Baby Gavin is coming today!!!!!!!!!

Serina was due on 7/29... as of today still no contractions.
She had her doctors appointment and I guess this doctor ( different from last week ) said the baby is actually NOT in place and to go to L&D to try to get him moved. Within an hour TJ called me and said they've gone ahead and scheduled the c-section for this afternoon!!!

I CAN NOT WAIT to hold him!!!!

Robert can't get his head around the fact that she doesn't have to "almost die" as he calls my 3 labors, and just gets to have her baby at a certain time of day. Of course I didn't reiterate to him that she is experiencing major surgery so he would continue to remember how bad my experiences were ) I told him I would rather go through my hell again than be pregnant for the month longer like she was - so I consider it even and her reward.

I'll post pictures tomorrow. YEAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From the court house to sizzler...

My company is going through an audit from the EDD because all of the drivers that we utilize are independent contractors, not employees - and the EDD WANTS them to be employee's so they can get more money. Anyway - my position in the company makes me the #1 choice to be a witness ( other than the owner ) to show the day to day interaction of the company ( me ) with the Independent Contractors.... so lucky me, I got to testify. This could cost the company millions if we lose and the EDD's main witness is a guy that is trying to extort money from us and told me he was doing so. ( which made me VERY upset and caused me to lose my composure last year... yes this is being discussed in the case - nice. )


Anyway, enough about that - yesterday was my day. Tuesday night I was supposed to drive down to LA to get "prepped" so I waited at my office until 5:00 to be told where to go. ( I normally leave at 3:30 ) At 5:00 they decided they would prep me tomorrow and to just be there at noon to be prepped during lunch. Ok fine. At least I didn't have to drive to LA in traffic right? I get into work the next morning and they tell me to get there at 11:00 a.m. now. Ok fine- hopefully that means I'll be done early enough to miss the return traffic.


Well, I get there at 11:00 with all these urgent documents they forgot - and guess what I ended up doing.......? Staring at a room with NO judge, lawyers, or witnesses for AN HOUR.
This is the lovely room. Strangely though, I looked around and wondered what it was I was experiencing - and you know what? It was silence. It's true, there is something called silence. I recommend it to everyone... I've heard of it, but now I can tell you I've lived it for almost a whole hour!!!!!! Of course, I was busy texting Becky to make the time go by faster too. I would have fallen asleep if I didn't.




Add in a judge, a computer, a high tech speaker recorder, 4 lawyers, and my 2 bosses, and that was my testifying. I didn't enjoy it and I'm glad it's over. They said I did perfect, and to that I replied, thank you for lying because even if I didn't I can't change it now!!! I gave myself a headache from the whole experience and went home to take a nap.


Now that that was over, nap included, I picked up the kids - and let me just say... Jack is by far the worst terrible 2 that we have had. It's remarkable the screaming and frustration that comes out of that child. Maybe I'm just not used to it with him, and Kade was actually worse, but I think I've become accustomed to Kade being naughty. ??? Anyway - before I lost my mind, I grabbed up Kade and Kyla with the intention of going to some low key place to grab some dinner and let Jack be with Robert for awhile. Well that turned into picking up my parents and going to Sizzler. ( Dad's choice ) It turned out to be a great idea because the kids were fascinated with getting to go back as many times as they wanted and to keep changing their mind with the choices. I think Kade must have eating 20 strawberry's...

Kyla though eats just like her mom -





She had lost of different things, then she thought she was done, so she got an ice-cream cone. Well, a few minutes in she realized that hmmmmmm that vegetable soup sure looks good and heaven forbid she pass it up - so she went back and forth between her ice-cream cone and the soup. I'm happy to say as well that earlier in the week, when I couldn't lay with her, she got up and got my blanket ( yes I sleep with a blanket.. it fills in the spaces in my neck and belly to get me cozy ) and slept with it. She told me in the morning she did it so she could pretend it was me ( which is EXACTLY what I do when she spends the night with my mom. Awwwhhhh.

By the way - I got some GREAT sleep last night. I fell asleep putting Jack to sleep and I guess he got out and ended up sleeping with Robert and Kade in my bed, and I got his bed to myself all night long!

I need a break from being positive.

