Busch Gardens

We had so much fun with Grandma, Aunt Missy, and Justin at Busch Gardens. Justin and Missy had gone to Busch Gardens last week and Justin rode on a roller coaster called "Scorpion" all by himself. Zachary asked to ride on it yesterday. Justin didn't want to go on it again even though he loved it last week. So I rode it with Zachary. It is the biggest roller coaster Zach has ever been on. It has a 60 foot drop and it goes upside down in a loop. I don't think Zach knew what he was in for. He was pretty scared. I felt bad for him after we went down the first drop. He had his head down. When we were done, he said "That was scary and fun." I don't think he'll want to do that again for awhile. So we spent the rest of the day on more mild rides.

I have been to Busch Gardens many times in the past. But they have added a lot of new attractions. They have a new ride called "Rhino Rally." You ride on these jeeps and they take you through the mud and then through the water. You feel like you are going on a safari to see all the animals. That was a really cool ride. They also have a new section called Jungala that had water play and a lots of climbing nets and ropes for the kids. Nathan had his turn to be brave in the Tree tops section. He loved the section with climbing nets and ropes. Zach was a little nervous but Nathan loved it and climbed pretty high. It's funny how some things scare one kid but not another. Nathan didn't want anything to do with the roller coaster Zach went on, and Zach didn't want to climb on the nets.

It is fun going to a theme park with little kids. I don't have to go on all the big, scary roller coasters. That's all Eric and Erin want to do. I don't really care for them. They make me sick and I get so scared. So usually when our whole family goes, Mario rides with the big kids and I gladly take the twins on their rides. That isn't going to last much longer. Pretty soon Zach and Nate are going to want to go on all the big rides too!

Florida

Nathan, Zachary, and I have been in Florida for about 4 days now. The purpose of our trip was to see family and also to look for a house to buy for when Mario retires (which could be in as little as 10 years from the Air Force.) We had given up on retiring in Florida when the housing prices doubled after Hurricane Charlie and the housing boom. We figured prices would get as high as California. So, when prices began falling in Florida recently, we decided now might be the right time to buy. But after looking around and seeing that every other house was for sale here, and the with the prices dropping literally $20,000 each quarter, we decided maybe it hasn't reached the bottom of the market. So I guess we will wait. So now the boys and I can just enjoy our vacation.

With gas prices at $4.00 a gallon, the plane tickets are starting to get high. So summer travel was just too expensive to bring the whole family. Eric and Erin are still in school and they didn't want me to pull them out of school early to come to Florida. Mario is also in classes until mid June. So, that is why it is just me and the twins.

They love Florida. California beaches are too cold for them to swim. So they play in the sand but never get in the water. So they are enjoying the warm water in Florida.

Nathan and Zachary are having a great time with their cousins. It is fun to see them all play together. I was amazed to see how well Gabriella and Zachary got along. They are good buddies. Gabriella is very sweet to Zachary. The boys are also having so much fun with their cousin Justin who is the same age. Its what life would be like with triplets! And Gina, she is a just adorable. She and Justin are best buddies.

Well, the twins just woke up. How quickly they adjusted to California time! Today we are going to relax and then tomorrow we are off to Busch Gardens. Thank you Busch Gardens for the free military tickets! We love it!

Flying to Florida

Here are some pics of our flight to Florida. The boys were so excited about flying on an airplane. They have flown many times, but they don't remember many of the flights because they were under 18 months. Portable DVD players are the best invention ever for traveling with small children.

I will write more about our trip when I have some pics of the boys with their cousins. They are having so much fun with Justin, Gabriella, and Gina.

I am a Child of God

The boys came to me today and asked me to record them singing "I am a Child of God." So here are their videos with bedhead and ripped jeans. Is that still in style? I hope so since I have two active four year olds. I will be replacing a lot of jeans for these two.

Hopefully they will know all the lyrics and in the right order by time they have to sing it for the primary program. But I thought they were cute.

Grand Father Blues

This is an unauthorized (bootlegged) copy. Don't tell Eric you saw it. He is still working on this one, but I wanted to get a video of him practicing and share his progress.

Good Advice

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to meet an incredible mom in Illinois that was raising 8 children on her own. She had an wonderful family. The first 5 (three boys and two girls) have or are currently serving missions. The last 3 too young to serve yet but I have little doubt that they will when they are old enough. By watching how these 8 children and their mom interacted with one another, it was obvious that they were a very close family. I recall that when their 8 year old had to give a talk in primary, the whole family including the brothers and sisters in YM and YW came to watch and support. The mom and I became great friends as we worked out together often at the local YMCA. She recently emailed me back after I told her that I missed seeing her often and getting some parenting advice. I want to share with you her response to me.

