gift giving is not one of our strong points. To illustrate the point, I will share a couple of stories about gifts we have given. Last year for Christmas I surprised Dave by framing his ohio state diploma and AOA certificate. Nice gift, huh? Well, a year later they are still in the Christmas gift bag from last year on the floor in our room. Mabye they'll get hung for Valentines day!
Last year for Christmas Dave gave me a pair of XL Men's basketball shorts. No matter how you look at it, it's just not good. Either he thinks I am in need of XL mens clothes (and being 6 months pregnant last Christmas maybe I was!) or, he got the shorts for him to use (kind of like when Homer gave Marge a bowling ball that said Homer on it)! He actually got them for me b/c I like to wear his bball shorts and thought I'd like my own pair so I wouldn't have to keep stealing his....doesn't he know that the stealing is all the fun?! :) He definitely would have ended up in the dog house were it not for my fabulous sense of humor! He mentioned to some nurses at work that he got me these shorts and they are still giving him a hard time about it. They think he is a big jerk! I don't though. He tried hard, and he got me something else that was thoughtful as well.
here's a link to a video about the dog house. (Click on the word link to get to it). It is super funny! I stole it from a friends blog (thanks Deanne)!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Eight is great!
Today Dave and I celebrate 8 wonderful years together! Here are 8 things I love about Dave, in no particular order.
1. cute
2. smart
3. hard working
4. loyal
5. great sense of humor
6. light hearted
7. fun
8. a little unconventional
1. cute
2. smart
3. hard working
4. loyal
5. great sense of humor
6. light hearted
7. fun
8. a little unconventional
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Hello Dear blogging friends, Hope you had a great day! I sure love blogging with you and appreciate our friendship. It is a fun part of my life! Thank you for all of your kind and fun comments and also the blogs and emails and other means that you have to keep in touch as well. Love, Denise
Monday, December 22, 2008
my fam
from left to right: scott, lance, dan, kari, shi, bob, denise, lex, calvin, dave, clare, jessica, pete
Friday, December 19, 2008
THIS is NOT A JOKE
You will never guess what I just got in the mail. A ticket (addressed to me) with a photo (of DAVE) running a red light, AT THE SAME INTERSECTION AS BEFORE. SERIOUSLY, it happened last week on his way to the beach on his day off. He was turning right. He claims the light was yellow. The ticket claims the light was red and he only slowed to 14mph before going right though...... oh boy.
I have to write in and tell them that I am not the driver and dave says I should say "It could have been any number of people.....I can't be sure who it is...." (AKA, LIE so he doesn't get busted for another $400 ticket). What should I do? (Aside from returning his Christmas presents :) and filling his stocking with coal )
I have to write in and tell them that I am not the driver and dave says I should say "It could have been any number of people.....I can't be sure who it is...." (AKA, LIE so he doesn't get busted for another $400 ticket). What should I do? (Aside from returning his Christmas presents :) and filling his stocking with coal )
Thursday, December 18, 2008
It's been a little while since I posted pictures of my favorite little baby!
Alexey is 9 months old. Eating lots of real people food and squawking at us if she misses out on anything that looks good. She's learned to do the army crawl and can move about the room that way.
She is still a super easy going little person. Very happy to be a part of it all and always full of smiles for everyone.
In other news, I finally got my quilt up on the wall. For my birthday in July 2007 I asked Dave for a quilt rack. Dave said not yet...then for my bday in 2008 I ordered it, probably in August or september (dave said, "can you please hurry up and order that quilt rack so I don't have to feel bad about not getting you a birthday present!") Then last week Dave hung it up for me! I love it. It looks great. The quilt was made by my mom and then machine quilted to put the layers together (after she died). I picked the pattern after going to one of my mom's quilting classes with her and saw it up on display and we picked the fabrics together.
here's a closeup of one of the squares.
Alexey is 9 months old. Eating lots of real people food and squawking at us if she misses out on anything that looks good. She's learned to do the army crawl and can move about the room that way.
She is still a super easy going little person. Very happy to be a part of it all and always full of smiles for everyone.
In other news, I finally got my quilt up on the wall. For my birthday in July 2007 I asked Dave for a quilt rack. Dave said not yet...then for my bday in 2008 I ordered it, probably in August or september (dave said, "can you please hurry up and order that quilt rack so I don't have to feel bad about not getting you a birthday present!") Then last week Dave hung it up for me! I love it. It looks great. The quilt was made by my mom and then machine quilted to put the layers together (after she died). I picked the pattern after going to one of my mom's quilting classes with her and saw it up on display and we picked the fabrics together.
here's a closeup of one of the squares.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
12 days of Christmas
junk emal that I thought was worth passing along... I double checked on a few internet sites. It seems to be accepted as true although there are doubters (there always are)! Merry Christmas season!