We went in for Robert's test results and though I'm very thankful he doesn't have diabetes ( which I was afraid of ) he does have very high cholesterol and needs to see an allergist for his sinuses which may lead to surgery. She told us the accurate word for what is quadruple the size they are supposed to be, but I don't remember what it is... it's part of how he breathes. Anyway - he needs to find out what exactly he is allergic to and get these swollen things "reduced" We do know whatever he is allergic to is something huge like pollen and outside annoyances, as opposed to dust because he's much better inside ( and you know my house is dusty! )
He and my dad both have high cholesterol ( the same marks actually ) so they are both now going to be changing their bad eating behaviors. Robert is still young enough to turn it around and stop it from getting worse, but my dad is at a very bad age for this kind of thing.
( He has lost 5 lbs though this week, so I'm very proud of him for that!! ) I hope he doesn't kill me for writing about this but I've been way more worried than I'm letting him know so I had to get it out.

I'm sick and tired of bed time issues. When will they end?? Robert has gotten much better than me at dealing with the boys, so he's pretty much taken on that issue - but I still try to start the process. Kyla is just an emotional roller coaster about my time with her vs. her brothers and things like that, when it comes down to actually ending the day she lets it all out and begs me to lay with her "for the whole time." Jack has been waking up every night in the middle of the night and the 1st 2 times I walk him back into his bed, if there is a 3rd, he just ends up in our bed. Last night though - he had diarrhea (after not going for 2 fun filled constipated days ) at 4:00 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. He did eventually but not nearly soon enough.

My back hurts and I can't get comfortable anywhere!

I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of noise, and I'm tired of screaming arguing kids. I'm tired from being pulled in 3 directions, and most of all I'm tired of being tired of these things. How do moms just dedicate everything they have to their kids? I love my kids more than breathing, I think that's obvious - but sometimes I just want to sit down after working a boring day and read a magazine or watch a tv show. I still manage to do those things sometimes, but then I feel guilty that I should be interacting with my kids more. Where is the balance? Will there be balance some day? I want to go back to the gym, but then that is more time away. I think it will help. I don't know, I'm rambling. I'm tired. I'm not even going to re-read this to see if it makes sense.

Excerpts from my weekend...

My weekend started out great... I got my hair done on Friday afternoon, and finally actually like it again! Yeay!

Friday night we came across 'The Sandlot' on TV and couldn't draw Kade away from it. He has watched it 3 times this weekend. They said words like idiot and stupid and call each other names a lot - which I HATE, so we talked about how much hot sauce they must have gotten on their tongues when they got home! I think we are in the clear, because the only thing that seems to stand out to Kyla and Kade is when one little boy says to the other little boy: "Well, YOU throw like a GIRL!" LOL.

The weekend was full of crafts, tee-ball, scooters, crafts, tea parties, soccer, crafts, baking cakes, skateboards, crafts, mom's shoes clunking around on the hardwood floors, swimming "with no floaties", escalators in Target, Uncle TJ coming over, crafts, and conversations like these:

Robert: Kade ask mommy to go get us some donuts at the store
Me: I don't do that, that's Daddy's job.
Kade: Ya Dad, mommy's job is by the sink. NICE.

Kade: Throws something across the room that he isn't supposed to throw.
Robert: Kade, stop throwing things.
Kade: Throws again
Me: Kade! STOP throwing, go pick it up.
Kade: "NO" I don't want to.
Me: I don't care if you dont' want to, go pick it up.
Robert: Kade, don't tell your mom No, go pick it up
Kade: "NO" I don't want to.

Repeat about 20 times and add in lots of time out's a couple of spankings.

Kyla to me: Why do you love Jack more than us?
Me: I don't love Jack more than you, or Kade. I love you all the same.. do you want to have a tea party and paint your nails?
Kyla: YES! Thanks mom, I knew you loved me.

Me: Jack, ni-night. Get in bed.
Jack: No, Daddy, bye-bye.
Me: Put your head down on your pillow.
Jack: repeats: "Pillow?" then says: No, Daaaddddyyy - BYE BYE
Me: Close your eyes.
Jack: NO, flip flops, bye bye Daddy.
Me: ROBERT!