"Terri, you don't need any advice to raise good kids. Just be the kind of parent that Heavenly Father is to you. When questions come, just do as He would do. In doubt, search the scriptures for answers. They are there. You will do well."

Also, her response to me sending my twins to kindergarten: "Cool about your twins going to school. You will miss them I am sure. But I have found that it doesn't matter much when they go to school, it is what the home is about that matters most. That is where they will come back to everyday. As you keep the spirit in the home, they will recognize it, and that will give them the strength to go out into the world once again."

Thanks Terry Smith! Those are things I need to hear. Thanks for the encouragement. It is nothing I haven't heard before, but the part that struck me was "be the kind of parent that Heavenly Father is to you." It really made me think that I am way to harsh with my kids. I am thankful that Heavenly Father isn't that harsh with me. I need to be more forgiving, loving, understanding, and patient. Unfortunately I have a long way to go with those qualities, but I am working on them. I guess that's all that Heavenly Father asks of us.

Heat Advisory

Can you believe Monterey was under a heat advisory today? I knew the weather would be warm but I was thinking in the 70's. After preschool today, we went for a picnic to the park. We had to find shade (which isn't typical, we are usually looking for the sun to keep us warm.)

So later in the day, I was complaining to a friend that is was so hot today. She laughed because I am always complaining its so cold. She said her van thermometer measured 88 degrees. I didn't believe it was that hot, Monterey doesn't get that warm. At least it hasn't since we got here. I quickly checked online and the current temperature was 91 degrees. No wonder we were all cranky and hot today. With no air conditioning (we were told that AC is not necessary in Monterey) we have been so sticky, hot, and feeling yucky. Eric didn't want to go to baseball practice. All the kids wanted to go to the beach (that's the thing to do when the temperature gets into the 70's here.) I told them to wait and we'd go tomorrow.

So, next time I complain that I am cold, I will have to check my blog and be reminded that I don't like the extreme heat either. How will I ever retire to Florida?

Daughters of God

We received our General Conference edition Ensign this week. We have been anxiously awaiting it's arrival.

This morning I woke up early and decided to look for an article on motherhood. I always love those. I love Elder Ballard's talk titled "Daughters of God." http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-37,00.html

I highlighted a few of my favorite quotes. I will share some of them here.

"What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."

"It is crucial to focus on our children for the short time we have them with us and to seek, with the help of the Lord, to teach them all we can before they leave our homes."

"Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children" Proclamation to the Family

"There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration."

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."

"The biggest mistake I made (as a parent) is the one that most of us make...I did not live in the moment enough" Anna Quindlen

"Find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests."

"Don't allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the internet."

I have decided to work on those last two quotes. When my boys go to kindergarten I am going to take some sewing or cooking classes and maybe start piano. Also, I have decided to limit my internet use to one hour a day.

I am grateful for the counsel we receive from our church leaders. They help me stay focused on my role as wife, mother, and daughter of God.

Father/Son Campout

Recently our Stake hosted a father/son campout. I figured Mario would take Eric, but was delighted to find out that he planned to take Nathan and Zachary also. What could be better than a mom/daughter night home alone with Erin! Nathan and Zachary had a great time. The best part of all (for them), was that their best friend (Jessie) was able to come along too. Since her dad has no sons at home, he decided to sneak his daughter into the camp.

Erin's bedtime

I have a rebuttal to Erin's post. Her bedtime is 7:30. But occasionally we have to adjust it if she is overly tired the next morning. So one day last week she had to go to bed at 6:30. That is not the norm though as she led you to believe in her post!

Second Guessing Myself

I am now second guessing my decision to send my boys to kindergarten next year. Maybe it has something to do with a friend telling me that she wishes she had held back her now 6th grader another year rather than sending him to kindergarten when she did. She said that she feels he does well academically but he is a little emotionally and socially behind his peers.

So I woke up in the middle of the night wondering if I had made the wrong decision to send them. I got some reassurance that I had been prompted to send them while I was fasting and praying. So, it must be the right decision. So I easily went back to sleep.

Then this morning, I asked Eric (who is one of the youngest in his class) if he feels like he is behind his peers socially and emotionally. Eric must have known what I was getting at. Without answering my question directly, he said "Mom, the twins are going to be fine in kindergarten. " He agrees with the school that they should be in different classes. Maybe he sympathizes with the teacher that would have gotten them both!

Mother's Day

Today my kids filled out a Mother's Day questionnaire during primary. I will share their responses to the questions.

