The Angerbauer Poopy Pants Club

Many of you might wonder why I haven't written a blog post since, um, 2011.

a portrait of me by my 7-year old neighbor, Renee

There are many reasons.  One, I use my blog mostly for that handy lists of other blogs over there on the right of the screen.  I log into my own blog daily (usually) merely to check out if any of my other "favorite" or "interesting" blogs have been updated, which they usually have.  Seeing Tyler's birthday picture from last November doesn't even enter my line of vision, as I peruse whether to spend my 30 minutes of me time on design blogs or food blog (or the occasional family blog... seems like they don't get updated nearly as often as the food or design blogs).

Another reason... I frankly didn't think anyone ever reads my blog. I'm still in denial that anyone outside of my mom and maybe my sisters actually reads this blog. Or knows about this blog.  And since I talk to them (or at least my mom) on a fairly regular basis, I've become complacent.  "Why should I blog when I talk to her anyways?" Then I saw when I logged onto my dashboard the other day (to add a link to another food blog, coincidently) that I notice that some time in mid-March there was a day that my blog was visited 44 times. Wow, I thought, I don't think I logged on 44 times that day! Maybe people out there actually read this thing? I'd never know because I rarely get a comment (other than, again, from my mom or sisters or sisters-in-law).  Even more poignant was that these 44 people (okay, 30 something, because I may have checked my blog more than 4 times that day maybe?) checked my blog even though I HADN'T updated it since November. Hm.  Maybe time to update it?

Another reason... hate to say it, but Facebook.  I also log on there every day, to peruse little bits and pieces of people I know (some well, some barely).  I used to post on there a lot, but like my blog, stopped posting mostly because people rarely commented on what I posted.  Like my blog, the lack of comments make me think that there is lack of interest of other people in my life.  Or maybe I need more friends.  Or "friends," Facebook-speaking.

Then a few months ago we had a Relief Society lesson on wasting time.  Okay, that wasn't the lesson topic, but that's where most of the discussion went.  I was realizing how much time I truly wasted on my computer every day.  It was like the same kind of wake-up call when I get when I actually try counting calories... just like I think I eat well, I'm really probably eating a lot because 1200 calories ain't a lot.  I also began to make a mental count of how much quality time my computer was getting over my kids and, well, I was "overindulging" in the computer department.  I try now to limit it to a quick check in the morning.  And besides... the last thing I want to do most times when the kids finally go to bed (and actually go to sleep, which sometimes takes an hour after tuck-in time) is think hard and write.  I want to craft or read or watch TV.  Just sayin'.

I actually tried to trade the blogging for some personal journaling, but like every other attempt I've made at that it lasted about two days.  Someday my kids will find 50 journals scattered in various boxes of my stuff, each with two days of their lives recorded in great detail.  Poor kids, they're going to have to piece together their history from their inconsistent mother!  I definitely wouldn't have been a good record keeper for the Book of Mormon.  It reminds me of the Book of Omni... 10 different authors, some who only contributed one verse.  That would be me... one verse.

Last reason... at least the last one that sticks out to me right now... is that I simply haven't *wanted* to write anything.  My life seems often, well, mundane.  Or tough and and I'm feeling whiny.  Or rough and I'm feeling depressed.  Or happy but not extraordinarily so.  I've often wanted an outlet when I'm feeling these complicated feelings, but don't feel like a blog is the best place to lay out all my emotions.  If I did, you'd think I was a wreck! Because admit it, moms, our emotions yo-yo more than our weight.  I know the title of this blog is "An Open Book," but really, it isn't.  It's just the highlights.  And very few of them at that, really (especially lately, obviously!).

SO with all that said, it's time to get back to blogging, at least every other week.  If not for any other reason that for posterity.  That's right, for my kids. Someday, if the world hasn't ended (yes, I've been watching too many episodes of "Doomsday Preppers" my kids will be able to see this humble and oh so brief snippet of what life was like for me (and them) when they were little.  If anyone else reads it, whoever you are, that's just a bonus.  And if I have to use an extra hour of "screen time," then I'll drag myself to the computer when I'd rather crash on the couch.  And if I'm a little emotional that day... well, at least it's honest.  But I'll get my "verse" in, and sometimes that's all I can do. So here I am, back in the saddle!  I'll look at the pictures on my camera (that have yet to be uploaded to the computer) to remind myself of some of the detail of the past few months and play catch-up, to a small degree.  Then I'll do my best -- scout leader's honor! -- to be better about keeping this blog current! Wish me luck.  LUCK!


The post could end here... but if you're curious about "The Angerbauer Poopy Pants Club," then read on!


With all that being said, let me address one current topic (and the title of this post), my day today! In many ways, today was pretty typical, full of details that I wouldn't normally want to document, but probably should.  I started the day early with a bike 19-mile bike ride with friends Tiffany and Kelli.  Because I thought Mark would be leaving for work and my kids would be home unattended, I booked it.  I felt bad that I left my friends "in the dust," but I really was motivated to get the ride over and done with! Of course Mark didn't set an alarm so had just woken up when I got home, so I guess my over-zealous pedaling resulted in enough extra calories burned to justify the brownie (or four) that I ate later today!

Another reason for coming home quickly... the boys and I had dentist appointments! Of course, it was with Mark, but I still wanted to be on time.  Oi vey, we were 15 minutes late.  Granted, I had to stop at McD's for breakfast for me and the boys (we were rushing out of the house and I didn't give them time for cereal) and then had to turn around and go home for the braces bracket that had popped off earlier in the week.  Tyler has one cavity, I had two, and Mason three.  Embarrassing, I know, for the family of a dentist.  I promise we brush (floss, maybe not so well).  Mark decided to do me first, while the boys watched a little TV.

