Christmas break

There were lots of indoor activities over the break!  The weather was terrible.  Snow was in the forecast for several days, but it just couldn't do it, so we had a bit of cabin fever.  Next year, we may try to plan Great Wolf Lodge, but my guess is it would start snowing right when it was time to head there.  We managed to have lots of fun and eats lots of treats.
We decided to stay at Aunt Pam's the first night because we flew out kind of late and thankfully we did that because our flight kept getting delayed!  The next day we celebrated Christmas with her and had a nice brunch.

Ryan surprised me with tickets to a Seahawk game and I was not that excited about all that is involved in going....the drive, the terrible weather, the parking, etc.,  I guess I'm getting old!  But, I sucked it up and went anyway and it was such an awesome game and a lot of fun, so I have to say thank you, Ryan!

We had great seats and the weather held :)

Christmas day 

 Dad enjoying flank steak!

Before it got to dark, we sent the big kids out on a little adventure, girls against boys....this is what happens when you are stuck inside for days!

Selfie with someone on bamboo lane
Write message in the sand
Climb a tree
Picture with geese
Build a rock tower at least 6” high
Write a story problem and solve it
30 second dance routine or sing a 30 second song
25 push ups each
Put a puzzle together

Not exactly what I was thinking....it was interesting to see their interpretation.

Reggie's first time driving!

Maggie's birthday celebration at the Rinehardt's.  The hoover board was the big gift this year and the kids had lots of fun on them.  I tried and could not get my balance initially and it looked like I was having a seizure....no one got it on video!  I quickly figured it out, but it is a strange sensation initially.  Here's Reggie learning:

But here' grandma:

Look at the improvement!

Olive garden...my kids first time there and probably their last.  They were not fans...

Lots of screen time....I think we saw 3 movies, Mary Poppins, Aqua man and something else that I can't remember.  Must not have been that memorable!  Reggie brought his gaming computer.

The girls danced

They played board games

The kids think grandpa is so funny!

We visited Funko

We went to a fun place in Bothell that had almost everything (except trampolines), but was really pricey.

We spent a lot of time in the hot tub.  Ryan was trying to make his back feel better.  Reggie and I did a polar plunge and that was very refreshing!!!  The video is too big....

We spent some time with Grandma Peggy (the kids stayed there!) and had a nice time hanging out at her place with Anthony, Emily and Grandma Gloria.

Reggie's birthday party

Reggie invited 7 other boys over for his party.  They gamed for a bit and then went to Deadpool, the PG-13 one.  I didn't like that movie at all and Ainsley had a birthday party to attend so I took her there and Ryan managed the afternoon!  I usually do the birthday parties and its a lot and I was a little happy to hear he thought it was a bit stressful too (glad its not just me) and still not really appropriate.

Cookie day

I flew all by myself to Washington a couple weeks ago for cookie day!!!  What a nice break...can I just say it is so nice to just worry about me!  The weather was very nice on Friday, so it made sense to make my toffee early (last time I made it in the rain, it was a little chewy and I didn't want to risk it).  That night we had a Bunko party at the fire hall and there were so many people there :).  I don't have much luck at that game but it was still fun.  Aunt Pam came up and went too....no beginners luck for her.  Saturday we spent all day making cookies, dozens and dozens.  My mom premade a couple and they were my favorites...Peppermint meringue and whipped shortbread.  I ate a lot while I was there!
I forgot to take pictures but I did get a few of us playing the face game.
The mouth pieces can be a bit challenging and somewhat painful to get it.

Piano recital

Ainsley and Khalif had there piano recital and both did awesome!  Reggie outgrew his teacher and with starting high school we decided to let him play on his own.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to happen too much anymore.  He was excited about some new movies coming out and learning their theme songs, so we'll see.

1st Trampoline meet

Ainsley's first trampoline meet was a couple weeks ago and we have a lot to learn!!!  The scoring is so different than artistic gymnastics and the scoring on each event is different.  I got the 101 from her coach afterward, so it makes a little more sense now.  We think she did pretty good and since she was the only one in her age group, she got 1st place on everything.  The group she was competing with was level 1-7 all ages, so she got lots of ooh's and ah's because most of the kiddos were lower level and I guess they don't get to see the upper level routines very often.  She felt pretty good about herself afterward!

Pac 12 Championship Game

Before Apple Cup, Ryan talked about going to the championship game at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, but got pretty quiet about it after the Cougars lost to the Huskies.  Reggie's friends dad works for Audi and they sponsor the event, so we offered us tickets for the entire family, plus the VIP tailgating party!!!  The younger 2 have never been to a game, so I thought it would be a great experience and it was!  We were hustling to make it to the tailgate party and the Husky band was walking/playing next to us and it was quite impressive.  There's so much energy at college games!

We had all kinds of food to choose from, sliders, churro's, nachos, meat carvings, chili.  We did not leave hungry :).  