This happened Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday afternoon, and Sunday night. He has turned into a Daddy's boy and wants to be by his side doing everything he does ALL the time. It's very cute. AND he's such a dare-devil.. last night he was standing on Robert's back and literally diving on to the carpet, like a belly flop and laughing. He'd get right back up and do it again.????

Ignore the clothes... this is how we dress when mommy is determined to get ALL of the laundry done. (o:


The craft table that has taken over my kitchen.


Our Tea Hats! ( Mine was actually a "train hat" she declared )


Jack licking the mixers from the Spice Cake Robert made! He's never had anything like that before!


Yet another activity that Kade wouldn't put down... he borrowed meme's razor scooter and declared himself "big like Aiden" because he can ride it now!

I am SO in love with my husband right now!!

He has the sexiest voice and gives the best hugs ever! Kyla, Kade and Jack would say he is the best Daddy ever too!!
These are the times that the couples who are married for 50+ years must look back on... the difficult times only exist to make the great times even better!







H

Pirates, Skateboards, Birthday's, and more Skateboards!

** Warning, you are about to read A LOT of run-on sentances... I don't have it in me to go back and fix them. **

We had a great weekend!
Friday night while I got the kids pizza and while Robert was waiting for our Sushi to be prepared, he walked next door and bought Kade a skateboard~ this one little event was going to affect my whole weekend..........

( Side note: My mom DID keep my kids on Friday night, it was funny how it happened, and I'm being completely honest when I say that I had moved on from the thought and actually wanted my kids to stay home... but my mom kept all 4 grandkids and Robert and I had a great night alone (o: I drank an entire bottle of wine and ate junk food - so I didn't feel all that good the next morning, but a quick 8 a.m. drive through Carls Jr. for french fries and a Famous Star, and all was well! They changed their fries by the way - I do NOT like them now )

Here is how the above skateboard purchase changed the weekend;

Saturday morning me and mom took Aiden, Kyla and Jack to the Pirate Park in Bellflower. This was the first outing that Kade didn't want to go to. He wanted to stay home with his skateboard (and his Daddy.) Fine with me, I'm always good with 2 instead of 3 when we are away from the house!

The kids on top of the big "skull cave"

Jack in the big pirate ship

Then all 4 kids came back with me to our house to play while TJ was at work. Kade was not in the most sharing mood with his new skateboard and it pretty much took threatening to take it away for Aiden and Kyla to get to ride it to the gate and back. Kade & Kyla lay on their tummy when they are outside, Aiden can ride it standing up... when they are on the carpet or the grass though - you should see the "tricks!" LOL After Aiden got picked up, I managed to get the kids down for a long nap ( me and Robert included ) and the only way I could get Kade to sleep was to let him put his skateboard on his bed and sleep with it.

Does this look like a good thing to cuddle with to you?

He was especially proud of this "boo-boo" because it happened from doing a skateboard trick.

After naps we got ready to go to Taylor's 2nd birthday party! Even after the nap with the skateboard Kade was unwilling to leave it. ( there is no way I would have subjected Kim's guests to his dramatic lack of sharing by bringing it either ) Despite talks of a jumper/slide, party bags, and Brady and Trevor being there - he still didn't want to go. Again - no problem for me.. my Jackie never gets to go to parties so I brought him instead. ( Let me just say that he did pretty good, but had a few breakdowns - not to mention fall downs - I felt all eyes on my quite often... and not in a "ahhh he's so cute" kind of way, lol ) Kade missed out on some yummy food and cupcakes. I don't think I've ever heard such a lively rendition of "Happy Birthday" Everyone in attendance gathered in Kim & Don's kitchen to sing to Taylor! She was so proud. Jack was enthralled with the singing and it must have caught on, because he sang it all night last night ( until 10:20 p.m.... but I digress)

This was tame... she actually had it covering her entire face a few seconds later!!! ( I'm still laughing now as I type this - she LOVED it!!!! )

See what you missed Kade? ( Jack was fascinated by Brian all day! ) I was surprised that Kyla and Jack didn't follow around the 2 police officers that stopped by complete in uniform, etc..