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out
Of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone
during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each
element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality
which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,
Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
My "true love" is God and then "me" is each one of us (or speaking about the church collectively)!
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out
Of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone
during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each
element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality
which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,
Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
My "true love" is God and then "me" is each one of us (or speaking about the church collectively)!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Santa's Village
There is a guy in our ward that does this crazy Christmas thing at his house each year. You can go and meet santa (my kids are afraid so we skip that part), then each kid can pick one toy. He open's his house to the entire community and thousands of people come each year. There are about 10 bins full of toys and each child can pick one toy to take home. Calvin is standing in front of a couple of the toy bins.
Then you can tour santas village and the house. The garage is decorated as Santa's shop.
.
The house (which is probably 5000 sq. feet), is completely decorated with Christmas displays. Who knows where they live in the month of December! This is Calvin standing in front of their living room.
and more house pictures. I stood in front of this camel just so you can see how big the stuffed jungle room is. The elephant is HUGE!!
Santa's village, in the back yard, complete with a snow maker! side note: CLare is a nail biter. She does it all the time. how do I get her to stop? She has no nails at all. A couple of days ago I caught her trying to bite her toe nails!! YUCK!
There are refreshments as well. Hot chocolate, cider and cookies and crackers. Behind the refreshment tables is this amazing FAO Schwartz clock that is as tall as the two story house. It's probably my favorite thing there.
Clare picked a crown (with earrings) out of the toy boxes. She loves it! On the way home DAve told her that we'd be going to bed as soon as we got home. She said. "I am not clare, I'm Cinderella and Cinderella doesn't go to bed."
Then we told her she could sleep with her crown and she jumped for joy and went to bed easily.
We checked on her late at night and she was still a sleeping princess!
All of this is free! The guy who does this is so generous and it is quite remarkable.
Then you can tour santas village and the house. The garage is decorated as Santa's shop.
.
The house (which is probably 5000 sq. feet), is completely decorated with Christmas displays. Who knows where they live in the month of December! This is Calvin standing in front of their living room.
and more house pictures. I stood in front of this camel just so you can see how big the stuffed jungle room is. The elephant is HUGE!!
Santa's village, in the back yard, complete with a snow maker! side note: CLare is a nail biter. She does it all the time. how do I get her to stop? She has no nails at all. A couple of days ago I caught her trying to bite her toe nails!! YUCK!
There are refreshments as well. Hot chocolate, cider and cookies and crackers. Behind the refreshment tables is this amazing FAO Schwartz clock that is as tall as the two story house. It's probably my favorite thing there.
Clare picked a crown (with earrings) out of the toy boxes. She loves it! On the way home DAve told her that we'd be going to bed as soon as we got home. She said. "I am not clare, I'm Cinderella and Cinderella doesn't go to bed."
Then we told her she could sleep with her crown and she jumped for joy and went to bed easily.
We checked on her late at night and she was still a sleeping princess!
All of this is free! The guy who does this is so generous and it is quite remarkable.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
winter beach time
one of our favorite activites in the winter is going to the beach. Dave has a wet suit so he can surf and we can hang out and enjoy the sand without the crowd. 
sand angels
There are just some things that I will never learn. #1 roll up the windows of the
car even if it is sunny outside. It just might rain while you are gone no matter how blue the sky. #2. the kids will take their pants off at the beach no matter how cold it is.
The sun sets around 5 right now so it is easy to catch the sunset when we make a quick afternoon trip to the beach. In the summer we don't often see the sunset b/c it is too late for us!
Yes that is dave posing as superman.
sand angels
There are just some things that I will never learn. #1 roll up the windows of the
car even if it is sunny outside. It just might rain while you are gone no matter how blue the sky. #2. the kids will take their pants off at the beach no matter how cold it is.
The sun sets around 5 right now so it is easy to catch the sunset when we make a quick afternoon trip to the beach. In the summer we don't often see the sunset b/c it is too late for us!
Yes that is dave posing as superman.
Monday, December 8, 2008
changes
I have been adding the links on the side for my blogroll. It is fun to see the connections on other blogs and I know how Laura loves it:) If I have left yours off, please let me know! I tried to do it really fast and may have missed a few. Thanks
Friday, December 5, 2008
bloggers block
I don't have much to write about lately, and don't have time to do it either. Don't ask me where my time is going...but it is going somewhere. So, this might not be a very good post but it is a post!
