Week in the Life 2014 | Sunday

Today is the last day of documenting a week in my life.  

Today, I want to remember.

Daylight savings time and the extra hour of sleep.

Blue skies.

Golden leaves.

Mama Mia sing alongs with Carter.

Road trip.

Dean Martin on vinyl.

Leftover cornbread.

The Holiday, for the fifth time this week.

Halloween down, fall candles lit.

Clean bed linens.

Cuties.

Week in the Life 2014 | Saturday

Saturday, oh Saturday, how I love you.  It's my favorite day of the week, sandwiched between the hectic workday of Friday and the lazy day of Sunday.

I was up early, too early for a Saturday, with an appointment at Honda for Peggy Pilot to have an oil change.  When I arrived, I was talked into a front end alignment (which I knew needed) and within 10 minutes, I was out the door to start my day with a rental.  Let's just say Peggy is running as smooth as a new car and I invested in a nice healthy check-up.

The story of Saturday was soccer and family.

I love Liv.  She is finally coming around to talk to me.  She reminds me so much of her mama, who I adore.  She was fweezing at the soccer field this morning, so was I Livy.

The story of Saturday includes these two girls.  Cousins by LOVE.

The story of Saturday was another car trip for me and JH for soccer.  We spend a lot of time in the car on Saturdays, but hanging with JH solo for a few hours is always fun.  We are silly, we dance, we laugh. We noticed we both have double chins, we laughed some more (which is better than crying).

The story of Saturday was weekend soccer game #1 for JH.  Coach Sean yells, he yells a lot, a.lot.  It was an intense game.  His team lost 3-1, but he played awesome with some amazing saves.  His team and their parents just love Joseph.

The story of Saturday was family.  After Lilia's game and after picking up my car at the Honda dealer and before heading to JH's game, I started some soup in the crockpot.  When I got home, I made some cornbread and we packed up for papa and Lita's house.  But we first had an kitchen sing along to Mama Mia.

Saturday night's story was food -- chicken chili soup, cornbread, tortillas, beans, fried papas and fideo.  Meets the needs of all our eaters.  I love my nieces.

Week in the Life 2014 | Friday

Catch up.

Happy Halloween.

You'd think with being such a big day, I'd have a ton of pictures.  But I don't.  And I'm having trouble getting them off my phone and on to my computer, this may be a delayed post.

I want to remember that big brothers are the best.  I was driving home and Alex called me a bit lost.  He was dropping off his application at the City of Federal Way for Youth Commission.  Luckily I was very close.  Lilia was with him and they were heading to Cold Stone for ice cream.  I guess it was the pre-sugar to the sugar.

I want to remember Sofia and her friends.  I am thankful that she has a social high school life.  This is the second year that she has been involved in WE SCARE HUNGER, collecting food for the food bank, instead of candy for herself.  Sofia, Emily and Sophie.

I want to remember this girl.  She was so excited to visit Ava, Van and Liv tonight to trick or treat in their neighborhood.  Finn and Leo too and a number of other kids, who I didn't know.  We walked for a few hours, enough for a full candy bag.  Back at the Young house, candy assessment, medicine (for cat exposure) and kisses.  She and Ava have a game in the morning, so Lilia spent the night (her first at Ava's) and I headed home to check on JH.

I want to remember that JH spent his first Halloween solo.  Malachi and JH made a Costco pizza, played Madden football on XBox and attended to the treaters at the door.

I want to remember that this October was a crazy one, so much that our "decorations" didn't get put out on the door until Halloween.  And a string of pumpkin lights it was, along with four carved pumpkins.  The boys said we had about 25 trick or treaters.

Halloween 2014, check.

Week in the Life 2014 | Thursday

The story of Thursday is blur.  It's the craziest day of the week.  I generally leave the house in the morning and come back 12 hours later.

The number of pictures I took today was pretty pathetic.  Ali Edwards takes about 150 a day.  I think I took 15, some of the same thing at a different angle.  We shall go with what I have....

The story I want to remember about today is Ms. Lilia.  She has been asking me all kinds of questions that makes me wonder about what goes on in her mind.  She has been asking about Eric and my divorce, how, why....when did he leave.  And oh, how she wishes he still lived with us.