Unfortunately, one of my two cavities was deep.  And big.  And under an old filling.  And did I say big? You couldn't see the extent of it on the x-ray, and poor Mark, he was sweating bullets.  I give him credit, he tried to save the tooth and get all the decay out, but after two hours in the chair I told him to just pull the blasted thing.  I think it blew his ego, because he got a little depressed.  If he had checked this cavity a year ago, could my tooth had been saved? Why did I let a dental student do this filling 10 years ago? He kept going thru all these "whys" and "what ifs." As I am missing this identical tooth from the other side of my mouth (upper, very back molar) I knew I wouldn't miss it, so I tried to tell him no big deal.  But what can a wife say? Poor guy.  I hope he feels better about it tonight.  As for me, not only can I not eat anything pleasantly because of my braces (more on that for another post), but now I get to deal with a hole in my mouth that is sore.  Not that I'm complaining, it's just a pain.

With all that, needless to say, the kiddos didn't get their cavities taken care of.  We'll come back in a few weeks for them.   After I was done, I took them to the Fort Worth Botanical gardens, my "surprise" activity (used to keep them acting good at the office while I was in the chair) to use my Groupon to the "Butterflies in the Garden" event.  I've been to the FWBG before lots of times, but apparently I under estimated the crowds 1) in the spring, 2) on a holiday (they celebrate Good Friday here in the South with no school) and 3) during the last 3 days of the butterfly event that there was a Groupon for.  By the time we found the exhibit (after about 1 hour of roaming the gardens), all tickets were sold out for the day. Great.  So we go back tomorrow.  It was alright with me... Jack was tired and getting ornery so it was time to go home anyways.

After a nap in the car for Mason and Jack (yay!), we took a quick trip to the Feed Store for hay and chicken food (yet another post, if you haven't heard about our chickens), the younger boys begged for a trip to the park.  I decided to try a new park, in a neighborhood north of our usual stomping grounds.  The kids were excited and I sat in the shade and called my momma for some adult conversation.  About three minutes I spied Jack "assuming the position"... something I hadn't seen since he was in diapers.  Yes, I'm talking about the standing pooping position.  Oh no, I thought, not the standing pooping position!?!!!  I walked over just to check, and sure enough there was a nugget.  Not about to quit the park for a little nugget, I let him continue on and kept talking to my mom (yes, you can call me a bad, neglectful mommy at any point now).

No less than three more minutes later, Mason came up all panicky, the kind of panicky that only means one thing... he has also let some slip in his underwear.  Are you kidding me?!? Two boys, fully potty trained, messing their pants within three minutes of each other at a really fun park that we JUST got to?!?  My mom shoved me off my phone and I looked at my boys... poor, panicky and embarrassed Mason, oblivious Jack, and Tyler (as any older brother would, he was beginning to gloat- and gross out- thinking that his brothers were in big trouble)... and laughed.  I could have yelled, I could have ranted, but I laughed.  And I let them know they'd all become members of the Angerbauer Poopy Pants Club! Then I chased them around a little bit, and we drove home laughing.  Then I gave them baths and ordered them to play board games and ride their scooters.  We ate Spaghettios and hot dogs for dinner. We looked throughout the telescope at the full moon. Jack pooped in the toilet, and then two minutes later pooped in his underwear, AGAIN, solidifying his role as king of the Poopy Pants Club.  How could I get mad when he looked at me from the toilet with his baby blues and said "Sorry Mom!" in his squeaky little voice?  It was a great night. And I mean that.

It's a good lesson for me.  Lately, my patience has been thin.  It wasn't the best day today, and the poopy pants by two kids in a row would have normally turned me into a wreck.  But I laughed it off, and my kids didn't feel bad or sad or scared of their mom.  They were so happy, and we had a fun night together, regardless of our slightly disappointing day.  And now I've blogged about it, and I feel good that I've documented this slightly odd day.  I apologize here at the end if this was TMI, but it was TMF (too much fun) to pass up sharing!

Tyler's Birthday through Christmas Party

The house is quiet (Jack's asleep) and I find myself for an hour or so in a rare state: nothing pressing to do! The laundry is (mostly) done, the dishes are clean, the floor is swept.  There are no events to coordinate, no Scouts to plan, nothing with PTA.  Just quiet.  Nice!  I also happen to have that "happy full" feeling because I just ate some spaghetti and meatballs.  While I am in that happy, non-stressed state, I thought I'd update my blog.

Tyler's Birthday

Tyler turned 9 on November 19th!  It's a tricky time of the year to have a birthday.  It usually falls the weekend before Thanksgiving, and so a lot of friends are gone (Texas gives kids the whole week off from school) and things are just generally busy.  Last year we had Mark's dad's funeral around his birthday, so it was nice to be able to focus back on Tyler this year.  That said, the kid ended up with multiple small parties!  For his class at school, I baked a giant cookie cake instead of just cookies or cupcakes.  He was surprised (at the treat, anyways) and his class loved it.  Oh, and by the way, that's his awesome teacher, Mrs. Hill.  I'm afraid all future elementary school teachers will be judged by her plain awesomeness!!!

Mark was gone for the weekend (California for orthodontics training) so I had the boys to myself.  On Tyler's actual birthday he chose to go to "Pizza Inn" for dinner.  It's a pizza buffet place with a small room in back full of games to burn your money on.  I let Tyler spend $5 in quarters that he'd saved up.  He spent it all in the "grabber" machine, totally expected that that many quarters was enough to win the iPod or other game inside.  It was painful for me to watch.  After he burned through all his money, he begged for more, thinking it would take just "one more time."  I was hoping he'd have learned his lesson.  Oh well.  It might take a couple more times to realize those games are a rip off.

The monday following Tyler's birthday was his "friend party."  I let him invite his two BFFs Wade and Gavin to go to the Legoland Discovery Center, a mini indoor Legoland that opened recently in a large local mall.  

I was prepared to shell out $10-15 a pop and call it a birthday.  We got there, only to find  this sign:

Whaaaaat???  Silly me.  The first day of vacation break and of course every parent under the sun has the same idea I did!!  Luckily 50 steps away was the megaplex theater, and Puss in Boots had just started.  I bought popcorn and drinks and we watched a movie instead.  Not quite the birthday they (or I) was planning, but still fun.

Fort Worth Botanical Gardens

With a whole week of break, I tried to come up with things to keep the boys busy.  One activity we did was visit the Botanical Gardens.  We'd been there about 2 years ago for family pictures.  This time I had Tyler pack his new giant frisbee (thanks, Susie!) and we had fun throwing that around.  We then took a nature hike through the forest, where the boys had fun looking for bugs and climbing trees.  I wonder how much longer entertainment for them will be so simple...

