i believe....

i came across this in the blogosphere and wanted to share
it's such a great empowering reminder by ms. hepburn.
hope your day was a happy one!

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i lost my child at legoland

i found this draft post i started a few years ago and never finished.
i thought why not finish and post.
i think it's important to document my proud and not so proud parent moments.

so as the title says, yes, i list my child at legoland.

my guess is that most parents,
will lose their child somewhere at sometime,
even if it's just for a few minutes at a store.

my parents told me they lost ALL of their children
at one time or another. (i'm one of 7}

they lost my sister leslie, at a parade when she was just a preschooler.
she left the curb where the family sat comfortably watching,
to follow a group of clowns that had passed us. 
{not one of us noticed}.

one of my siblings was left at church
{my mom could have sworn she counted us all},
and I remember being lost in a department store.
christopher admitted one of his 4 brothers was left at mcdonalds.
he can't remember which one {he's one of 5 boys} *grin*

it happens, and the more kids one has, the easier to lose one.
i lost finn oliver a few years back at legoland.

i was there with my sister leslie and her 2 boys.
finn, at age 6 was the oldest and it was a bit nutty!

just before lunch we separated so my sister could
take her baby{ander} to the restroom and i took the 3 older boys.
it was lunchtime and i found a spot for us all to sit
so we could eat our packed lunches.
it was perfect as it overlooked the volvo driving school racetrack.

finn, who was 6, and tall enough finally to ride it begged to go.
{parents aren't allowed to ride...these are designed for little ones only}
the others were too short to ride, so i pointed finn to the start of the line
which was just 30 feet away, and told him to go and we would sit right
where we are and cheer him on as he drives past us.

he was thrilled!

i could see the line was short so expected to see him driving that
little car in 10 or 15 minutes.  when i didn't see him, and i grew concerned.

i left scout and soren with a random mom and her kids for a few minuets,
while i ran over to the ride line looking for finn. he wasn't there.
i had that horrible sinking feeling that comes when a parent
feels their child is in danger. i can't begin to describe in words.

i asked the line attendant if a little blonde haired boy had come through her
line and she said no.  my heart seemed to stop.  i immediately let her i had lost
my child and she jumped on her radio to inform the park rangers.

they asked a few question: name, age, description, if he knew my cell number
{unfortunately he only knew christophers number}, and was instructed to just
stay right where i was.

though it felt like an eternity,
he came walking up to me with two park attendants about 10 minutes later.

when finn saw me he ran to me, burying his head into me.
i could see he was holding back tears.
he was trying so hard to be brave.

it was a scary thing for him.
even for a brave and independent kid like finn
who knew exactly what he had been instructed to do
if he were to ever get separated from us.
{we drilled that into his head since age 3}

finn went to a parent {a dad} with a child and told him he was lost.
the parent informed a worker and the rangers came to him and waited
for that parent to call.

apparently it happens all the time.

when the rangers left us,
words spilled out with tears from finn.
he said he got distracted before he even got in line for the ride,
and went off to look at another ride.

i let him know that it happens and
that it was MY fault for not walking him right to the front of the line
instead of pointing him in the direction.
{even rule followers get distracted}

being lost is something a child never forgets,
and something a parents will wants to forget,
but never does.

that day was a reminder for me to be more careful.
AND to continue to reinforce the rules of what to do in
emergencies so that the boys can act.  finn was frustrated
about what happened, but he said he was glad he remembered
what to do.   

~ finn told me recently that c lost him in home depot a few times
this past year too.  a few times? mmm. i need to talk to c about that.

curiosity

i've been meaning to post on this this forever,

if you don't follow the news, you may not know the united states
recently landed a rover on mars.  her name is curiosity,
and here is what she looks like:

this was a BIG deal in the science world and in finn's world,
and though i didn't follow closely, my firstborn did and with enthusiasm!

here's mr. finn oliver sharing what is so special about this

Finn's video



~ and what he didn't share was he named that soft stuffed dog i picked up
for him at ikea a few weeks ago.  he named it Curiosity.  {so finn oliver}

fashion friday: orla kiely

a few months ago, i stopped a woman at ikea to inquire about her very fun purse.
this was the bag that caught my eye:

i LOVED it - the colors, design and the size. 

