The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up

I thought we lived in a desert. But apparently it's a desert that floods once every 30 years. We took a swim in Candlelight Lake and rode canoes in the dog park. It rained for 6 hours straight. Schools were cancelled and because we slept in that day and my kids missed the bus I kept them home to enjoy the floods. I was convinced it was the right thing to do when on the way to trying to get them to school we were diverted through a river and cars were covered to the door handles. I was afraid if I took them to school I wouldn't be able to get them back home. So we enjoyed the "day off" and played in the rain.

Yodel

Wow! Disneyland really is magical. We've had this bird since August but it has refused to let AJ or anyone really hold him until we walked in the door from Disneyland. Now he's AJ's best friend and doesn't want to leave his shoulder. AJ is in heaven!!

The Happiest Place on Earth, Until You Leave

How many pics can I fit in a single post?  Hey it's Disneyland! It cost me a lot of money and deserves A LOT of picture time. As usual a Disney vacation means no time to stop and post pictures so I'm posting them all at once. We run from one ride to the next, know all the wait times and are there from open until close just so we can get it all in...more than once. It's not a a relaxing vacation it's a marathon. We love Disneyland!! There was even some serious crying on the drive home. Come on kids! I didn't pay all that money for the tears. Remember Dr. Suess, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." Although I may have been crying just a little bit too. 

Disneyland!!!

The night before. It's finally here. After counting down days for weeks we will be in the happiest place on earth tomorrow. There's a little boy who can't wait to see Mickey. 

First day of school post (when school should start)

It's no secret. I do not like sending my kids back to school in the beginning of August. What happened to long hot summers that make it so you are ready to have school start? Instead we are left with summers that only leave you wishing for more time with your little kids. Thus the first day of school post a month late. So, here is the obligatory first day of school post and pics. 

It's a big year for us since Alexandria is going into Jr. High and they will be in different schools now. And it's the first year that my boys will be in different classes. It's something I was a little nervous about. They threatened to never go to school. But it's working out ok. And I think it was the right decision for this year. It helps that they both have great teachers. So here we go with the 2014-2015 school year. We are marching on with our great attitudes! 

The Night Before

School starts tomorrow.  Didn't it just get over? I am really sad to see my kids go.  I don't think I had enough time with them.  I'm their mom!  Shouldn't I get more time with them than Franklin East and Mesa Public Schools?  But I'm trying to be positive.  So tonight we had a back to school party.  We splurged and ordered Papa Johns Pizza.  Then Grandma hooked us up with Bahama Bucks at home for dessert.  

Sitting around the table talking about our theme and going back to school, AJ told us how he called a girl "rhino" last year when he was trying to say her name Riana.  We all laughed and thought it was funny.  But someone else got blamed and sent to the principal's office for it.  My kids thought it was ridiculous that Riana told the principal for something like name calling.  I guess I don't have to worry about the Cesar kids being bullied by name calling.

We stayed up until 10:30 talking about our theme and getting back packs ready.  Last year the kids had to say to me, "I'm smart and I can do hard things" every day before they left to school.  This year it's attitude.  We talked about how your attitude determines your altitude, how your thoughts can change your actions and how it's not what happens to you but that it's your thoughts that will decide if you are going to have a good day or a bad day.  Now, I'm considering having them repeat Henley's famous, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul" in the morning.

I have so much fun with my kids home.  I really didn't even want them to go to sleep tonight just so I could pretend like tomorrow would never come.  So I'm looking on the bright side and trying to stop from really getting angry over the fact that summer is too short.  (I think I need the attitude talk.)  At least I can clean the house and have it stay clean for a couple of hours and Stella will have more time to play all on her own with the "paapaa".   Plus, I'll still see them for 5 hours a day, right?

Warm rainy days

Warm rainy days are the best! Getting my boys together to take a picture together though is as hard as trying to put opposite ends of magnets together. 

Mommy moment

This never happens. Since she was a baby she's always liked her own space to sleep. Plus she's a mover, rolling from one side to the other. But this morning she fell back asleep in my arms. Now it's 10 am and although I should be getting up, I refuse to get out of bed. I'm just going to lay here soaking in this mommy moment. 

Tall king

"Mom, I have to sleep in your bed again tonight because I did last night and I grew while I was sleeping. I think your bed makes me get taller."  He thinks my king size bed will make him a king. I'm just happy that I get to have him as my little prince for now. 

Living Red Dirt

Why is it that red dirt never gets old? We could sense the electricity in the air as we watched the lightening in the distance and hiked around the rocky red Sedona desert on a breezy, cloudy day. The new environmental signs told us to please not step on the dirt because we might break the crust and it would take decades to rebuild. Wait....don't step on the dirt?!? Next it will say don't breathe the air because we may inhale living bacteria that are beneficial to the atmosphere! Thank goodness we have a rebel grandma to lead us off the trails and through the dirt. Gasp! As my kids ran through the red dirt and up the rosy boulders they laughed and played and enjoyed the beautiful earth that was created for us. We were smashing all those little creatures on the ground and we didn't feel bad about it. We appreciated it! We were fulfilling our purpose and those microbes in the dirt were fulfilling theirs.