Turkey Trot 10K

Because I'm crazy like that, I signed up to do a 10K on Thanksgiving morning.  I mostly did it because my neighbor three doors down--Tiffany--was organizing it and it would just be through my neighborhood.  Close to 100 people signed up, which is great for the second year she's done this!  There was a 5K, 10K, and 1 mile fun run.  Tyler decided the morning of to do the 5K instead of 1 miler... peer pressure from his friend Gavin!  I, on the other hand, made sure I was decently ready for 6.2 miles by training pretty well for the month beforehand.  I was proud of my time... 53 minutes and change!  I was definitely pushing it, but my friend (and RS president!) Melanie was keeping a good pace about 20 second in front of me so I just shadowed her the whole time.  After the 10K, Mark, Mason, Jack, and I did the 1 mile.  I'm proud of Mason... he ran the whole time!  And Mark pulled Jack in the wagon (nope, we don't own a jogging stroller!).  All in all it was a fun, perfect morning.  

Thanksgiving

After the Turkey Trot I took a quick shower and proceeded with an intense four hours of Thanksgiving preparation!  Darn it that I didn't pull my camera out more than once that day.  We shared Thanksgiving dinner with a family in our ward--the Jensens-- so I "only" had to make side dishes.  However, to feel like Thanksgiving to me there had to be certain side dishes... my grandmother's stuffing (which I made outside the bird with the help of chicken wings... fabulous!), creamed corn, sweet potatoes, green beans almondine, and rolls.  I relented and let Mark and the boys do the rolls, which is the only picture I took the whole day.  They had fun shaping and rolling the rolls, and it's good that they could do something to feel involved in meal prep.

Thanksgiving dinner with the Jensens was low key and fun.  We taught them how to play Ticket to Ride (which they loved) and they in turn pulled out Bingo (with prizes!).  Afterwards we ate pie (my specialties... triple chocolate pecan and pumpkin).  It was a good day.

A Little Office Remodel

With Mark's office closed for Thanksgiving, we took advantage of some free time with no one at the office to do a little updating!  Mark bought some laminate floor from Ikea and we spent 2 1/2 days installing it in his front office area.  Part of the job was moving 6-7 THOUSAND paper files from the office into boxes and then to a storage unit.  We moved the file cabinets to the back room where they've been repurposed for storage.  We tore out the carpet...the old carpet was nasty, as was the carpet under the old nasty.  I wish I'd had a face mask!  Once we began installing the floor, though, we got into a groove and it went in pretty quick and smoothly (2-3 hours).  It sure looks a TON better!

Christmas Tree Lighting and Santa

My friend Azure (Jensen... who we had Thanksgiving with) invited the boys and I to go with her to the tree lighting ceremony at Texas Motor Speedway (the big NASCAR track up the road).  Apparently she knew Santa (it's her uncle) who would be presiding over ceremonies.  Turned out the the tree lighting was more of a charity event and we were a little out of place, but we had fun nonetheless.  The kids munched on free cookies and cocoa and we snuck upstairs to see Santa before the mad rush of kids (whose parents paid $40 for them to be there that day) came to sit on his lap.  The tree is apparently the largest one in ALL of Texas... wouldn't have it any other way, would we?

Tyler, Azure, Camden (her daugher), Wade (her son), and Tyler

I should have dressed them up! Oh well.

Work Christmas Party

We decided to host the party for Mark's office and spouses at our home this year.  In years past, we've gone to a restaurant; nothing special.  This year, Mark was able to barter delicious catering for dinner!  I borrowed several tables and chairs and set them up in my front rooms.  After dinner the employees filled their baskets with gifts and we had a "painting party" upstairs.  Never been to a painting party?  It was a blast!  My neighbor does it for her job.  We all had our own canvas and she guided us step-by-step on how to mix colors and paint the painting.  Everyone had a great time, and it was fun to see them all relaxed and enjoying themselves.  Not to mention they got to take home a painting!  Mark said on Monday the next week they were still raving about the party.  I guess we might have started a new tradition.  I'm okay with that.  My house got super clean and all dolled up for the holidays by December 3rd!  Now I get to relax and enjoy the rest of December.  

Isn't it pretty??

A close-up of the table... so grateful that my neighbor Tiffany had a full set of Christmas china for me to borrow!

Mark's staff
Back Row:  Caesar (assistant), Tania (hygienist), Lorraine (assistant), Kim Moody (assistant), Bacardi (front desk), Komeak (hygienist), and Catherine (hygienist)
Front Row: Dr. Peavy (still works for us a few days a month) and Mark

Well, the Fed Ex man just rang my doorbell and delivered my Christmas cards! Guess now I have something to do that's pressing, darn it.  Time to get envelopes addressed and a letter written!

Short Stories

Never a dull moment at my home!

I used to have a lot of dull moments, days where I took a kid or two to Costco or Target simply because I nothing else pressing to do.  Suddenly, I am craving a dull moment so I can recharge my batteries.  

PTA Fundraiser is over.  Yeah!   Super Saturday is over.  Check!  I'm glad to have those two things out of the way.   Now the most pressing things are fun deadlines like card club and craft club.  I even did a whole house-full of laundry the other day (sheets and all!) and had the beds made and the clothes folded and put away in under 24 hours.  That's an accomplishment!  In October those clean clothes would have sat in the basket until the dirty basket overflowed again the next week.  Now I just have a small basket of laundry to iron, and I think I'm waiting for a night where I have enough energy to watch the Netflix copy of "Jane Eyre" that's been sitting on my desk for about 10 days now.