My mom likes it when I

Eric: "watch the twins"
Erin: "help clean"
Nathan: "swing"
Zach: "clean my room"

One nice thing that my mom does for me is

Eric: "make me lasagna" (he hated lasagna until last week-now its his favorite)
Erin: "make my bed (very rare)" her words, not mind
Nathan: "gives me hugs and kisses"
Zach: "helps me clean my room" (do you see a pattern with Zach-he likes his room clean more than I do.)

One place I like to go with my mom is

Eric: "to Hawaii" (don't I wish we could go back!)
Erin: "Target and Cold Stone"
Nathan: "to the park"
Zach: "Trader Joe's" (they are the only store in town with stickers!)


My mom is special because

Eric: "she likes to help me"
Erin: "she tries to be funny" (she says I am not really funny.)
Nathan: "She gives flowers to friends" (I didn't really get this one, so I asked him about it, he said he didn't know. He now says I am special because I let him go to a friend's house.)
Zach: "I love her" (what a sweetie pie!)

One thing I can do to make my mom happy is
Eric: "make her breakfast"
Erin: "go to bed on time"
Nathan: "if I stay in the gate" (don't leave the backyard)
Zach: "smile a lot"

Monterey Ward Talent Show

Tonight Eric and Erin participated in the ward talent show. I didn't even have to ask them if they wanted to sign up. They were excited about playing the piano. Eric is playing a Primary Mother's Day song and Erin a Spanish song in her lesson book. I was so proud of them. I wish I had the courage that they have. I would have been to nervous to get up in front of the church. I hope you enjoy the video. Thanks Eric and Erin for sharing your talents with us! I love you both!

PS. Ask Eric what talent he wanted to share for his first grade talent show. He won't let me share it with you. But it gives Mario and I a laugh whenever we think about it. He is so cute!

swim videos

I added videos of the boys swimming to their swim lesson posting. The first is Nathan and the second is Zachary. Enjoy. Sorry for such long blogs. Melissa informed me my blogs are long. I don't know how to be brief. Besides, this is my only journal since I don't keep a handwritten one.

Swim lessons

My twins began swim lessons in March. Recently, they completed their third set of lessons. Each session meets Monday thru Thursday for two weeks. When Eric was 3, he had one set of lessons, Erin had none. But they both could get around the pool very well at an early age. They had the advantage of living in Florida, Guam, and Hawaii where they could swim daily. But we lived in Illinois when the twins were 3. So they didn't get much opportunity to swim. We did try one set of lessons at the YMCA in IL. It was a complete waste of money because they cried through every lesson. We finally just gave up.

When we moved here, a friend told me about the great swim lessons at our community pool. She said the instructors were very good. So I signed them up. Zachary was ok with going. Nathan became scared of the water this past year and only wanted to play by the stairs. He didn't even want to jump in if Mario and I were catching him. So he cried and said he didn't want to go to swim lessons. I talked to the teacher and she said that she was fine with just grabbing him and taking him into the water. I thought, this will never work. Within 30 seconds she had calmed him down and had him doing exactly what she told him to do. My friend was right, these instructors are terrific. Nathan did cry at the beginning of each lesson for the next week. But then he started enjoying them and looking forward to them. When he didn't have a lesson on the weekend, he would ask me to take him to the pool and give him a lesson.

So, to make a long story short, Nathan loves swim lessons now. It is his favorite thing to do. He calls himself an otter. Both boys can do the back stroke across the pool. Zachary is getting pretty good at freestyle and Nathan is working at it. Unfortunately, Zachary says he doesn't want any more lessons. He's in the "I know it all phase." He feels that because he can get across the pool, he doesn't need more lessons. I should be happy. It will save me a fortune. Nathan can't get enough of the lessons and will be disappointed to find out that he probably will only be able to take one more set since he will be start kindergarten soon.

The best part is now I can take the kids to the pool and not get in! I can't relax at all since I now have two boys in the middle of the pool and of course no where close to each other. So I have to constantly scan the pool to make sure they are safe.

I am excited because now I can go visit grandma and papa in FL and not worry about them drowning in their pool. The instructors taught them to immediately turn over on their backs so that they can save themselves if they accidentally fall in. Thank you Amber and Johanna! You are the best!

Eric's blog

Eric has joined the fun. Check out his blog on the right side under favorite links. I am sure Erin will have one by tomorrow!

A sad day for me

I just wrote this long blog and lost it somehow. So I guess I will start it over, but this time I will make it shorter.

I went up to the kids' school this morning to request my twins being placed together in kindergarten next year. I was adamant in the past that I wouldn't start my boys until the following year since they have such late birthdays. They only make the birthday cutoff by 1 day. But this week I felt impressed that I needed to put them into school. Why should I hold them back when my two older children are among the youngest in their classes and they both excel? So, now I am beginning the whole registration process. When I spoke to the office, they told me that they would recommend splitting my boys up especially if one is domineering. Well that describes my Zachary perfectly. I felt the tears coming as the office staff was telling me that I should split them up. Surely their preschool teacher would agree with me and tell me to leave them together. Nope....she agreed with the school. She thinks they will thrive being separated. How could that be possible, they have been together forever! The thought of them being apart is just breaking my heart. But I also want to do the best thing for them. So I am so torn. What should I do?