Kyla giving Jack a ride on Trevors tricycle

Well after too many arguments between Kyla and Kade about the skateboard we decided on Sunday morning to to go see if we could get a cheap one from Target for Kyla and actually ended up buying them both a new cheap one and wouldn't you know it, now that they had the same "new ones" Kade after all that insistence that the skateboard was "HIS" he willingly gave it up to Jack - who then carried it around all day and found various places inside and out that had slight slants to the ground to push himself back and forth. I guess all worked out for the best!! ( Oh, and now Kade's smaller skateboard fits on top of his headboard so it's still close by! )



This is how my weekend ended! I love me some baby butts!!!!!!!!!

It's Friday!!

I told my mom I would give her $100 to keep my kids overnight for me. She said no.
I said $200, she said no. I said $500, she STILL said no. Apparantely it would take $2000 to keep my kids overnight tonight. I don't blame her!! Oh well, it was worth a shot.

We went to the Dr's for Robert's follow up visit to his dreadfully annoying sinus infection thing he has had for like 3 years... the pills she gave him a couple of weeks ago didn't work - so he has another new prescription and she's ordered a Cat Scan now. Finally! something.

I have taken my kids "night swimming" we are calling it, even thought it's still light outside at 7:00 for the last 2 days. We've decided to call it that because they couldn't get their head around why in the world I wasn't putting sunscreen on them before we went in the water! hahaha... I want to take them swimming in the dark this weekend so my dad can turn the light on, I think they'll love it. It's been great though, it cools our bodies down, I bathe them in the outside shower when they are done - and best of all, Kyla is swimming! She jumps off the diving board and swims to the side now!! Yeay!! She's SO proud of herself! I'll post a video or pictures next week, right now I'm in the water swimming about 2 inches away from her incase she needs me. I'll relax about it with some more pratice. She just gets too excited and starts to smile and forgets to kick!

To end the work week, I had to show you my new mug... isn't it PERFECT???

Rock Stars!

The kids have declared themselves "ROCK STARS" over the last few days... Kyla plays the Guitar and Kade plays the piano. I hope you can see these because I think they are a little dark, but so very cute because they were having so much fun! Notice Kyla's "tone" when she sings, she's definitely taken the lullabye out of it (o:

I guess it started when I was at dinner with Maria... Robert found a music channel on TV and showed Kyla how to "play the guitar" and now our evenings consist of going back and forth between playing rock stars and doing crafts out of their craft boxes.



( sorry Kyla's is sideways... I can't get it to turn the right way )

Where is everybody!?!?!

Don't you guys know that I am bored to death during the day and I NEED you all to keep your blogs up to date... I'm addicted and I'm not ready to get help for it yet. So POST would ya!?

Is 3 hours really asking too much?

I see my best friend Maria maybe 4 times a year only. That makes me very sad, so normally when it comes to Maria, I usually have free reign with Robert.... if I recall, I actually got to leave the state for 2 days last year!! lol

I made the mistake of telling him I thought I would be home at the 7:30 range ( I didn't even leave until 5:00 ) well, I didn't get home until 8:45 - GASP!

What is it about men/husbands/significant others that make them so inconsistent?? Stop it already! ( I wont even go into detail about the joy of last nights bed-time process in particular )

I had a great time - and the funniest part about the night is that we actually hesitated to get a bottle of wine and almost ordered it by the glass... what were we thinking??????

I told Maria we have to take a picture, she hesitated and I said but I blog now... with that she replied: "That's what I'm afraid of!" hehehe
The waiter was happy to take our picture.. he kept saying: "wait, one more!" LOL Maria's accent gets them every time! Not to mention how gorgeous she is (o: Love you Mersey Ann!

Not a single picture )o:

We had a nice weekend - I hardly did anything. It was very mellow, and I don't think I had anywhere make-up worthy even one time this weekend!!! I didn't worry about cleaning, or laundry or any of those wifely type things~ Of course those things got done, but not in the "I'm on a time-line" sort of way. Know what I mean?

Friday night, it was quite sweet - At about 7:00 Kade said he wanted to go to Meme and Papa's house as usual. When I told him that Meme wasn't there he said: "that's ok, Papa is, I want to just play with Papa with no other kids there." So I took him over there to play with Papa. He said he wanted to spend the night "just him" so that was the intention. My dad was so excited actually ( I told him I was just playing into the game, and he could call me in 15 minutes and I would come back and pick him up ) My dad was determined he would stay. Well - 8:50 rolls around and my dad calls to tell me to come and pick him up. He wasn't freaking out or anything but he was adamant about going home. He fell asleep 5 minutes after we got home.