On Sunday I will be doing a little 5 minute mini lesson during one of the Sunday school classes for the 12-14 year old girls. The topic is Change. How to handle change. And stay positive. I guess I am somewhat of a poster child for change (as many of us are during this time when we are going to school, moving, getting jobs, etc.) Here are some of the changes I've experienced in the last 10 years.... okay I'm older than I thought...we'll say 11 years.
- graduated high school
- mom diagnosed with cancer, had a surgery, started chemo
- moved away to school
- true loves first kiss :) (November 1997)
- made all new friends at college, new living situation, new food, new life!
- dave left on a mission - loss of boyfriend and best friend!
- moved again
- got a job
- moved home
- back to school in a new living situation (meaning roomates and place to live)
- another living situation at semester break, another job
- moved home
- mom died
- started new school, new job, new ward, new role as helper at home.
- dad got married
- new step mother and step sister
- back to BYU in yet another living situation, new job
- Dave home
- engaged then married
- started masters program
- changed thesis emphasis and lab for masters work
- got pregnant, got sick, got big, had a baby
- baby diagnosed with craniofacial defect
- move to ohio
- baby had surgery and one week hospital stay
- new job
- another pregnancy followed by an early end to the pregnancy
- another move
- another job
- another pregnancy
- another baby
- move to CA, new house, new ward, etc., new job for dave
- Calvin starts school
- pregnant again
- another baby
- Calvin starts another new school
That is enough of that. So, here are 3 practical points I thought of which help a person stay happy and well adjusted through change. I haven't been perfect in these things but I think that the times when I've done them, my changes have been better. I try to help my kids do this as well but sometimes I'm slow at getting started. I just had a new school friend over to play for Calvin this week and we've been in school since August! Better late than never!
get involved -- join a club, talk to people, meet the neighbors, volunteer, have a playdate, set up a carpool.
give service -- call someone and offer to babysit, cook, help in some way
gain talents -- take lessons, play a sport, develop your creativity through music or crafts, or home making or cooking.
All of these things make you feel better about yourself, help you make and keep friends, spend time with people in need or people who can teach you great things, and direct your time toward worthwhile activities.
In the lesson I'd focus more on the 3 G's and not my life changes, but I am running out of time today!!!
If there's one thing that's constant, it's change.
On Sunday I will be doing a little 5 minute mini lesson during one of the Sunday school classes for the 12-14 year old girls. The topic is Change. How to handle change. And stay positive. I guess I am somewhat of a poster child for change (as many of us are during this time when we are going to school, moving, getting jobs, etc.) Here are some of the changes I've experienced in the last 10 years.... okay I'm older than I thought...we'll say 11 years.
- graduated high school
- mom diagnosed with cancer, had a surgery, started chemo
- moved away to school
- true loves first kiss :) (November 1997)
- made all new friends at college, new living situation, new food, new life!
- dave left on a mission - loss of boyfriend and best friend!
- moved again
- got a job
- moved home
- back to school in a new living situation (meaning roomates and place to live)
- another living situation at semester break, another job
- moved home
- mom died
- started new school, new job, new ward, new role as helper at home.
- dad got married
- new step mother and step sister
- back to BYU in yet another living situation, new job
- Dave home
- engaged then married
- started masters program
- changed thesis emphasis and lab for masters work
- got pregnant, got sick, got big, had a baby
- baby diagnosed with craniofacial defect
- move to ohio
- baby had surgery and one week hospital stay
- new job
- another pregnancy followed by an early end to the pregnancy
- another move
- another job
- another pregnancy
- another baby
- move to CA, new house, new ward, etc., new job for dave
- Calvin starts school
- pregnant again
- another baby
- Calvin starts another new school
That is enough of that. So, here are 3 practical points I thought of which help a person stay happy and well adjusted through change. I haven't been perfect in these things but I think that the times when I've done them, my changes have been better. I try to help my kids do this as well but sometimes I'm slow at getting started. I just had a new school friend over to play for Calvin this week and we've been in school since August! Better late than never!
get involved -- join a club, talk to people, meet the neighbors, volunteer, have a playdate, set up a carpool.
give service -- call someone and offer to babysit, cook, help in some way
gain talents -- take lessons, play a sport, develop your creativity through music or crafts, or home making or cooking.