We got to the game and found our AMAZING seats...probably the best seats I've been in, BUT we were on the wrong side.  Sitting with a bunch of Utah fans.  The kids heard more f 'bombs than they knew what to do with...good and a bad because that at least meant the Huskies were causing misery.  It was quite entertaining and the kids laughed and laughed.  Khalif was a little uncomfortable with things being so out of control, so he moved over by me and cuddled in his blanket.  He was very annoyed that they would stand up for the whole game and swear for no apparent reason!!!  But, when all said and done, he really enjoyed himself too.  We all had a blast!  Brought me back to my college days....all the band songs are the same :).  Felt good to laugh..which we did A LOT.

The game ended on a bad no call, so the Huskies won and the crowd was booing and I took a little video for us to remember our friends in front (Ryan was buddy, buddy with them, chit chatting it up the entire game...well, until the last quarter when it got a bit intense.  They liked him because he wasn't a Husky!).

15!

Doesn't he look good!  Nothing like a hair cut and shave...What?  Yes, Ryan helped him shave his upper lip and chin!  He just said how weird it felt, but he'll get used to it.  He is now 5'11" and 148 pounds.  He is growing so fast, his knees are bothering him a bit and crack when he goes upstairs.  I hope everything will settle in when he stops growing.  It won't be long until he passes Ryan!

We had birthday dinner when the Rinehardt's were here, so there wasn't too much planned for today and we knew he would want to play on his new gaming computer that he worked so hard for.  He has been saving and working for us since February and combined with his birthday money, he finally ordered his computer on Black Friday.  He is really enjoying how fast and cool it is!
We did go to Timothy's birthday party today and that was lots of fun.  He destroyed his cake and it ended up all over him which is why he doesn't have a shirt on.

 Wasn't that nice that they had a party and cake for Reggie!  Ainsley overheard us talking about his age and she just couldn't get over that he is 15.  She was so surprised...it was very funny!

It is still weird to think of him in high school!  The first trimester is officially over! So far, he has all A’s and squeaked it out in biology with a 90.4!!!! We studied so hard for his final and I’m glad it paid off! He wasn’t so sure after he took it and was a little irritated that the study guide wasn’t exactly like the test but he did great ☺️.  English is still unknown...he had an 89 going into the final.
He also went to work with Ryan for the first part of Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving break and spend some time with the engineers at Molex. He seemed to enjoy it but hasn’t said too much. He is growing up too fast!  It is weird to think he'll be moving on to bigger things in less than 4 years.  He is such a great kid with a big heart!  Always wanting to do the right thing...he has a very strong moral compass and it so great to be able to trust him.  I hope he always stays that way.  I never know who to believe if he isn't around....the other two have a ways to go in this area.  He is a gentle soul and its easy to love Reggie!

He is getting quite the sense of humor and its been fun to see him "get" things and develop into a young adult.  Sometimes it isn't so fun....we have lots of screen time battles, but deep down he knows why we have limits and I'm hoping he'll learn to self regulate better in this area.  Its a different world than when we were growing up.  These kids always have access to screens and they see people making money on Youtube and becoming famous just by playing video games.  It is crazy!  He is very techy and someday that will hopefully be a benefit in the workplace.  

Happy Birthday....We love you Reggie!

Rinehardt visit/Thanksgiving

Unfortunately, for the Rinehardt’s trip started out with a delayed flight which threw everything off a little bit and they ended up in some San Francisco traffic but made it home in time for dinner.
We woke up bright and early the next morning to turn right around and go back to San Francisco to visit Alcatraz, Lombard Street, China town and the Golden Gate Bridge. It was absolutely pouring down rain!!! The rain was much needed to dissipate to smoke in the air but it wasn’t so fun. We were all soaking wet. I think everyone enjoyed Alcatraz but Maggie not so much. It was enlightening for sure.

 Ainsley with former inmate William Baker.  He was in for making counterfeit money and then escaping from 3 other prisons.  Pretty smart guy.

We cut it close in the morning and thankfully there wasn’t traffic so it all worked out but leaving in the afternoon is a bit of a nightmare. Waze routed Ryan all the way up through Vallejo and back down.... probably 40 miles out of the way. Our route seemed much simpler but when it took us an hour to go 2 blocks I wanted to jump out of my skin. Took us 3 hours to get to sweet tomatoes. The boys beat us by at least an hour! I won’t be returning there anytime soon. That might be the dumbest city exit ever...only one way out.
The next day was Thanksgiving and the turkey was in the oven by 8. It was a beautiful day and we could finally see clearly (the smoke was gone). We decided to play a little beach volleyball. The girls made a comeback and we ended up tying. It was fast and furious when we got home. Linner was delicious and we were all stuffed. Somehow the kids were able to jump on the trampoline with full stomachs. Adults were comatose! A few hours later we ventured out to Walmart and Kohl’s for Black Friday. What a mellow, quiet year. I didn’t have much on my list but it was worth going there. We were able to get the good stuff online and maybe that’s why the store was quieter. Lots more online shoppers!