It must have been Papa's night, because when Jack was fighting his sleep and getting mad at me for putting him to bed, he was screaming out in this poor me, whining, drawn out dramatic voice: "paaaahh-paaaahh" I called my dad and asked what in the world he did to brainwash my sons? ( I thought it was adorable to be honest! )

Jack by the way is repeating everything. I wish I could describe how this makes me feel. I'm so happy and proud of him. He's getting so big so fast. Now I want it to slow down a little so he'll stay my baby. ( only part of the time of course... the bigger part of the time I want him potty trained and speaking in full sentences ) He's really coming into his own and has no idea that he's not the same age as Kyla or Kade. It was the cutest thing to see him and Kade and Robert in their flip flops piling into Robert's truck together to go to the store. My men.

You know how Kyla is addicted to writing letters, well I asked her if she would still love me when she is 15, and she said of course mom. She's also fascinated by being 15 for some reason. Uh - no thank you. Anyway - I got her to write me and Robert a letter that says: "Mom and Dad, I will love you when I'm 15. Love Kyla." I sealed it and put it away to open on 5/23/2019. WOW that's a long time away.

Couple more things:
*DO NOT take your kids to see that Wall-E movie, or whatever it's called. Absolutely not worth the money. Rent it, to make your own decision, but definitely don't spend money on it. Ridiculous movie experience ( we sat in the 1st row and my 2 kids took a nap ) Fun stuff.

*Kade now has 4 freckles. We make a big deal about Kyla's freckles because I want her to love them so we "count" them. ( She has 81 by the way (o; ) Kade was unbelievably excited to have freckles - they are all on his arms, and he has declared: "Yeay, I'm big now!" and ran to show Kyla. How cute is that?

*I love my sleeping kids. Robert and I stood in the boys doorway last night for several minutes just admiring our "work" lol. They were sleeping the same way in their same beds looking just gorgeous and sweet and soft and kissable... and my heart skipped a beat I think. Then we moved on to Kyla's room and did the same thing - we brushed her hair off of her pretty face and kissed her so much she almost woke up and I think we almost wanted her to so we could hear her voice one more time that day.

Check me out...

Last night I went to 2 restaurants! I haven't been out to eat in what seems like forever ( well at least according to me who has a restaurant addiction )

My mom was meeting Sydney and Cathy for dinner, so she decided to take Kyla with her because Kyla LOVES Sydney -



Robert and I took the boys to Round Table and invited my dad to join us, the boys love pizza and we always go early like at 4:30 when we take Jack because well, it's just easier with less people around.

We sat in the "game room" and Kade found this game where you drop coins in a tunnel or something, and he just kept winning tickets. They seriously didn't stop coming out!! He won like 650 of them! It was hilarious. He bought balls and pencils for all of his friends at meme's house and a bracelet for his sister ( who wasn't even there...awwwwhhh )






I of course, felt like dessert after having pizza so Robert said I should just go meet up with my mom and Kyla at Islands and he definitely didn't have to tell me twice... I left the boys there and went for a margarita and some Kona Pie. YUMMY. I should have taken a picture of the dessert so you would all know why I made the drive over there!

Another injury

I don't know if these pictures do the bump and scratch justice - but it was pretty bad. Jack fell forward towards his headboard on his bed, and hit it right on the sharp edge. We were all in the room, and Robert and I were even sitting on his bed with him because we had just set up Kade's new matching bed ( by the way - the boys room is so cute now that they have their matching beds!! ) and it just happened.





Well - true to form, Robert FREAKS out big time... I swear he makes them cry for double the time they normally would. Jack barely let us put ice on it, but we gave him some motrin, he wasn't dizzy at all, he ate fine, played fine and was otherwise ok through out the rest of the evening - so since the bump was so big ( which I guess you want? ) we decided to chalk it up to how tough he is. It was funny though later, when I was taking pictures of Jack, Kade had to make sure that I acknowledged his "boo-boos" as well and I had to take some pictures of those. The scratch on his leg he calls his: "Rocket boo-boo" ???? The blister he is proud of because he got it at Knotts Berry Farm wearing new shoes, and he walks around limping saying: Oowww.