All of these things make you feel better about yourself, help you make and keep friends, spend time with people in need or people who can teach you great things, and direct your time toward worthwhile activities.
In the lesson I'd focus more on the 3 G's and not my life changes, but I am running out of time today!!!
If there's one thing that's constant, it's change.
Monday, December 1, 2008
creative calvin
What is it with little boys at potty words?
Calvin thinks poop, toilet and diaper are absolutely the FUNNIEST things he's ever heard.
So, this week I read him a story and one of the characters said, "I'm pooped!" Calvin laughed 'til he cried and then asked me what it meant. I told him that I'm pooped is another way of saying I'm tired. He thought that was pretty funny. Several hours later he came to me and said, "Mom, I'm farted. That means I'm hungry." He wasn't trying to be silly at all, he was totally serious. I told him that we can't just add and ed to the end of any potty word to give it a new meaning. That was okay with him as he is completely satisfied to have found a way to use poop in a sentence where he won't get in trouble. He even taught Clare that I'm pooped means I'm tired.
Had I known the book said pooped in it I wouldn't have read it. THe book was called Fried Feathers For Thanksgiving.
Calvin thinks poop, toilet and diaper are absolutely the FUNNIEST things he's ever heard.
So, this week I read him a story and one of the characters said, "I'm pooped!" Calvin laughed 'til he cried and then asked me what it meant. I told him that I'm pooped is another way of saying I'm tired. He thought that was pretty funny. Several hours later he came to me and said, "Mom, I'm farted. That means I'm hungry." He wasn't trying to be silly at all, he was totally serious. I told him that we can't just add and ed to the end of any potty word to give it a new meaning. That was okay with him as he is completely satisfied to have found a way to use poop in a sentence where he won't get in trouble. He even taught Clare that I'm pooped means I'm tired.
Had I known the book said pooped in it I wouldn't have read it. THe book was called Fried Feathers For Thanksgiving.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
I'm thankful for UCSD neurosurgery
Instead of making a list, I'll write about one thing I'm thankful for today
It's kind of a weird thing to be thankful for this morning since thanks to UCSD neurosurgery Dave is working instead of home on Thanksgiving...but I have been thinking a lot lately about how happy I am to be in San Diego and how grateful I am for the program Dave is in.
I am so glad that UCSD picked Dave. It was near the top of our rank list but not number one, and who knows how we could have been so crazy to want to go someplace else, and I am SO THANKFUL that we matched here. Dave is too. It is perfect for us in so many ways.
I LOVE living in San Diego. For the first time in my adult life I really feel like I'm at home. In all the years of schooling and places that I've lived since leaving home, I have always felt like it was a pit stop in my life journey. I'm sure a large part of that was the fact that we were living in apartments and our stay was very temporary. Now I feel like I've arrived; and I love it! I love our house, our ward, our school, our view, the weather, living near family, having Dan with us, being in the same town as Jessica's family so that we get to see them on all the holidays. I love being in a touristy town so we always have lots of visitors. I love all the wonderful people here.
I like sunshine. I am not a person that has a tendency towards depression however, I have noticed a difference in how I feel over the last 2 years. I find that sunshine makes me happier! I understand why people pay "the sunshine tax" to live in CA. I am willing to do the same. Life is easier without bad weather. When I was living in other places I didn't mind the weather. I even liked the seasons, but now that I am without them I would say that I definitely prefer the weather here. I like to go out and play sports, play at the park, walk, sit. It is so nice to be able to go outside year round.
I am glad the residency program is 7 years. It is so good to know that we will be here for such a long time. I find myself not wanting to think about what is after residency because I would be super happy to stay here forever!
Dave works with great people. The chief resident this year is basically Dave's boss and has complete control over how the hospital is run. Fortunately for us, he is AMAZING. He has been very conscientious about the work load and has tried very hard to make it fair and manageable for everyone (this has not always been the case in this particular program). He is also a very nice guy and all around good person. Many of the other people at work are people Dave enjoys working with which makes the work experience a good one for Dave.
I'm so glad Dave loves his job. He is having a good time learning to operate and it what he does is exciting to him. Working 88 hours a week and having no time for anything but work and sleep would be quite miserable if he did not love what he is doing.
I am so grateful that Dave is so smart :) and so hard working. I am so proud of him for all he's doing.
here is Dave modeling his surgical glasses for us!
It's kind of a weird thing to be thankful for this morning since thanks to UCSD neurosurgery Dave is working instead of home on Thanksgiving...but I have been thinking a lot lately about how happy I am to be in San Diego and how grateful I am for the program Dave is in.
