Oh We're On Our Way...

To Disneyland!!! A Halloween treat from Daddy (or is that "for Daddy"). The Happiest Place on Earth is one of the Kuhtz Family's favorite places. And Daddy's favorite place to relax (odd we know). It isn't very often that people are excited to drive down Hwy 99, but I am right now! No pictures this time. I forgot the camera at home! OOPS!!!

When Playdates go Bad...

My sister told me that after my blog about taking my kids to see Jimmy Buffett that I qualify for the "Bad Mommy" blog series also. Here it goes...

Why is it on the days that you are trying to be the "Good Mommy" everything goes wrong. The good Mommy today decided to let Abby have a friend over to play while her mother was at her sister's Literacy Day (aka Halloween Party) at her school. Good Mommy thought that by having a friend over for a couple hours would allow the Good Mommy to get laundry done, popcorn popped (for Jack's school party tomorrow), and get the family packed to go to Disneyland. High hopes I know but how much work can two 3 year old girls be with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn and the brand new Tinkerbell movie???

See below...

This was a job for the shop vac!!!

A lot of fun, too!!! What Good Mommy forces two 3 year olds to vaccumm their own mess?

Not this one!

Anal Bad Mommy makes the girls do it themselves.

Notice the labelmaker work in the toy closet! :)

Back to playtime! Ok- back to the movie... Tink's pose looks familiar... And I wondered where Abby got it. Mystery solved!

The Barbie Dream House

Who could resist it? And for only $10. Call me Thirfty!

Abby couldn't be happier!

SHHHHH! Jack likes it too!

Uncle Steve's Campfire Stories

Uncle Steve will go to any cost to be labelled the "best uncle". He knows that the way to Patrick's heart is a good old campfire and roasted marshmallows. Patrick doesn't even have to ask for it, Uncle Steve just delivers. At our most recent campfire all the kids participated in the traditional campfire story ala Uncle Steve. The formula goes something like this:

Add- Jack, Abby, and Patrick. Let each child carry a weapon (added for a bit of peril).

Let one of them drive a vehicle to the desired location.

Place them in the forest.

Add your favorite camping activity here.

(hiking, fishing, driving, cooking)

Add a bear (more if more flavor is desired).

By nightfall, let them sleep.

This is where the story gets complicated-

The bear enters the camp.

One of the brave children (or all if you like)

chases, fights, or runs away from the bear(s).

Use weapons.

Story ends badly for the bear every time.

Makes you smile, doesn't it?

The Little Girl Formerly Known as Abby

How many blogs can a blogger blog about Ariel? At my house A LOT! Thursday was the costume parade at Abby's school. My daughter found her true calling pageantry (is that a word?). You would have thought this girl had dead and gone to Beauty Queen Heaven, she waved and smiled, posed and smiled through the entire parade (no Vaseline on the teeth for my baby!). After the parade Abby thanked her dad and I for buying her such a beautiful mermaid costume (1 of 3) and for having a parade for her (it was all for her right? Piaget would say something about egocentricism).

After school one of the moms told Abby that she made a beautiful Ariel. I told the mom that if Abby had her way she would change her name to Ariel. The mom laughed the yeah right laugh and Abby without missing a beat said "can I?" Who is this child? If she didn't look so much like me I would have thought that the hospital switched her at birth and my little tomboy is out there somewhere being forced into beauty pageants and dance recitals.

I can't wait to see what next week is like...

What would Jimmy Buffett do?

Tuesday night was Christmas for the Kuhtz family. After 6 long months of anticipation, we packed up the family SUV and all 4 of us headed to the Shoreline Amphitheatre for a little late summer outdoor concert. I know I am not the best mom, but I know for sure I wasn't the only mom with her kids at the Jimmy Buffett concert on a school night. And guess what I don't care!!! (We did make both kids go to school on Wednesday)

We had a great time! Our kids loved it and even fell asleep in their chairs.

Anticipation is exhausting!

We love Buffett! We loved the concert! We love each other! Christmas- right?