it just felt like me...i could picture myself with this on my arm

so i got home and jumped on-line to see where i could purchase it
and learned that it was designed by orla kiely,

an irish fashion designer who's prints are in vogue right now.

as i looked at her designs, i recognized tons of her stuff from
purses, luggage, clothing and even stationary.
{i think she even designs a line for target}

unfortunately, because this designer is trendy,
the purse's pricetag is ridiculously high.
with a complete fixer home, i can't justify spending this kind of money,
for a purse no matter how much i love it.
and truth be told, i don't even need another purse. i have plenty.

i hope you enjoy your FRIDAY!

i'm so looking forward to it.  c's in northern ca for a few days for an architecture
thing, so the little guys and i have a movie night planned.  they also get to sleep
IN my bed...a rare treat that happens only when c's out of town.
{squeezing into a queen sized bed is getting harder as they get bigger}

scoutie's first soccer practice starts tomorrow {i'm co-coaching},
and finn has asked me to take him to a robotics competition which i
don't know a thing about.  i better jump on the internet tonight and
learn more.  also, sometime this weekend, i need to squeeze in laundry,
grocery shopping, other errands and run. i really really need a good run.
i've been SUCH a slacker since the move and feeling squishy. =/

wishing you and a wonderful and productive weekend!

xo

missing them much

i received this cute picture over the weekend from christi

{aka the world's BEST nanny}

do you recognize her with long hair?

i almost didn't but i'm lovin' her long locks!

and do you recognize the beautiful brunette on the right?

yes, that's my niece maddy rae! 

these gorgeous girls both live in oregon,
christi is a newlywed and maddy is a freshman at the university of oregon.

this photo just made my sunday evening.

i think i broke glass with my high pitched squeal when i got it.
i immediately shared with the boys and they smiled but but didn't squeal.

finn had forgotten the girls knew each other.

seeing these two lovely ladies reminded me that

time really does go quickly.  in 3 short years, 

my baby who was just 3 months old when we met christi,

is now 5 years old and reading chapter books.

christi, who was just a teenager, is married {no babies...yet}
and maddy is away at college. *sigh*

so many changes in just a few short years.
this was a reminder for me to SAVOR the time i have with
the people in my life because things change quickly.

whining in the winter

it's been an a little cooler this winter than in year's past,
but despite this, my crazy clan wanted to experience our new pool
even if it was 63 degrees!

they were only in for a few minutes and scoutie jumped out
immediately after shrieking at the top of his lungs.
i was afraid a neighbor might come over worried about him.

they couldn't get me in the water for ANYTHING!

little lego love

i came across this adorable image the other day and smiled.
it reminded me of scoutie and his love of legos and star wars.
so creative and so cute

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i hope you enjoyed your day with your valentine(s)!

valentine's day

the only true gift is portion of yourself. 
- ralph waldo emerson

i love this quote and try to remember it when i'm giving gifts for loved ones.
it can be a complete hallmark/jewelers holiday if we fall into the advertiser's traps,  
but for me, it's always been a day devoted to showing love to the people in our lives. 

as a working mom, i don't have the luxury of sitting at home all day crafting elaborate 
gifts or preparing 3-course meals for my family, but what I do try to do little meaningful
things that don't take lots of time or money. 

to make this valentine's special,  i woke early and arranged 3 place settings for each
of the boys at the kitchen counter. along with their cards and small gift,
they got heart shaped pancakes {thanks to krustez and heart shaped cookie cutters}
and fresh strawberries, and heart shaped brownies and sandwiches in their lunchboxes.  

scoutie insisted on a homemade card for him this year and since he has a
thing for FOXES right now, i knew i had to try and make this when i found it online.   
it wasn't hard at all {whew} and scoutie loved it!  

the boys created personalized mug for c {and auntie j}

 alittle something for my biggest valentine

finn's class valentine

finn thought his valentines were "so cool".
i liked that they were super simple.
i pulled the silhouette of the fighter jet off the internet, 
and dropped in the text {auntie heather came up with PLANE cool} 

after work i did something very untraditional.
i offered to babysit for our dear friend's almost one year old daughter
so they could run out and grab a bite at a neighborhood cafe.