I am so glad that UCSD picked Dave. It was near the top of our rank list but not number one, and who knows how we could have been so crazy to want to go someplace else, and I am SO THANKFUL that we matched here. Dave is too. It is perfect for us in so many ways.
I LOVE living in San Diego. For the first time in my adult life I really feel like I'm at home. In all the years of schooling and places that I've lived since leaving home, I have always felt like it was a pit stop in my life journey. I'm sure a large part of that was the fact that we were living in apartments and our stay was very temporary. Now I feel like I've arrived; and I love it! I love our house, our ward, our school, our view, the weather, living near family, having Dan with us, being in the same town as Jessica's family so that we get to see them on all the holidays. I love being in a touristy town so we always have lots of visitors. I love all the wonderful people here.
I like sunshine. I am not a person that has a tendency towards depression however, I have noticed a difference in how I feel over the last 2 years. I find that sunshine makes me happier! I understand why people pay "the sunshine tax" to live in CA. I am willing to do the same. Life is easier without bad weather. When I was living in other places I didn't mind the weather. I even liked the seasons, but now that I am without them I would say that I definitely prefer the weather here. I like to go out and play sports, play at the park, walk, sit. It is so nice to be able to go outside year round.
I am glad the residency program is 7 years. It is so good to know that we will be here for such a long time. I find myself not wanting to think about what is after residency because I would be super happy to stay here forever!
Dave works with great people. The chief resident this year is basically Dave's boss and has complete control over how the hospital is run. Fortunately for us, he is AMAZING. He has been very conscientious about the work load and has tried very hard to make it fair and manageable for everyone (this has not always been the case in this particular program). He is also a very nice guy and all around good person. Many of the other people at work are people Dave enjoys working with which makes the work experience a good one for Dave.
I'm so glad Dave loves his job. He is having a good time learning to operate and it what he does is exciting to him. Working 88 hours a week and having no time for anything but work and sleep would be quite miserable if he did not love what he is doing.
I am so grateful that Dave is so smart :) and so hard working. I am so proud of him for all he's doing.
here is Dave modeling his surgical glasses for us!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
the day after
Today was a funny day. It all started when Calvin woke up pretty early (having gone to bed at 5pm) and found that there was a lot of new stuff out an about from Clare's birthday party including a few little decorations and a few presents. I let him play for a little while while I slept and Dave got ready for work. As Dave was leaving he came to me and said that he had found Calvin in the cinderella tent, coloring princess pictures and covered from head to toe in princess stickers!!
The kids had a great morning playing with toys and coloring and recreating the party that Calvin and Alexey had slept through last night!
what a funny little 1/2 smile.
The kids had a great morning playing with toys and coloring and recreating the party that Calvin and Alexey had slept through last night!
what a funny little 1/2 smile.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Happy Birthday Clare Bear!
Sweet Clare is 3 today! We are all so excited.
Clare loves to dress up like a princess. She wears her Cinderella dress every day. A few days ago we were outside playing baseball and Clare said, "mom, I need to go inside now to spin around." She loves to sing and dance. She LOVES her Dad. She is a good big sister to Alexey. Clare is growing taller but is still pretty petite. She weighs about 27 pounds. She likes to play on the playground. Her favorite (and only) foods are yougart and fruit. She loves all sweets, espeically ice cream. Her favorite ice cream is mint. She calls it minty gum ice cream.
We had a great day. This morning Calvin gave Clare a present before school.
Then we had cupcakes with friends at the park.
After Dave got home we had a family birthday party (Alexey and Calvin were already in bed).
Clare got lots of princess things...dolls, coloring book, tent. Dave gave clare a Taylor Swift CD for dancing. It was a big hit. She loved it. It was a thoughtful gift, just right for Clare.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sweet Alexey. My joy.
Has recently learned to sit up on her own.
Is fully aware of how crazy the rest of her family is...
but loves everyone.
Weighs in at around 16 lbs. (dropped from the 85 to 25% for weight now that she's rolling and moving a lot).
Has the sweetest face and most beautiful blue eyes.
She is so easy and so wonderful! Always smiley and cheerful. Super easy going. Just can't get enough of her sweet cheeks. If kids stayed this happy forever I'd have 10 kids!
Is fully aware of how crazy the rest of her family is...
but loves everyone.
Weighs in at around 16 lbs. (dropped from the 85 to 25% for weight now that she's rolling and moving a lot).
Has the sweetest face and most beautiful blue eyes.