Here are a few of the small things that have made me smile in the last little bit:

1)  Sawdust

A few Saturdays ago, Mark and I spent an hour or so cutting wood for my Super Saturday craft.  I was going to borrow the leaf blower from the neighbor to blow all the sawdust out of the garage, when Mark stopped me.  He grabbed the shop vac and called Mason over.  Apparently, when Mark was Mason's age, it was his job to clean up the sawdust after his dad's projects.  I thought for sure Mason wouldn't be interested, but I was so wrong!  He spent an hour with the vacuum, sucking up sawdust from all corners of our garage.  It we'd asked Tyler, there would be no way he'd last more than 30 seconds.  But good natured Mason (who is also at the cute age of 5 rather than the stinker age of 8 1/2) enjoyed every minute of it.  I could tell Mark was reminiscing as he saw the roles reversed... now with  HIS son cleaning sawdust from his project.  It was sweet.

2) Budding Capitalist

I almost threw away the packaging for Trix yogurt the other morning when I noticed a strip of "tongue tattoos" taped to the inside of the box... kind of like a prize in a cereal box.  I almost threw them away, but then offered them to Tyler.  He had me throw them in his lunch box and I didn't give it another thought.

That afternoon after school, Tyler came home with two football trading cards.  I had allowed him to take money for only one (50 cents), so I immediately assumed he had snuck two more quarters.  He told me no, he hadn't snuck.  At lunch, one of the boys at his table wanted a tattoo, and Tyler sold one to him for 50 cents.  Then two girls wanted a tattoo or two, and he sold three more for 50 cents.  The kid banked $2 on something I was going to throw away!  I wouldn't have even thought of selling them, I would have just shared them if I was an 8 year old.  But Tyler is his father's son, and saw an opportunity to make a sale :)  It's in the genes, I suppose! Not my genes, though!

Tyler with his tongue tattoo.  It says "Trix."

3)  Color Change

Over the last 12 2/3 years, we've moved many, many times.  I'm never usually in one place long enough to really make it "my own," so to speak.  But we've been in this house in Texas for two years, and it doesn't look like we'll be leaving any time soon, so I got the itch this week to make some changes, to make this house a little more personal.  Enter my current favorite magazine, House Beautiful:

November 2011 issue

I was so inspired by the colors on the cover!  I don't have the budget to move to an urban loft or buy new furniture, but I did know a wall in my house that needed a face lift and that the orange on this cover was just the remedy.  Luckily, in the article inside the magazine, they listed the colors they used.  This color is called "Cork" from Ralph Lauren (which they don't sell at Home Depot any more, darn it. I had to drive 25 minutes away to get the paint chip).  I had it matched at Sherwin Williams and painted it today.

So here's the before.  It's technically a dining room, but we have no formal dining set and use it as a music room (can you see all four instruments?).  I forgot to take an official before picture... you can see my little test splotches on the wall and I had already started moving some things away from the wall.

And here's the AFTER:

Doesn't it just POP! It's so bold, I am in love.  Even my husband was at a loss for words for a few moments, and that is saying something because I was just expecting a conciliatory "humph"from him (he thought my paint samples on the wall looked like poop smears).  He really loved it, which made me love it even more!  Now I need to do something with that sofa table... I'm thinking a lighter color? It has a spray painted destiny, if I can find the right color in the next little while.  Anyways, it makes me happy.  It makes the room classy and formal and it just brings everything together.  And doesn't it just look so pretty with the harp???


So those are my short stories.  Other than those, life is pretty much back to crazy normal.  I have 3 piano students, scouts, birthday parties, homework, laundry, etc. etc. that fill up my days.  Luckily my days aren't "overflowing" any more because my two big commitments-- PTA and Super Saturday-- are either over or done for the next little while.  Hallelujah, because I didn't think I was going to make it out of October alive!  You combine my crazy schedule with Mark's stress (October is always a money-stressful month for dentists!) and it was a long month.  Of course, November and December are always hopping for Mark, so it looks like I need to plan some more projects for myself while he pulls more late-nighters.  *sigh*  Such is the life!  I'm trying not to complain :)

PTA and other October Activities

Did I ever mention to you that I'm in the PTA?

You've probably heard if you've spoken to me in person any time over the last three months.  It literally ran my life from the day I stepped out of the car from Utah back on to Texas soil.  It was running my thoughts a lot longer before that... from the day I said "Yes" to being the PTA VP of Fundraising back in the spring (yep, I have an issue with saying no!).  The person who asked me to sign up for this position gave me a general run down of what it would involve, but nothing could have fully prepared me for all I had to learn/do in this position.  I liken it to someone who is given a general description of the Book of Mormon, says yes to getting baptized, and the next day gets called to be the Relief Society President of a struggling ward.  Yeah, it's crazy like that.

I could go on a whole diatribe about what the last 10 weeks have been like, but I don't want you to get the wrong impression.  I have really come to appreciate what the PTA does and stands for and to appreciate all the people who give hours on end of their time to an organization whose sole purpose is to support our kids and teachers.  Before this year I never even paid to be part of the PTA, so I've learned a lot!  I've enjoyed being a part of Tyler's school, where I always had excuses before. I appreciate the work that goes into running a charitable organization.

On the other hand, I am disappointed in the past year's PTA for apparently giving it such a bad name that few want to help this year! Case in point... the main Fundraiser this year was simply a Donation Drive... write a check and 100% of it goes to PTA, rather than a smaller percent from catalog/cookie dough sales.  We all thought, given this economy, that this fundraiser would appeal to people more.  Today is the last day of the fundraiser.  Our goal was $15,000 ($20 per kid); we barely hit $5000 yesterday.  It's hard not to blame myself for the dismal turnout, but I ran this fundraiser completely on my own.  I had no committee of volunteers to help me with signs, motivators, emails, soliciting business donations, etc. etc.  It was just me. And I simply did the best I could all on my own. I am BURNED OUT.  I'm ready for a little R&R where I can craft and clean my house without worrying about signs, etc.

So what's the take home message?  VOLUNTEER for your PTA or other organization! Yes, our church asks a lot of us, but we need to get out in the community more! 

Mason with the new Eagle mascot, bought with PTA funds

Getting ready to march in the High School parade for the elementary school float.  Yep, PTA paid for that float too!