i remember how many friends would offer to babysit for c and i
when we were new parents, but many didn't follow up.
maybe they were waiting for us to ask them?
like most first time parents, we never asked them.
{2nd and 3rd time parents don't hesitate}*grin*

i was thrilled my friends took me up on the offer and finn and i watched
marty and bonnie's baby girl lillian for a few hours.
finn was so helpful - he has thing for babies - LOVES them!

we made it home just a few minutes after finn's 8pm bedtime,
which gave me the whole night with c. *wink*

~ and the LOVE LETTERS.
i wrote them and gave to all of my boys,
and i received one from c too.
{it looks like we have a new family tradition}
my letter is the best valentine gift i've ever received from c
because it was truly a piece of him. 

i hope you shared a little bit of yourself with those you love too.
xo

what's the buzz

the buzzzzzz is our former little 'killer bee', scout benjamin!

i came across his fall 2012 soccer photos when i was cleaning
out his soccer bag this past weekend. i had forgotten all about them.

spring 2013 soccer will be starting up in a few weeks,
so i figured i better post last seasons photos
{where oh where does time go?}

in a nutshell, i would describe scout's fall soccer season as successful,
but a very emotional one.  successful because he finally learned to stay on his feet
{we were convinced he liked to fall down in his first season playing}.
emotional because this is what scout becomes when he loses.
he's a a tough lil' competitor, but a bit of a sore loser.

maybe more than 'bit of a sore loser'.
this kid doesn't like to lose...AT ALL.
{a huge contrast to a brother who never really cared in soccer}
c and i are competitive in sports so we understand wanting to win
BUT we want him to be a good sport, and he needs to be a good sport.
we continue to work with him so next season goes smoother.

here is our little killer bee in his very cute yellow and black uniform.

age 5

and here he is with this team:

this was scoutie's 2nd season playing and he sure had fun.
you see that cute little red-head at the top right?

that's finn.  he's the youngest of 4 adorable boys in the saucedo family.

his mom contacted me last week asking if i'd like to coach in the spring with her hubby.

i said YES for two reasons.

1. because  i adore her husband and her son 
and
2. i know this will truly be my last opportunity to coach scoutie (under 6 league).
at the next level {under 8}, coaches really need to know what they are doing. *grin*

i'm very excited!!

~ as for mr. finn oliver, he told us he wanted to "take a break from soccer because it
wasn't his passion". we  said sure.  he's been playing since he was 4 and is ready to
move on.  he has expressed interest in swimming so i need to check into lessons and 
eventually swim teams.

valentines on my mind

it's almost that time.

every time i walk into a store,
all is see is valentine's stuff - cards, candy and chocolate.
{it's a bit over the top}

we keep valentine's pretty simple in our home -
sometimes we give a small gift,
but on the years we don't,
we always give cards.

since most of our money is going to this new {old} house,
i was looking for affordable gift ideas for christopher,
and i came across this on-line:

i just love it!  it's doable for even the smallest of budgets,
doesn't require martha-like skills, and the best part, it's personal.
i'm seriously considering making this for my valentine
or having the boys make a joint one for c.
{i think it would make him smile}

i also need to start working with the boys on their class valentines.
i should have started on them this weekend,
but we spent the majority of it working on our home library.
it's slowly coming together...

after discussing valentines with the gerblets,
i learned finn would like to make aircraft carrier or fighter jet valentines.
{no surprise} it's a bit late for anything complicated or time consuming,
so we'll have to come up with something easy.

scoutie hasn't really expressed interest in anything in particular.
he just made it very clear he wants a valentine from me and it must be a surprise.
he loves surprises. {i think i can accommodate him}

so it looks like i'll be sitting at the kitchen table for the next two nights
making valentines with the boys {and on my own after they are in bed}

i hope you had a wonderful weekend!

xo

~ i spent a few hours with my 'breakfast group' this morning at wired cafe
this group isn't to be confused with my book group {that's a whole different group of ladies}.
i go back much further with this group - 10 years exactly.  anyway, it was such a treat.
shannon brought her sweet son sidney {almost 10 months now} and we all got to
love on him AND catch up.

finn's birthday bash - No. 9

i've been wanting to get these photos posted but wouldn't
allow myself to do it until finn and i had all his thank you cards
written.  we finished last night so here are a handful from his special day.