She is so easy and so wonderful! Always smiley and cheerful. Super easy going. Just can't get enough of her sweet cheeks. If kids stayed this happy forever I'd have 10 kids!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
My Firstborn
Well you all know about Calvin -- his sleep schedule is famously difficult. And the fall back time change is horrible for that. He got up at 3:30am for a full week and had a rough week at home and at school as a consequence. Now he's back to 4:30-5:30 as a wake up time. He often falls asleep around 5:30 or 6, right after dinner. Otherwise, he's in bed by 7. Yesterday he slept from 5:30pm to 5:30am. It is a decent night of sleep. If we could just move it from 7 to 7 it'd be great but for some reason it never works out that way. He is a good boy!
I recently had his parent teacher conference for Kindergarten. I was very interested to see how he was doing in school and of course, hopeful that things were going well. He has been reading well and I was curious if he was up to par or above or below. At our meeting his teacher says he is doing great academically. She said he's obviously a bright kid......bbbuuuuuuuuuttt, he does have quite a few "I's" (for needs improvement) in the behavior section of his report card. I won't talk about everything she said, but I do have one funny thing to share. She said that one of the mom's mentioned to her that Calvin is so cute and reminds her of Dennis the menace. His teacher thought that was right on as a description of Calvin! Not sure if it's a compliment, but I think they mean it in the nicest way possible. Calvin really is quite a character. He is fun and funny and can also be naughty. I think that he gets in trouble a lot not necessarily because he's trying to do the wrong thing but because he is daydreaming and preoccupied with his own little agenda. He needs to learn to be a better listener and I think since he's overall a good little guy, he'll eventually figure it out.
A new favorite thing is Alvin and the Chipmunks which we found at the library to rent on DVD. He says his nickname is "Alvin" and that he wants a harmonica for Christmas!
Calvin is a sweet guy. He's very loving and affectionate. Even though he can be a tough kid I wouldn't trade him for anything!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Dan the Man
Dan is my 17 year old brother, a senior in high school. He is amazing. I would say that his is the #1 reason I have made it so far through Dave's residency and I'm sure he'll carry me through the rest of this year. When he goes away for college (if he does go) I will probably cry and wish he could stay forever. Dan has lived with us since June. Last year he spent a lot of time at our house as well but could only come over on the weekends or on school breaks because otherwise he needed to be at home so my Dad could take him to school and the other places he needed to be. now that he has his drivers licence he is more independent and can stay here all the time. Here are some things I love about Dan. 1. He is great with the kids. and the kids love him. 2. I enjoy having him here with me. He keeps me company and provides an adult to talk to during the day and at night, esp. when dave isn't home. 3. I feel safer with him sleeping here, esp. when dave isn't home. 4. this should be #1 HE BABYSITS for us. FOR FREE. well, usually we bring him a milkshake or dinner or treat or something but really it's free and that has been why it is so easy for dave and I to go on dates. Dan will even come home from hanging out with his friends to babysit when Dave's schedule allows. It is so nice of him and means so much to us. He also babysits when Dave is no call and I have soccer or mutual or bookclub. 5. dan is awesome! he has a great sense of humor and is really pleasant to be around.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
interrupting the scheduled program for a few pics
today we went to a fun place here in SD called the torrey pines glider port. It is a place were people can go paragliding and go fly their fancy model airplanes. There are some gorgeous cliffs overlooking a beach (a nude beach, but it's so far down to the beach you can't see anything too crazy), so there is a really good breeze. It was a perfect San Diego day. Sunny at 70. Dave's parents are in town for a couple of days from back east. It is always nice to have them to town. they are so great at giving the kids extra love and attention.
I thought this was a great picture of dave and his dad. They're not saluting anything, just shading their eyes.
This is the the first picture with all five family members since alexey was born (almost 8 months ago). in typical fashion -- Clare wearing her cindrella dress, calvin's shirt is backwards.
Not too great of a picture of dave and clare but behind them you can see the paraglider.
we had the most beautiful sunset tonight at our house! We took some pics with dave's mom and dad. Calvin was watching alvin and the chipmunks so he didn't want to join us!
I thought this was a great picture of dave and his dad. They're not saluting anything, just shading their eyes.
This is the the first picture with all five family members since alexey was born (almost 8 months ago). in typical fashion -- Clare wearing her cindrella dress, calvin's shirt is backwards.