I've managed to squeeze in a few Halloween activities when I'm not doing PTA.  At the beginning of October I took the kiddos to a harvest festival where they got free pumpkins.  They had a really fun time painting them... I let them go all out.  I also pulled out some decorations for the season... nothing like my house growing up (Mom had TONS of holiday decor!) but enough that my kids think I'm festive.  And if you drive by my house, yes, that's a body-less zombie floating above my front door!  Mason had a fall festival and Halloween party at school.  We also went to "Boo at the Zoo," which was disappointing in every way except for the live animal show where Tyler got to hold a boa constrictor!

Tyler painting a pumpkin

Mason's preschool class.  He's third kid from the left.  They got to dress up and parade around for all the parents.

Here's Mason again at school... no Light Sabers allowed.  He's Anakin Skywalker, as a padowan.  Not to be confused with Tyler, who will be "Evil Anakin."

Look at that face.  Tyler is in heaven.  And that thing is not even full grown!!!

The weekend before Halloween is always the big Air Show at Alliance Airport just up the road.  Last year we didn't go (mistake) and watched the Blue Angels from our house (yeah, we didn't see much).  This year I told Mark it was a must-go, and we had a great time! Our kids lasted four hours, which was a little long, but we really wanted to see the Air Force Thunderbirds (just like the Blue Angels but not from the Navy).  We got to go inside a real Boeing 777, which has now ruined them for future air travel (now that they've seen what first class can be like!).  We saw a "Flying hospital" (it had an actual surgery suite and recovery room).  We also saw lots of vintage aircraft and watched the barnstormers do some really awesome stunts.  The Thunderbirds were the icing on the cake... amazing!  I almost think Mark and I were a little more excited than the boys.

Those jet planes are REALLY loud!!!

On the giant wheels of the Boeing 777

All six Thunderbirds... how do they do that???

Our vantage point for the Thunderbirds... outside the gates, close to the cars for a quick get-away!

And lastly, the other thing which takes up my days... Scouts.  I've been Wolf Den co-leader for almost 18 months now.  It's exhausting and fun all at the same time.  I love my den and think we have fun... while at the same time I always harp on them to act more respectful in their Scout uniforms! Oh well.  One can try.  We had the Halloween party at my house this week.  I taught them Frisbee Golf and they made two yummy Halloween-themed treats.  I'm sure when Tyler turns 9 next month I'll be bumped up to Bears... If I am, that's okay.  If I'm released, it will be a nice break!  I need a break.  But I think the break will come after Christmas... because I have two birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas to plan for now!

Isaac, Tyler, Darren, Gavin, West, and Wade with their Pumpkin-face tortillas

Wade, Tyler, Gavin, Isaac, and Darren.  And of course, Mason.  They made some cute (and yummy!) spider cookies.

California Nightmare

Yes, if Darth Maul himself would have shown up and attacked me with a light saber, I wouldn't have been surprised given the amount of bad things we had to go through on the last four days of our vacation!

(Darth Maul did show up by the way.  This was my front-row picture of him at Disneyland with my crappy phone camera.  But when he came we were still having a great time and Tyler and Mason got to defeat him with their awesome light saber moves.)

The last half of our trip can be most aptly called a "Comedy of Errors, 2011 Style!"  I can't make this stuff up; I promise it all happened as I'm going to describe.

#1) The Car Situation
At our beach house in Newport we had one big problem... three cars and only two garage parking spots.  Anyone who's tried to park at the beach knows that beach parking is awful! So we worked it out that my parent's car and my sister's car would be parked in the garage and the behemoth that we lucked out with (a brand new Yukon XL... seriously, it had 3 miles on it when we got the keys) would park in front of the closed double garage door.  This worked well enough.  The single car garage that was attached to our double car garage was for the lower unit in our duplex (we were the upper).  The only time we'd seen someone there was the first night of our stay.  There was no "do not park here or you'll be towed away" sign on the single garage door; regardless, we never parked in front of it even when Mark had to park half a mile away one night.

Until our last night there.

We had just gotten back from Disneyland.  It was late, our kids were asleep, we were wiped out.  My parents car and our car made it back to the condo; my sister's car was 30 minutes behind because she had to pick up her daughter at my Aunt's home.  Mark pulled in front of the single car garage to leave room for my sister to pull in.  We lugged our kids inside, got them settled, then crashed in our beds.  Maybe 2 minutes after our heads hit the pillow, my sister pulled in the garage.  I thought, "I should probably tell Mark to go move the car." Then I thought, "No one has been there for 2 nights, we're exhausted, we'll just move it in the morning" and went to sleep.

The next morning we had loaded up our suitcases and walked them down to load in the car.  Except, NO CAR.  Yep, gone.  Mark called the police; I was actually hoping it was stolen.  Nope: TOWED! What the heck??? We went and knocked on the door to the lower unit, but no one answered.  We looked in the garage: no car. My brother drove Mark and I to the police station.  Then to the tow yard to have them get our rental agreement.  Then to the police station to get a letter saying we could pick up our car.  Then the tow yard to pay $269 to pick up our rental car... which had been there all of 4 hours! Yep, it got towed at 3am.  I don't know who was walking around at 3am and decided to call the police... our best guess is that the jerk owner of the lower unit has someone on the lookout just to ruin people's vacations.  I don't get it. We managed to get the car back to the condo just in time for the cleaning crew to come curse us out of the town home. We quickly loaded the car and were out of there, steam oozing from our ears, off to Arrowhead.

#2) CHiP with Nothing Better to Do

We got to Arrowhead late.  It is a long, windy road to the top, and then narrow and windy to the cabin once you're up there.  The roads are impossible to take fast... 10-15 mph at most.  We had made a dinner stop so made it there about 30 minutes after the rest of the family did.  Unfortunately, an inevitable family squabble had erupted prior to our arrival and everyone was in a sour mood.  Ah vell.  We plunked the kids in bed and hoped to have a better next day.

Having never been to Arrowhead before, I was disappointed to find there was no beach for the kids to play on.  The only "shore" was a boardwalk and some small boat docks surrounded by high-end shopping.  We made the best of it; we bought the duck/fish food and let the kiddos feed the animals and spent some time browsing the ridiculously expensive stores.  As we loaded the car, Mark decided to hand Jack to me in the front passenger seat to hold as he was nearly asleep.  No big deal, right? We're less than a mile from home and we can't go fast on these roads anyways.  Out of character, I didn't even put my seatbelt on.