 Working hard on one of his favorites!  He was also our potato peeler...

 We went and saw the fantastic beasts movie and The Rinehardt’s were impressed with the reclining seats and ability to pick your seats when you buy the tickets. We don’t really think about it much but I guess it is pretty cool. Apple cup was later that day ....ouch for Ryan!  Oh and I almost forgot that Wade and Ryan put up the Christmas lights!

We were supposed to go to the jelly belly factory on Saturday but I read online that none of the machines would be working so we all voted that was not worth it. We decided that might be a good parents night out! The kids also had kids night out and walked downtown to get dinner and Menchie’s. It’s good for them to have a budget, make choices about where they want to eat and have some freedom and responsibility at the same time.
I’m pretty sure they made better choices than we did!!! Lots of drinks and food (we got warm maple bars from the donut wheel 😋). We really enjoyed Paxti’s happy hour. Then we went to the escape room and failed miserably. We contributed quite a bit (we were with 6 strangers) given our condition and thought we were doing great until he showed us how much we had left. It was still really fun. From there, we Ubered back downtown to the beer Barron. That was memorable...Liha was asked to dance by a lady!!!! She wouldn’t do it, but it made us all laugh. The DJ started the music awhile later and the place was absolutely packed and we danced the night away. We walked home and arrived around 12:30! There’s still some young in us!

Everyone was hurting the next day but I pounded the water before we left and stuff with lemon drops and I felt great. I think that’s my new favorite drink! Makes me happy but doesn’t seem to make me pay later.
Sunday we went to church and then headed to the pool for some time in the indoor therapy pool (96 degrees). They have family day on the weekends and they were a lot of people there so we decided to go outside. The pool was empty and it was beautiful!!! The kids swim and we soaked up some sun, maybe snoozed a bit. It was glorious! That night we celebrated Reggie’s birthday at Red Robin for the last time (slow service), but we all left very full.

 We all walked to school on Monday.  I think Khalif is going to miss Spencer...

The kids spent hours in the secret room, playing a Overdrive (racetrack game), jumping on the trampoline and the girls did nails and played barbies and watched a lot of the carbonero show. Fun times for all!!!!

Ryan's back

Well, he finally went in and had the MRI. The results came later that night and turns out he has a bulging disc and a pinched nerve. He didn’t think I was serious 🤔. He's been wincing when he gets up and making noises at night when he moves, so I had a good idea there was a problem.  We don’t know exactly what all the jargon means and he just finally made an appointment today so we’ll know more in about 2 weeks. My nurse friend kind of interpreted and she said it wasn't good.  Here’s the summary:

Projects

We are about 95% finished with the pantry project!!! Last weekend we spent some long hours working on it and it is finally usable and looks great! Reggie, Ainsley and I assembled the shelves but Reggie did the last one by himself. He’s so good at that kind of thing!
Laundry room wall:

We added 3M hooks so we didn't have to put holes in the nice, new wall and they are working great.

 Pantry wall

 Finished pantry wall

 So happy!!!

 New door into pantry (that's where the electrical panel used to be.

Ryan arrived Saturday morning and we moved our trampoline into the neighbors yard to make room for the new one. Our black Friday special from 2 years ago did not last like the last one 👎🏻. Around lunch we drove to disassemble the trampoline on craigslist. It was a beast and not super easy to take apart. I was dreading putting it back together but the kids were on us to get it together. We got most of it done the next day but we needed a few straps.

It was an exhausting weekend and my back flared up so I could hardly walk. I used the CBD cream that we had for Ainsley and I have to say it really helped. Ryan has been using it on his back and has felt some improvement. We are quite the pair. It’s not fun getting old!!!
And, today the HVAC people came back to tweak the furnace because it was overheating and shutting down before it reached its desired temperature.  Hopefully, this is the last time they have to come.  It has not been the best experience, but they have been very responsive and they are super nice.  Praying it is finally finished!

We survived!