Honestly though, I do NOT know how Robert is going to make it through raising children. He is absolutely going to have a heart-attack. Kyla has a grey tooth and has had a head injury, Kade had to go to the ER due to a toy in his nose, and now Jack and his head injury... I think we've gotten this far pretty easy actually! No broken bones or hospital stays ( yet )

4th of July weekend in pictures

Ok, now that the last post has just given you an insight to the joys of depression ~ lets look at pictures! ( I need to find some positive energy sources like Yoga or a self-help books etc.., but I'm too tired to start the process of doing this )

You'll notice Kade is not in any of the pictures - I couldn't keep up with him... he was in the pool, out of the pool, playing ping pong, trying to play volleyball, watching TV, back in the pool, etc.. I had to walk him home after the fireworks started because he didn't like them and he was tired and he fell asleep on the way home... I think I made 3-4 trips back and forth with Kade and Jack for various reasons - Robert as home most of the time with a sinus infection.

It wouldn't be the 4th of July at the Chapman's without a little roof jumping!!!


Ok baby Gavin - your Auntie is ready for you to make your appearance now... only 3 weeks to go!!!


Jack jumping off of the diving board by himself... a couple of times to Papa and after that he was doing it on his own. Kade on the other hand - not so daring. He stayed in the jacuzzi all day holding on to the edge. Yesterday though, I got him in the big pool to kick his feet. Strange what some will do and what others wont do...


Kyla swam with no floating help today... leave it to 2 11 yr olds - Mollie and Sydney to get her to do it. She actually dumped in the deep end after a floating ring and everything! We are working on it little by little, but she's doing great!


Papa bbqing the hot dogs and hamburgers... I should have gotten a picture of Robert too - he stayed at home while bbqing Chicken legs ( I think about 45 of them, they covered our entire grill )


Jack's future wife and her parents watching Fireworks! (o:


Jack was all over the place when the fireworks started... of course he wanted to be by his sister Kyla at first - notice them both saying "WOW"


Then they all joined the big group of kids sitting on the sidewalk watching Uncle TJ light all of the fireworks (o:


Then he moved to one of the chairs to sit by the adults


And this is where he finally ended up for the finale!


Well it doesn't get much more comfortable than that!


Ending the weekend with a movie and popcorn!

This sums up how I feel about life right now.

Am I the only one that goes through times of just not wanting to do it anymore? I'm done. I need to rest and I need a break. I don't want to be a mom or a wife or a housekeeper, or a referee, or a daughter or an employee, or a cook, or a presentable female... nothing. A vacation wont fix it, a week's worth of sleep wont fix it - only time will fix it and I'm tired of waiting. I feel like I am failing. The kids really did me in this weekend. There were moments of laughter of which I will post pictures of shortly - but it was not the majority and I'm tired of it all. Sorry for putting anyone that bothers to read my blog through this low point of Kyla, but to explain the multitude of my weekend, I thought this would be the best way. Add in 2 other kids and their variations of extreme behavior but it was pretty constant.

Having Tea with Grammy and Sondra

Almost immediately after Grammy and Sondra got here, Kyla whipped out her Tea Set and asked them to join her for tea. I thought it was a wonderful way to welcome our guests!

Knotts Berry Farm

I'm just going to keep it simple and say that I don't enjoy when plans change and things happen that make plans change. We'll leave it at that (even though you know I could go on, and on, and on with what I would really like to say!) (o;

Here are some cute pictures from Knotts Berry Farm... Once we made it to Camp Snoopy the kids had a great time!!! There were no crowds at all, I couldn't believe how open it was! It was quite hot yesterday though... Next time we're going to take the kids after their nap and from about 4p.m. - 9p.m. I think it will guarantee a much higher success rate (o:

After Kyla rode this one 3 times by herself, Kade finally decided to join in!


They had this ride all to themselves... they could NOT stop giggling!


I think they must have ran across these bridges at least 20 times!


Mommy and Kade waiting for the balloon ride to get started


Kade on the balloon ride


Kyla getting ready to ride her first ride by herself ( Kade was grumpy )


Look at Kyla's face after the ride went up!


Sondra and Kade after getting wet on the big bridge..