A quarter mile out of the parking lot we come around a bend and WHAM see a California Highway Patrol officer just sitting there, pointed in our direction.  CRAP.  Jack has been laying on my lap, and I throw him back to my brother who buckles him, screaming, into his car seat.  We look in the rearview mirror and, to our horror, the CHiP has turned on their lights and is following us.  We have to drive a miserable half mile to finally find a place with a shoulder on the road to stop.  My seatbelt is on, Jack is in his car seat, but she comes to my side and has me roll down my window.  She announces that she pulled us over because MY seatbelt wasn't on.  She asks for my license (which I didn't bring... I wasn't driving) and insurance (it's a rental car... don't have their insurance).  She goes back to her car.  I'm sweating bullets... at least she didn't say that she saw Jack, or I would have been in even bigger trouble! She spends 3 eternal minutes in her car with the only information I can give her (my license number), before coming and giving me a TICKET. Nope, not a warning, not a "please wear your seatbelt the next time you are driving for a mile at 10 miles an hour" warning, but a ticket.  Because they know I'm out of state and can't fight it.  And she has the gaul to tell me to have a nice day as I roll up my tinted window.  If I wasn't better mannered I would have flipped her off, I was so angry.

I was angry, but not just at her.  Here was the SECOND ding on our vacation, the second instance of something that we could have prevented.  Something that I've done before (driven for a short distance without a seatbelt or parked briefly in a tow away zone) and never been caught.  And now, on my vacation, I have been dealt a double blow.  When we got  back to the cabin I went and cried myself to sleep in my pillow.  I was notably grumpy the rest of the day.

#3) The Difference 5 Minutes Makes

The next day our family flew out.  Our flight was at 1:55 pm.  I knew the distance to LAX was about 90 miles, so I wanted to be out of there by 10am.  I was nearly ready to go when my Aunt and family showed up at 9:30.  Not wanting to be rude (it was her cabin we were staying in after all) I stayed and chatted and we ended up on the road officially at 10:40.  For a Saturday morning, the traffic wasn't that bad. But it's LA, and it took us a while to get to the Car Rental drop off (a mile or two by shuttle away from the airport).  We jumped out of the car and threw our baggage on a soon-departing shuttle, but it was now 40 minutes before our flight's scheduled departure.  We got to the terminal (the last stop for the shuttle) and were informed that, Sorry, your bags have to be on the flight 45 minutes before departure and Sorry, you may not get on this flight.  Visions of four-letter-words are now dancing in my head! Why did we leave an hour later? Why can't they let us on this flight and check our luggage on another flight? Why can't they see that we are traveling with three kids under age 8 and be flexible?  As Mark and I sit her pondering our next steps, I realize that in our haste we left two of our carry-ons sitting on at the Car Rental Drop-off.  So, Mark takes the shuttle back to the car rental counter and I, with three boys, try to find us a new flight to get home.

After waiting in line with people actually on time for their flights, I finally get to a ticket agent.  After 10 minutes of playing around on his computer and consulting with his supervisor, the best he can offer me is a red-eye to Atlanta and then a flight from Atlanta to DFW.  Oh, and any change we make now is $50. PER. TICKET. *sigh*  I book the red eye, just wanting to get out of LA and back to my bed.  I call Mark and I start to cry a little bit from sheer frustration.

Because our terminal is the last stop on the shuttle, it takes Mark 30 minutes to make it back with our "lost" carry-ons.  During that time he has been on the phone with another ticket agent, and has changed our red-eye to a flight the next morning at 7:55 am, going from LAX to Minneapolis to DFW.  He drops off the bags with me and the boys, heads back to the Rental Car place *again* and gets us a small rental car that we can use the rest of the day.  We book a hotel nearby and make the best of things by spending a fun rest of the afternoon at the Santa Monica Pier (see my last blog entry for more details).

#4) Should Have Skipped Breakfast

The next morning we wake up extra early, wait for the breakfast buffet to open at 6:30, then Mark drops me off with the boys and the luggage to check in before he takes the rental car back.  We want to make SURE our luggage gets on this time! We get it all checked in, no problem.  But then the boys and I wait... and wait... and WAIT for Mark to get back.  I'm getting panicky.  Apparently the shuttle is FULL, and once again, we are at the LAST STOP on the shuttle.  So Mark has gotten off somewhere and is running (torn Achilles and all) back to our terminal.  15 minutes to go before our plane is set to leave, we run with the kids and carry-ons to the security, where they take their sweet old time getting us through (hello, full-body scans!).  We throw our shoes back on and run to the gate, with 5 minutes to spare.  Only to be told, Sorry, we lock the cabin doors TEN minutes prior to departure.  No, we won't let you on. Sorry, you'll have to re-book.  This is where I. LOOSE. IT.  I sob loudly and uncontrollably.  We were checked in to our flight! Why would they possibly lock the doors without FIVE passengers on board? Who are these hellian airline employees that want to drive me to the insane asylum??? Has no one no pity or compassion? A different Delta agent comes up and has the audacity to tell me "sweetheart, you can just book a different flight" before I scream at her that we've already been through this and we've already paid $250 to get on THIS flight that is leaving without us.

My kids are starting to worry about their mom at this point.  They think they are just having a wonderful adventure.  I sit on the floor, staring into space, wondering how in the world I'll ever get home.  Mark is at the agent's desk, trying to make something work.  In five minutes he runs us to a gate down the hall, on a flight we've been rebooked on again that is in it's final boarding stages.  We get the kids on board and Mark tells me how the rest of our day is going to proceed: we've now been booked from LAX to Las Vegas, from Vegas to Memphis, and then from Memphis to DFW.