Not too great of a picture of dave and clare but behind them you can see the paraglider.
we had the most beautiful sunset tonight at our house! We took some pics with dave's mom and dad. Calvin was watching alvin and the chipmunks so he didn't want to join us!
next in line - Denise
Dave always brags that he is older than me. I keep wondering when the day will come that he's not so proud of that! I'm glad we're not that old yet!
I am doing well. My life is busy too. I love my new calling working with the laurels. It is fun teaching on Sunday's. I love to teach. I would not say that I am one of those amazing, truly gifted teachers, but I would say that I am much better at teaching and it much easier and more enjoyable that secretary work. Mutual and other activies with YW are fun and a big part of life since there are so many! This week we have 3 meetings plus mutual (it's not usually that bad, but it's a busy week)!
Here is my day:
sometime between 3:30-5 most days I hear Calvin knocking and saying "mom....I need to go potty...." I go let him go potty and if I'm nice I give him a snack and then lock him back in 'til around 6. It must sound horrible to some of you that I lock Calvin in his room. I never would have thought that I'd lock my kids in but it is for the good of the house (he is destructive and mischievous) and his safety (so he doesn't hurt himself and so I don't kill him when he ruins stuff in the house).
4am - dave gives me a kiss on his way out the door
6ish I get up. I got into the habit of letting calvin get up at watch TV for an hour while I slept but now that I don't have a "new" baby I am trying to get up at 6 with him. I get so much more done in the day and he likes to have someone to talk to.
6-8 read, blog, eat breakfast, play games, hang out, girls wake up, etc.
okay, I decided this is too boring.
My day consists of caring for children and the house. Often it is wonderful. Some days I think I'm lucky to make it through the day. My worst days are not so much the days that the kids are bad but the days that I do not handle it well. It's almost a guarantee that there will be times in every day when the kids get on my nerves so it's up to me to stay calm and give them a drink and a snack and help them be happy!! I love being a Mom and am so lucky to be home with the kids. I really love babies. I often say that if kids stayed as sweet as Alexey == and really my other two were very sweet babies as well -- then I'd have 100 kids!
I still play soccer once a week, and often it is twice a week since I sub. I'm trying to figure out how else to exercise but haven't gotten that figure out yet.
I look forward to my dates with Dave. We try to get out once a week but some weeks his schedule doesn't allow that. for the most part we do make it. The kids look forward to those dates also because I usually let them get a red box movie to watch when we leave. Most often Dan babysits (I'll post about him next) and I also have a 13 year old girl from church that will babysit sometimes.
I am doing well. My life is busy too. I love my new calling working with the laurels. It is fun teaching on Sunday's. I love to teach. I would not say that I am one of those amazing, truly gifted teachers, but I would say that I am much better at teaching and it much easier and more enjoyable that secretary work. Mutual and other activies with YW are fun and a big part of life since there are so many! This week we have 3 meetings plus mutual (it's not usually that bad, but it's a busy week)!
Here is my day:
sometime between 3:30-5 most days I hear Calvin knocking and saying "mom....I need to go potty...." I go let him go potty and if I'm nice I give him a snack and then lock him back in 'til around 6. It must sound horrible to some of you that I lock Calvin in his room. I never would have thought that I'd lock my kids in but it is for the good of the house (he is destructive and mischievous) and his safety (so he doesn't hurt himself and so I don't kill him when he ruins stuff in the house).
4am - dave gives me a kiss on his way out the door
6ish I get up. I got into the habit of letting calvin get up at watch TV for an hour while I slept but now that I don't have a "new" baby I am trying to get up at 6 with him. I get so much more done in the day and he likes to have someone to talk to.
6-8 read, blog, eat breakfast, play games, hang out, girls wake up, etc.
okay, I decided this is too boring.
My day consists of caring for children and the house. Often it is wonderful. Some days I think I'm lucky to make it through the day. My worst days are not so much the days that the kids are bad but the days that I do not handle it well. It's almost a guarantee that there will be times in every day when the kids get on my nerves so it's up to me to stay calm and give them a drink and a snack and help them be happy!! I love being a Mom and am so lucky to be home with the kids. I really love babies. I often say that if kids stayed as sweet as Alexey == and really my other two were very sweet babies as well -- then I'd have 100 kids!
I still play soccer once a week, and often it is twice a week since I sub. I'm trying to figure out how else to exercise but haven't gotten that figure out yet.
I look forward to my dates with Dave. We try to get out once a week but some weeks his schedule doesn't allow that. for the most part we do make it. The kids look forward to those dates also because I usually let them get a red box movie to watch when we leave. Most often Dan babysits (I'll post about him next) and I also have a 13 year old girl from church that will babysit sometimes.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
from oldest to youngest
Now that all of my political posting is done I will give you some updates about the family members. We'll start with Dave.
