach him to play football, which Parker is still trying to play "big kid time" with Isabella, and then Elizabeth is mad that Soren is ignoring her, and Soren gets this attitude (from his dad) and then there is "BEAR"...aka Charles Christopher Wales..."but you can call me Charlie"...he just wants to play with any of them. See exhausting huh and it hasn't even started yet.

Cami and I are going to get some stuff for them to do and give them some structure for the day. I will post later some of our ideas -
And my kids better behave or else...

Wednesday June 11th...
Soren graduates from Kindergarten, the school has a ceremony, too cute. I took the day off, as the kids have their awards in the morning and the ceremony and party after. They both get to go to Mulligan's all day on Thursday and then Friday they are off- and probably will sleep all day.

I can't believe in a few short months I am going to have a 3rd grader and and 1st grader... That was always going to be the year I quit working - obviously I was dreaming. Oh well happy to work so that I can keep them at Las Brisas.

Have a great week - I will post pictures from Weds. (I promise)

Caroline

Camping, Coughing and Cold...

Memorial Weekend (okay I am behind...) we went camping to Stoddard Wells with the Esterholt family. We almost cancelled the trip because it was going to be way to hot??? It was so cold, and I coughed the whole weekend. Probably not the best move on my part because it sent my 6 week cold over the edge.

It was a nice change with just a small group, Soren and Jake had alot of one on one time and the girls pick up where they left off - we are so blessed. On Sunday we drove to a bar called "Slash X" - 6 miles one way- Soren rode all the way there on his bike. He fell only a few times, he has never been on a "real" ride before, just circles around camp, we were so proud of him. He tried on the way back but the first patch of soft sand he fell and he was done, we put his bike in the back of the polaris and he rode with me and Shelley.

The M family came out on Sunday as well and I think we got the kids "hooked" - I told K that we just cost him about $80,000 - it is only money.... B and K rode bikes all afternoon and we let B drive the polaris (he is 15, we are getting closer to our 16 and older rule...ya right). Next time they will have to stay overnight.

It was a great long relaxing weekend, even with my coughing and the cold weather. Our family loves to go camping and riding no matter the weather or illness.

Trying to get caught up on my blog.

xxox, cars

Surprise - Happy 6th Birthday Soren

One of our new traditions is to kidnap the kids on their birthday and take them to breakfast... Parker, Lizzie and Aunt Cami came over and surprised Soren - he was a bit blurry eyed (as well as my picture), they put a blindfold on him and took him to "Chez Wales" for pancakes...
I can't believe my little guy is 6 years old. 5 still seems young but 6 is closer to 10 and that freaks me out.
Tonight we get to do the 6 spankings (another tradition) and then Nana and Papa Larry are coming over and then the Art Festival and open house.

Happy Birthday to Brian today as well - 36 WOW -I can't believe my baby brother is on the downslide to 40...

T-ball season is over

Soren had such a great time playing baseball this year, next year I'm just signing him up and not asking him (what was I thinking...) He loved to play catcher and felt comfortable in the gear, too bad we typically didn't have enough players to have a catcher. He learned alot this year and improved since game #1. His coach was very patient and taught them some fundamentals, too bad some of the parents were very flaky...
Soren told me he wanted to play "football" - I'm thinking we will stick to baseball, he is a bit too small for football, and besides I hear the parents get worse in football.

Happy Mother's Day - belated

It seems like everything in my life these days is "belated" - ugh I just hate that feeling, and the next month is only going to get worse. This Saturday the 17th - Mike and I need to be at 5 different places and he is scheduled to work...

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day -my 3 readers, to which 1 of you I spent the day with. I am beginning to love Mother's day again - I really have dreaded it for the past 12 years. I just miss my mom so much, everyday there is something I would love to run past her. She loved unconditionally and never passed judgement, even if she didn't agree with what you were doing or saying. She had this amazing way of making you feel great even on a down day.

My day was great, the kids woke me up with a very cute card - and then we went back to sleep since it was so early. I played hooky from church and we went to and got some "grease" as Mike said he wanted. Mike's card was very cute with a coupon attached that said "lifetime of love and affection". I will put putting that in my wallet and anytime he is not showing me "love and affection" , I will be whipping it out and showing him (I better get it laminated). They gave me a spa day at Murrietta Day spa, Cami got one too so we can go together. I wish I was there now. And they also gave me starbucks card. It was so cute because he had taken them out on Saturday am and they brought me back an ice tea and I asked Isabella "where did you go" and she replied "starbucks, the line was really long..." . I love that my kids understand what Mother's day is and that they love me so much and love that I am their Mother.

We then went over to swim at Cami's and it turned into a great day. The kids swam for 5 hours and their poor eyes were swollen by the time we went home. Cami and I decided to order food from Chuey's so we didn't have to cook. It was a great day!

Charlie learned to swim without his wings and when he did it the first time he came out of the water and said "dad I'm a big kid now" , too cute!!

For those of you who still have your mom on earth make sure you hug her and appreaciate all she has done for you. For those of you whose mom is in heaven, continue the legacy she gave you and someday you will be reunited.

Have a great week....xxox Caroline

PS- I promise to try to be a better blogger- even for my 3 readers!