#5) Lessons in Gate-Checked Luggage

Each of our layovers (Vegas and Memphis) were two hours long.  Our kids were great on each flight and each layover, bless their hearts.  By the time we were in the air to Vegas I stopped crying and tried to be a better mommy... at least we were out of California and had a glimmer of hope that we'd get in our beds tonight.  We made our connection find in Vegas, and landed in Memphis with no problems.  When I picked up our gate-checked stroller, though, something was wrong.  The handles were all askew.  On closer inspection, it was obvious that the airplane cargo door had been slammed on our $125 stroller, nearly shearing off the handle and making it nearly un-workable.  We put in a complaint with the gate agent in Memphis, who said we'd have to make an official claim at our destination (Dallas).  When we finally got there, the luggage agent said "sorry, we don't insure gate-checked luggage.  We can offer you a $25 gift card, though!" WHAT??? Your employees negligently ruin my stroller and you won't replace it??? They tell me I can come back in the morning and talk to the supervisor.  I just shake my head.  It goes along with the bad luck of the last three days, plus who the heck has the time to drive all the way back to the airport the next morning?  It's been nearly a month and the handle has completely broken off.  I still haven't made a claim... it's probably too late.

#6) Oh Yes, there's MORE!

On our flight from Memphis to DFW, we followed a HUGE line of thunderstorms.  It was like watching the northern lights... boom, boom, boom, strikes of lightening everywhere, with no break in between! It was quite a light show.  At this point it's at least 9:30 pm.  I know that we should be descending soon.  The captain comes on the intercom.  Due to the amazing lightening storm we've been watching, apparently DFW had to shut down for an hour.  We've been instructed to circle around Waco and wait for our turn to land, which shouldn't be a problem because we have plenty of gas.

Famous last words.

We circle, and circle, and circle Waco until the captain comes on as says we are now nearly out of gas. We are being diverted to Austin to refuel, then it should be smooth sailing to DFW.  We land in Austin, and after 45 minutes on the ground (getting permission to refuel, getting refueled, getting new flying orders, etc.) we leave again to DFW.  We land, FINALLY, at home, at 5 minutes after Midnight.

#7) Insult to Injury

Mark has taken Mason with him to the remote parking lot to pick up the car while I try to sort out the broken stroller mess and getting the luggage that was checked on an earlier fligh. Tyler and Jack and I wait, and wait for them to come back with the van.  I'm starting to worry... have they had a car accident? What possibly could be taking so long?  I can't call Mark because his phone is dead (our kids have been playing games and watching movies on our phone to keep entertained on all the flights).  Finally, 30 minutes later, he pulls up.  What took so long? The battery was dead. Yes, a small light had apparently been turned on by one of our kiddos and drained the battery for the nearly 8 days it sat in the parking lot.  He had to wait while the shuttle driver found something to jump our car with. *sigh* Who's surprised at this point?

Then Jack falls in his attempt to get in the car.  Scraped nose and face... big scars for the next week or two.  The battery, despite being driven for 45 minutes, thoroughly gives up the ghost the next day, requiring us to buy a new battery.

But hey, we're HOME! It's 2am, but we're home.

I let the kids sleep in the next day and take Tyler to school nearly 2 hours late.  Mark's greeted at work by grumbly employees.  But we're back in our routine for better or for worse, but we're just glad to be HOME.  Here's one vacation for the story books.  And if you've read the whole "Comedy of Errors," I applaud you for making it through this one, crazy, awful story!

Our California Adventure: the Happy Part!

 Well,  all 39 photos that I wanted to upload to this post just popped in in reverse chronological order, so we'll work with it!

We had a wonderful trip to Southern California the week of September 10-17.  The weather was great, the Theme Parks were practically empty, and we got to spend a lot of time with family! What more can you ask for??? My sister Tiffany and I planned this trip nearly two years ago, so we were very very excited that the time had finally come to go! My parents and my brother Darren and his family joined us as well.

As you can tell from my blog title, there is a very unhappy part to our trip... which unfortunately unfolded itself the entire second half!  But now (two weeks later) I prefer to reminisce on the MANY, many wonderful things we did.  So here they are, with a little narration, in REVERSE order:

Santa Monica Pier

This was an unexpected stop on our vacation! We ended up doing it spur-of-the-moment and it was really, really fun. The pier is just 15 minutes north of LAX, in a beautiful little part of Southern California that I've never been to--but always wanted to visit (you'd never think I was born in Southern California since it took me 34 years to get here!).  The pier is not only the official end to Route 66, but it also has lots of fun rides (roller coaster, ferris wheel) that reminds me of what Coney Island must be like.  We hit the Santa Monica beach about 90 minutes before sunset on a Saturday night, which was a bit crowded but absolutely beautiful.

The official end of Route 66!

On the ferris wheel... about a 10 minute ride!

On the ferris wheel... just before sunset!

We let Tyler take our picture at the very end of the pier... not a bad job, Ty!

Jack overlooking Santa Monica beach... a much larger and flatter beach than we'd been to earlier in the week.

While walking to the pier we stumbled upon something I've only heard of... a "gym" on the beach! There were all sorts of buff dudes showing off on the rings and the rope climb (luckily there was more eye candy for me... not too many hot chicks showing off!).  Next to the "adult gym" was a "kiddie gym" area, outfitted with smaller versions of what the buff dudes had.  The boys played for nearly an hour on all the equipment!

Tyler making a move on the rings

Jack did a pretty good job just hanging on the rings!

Mason doing the monkey bars the easy way!

Not to be outdone, Jack attempts the monkey bars the hard way!

Here's the pier.  Like I said, this is all in reverse order.  I got so excited to see all the rides and the beautiful beach! The boys did not tire on our half mile walk to get there, they were so excited too! (Granted, they weren't so excited to walk back... we wore them out!)

Lake Arrowhead

We spent late Thursday thru Saturday morning at Lake Arrowhead. My Aunt Susan and her family own a cabin there. The area pretty famous (I guess several celebrities have homes here) in the mountains 90 miles away from L.A.  The drive to get there was pretty treacherous... sea level to 5000+ feet above in a few short miles on a very windy, narrow road.  But the lake was beautiful and the cabin very relaxing.  While there, we finally got around to playing board games (well, the men did.  They played Power Grid several times--- and it's at least a 2 hour game!), watching movies, and just chillin'. The lake has no shoreline (too steep), so we went to the boardwalk and fed the ducks and catfish (50 cents a bag for food!) and walked around.  The rest of the time we spent either walking the 100 steps down to the boat docks (our family never did get to ride a boat!) or having fun in the cabin or on the cabin's awesome deck.