The Bread Bandwagon

So my sister the overachiever, has recently blogged a lot about the joys of baking bread. I think she was tanting me. I love bread! I love warm bread on a cold day with butter and homemade strawberry jam. What I don't like it the time that it takes to make the stuff. If the bread fairy would come to my house and fill it with the smell of baked goodness I would not only eat it everyday but I would also be as big as a house! Today unmotivated to take Abby to the grocery store with me and feeling the doom of day 2 thawed chicken. I came home and made bread today. Now don't confuse my bread making to that of Martha Stewart or Lindsay Callahan. Rachel's concept of bread making requires a Tastefully Simple mix, a can of beer, and 3 Tablespoons of butter. 50 minutes later, fresh bread- YUM! Now the question is what to do with the chicken? I am tried of the grill, I am ready for the fall weather to come back (last week was just a teaser). I want to have "homemade" soup (ie- soup with chicken and whatever is in my veggie drawer and pantry around dinner time) and my warm bread. Making soup at my house requires the preparation of 3 different dinners, because Jack will not eat it, Abby may, and Steve wants big chunks and a little broth. I envy the mom who prepares one dinner for everyone and if they eat it great and if not so what. HMMMM... Maybe we will just go out to eat and forget the whole mess.

Books- I love to read!

I have recently started taking more time to do things for myself, if you call going to the gym and reading in the car at the bus stop and in the parking lot at preschool taking time for yourself then that is what I am doing. Here are some of the books that I have read recently- Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - Vampires and an innocent love story between a vampire and a human girl. LOVE THEM!!! sTORI TELLING- Yes Tori Spelling can write- sort of. I still loved it. Why? Because I grew up with her. I have loved her since 90210, So NoTORIous, and now Tori and Dean. Very Hollywood juicy! Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger- Not as good as the Devil Wears Prada but noteworthy. Kind of an ironic story about girlfriends, one who is forced to edit a poorly written book by a critically acclaimed author. I think Lauren was trying to say something. Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner- A cute sequel to Good in Bed with a happy and sad ending. I love Jennifer Weiner! What I can't wait to read- Too Fat to Fish by Artie Lange- I love Artie! He is so funny and interesting. Can't wait to get my hands on this autobiography.

Breaking Dawn- The last of the Twilight series. I have to finish before the movie comes out November 21st. I know the movies are never as good as the books but I can't miss this one!

Update Monday- I have just discovered 10 more on Amazon.com, while looking for pictures... This blog was dangerous! Hopefully I will be able to make it to the library soon! Happy reading!

You can never go wrong with pink books- Jodi Picolut Jennifer Weiner

Jane Green

Sophie Kinsella

Payback is a... well you know.

Jack's teacher told me a few weeks ago that Jack is "such a sweet boy, he wants to make sure everyone is doing the right thing." WHAT??? "No, Jack is tattling on his schoolmates, you tell him he isn't the teacher and to get to work." The sad thing is that she is right, Jack wants to make sure everyone follows the rules and he will make sure to do the policing even if it means he has to do extra homework over the weekend or gets bit on the shoulder by his sister repeatedly. Last week, Abby and I were hanging out at the Clovis East pool while Jack participated in his swim practice. I have decided that it is easier for me to sit back and read or talk to a friend then it is to worry about the lack of ability one of Jack's coaches has with small children. Abby informed me desperately that she needed to use the restroom, off to the bathroom with dashed, but first my daughter the camel had to stop by the pool to inform her brother that she was "going potty". No big deal right? Wrong? It was as if Abby transformed from this free spirit "little" toddler to a big girl that is able to observe, process, and ready to right the wrongs of the World! What she saw Jack will never live down... Jack walking on the bottom of the pool. This isn't so much a crime but a violation of the unwritten swimmer code of conduct where it says that "a real swimmer does not cheat himself / herself out of the opportunity to improve", thus you must not walk on the bottom of the pool. In the car on the way home Abby reported to Jack that she was going to tell her father of Jack's indiscretion when we got home. Jack was mortified, me I was giggling to myself. Mean? I know, but you know what they say about payback. NOTE- In case you were wondering about where I came up with the name of my blog... This is it.

Art- Quantity vs. Quality? I love it all!

Jack adding the final touches to his master piece... Abby thinks posing for a picture is more important then the picture itself. All of it is beautiful!

