This year was a different kind of Mother's Day for me. Chris was in Samoa and I was home with my 4 girls.
On Saturday we went to the San Diego Zoo, which was an adventure. The kids got home from school and we did all the chores on Friday so that we could leave first thing in the morning. The house was all neat and tidy and I was feeling excited about our trip.
Usually Chris drives when we go on longer trips, but this time I had to drive. I got the kids set up with a movie and we left about the time Jenna was expected to take a nap. They had chosen the movie "Cars." Brianna set up the movie, but as it started it was in Chinese. I pulled over and tried to fix it, but couldn't figure it out. All the settings appeared to be in English. Very strange. "No Problem," said the kids. They were willing to watch it just the way it was. (amazing!) After a while, I suggested they turn on the subtitles, so that at least they could read the words. Brianna got that figured out easily and they were in business.
The drive was very peaceful. Jenna was asleep and the girls were engrossed in their movie. If nothing else, they got some nice exposure to the Chinese language! There was only one problem, the trip was now VERY BORING for me! When we travel, Chris and I love to chat without interruption when the kids watch a movie. But I had no one to talk to, only a long drive on a pretty empty freeway (relatively speaking). Just imagine: An hour long drive with the movie "Cars" in CHINESE blaring through your speakers! At least the girls could see the movie and use their imagination. All I could do was listen to a bunch of nonsense words! I couldn't even tell where they were in the movie until a song came up. It felt like an eternity!
Once we got to the zoo, the day was great. They had a booth set up for the kids to make sachets for their moms for Mother's Day. We saw a gross out bug show and Brianna got to have a Madagascar Hissing Cochroach on her shoulder for about 10 minutes up on stage. I love to see her get over her shy tendencies. The girls and I rode the tram and I had to send my little girl all alone in one of the cars! (There is a 4 person maximum.) She loved feeling grown up and I knew she'd be fine, but it still made me feel a little nervous!
On the way home the kids watched "High School Musical." This time it was in English! So the drive was quick and pleasant for me. I was feeling so good I treated the girls to dinner at Carls Jr and let them play in the playland. We got home in time to see the end of High School Musical on the big screen TV and enjoy a bit of dancing to the music at the end. Courtney's got some moves!
The girls went outside and played for about 30 minutes and then they all went to bed. I got to enjoy the fact that my house actually stayed clean for another day! Success!
MOTHERS DAY!
The morning started out quite early. Brianna was so excited to give me my gifts she had made at church and at school that she had woken up her sisters at 5:30 am in order to suprise me. They snuck into my room (I heard them, somehow) and I heard Brianna whisper "Ok, 1, 2, 3 go....HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!!!!" It was so cute to see them standing there with their gifts, but I was absolutely exhausted from having been up with Jenna that I told them thank you and had them put them on the nightstand. I assured them I'd open them soon and was very excited, just still very sleeply. Meanwhile, Jenna woke up. I layed down with her and nursed her (for what ended up being her very last time) and she went back to sleep. I put her in her crib and asked the girls if they could all go downstairs and watch TV and let me sleep in a bit. They agreed and were relatively quiet (I can always hear McKayla when she talks, even from upstairs with the door closed). I actually got to snooze until 8:00 when Jenna woke up. She never sleeps past 7:00, so this was quite a gift!
The rest of the day was normal. I had to deal with the kids, do the clean up, and take them to church. Another gift from Jenna, she actually sat through the entire Sacrament Meeting!
Not a bad Mother's Day, just different. It did leave me totally missing my husband, though!
On Saturday we went to the San Diego Zoo, which was an adventure. The kids got home from school and we did all the chores on Friday so that we could leave first thing in the morning. The house was all neat and tidy and I was feeling excited about our trip.
Usually Chris drives when we go on longer trips, but this time I had to drive. I got the kids set up with a movie and we left about the time Jenna was expected to take a nap. They had chosen the movie "Cars." Brianna set up the movie, but as it started it was in Chinese. I pulled over and tried to fix it, but couldn't figure it out. All the settings appeared to be in English. Very strange. "No Problem," said the kids. They were willing to watch it just the way it was. (amazing!) After a while, I suggested they turn on the subtitles, so that at least they could read the words. Brianna got that figured out easily and they were in business.
The drive was very peaceful. Jenna was asleep and the girls were engrossed in their movie. If nothing else, they got some nice exposure to the Chinese language! There was only one problem, the trip was now VERY BORING for me! When we travel, Chris and I love to chat without interruption when the kids watch a movie. But I had no one to talk to, only a long drive on a pretty empty freeway (relatively speaking). Just imagine: An hour long drive with the movie "Cars" in CHINESE blaring through your speakers! At least the girls could see the movie and use their imagination. All I could do was listen to a bunch of nonsense words! I couldn't even tell where they were in the movie until a song came up. It felt like an eternity!
Once we got to the zoo, the day was great. They had a booth set up for the kids to make sachets for their moms for Mother's Day. We saw a gross out bug show and Brianna got to have a Madagascar Hissing Cochroach on her shoulder for about 10 minutes up on stage. I love to see her get over her shy tendencies. The girls and I rode the tram and I had to send my little girl all alone in one of the cars! (There is a 4 person maximum.) She loved feeling grown up and I knew she'd be fine, but it still made me feel a little nervous!
On the way home the kids watched "High School Musical." This time it was in English! So the drive was quick and pleasant for me. I was feeling so good I treated the girls to dinner at Carls Jr and let them play in the playland. We got home in time to see the end of High School Musical on the big screen TV and enjoy a bit of dancing to the music at the end. Courtney's got some moves!
The girls went outside and played for about 30 minutes and then they all went to bed. I got to enjoy the fact that my house actually stayed clean for another day! Success!
MOTHERS DAY!
The morning started out quite early. Brianna was so excited to give me my gifts she had made at church and at school that she had woken up her sisters at 5:30 am in order to suprise me. They snuck into my room (I heard them, somehow) and I heard Brianna whisper "Ok, 1, 2, 3 go....HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!!!!" It was so cute to see them standing there with their gifts, but I was absolutely exhausted from having been up with Jenna that I told them thank you and had them put them on the nightstand. I assured them I'd open them soon and was very excited, just still very sleeply. Meanwhile, Jenna woke up. I layed down with her and nursed her (for what ended up being her very last time) and she went back to sleep. I put her in her crib and asked the girls if they could all go downstairs and watch TV and let me sleep in a bit. They agreed and were relatively quiet (I can always hear McKayla when she talks, even from upstairs with the door closed). I actually got to snooze until 8:00 when Jenna woke up. She never sleeps past 7:00, so this was quite a gift!
The rest of the day was normal. I had to deal with the kids, do the clean up, and take them to church. Another gift from Jenna, she actually sat through the entire Sacrament Meeting!
Not a bad Mother's Day, just different. It did leave me totally missing my husband, though!