My brother Darren feeding ducks with Mason.  I think he only tried to throw him in once!

On one of the boat docks overlooking the lake

We all wore long sleeves or long pants because it was cool in the mountains!

Riverside National Cemetery

In a roundabout way on our way from Newport Beach to the Lake Arrowhead Cabin, our caravan stopped at Riverside National Cemetery where my grandparents are buried.  It is a military cemetery, and as my Grandpa Bucky served in WWII, he and my grandma were buried here.  It is a HUGE cemetery, and all the grave markers are in the ground.  When you get there, you type in your loved one's name in a computer and it gives you exact coordinates to were they are buried.  Although I made it to California for both of their funerals, we were never allowed at the funeral to see the burial site (apparently because the cemetery is so busy) until long after they are buried.  So, this was my (and everyone but my dad's, for that matter) first time to their grave.  It was a very solemn and sweet experience.  We all shared stories and memories, cried a few tears, and determined to make our own lives better that day.  We had a nice family prayer at the gravesite as well.  I left some flowers, which made me feel a little better.  Ironically, my sister-in-law Heather's grandpa was buried only a few hundred feet from my grandparents, so we visited his grave as well.

My dad's parents... George ("Grandpa Bucky") and Catherine ("Grandma Kay").  I like that Angel Moroni is on their headstone, even though they weren't active in the church at the time of their death.

Immediate Tintle family members by the grave... mom, me, Tiffany; dad, Darren 

The (second) Happiest Place(s) on Earth

On Wednesday we spent the day at Disneyland and California Adventure.  Granted, each of these Theme Parks deserve their own full day, but we decided to fit in the best of the best in just one day so we could have more days on the beach.  I could kick myself that I did not have my nice camera... most of the pictures I have on my phone (which I haven't uploaded yet) and we also took a TON of video (also not uploaded yet).

You can see by the first picture that we began the day with the royal treatment... lunch at Club 33!  This exclusive restaurant is only accessible to Club 33 members, and we're lucky that my uncle works for a company with a membership (I don't believe you can even buy memberships anymore!)!!! Woo hoo!  Though others in our party had been there before, it was my little family's first time.  For the price of the meal (which is EXPENSIVE) you get the nice meal + appetizer/dessert buffet PLUS a park hopper ticket for the day). The lunch was phenomenal... Mark had the Chateubriand and I had the free-range chicken with truffle macaroni and cheese.  Even Mason got a steak-- and why not?? It was the same price as the spaghetti!

My parents with most of the grandkids that went to Disneyland... Tyler, Jane, Stockton, and Mason

In front of the famous Club 33 door in New Orleans Square (just past Pirates of the Caribbean)

But enough about the food.  After a delicious detour at Club 33, we spent the rest of the day hitting most of our favorite rides.  We had to coax Mason on several (Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Matterhorn come to mind), but he and Tyler did great! I think the highlight for them was Star Tours and the Jedi Training interactive show (surprise! both were Star Wars themed).  For the latter, actors dressed as Jedis picked about 20 kids from the audience to come on stage and learn to be Jedis.  Both Tyler and Mason got to go up! They gave them cloaks and light sabers and taught them some elementary moves.  Then... dum dum dum dum!!!... out came a real-looking Darth Vader (with storm troopers) and Darth Maul.  Even *I* was awe-struck! The kids got to battle Darth Maul (which we got on video).  Then it was over to California Adventure for some more fun rides and an amazing water-and-light show after dark.  All in all it was a great day, especially since it wasn't that crowded and waits in line were no more than 15 minutes per ride. The kids had fun, but I think the happiest place on earth for them might not have been Disneyland...

On the bus from where we parked to Disneyland itself... so excited!


LEGOLAND

Yes, I hate to say it, but the happiest place on earth for my kids at this point in their life just might be Legoland!  Our family plus brother-in-law Phillip and his daughter Jane spent 7 glorious hours amongst a gazillion legos.  For those of you not familiar with Legoland, just think Disneyland with Legos.  The place has rides for all ages, interactive Lego play areas, stores to buy Legos, and in the middle there is a huge "miniland" where many famous cities in the USA are reconstructed out of Legos.  Throughout the park as well there are several massive Lego structures, made of hundreds of thousands of Legos.  The park was also divided into themes based on the Lego sets... Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lego City, etc.  I left thinking "how in the world do people come up with so many Lego structures??" Must be an awesome job!  The best part of the whole day? We had NO lines to wait in.  Most rides we walked on... I think the longest we waited was 5-10 minutes.

The entrance... on our way out :)

Jack wanted nothing to do with the life-sized Lego pirate!

On the tame "helicopter ride... Mason and I in the yellow, Phillip and Jane in the red, Tyler in the blue

Lego New York City... they're currently adding on to it on the left

A life sized Lego Darth Vader!

Lego Naboo... they had all famous scenes from Star Wars depicted

Lego Chewbacca and R2D2

Phillip on the crazy roller coaster!

Mark and Tyler on their first coaster... and no, Tyler did not throw up! (though he looks like it!)

One of the water rides

Giant Lego pumpkin the kids could climb on right at the entrance.

Newport Beach and our Beach House

I'll let the pictures speak mostly for themselves here.  We spent Sunday, Tuesday, and part of Thursday just hanging out at the beach.  Our house was 30 feet from the sand, and you could see the waves from our balcony.  It was a beautiful home, trumped only by the fact that we were so close to the beach!  We built sand castles, boogie boarded, flew our kite, and just soaked in the relaxation that simply being on a beach provides.  It was heavenly! (Mark and I also did 3 runs along the beach... also heavenly!)

Can you see the Newport Beach pier way in the distance? It was about 1.25 miles away.

Heather and Stockton (3 months old)

Mom and Darren flying the kite

Paisley, my sister Tiffany's 1-year-old

My dad and I doing the famous Tintle "suck-it-in" beach pose!

Can you tell how happy these boys are???

I'm so glad that I'm writing down all the happy memories first. It makes me forget all the comedy of errors that happened that made the last part of our trip so darn difficult!  But that story is for another blog post... and it probably won't include any pictures!!!