I believe as a child I loved to color. Or at least I did in high school... Coloring has not been one of my favorite activities when it comes to my children- why? Because Jack and Abby believed that the best pictures are ones that are done in marker- Crayola, permanent, dry erase- it seems like any time a picture is drawn or a coloring book filled in the "marker mess" begins. Marker mess resembles an explosion at the Crayola marker factory where all the pens have been scattered amidst paper, toys, blankets, and the other miscellaneous matter my children have removed from various hiding spots in our home. I am by no means a neat freak, but I don't like to have to clean up and recap markers after my children have abandoned them on whatever surface they have decided will serve as their desk for the day. All too often that surface is the fabric ottoman, leather couch, or carpet in the game room (try getting permanent ink out of any of those fibers). Some time in early July I had had enough (actually Steve did) with the marker mess, so markers were banished from our children's' hands. Crayons only at the Kuhtz's!!! We have a marker free zone here!! In September, Jack and Abby found that coloring is fun with two clever new inventions called the crayon and colored pencil. They come in so many colors! Thus started the nightly color off. After dinner every night the kids sit down at the kitchen table (which we don't eat at) and color. I think that if this continues will will be able to solve the economic crisis just from the amount of paper my children (Abby) are able to consume on a nightly basis. So the question is quantity (Abby) or quality (Jack). Jack has never been the little Picasso that I would have expected from my creative gene pool. With the discovery of colored pencils that has all changed! People look like people, trees have detail down to the branch that holds the bird's nest. It is amazing! Abby on the other hand has no concern for the number of trees that are being cut down in order to quench her thirst for more paper and more pictures! Abby's artwork is a reflection of her personality, full of movement and expression (I am trying to be nice), and always in some tone of pink or purple with the occasional splash of variety. "What is your picture of?" I ask. Jack will tell the sorry of what is happening in the picture and about the people that live in the house and the birds that fly in the sky, Abby responses with a quick "I don't know" and is off to draw another picture. I have learned to love both of my little artists traditional and abstract approaches to their artwork. Now the problem is how much of it to save...

M-I-C-K-E-Y! M-O-U-S-E!

2004

2005

The Kuhtzs are a proud Disney family. I have written about our love of all things Disney in the past. I own both the Disneyland and Disney World versions of Hidden Mickey books (we won't discuss how I left our Disney World version at home when we actually went to WDW). See we love Disney so much we can abbreviate WDW and DL and know exactly what it means without missing a beat. I have 4 scrapbook albums filled with memories of the last 4 years worth of Disney travel (only 4 because we have gone and not taken more then 10 pictures because I already have 100 of the kids standing with the same Disney character in the exact same spot).

Unfortunately we haven't been to Disneyland in months, now for some of you that is a strange and pompous comment because some of you don't go to DL more then once a year or once in a lifetime. For us is just a fact that we will go to DL at least 3 or 4 times in the course of a year, rain or shine, with or without a reason. Steve is one of a small group of people who would actually travel to DL because he finds it relaxing (is that a sign that you have been somewhere A LOT?).

Right now at this very minute I am missing myself some Disney. I miss the constant piped in tunes of Disney classics and new favorites. I am missing the smell that is pumped in to remind me that it is parade time and yes I would love some popcorn. I am missing the looks of joy on my kids faces when we walk up Main Street, U.S.A. dodging the masses equipped with their strollers and Disney garb. I miss relaxing by the hotel pool and drinking beer with Steve as we watch our children brave the cold water. I am even missing the Disney meltdown (you know the point when you all have had enough and someone doesn't get what they want when they want it, not always pretty but always memorable).

Today I am wishing that we could pack up the kids in the car and head to Anaheim for some real Disney fun! It doesn't hurt to dream!

2007

And the Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down...

I think I heard the other day that the last time it rained in Fresno was May 13th (Jennifer this means I really don't know if that was the day or not ;) ). For the last 10 days the weather men in Fresno have been predicting rain starting Friday, October 3rd into the morning of October 4th. Well low and behold they were right for once! I hate it when the weatherman is right and I have worked all week to convince myself that he will definitely be wrong.

Today is not a day it should rain, you know why? BECAUSE I SAID SO!

1. Jack has his first club swim meet this morning. The first thing that Jack said to me this morning was "why would there be a swim meet on a rainy day?"

2. Fresno State vs. Hawaii 7 pm kickoff. Tailgate starts at 3. Depending on how long it rains this totally screws up what I planned to wear to the game and I am not sure if I have any jeans that fit.

3. David blew out my hair yesterday. While in theory I should be able to salvage the work that he did on my unruly hair yesterday I am not sure I can reverse the damage that the hat on my head has already done to his hard work.

4. I have already caught up on all my recorded TV that I am able to watch with my kids and husband. Nothing to sit around and watch. Other then Rambo and Terminator from Netflix (Steve's picks that I never thought would get to the top of my Queue).

5. Raisins are on the ground... this is totally going to ruin the raisin harvest- Right?

6. I have already told myself there will be no NASCAR nap this weekend. I slept so well last Sunday, I haven't been able to sleep all week.

7. Really the only reason I don't think it should rain today is because I have stuff to do and plans made! Selfish- yes, but I don't care!

I hope that all of you enjoy the first rainy day of Fall curled up under a blanket watching good TV and take a nap for me.