I wasn't in a rush to do their reading lessons with them since I thought they wouldn't be starting school until they were almost 6. So now I am having to double up on reading lessons to try to prepare them for school. I know that they don't have to enter school reading, but we taught our other children to read before kindergarten and it gave them a lot of confidence. So I want to make sure my little boys have that same confidence. Plus it brings me great joy to teach them to read... But no, I am not interested in homeschooling...at least not yet! If anyone is interested in the book I use to teach my kids to read, it is "Teach your child to read in 100 Easy Lessons." It is available on Amazon for $15. Mario and I both think it is the best $15 we ever spent! We have told many friends about it and they too have successfully taught their preschoolers to read. It is an amazing book!

Piano Lessons

Yesterday my two "big" kids, Eric and Erin, started piano lessons with a new teacher. They have taken piano lessons for almost 4 years now. The teacher we have been using is having a baby soon, so we felt it was time to find a new teacher. We were lucky because the teacher we were using wasn't really experienced so she only charged us $24 for the two kids for one hour. I knew the going rate in California is much more than that. So when I asked around for a recommendation, I found a teacher who will come to our home. There was only one catch, he charges $60 an hour. Almost 3 times what we paid the last teacher. But after researching, we found that this was the going rate here and we were lucky he'd come to our home for that price. The exciting thing is that Eric now has a male piano teacher. I thought this would motivate him a little more.

So we anxiously awaited his arrival yesterday. Holland Garcia brought me his "musical genealogy." Turns out that he can trace his genealogy back to Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, and Liszt. I guess this is how he justifies charging such a high price. Maybe I should save this piece of paper so in case my kids ever want to teach piano and charge some ridiculous amount of money, they can add their name to the list since they were taught by Holland. Anyway, he sat down with Erin first and pulled out all these popular, well known music pieces and started to play them and asked her if she liked them. Erin and I must have been thinking alike. They sounded way too hard. But he assured her that they weren't and had her start playing them. I thought Erin would be completely overwhelmed by this teacher, but after her lesson, I asked "How did you like him?" She responded, "I loved him, can I take 45 minute lessons?" My response was "At $60 an hour, we can't afford 45 minute lessons!"

Eric loved the new teacher also and will be playing the Star Wars theme song this week which I am sure Mario and I will love hearing. The teacher recommended that I make up a practice chart so the kids can sign off on it when they practice 20 - 30 minutes daily. I was going to make one up when I had a chance. But I didn't need to. Eric was pinning one up on the refrigerator before bed last night. He even made one for Erin. How kind! I am sure Erin will be thanking him today!!!

I'll keep you posted if the kids still like him in a month. I think they will. He seems to be a lot of fun but also, I think he will teach the kids a lot in the next year. I sure hope the going rate for piano at our next assignment is a lot less than $60 an hour!

Why the title-Life is a Journey?

I have been wanting to start a blog for a couple months now. A few old friends have them and I enjoy reading them so I can keep up with their families. Being a military family, we move often. So keeping in touch with friends and family is hard.

A second reason for blogging is because I am not good about keeping a journal. The last time I remember being consistent with a journal was after having my first child, Eric who is now 10. I remember feeling overwhelmed and not knowing what to do when he'd cry. I would write down about my day and that helped me release all the tension I was feeling.

So, I wanted a blog, but had no idea what to call my blog. I remembered a quote from the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley that I really liked. "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." It made me stop and think about how much I am just trying to endure each day. I shouldn't be counting down the hours until my four kids go to bed or until they leave me for college and missions. I need to enjoy every single hour with them. I have been blessed to be a stay at home mom. My husband would give anything to be able to spend the hours with the kids that I get to. But he has to provide a living for our family. So I shouldn't take this time for granted.


Fortunately for me, I have a very supportive husband. He often tells me that he would rather come home to a messy home than a clean one if it means I have taken the kids to the park, to the pool, for a bike ride, read them lots of books, or have done the reading lessons with my twins. He tells me that I will have years after they leave to clean the house. I need to enjoy every moment with them now, while they are young.

So, that is why I chose the title and quote. Life is a journey, a journey that I need to sit back and enjoy more often. I need to cherish every stage of their lives. I look at pictures when my older two were smaller and sometimes miss those days. I don't want to look back with any regrets.

I am going to try to enjoy my journey more!