his name and celebration was posted 

radar cake {baked and decorated by c}

 

























i've enjoyed all of finney's birthday celebrations over the years,
but i think this birthday held on the uss midway, was by far the coolest!
{scoutie would disagree because it didn't have a pinata} *grin*

not only were all his besties there, including his auntie jen,
but he got to wear a flight suit and REAL wings that his uncle chad,
an f-18 hornet navy pilot, sent him in the mail.
he was so proud of those wings {and didn't miss an opportunity to show them off}

the party was not only fun, but very educational.
it included a tour of the inside of the carrier,
and the kids got to see where the fleet ate, slept, did their laundry,
sent and received mail, and they even went to the brig {jail} and stood behind the bars.
the kids loved this!  after cake, they went to the flight deck {my personal fav}.

as i was tucking finn into bed that evening,
i asked him what the highlight of HIS day was.
he responded, "riding the flight simulator with dad,
but i loved the cake too."  you think?

~ this party was bigger than anything we've done in year's past.
we both agreed it would have been more appropriate for his double digit birthday (#10),
the only reason we did it this year was it was easy and with the recent move and all the
work that is going into a 'fixer' home, we needed easy.
{next year's celebration will be much smaller}.

saturday with sophie

did everyone survive superbowl weekend?
{i hope so}

the superbowl gets alot of hype,
but i admit, it was the least exciting part of my weekend.
the people, food, commercials and halftime show are really what i go to parties for.
i didn't even know who was playing until the day before the game. {seriously}.

the highlight of this my weekend was dog sitting sophie!
here she is:

isn't she utterly adorable?!  {i think so too}

now my girlfriend charlotte wasn't going somewhere that required sophie to be dropped off,
she just dropped her off so our family could enjoy her, and did we ever!
we took her on walks, played catch with her, gave her treats and loved on her.
finn was especially good with her. he was even willing to pick up after her messes
{lucky for him she didn't have one}.

char said sophie was worn out after a the day with us,
and shared a photo of her sleeping soundly on her pillow that evening.

someday we would like to get a dog and can only hope she's as easy as sophie.
the boys really want a dog and remember me telling them we needed a home first.
now that we have a home, they reminded me.

c and i discussed it in detail that evening during a little dinner out and as much as
i pushed for it at first, i agreed the timing isn't quite right for a dog.

we aren't home enough at this stage of our lives and agreed it wouldn't be fair to keep
a dog home alone all day. dogs, like people, are social and meant to be around others.
a friend recommended we get 2 dogs to eliminate that concern,
but that seemed a little crazy when we didn't even have one.
someday...

in the meantime, charlotte said we can have sophie over anytime,
{and maybe even have her overnight}. we will definitely take her up on that!

~ finn recently started coming to our bedroom in the middle of the night asking if he could
sleep with us because he "wanted to cuddle".  he's always been a lovey kid...even told me
he was going to be a great husband someday because he LOVES to cuddle. hehe
we don't let our kids sleep with us, except on rare occasions, so we'd send him back to bed.
when he said he needed a real dog to cuddle with, i offered him this stuffed dog from ikea to
hold him over until that day comes.  he seems to be doing the job.

fashion friday: womb chair

have you ever heard of the womb chair?
it's was designed by aero saarinen in 1950 and is pretty popular in the modern design world.
let me introduce you.

via

i had seen the womb chair before in magazines,
but it's only been recent that i learned what it was called.
i was poking around on the internet looking at mid-century furnishings
because our new {old} home has a bit of a retro-vibe and
could use something fun like this for a pop.

i think a womb chair would look great in our living room
or in our library.  it looks super comfy too.
i can imagine sinking into it with a good book.

there's a problem though.
this chair is expensive.
the real womb chair starts around $3K,
and knock-offs start at $600! *yikes*

so for now, it's just a dream of mine.
if i could find one gently used on e-bay,
it might become a reality,
but first things first.

we don't need a womb chair.
we need a cooktop in our kitchen,
flooring in a boys' bathroom, baseboards installed
in many places, thresholds, new toilets in every bathroom,
and so many more things.  the list is endless.

oh the joy of living in an old house.