Ryan was in China and Taiwan all week...he left on Saturday and just got home this morning.  One of the hardest things about his travels is the schedule and tight windows of where kids need to be.  This week had a different challenge...getting Reggie ready for finals.  I quizzed him for hours and hours and he thinks he did well, but we won't find out for awhile.  The saving grace this trip was the smoke.  Unfortunately, California is on fire and it is sad to see so many losing their homes and beautiful places like Paradise leveled by fire.  The smoke has decided to settle in Livermore and particle levels have been off the chart, cancelling all outdoor activities, including swimming!  It is the most smoke we've seen since we've been here.  Thankfully, no one in our household seems to be affected.  Not having swimming was huge for my stress level and things were so much more manageable. 
Khalif is also a challenge when Ryan travels and this was no exception.  He has been so good at school, but this week he had to sit out at recess for talking in class, ugh.  He also had an accident and had to change his sheets which hasn't happened in a very long time (he finally stopped wearing pull ups a couple weeks ago!).  Not to mention his daily behavior and absentmindedness.  I finally pointed it out and asked him if he felt any different and he said yes, but had no idea why...thought maybe it was the excitement of black friday or the cousins coming next week.  It is very interesting how his mind works and the connections he makes.  I've been tracking this for awhile and when Ryan is gone for extended periods of time his behaviors and issues ramp up.  I mentioned that to him and he thought that was not correct (what a surprise!) and seemed to make no sense.  So, he started with a new therapist last week, which he absolutely loved, and maybe she can help us/him figure it out!
As far as Ryan's work/life balance, its been up and down.  When he's home, its o.k., but when he travels weekly or for extended periods, things are rough.  He goes to Mexico after Thanksgiving for almost a week, so we'll be right back in the chaos.  It is hard :(.

Halloween

Halloween is changing a bit these days.  The older 2 wanted to go with their friends, so Ainsley went with her group and Reggie went with the neighbor.  I didn't even see Reggie in his costume!  We had a nice walk around our neighborhood with Khalif and had some nice conversations with neighbors...Halloween is nice that way...brings everyone out!  Not sure why Khalif chose to be an M&M since he has lots of other costumes, but it was easy.  He got WAY more candy than the other 2 and decided to weigh it.  It was over 8 pounds!  He wanted to bring a small bag and then have Ryan carry a big bag where he could dump his goods when it got too heavy.  I think it was a good strategy because he went to many people's doors with little or no candy and they were giving him hand fulls! 
Reggie was impressed with the Batman on our street...his costume was pretty amazing and he talked just like batman.  Our community is awesome and there were so many houses participating and so many little ones running around!
Ainsley discovered she likes chili and she had a great time with her friends...she decided to dress up 80's but wouldn't listen to anything we had to say, so I'm sure people were trying to guess what she was.

Volleyball buddies.  Easy school costume!

 Halloween parade at school

Khalif and his stomach

The boys were hit hard with a really bad cold and toward the end, Khalif was complaining of a stomach ache and didn't eat much dinner.  I had a feeling it wasn't going to be a good night so we reminded him right before bed what to do if he got sick.  And, he followed it to a T.  He came down afterward and told us he got sick and through up in the toilet.  Yay!!!  We have had so many problems with his throw up and where and when it happens and the lack of ability to get the puke in a bag or in the toilet, so this was good.  He woke up the next morning and had a headache and not real hungry, so I told him to sip water, but he only hear drink water and it all came back up about 15 minutes later.  He was thrilled there was so much water because it didn't hurt at all!  He stayed home and started eating a few hours later and was fine.  The following day was good too, but he had pizza at the adoption support group and wasn't feeling all that great.  Well, shame on us for not reminding him, although I'm not sure it would've helped.  When he gets a stomach bug, it can take up to a week for him to fully recover, puking randomly 3 days later sometimes.
Ryan woke up in the morning and the rug by the front door was in a heap, so he fixed that and then noticed a bunch of dried food in the sink.  He just thought the kids forgot to rinse it out.  Then, he heard Khalif from the stairs asking for him.  Khalif said someone had thrown up on the stairs and Ryan said, "Yeah, buddy, that was you."  But he denied it so convincingly that Ryan asked the other two sleeping children and they both said no it wasn't them.  Khalif then suggested maybe it was the cat?  Ryan decided to look at his jammies and there was puke all the way down the front.  He continued to deny it, but it was clear he did it but had no memory of it.  Ugh!  While Ryan was cleaning the walls, I noticed the couch had a mess on it, so I worked on that.  It must have happened shortly after we went to bed because it was all dried up.  This is one of those times where it would have been awesome to have cameras and see the video of what the heck he did., traveling all over the house while depositing puke!
The entire house spelled horrible and we didn't even know where to begin.  So, I called the professionals who apparently have been unusually busy.  He felt bad and fit us in and I have to say it was worth every single dollar!  I have been wanting to get the stairs cleaned for quite some time, so in a way, it was a win.  However, he didn't have time to do the entire top of the landing or the entry into the kids room, so there's an obvious line where he cleaned.  I'm going to see if my carpet cleaner can work magic, but in the past we haven't had much luck with the berber carpet.
Funny, that he thought the cat could create such a mess!

 AMAZING!

 So, I have reminded him again to use his hand sanitizer in his lunch box so he isn't sick all winter, but this wasn't even enough to make him use it!  I ask him almost daily and the answer is always, "I forgot."  So, between that and biting his nails, it will likely be a long season :(.  Thankfully, no one else got this bug!