As you may remember Dave got a ticket for running a red light, courtesy of the traffic camera's they have posted at certain intersections. Those purpose of those red light cameras is to create revenue and it is said that they are strategically placed in well-to-do areas where tickets can be given and paid without much fuss. Dave's ticket was $430 + a few extra bucks for traffic school. This is insane. Dave has spent HOURS on the computer doing research to try to get out of this ticket. He joined a club for $25 called Ticket Assassin and supposedly this guy will help you get out of your ticket. I doubt it'll work with a red light camera ticket but dave figures it is worth a try. He will spend a few months going through the motions of appealing the ticket and will most likely be found guilty and then he'll beg for a fee reduction and claim economic hardship. We'll see. Here are some pics.
Dave's cute face. one thing he has learned is that if there isn't a clear image of the face no ticket can be issued from a picture. So, he will either cover his face (not a good idea to drive with your hand in front of your face?) or wear a ski mask that covers his face (another good Christmas gift idea) next time he runs a red light. Apparently he runs red lights quite frequently when driving to work at 4am because "it is stupid to sit at a red light when there are no other cars around."
driving through the light. his car is making the left turn
Dave has had a few incidents at the hospital this year that have caused him to lose his cool. All have involved his food. disappearing. His chief resident says of dave, "dave is awesome. he can handle anything. His patient codes on the table in the or and dave is cool and works through it. Somebody steals his lunch out of the fridge and he will completely lose his composure and hunt that person down!" It has happened a couple of times. Once some nurses thought his lunch was meant for the nurses pot-luck so they ate it. That's when we learned to put his name on everything he takes to the hospital. Another time someone cleaned out the fridge and threw his lunch away -- on a day when they were not supposed to clean out the fridge. And just tonight someone ate his dinner. The tupperware had his name on it and so whoever did this was just VERY RUDE. I feel bad for him since he's on call and really needs that food.
Dave has thanksgiving off and is taking another week of vacation in the middle of December. He'll work Christmas this year. Overall, he's loving his job. He wishes he had more time for exercise! He is busy, busy! He is about 1/3 of the way through his second year of residency and this second year is probably the toughest overall, so it's good we're plugging through.
As you may remember Dave got a ticket for running a red light, courtesy of the traffic camera's they have posted at certain intersections. Those purpose of those red light cameras is to create revenue and it is said that they are strategically placed in well-to-do areas where tickets can be given and paid without much fuss. Dave's ticket was $430 + a few extra bucks for traffic school. This is insane. Dave has spent HOURS on the computer doing research to try to get out of this ticket. He joined a club for $25 called Ticket Assassin and supposedly this guy will help you get out of your ticket. I doubt it'll work with a red light camera ticket but dave figures it is worth a try. He will spend a few months going through the motions of appealing the ticket and will most likely be found guilty and then he'll beg for a fee reduction and claim economic hardship. We'll see. Here are some pics.
Dave's cute face. one thing he has learned is that if there isn't a clear image of the face no ticket can be issued from a picture. So, he will either cover his face (not a good idea to drive with your hand in front of your face?) or wear a ski mask that covers his face (another good Christmas gift idea) next time he runs a red light. Apparently he runs red lights quite frequently when driving to work at 4am because "it is stupid to sit at a red light when there are no other cars around."
driving through the light. his car is making the left turn
Dave has had a few incidents at the hospital this year that have caused him to lose his cool. All have involved his food. disappearing. His chief resident says of dave, "dave is awesome. he can handle anything. His patient codes on the table in the or and dave is cool and works through it. Somebody steals his lunch out of the fridge and he will completely lose his composure and hunt that person down!" It has happened a couple of times. Once some nurses thought his lunch was meant for the nurses pot-luck so they ate it. That's when we learned to put his name on everything he takes to the hospital. Another time someone cleaned out the fridge and threw his lunch away -- on a day when they were not supposed to clean out the fridge. And just tonight someone ate his dinner. The tupperware had his name on it and so whoever did this was just VERY RUDE. I feel bad for him since he's on call and really needs that food.
Dave has thanksgiving off and is taking another week of vacation in the middle of December. He'll work Christmas this year. Overall, he's loving his job. He wishes he had more time for exercise! He is busy, busy! He is about 1/3 of the way through his second year of residency and this second year is probably the toughest overall, so it's good we're plugging through.
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