She also wished this morning that our family would be like her cousin Ava's.  At first I thought she was thinking about the whole married parents scenario, but she was thinking more about Halloween, and not having siblings that go out with her to trick or treat.  Sometimes it's hard to be the youngest in the family.  I told her that maybe someday Liv (Ava's little sister) might feel the same way, when her siblings get too old to ToT.  At least she has a positive attitude that she will get me all to herself at home, the longest while her older siblings go off to college.  Let's see if she will be as stuck to me at 14.

The story I want to remember is that I am blessed and grateful for health care.  Lilia is spending the night at the Young house tomorrow night.  Her first sleepover at their house.  She is beyond excited.  They have cats.  Lilia is allergic to cats.  We have been getting her body filled with medicine in hopes to ward off any allergic reactions.  Fingers crossed.

The story I want to remember is the snapchats from Sofia while she is at school.  Sometimes it's her and her friends, other times it's projects she is working on.  Today I got to see the pottery projects she has completed to date.  I'm glad she has one class that is somewhat fun, even though she says pottery isn't as easy as you would think.

The story I want to remember about today is the rain.  THE RAIN.  So much rain!  Lilia and JH both had soccer tonight --- thus the crazy day.  She practiced in a mud pit.  Since Lilia is rarely cold, this was so much fun for her.  JH on the other hand was freezing and grumpy.  I told him perhaps he wasn't moving enough to break out a sweat.

The story I want to remember about today is that Lilia is still a little girl.  Sometimes I forget.  She is so tall, so mature at times and is exposed to so much more than her older siblings at this same age.  She still loves baths and she loves to play, talk and imagine.  And that's okay.

Tomorrow is our Halloween Party at work.  Cookies are baked, food is prepped, I hope if I feed everyone enough they won't notice I don't have a costume on....

Week in the Life 2014 | Wednesday

Just for future reference, these pictures are taken with my iPhone and my Canon.  Neither of which I operate well.  The goal is to capture the story, not a perfect picture.

The stories for today.

I don't want to like coffee, but I do.  And I want to love coffee with coconut milk instead of 1%, but I don't.  Regular milk is so much better.  It's so hard to be healthy, most days.  Who am I kidding, everyday.  It's a struggle.

I am thankful that Alex and Sofia can drive to school.  It gives them a bit more time in the morning.    They are supposed to leave the house at 7am, while lately it's closer to 7:10am.  She sweet talks her teacher and doesn't get a tardy.  He says he takes it like it is, and gets a tardy pass.  I heard Sofia finally go to sleep last night at 1:20 am.  No wonder she sleeps through her alarm and is usually running to his truck. Alex always doesn't wait so patiently.

I do love dropping off the boys at school, even when it's dark and wet at 7:15am.  I want to remember how cheerful JH is in the morning and how chatty he is, and his daily sharing of gum with Chi.

By the time Lilia catches the bus, it's light out.  She stays in my car until she sees the bus in the rear view mirror.  Then it's chapstick on an a kiss and an I LOVE YOU.  I'm lucky she loves school and loves taking the bus with her BFFs Esther and Estella.

I want to remember the story of my morning drive.  I usually leave my neighborhood by 8:30, my drive is all of 10 minutes.  I do my best thinking in that time.  I have awesome ideas of things I want to do or explore.  The minute I sit at my desk to write them down, I've forgot them all.  The story of now at work is all about the upcoming elections -- specifically focused on passing I-1351, a reduced class size initiative.  Phone banking is expected and I don't like it.

The story of pumpkin carving.  Tonight was our only night.  I left Alex $20 and he went and bought 5 pumpkins at Winco.  We carved tonight.  JH didn't finish as he had an attitude and went to bed.  Sofia realized half way into carving that her pumpkin was juicy, very juicy.  I was busy making dinner and when I looked inside her pumpkin it was rotten and stunk so bad.  We tried to salvage it, but decided to just compost.  I am thankful for Alex and his patience to carve out Lilia's drawn idea.

I want to remember that Lilia loves to get her hands ewey dirty and dig out all the seeds and scrape the sides. She is by far the best in the family and did JH's too.

I want to remember the story of watching our first holiday movie The Holiday --- OUR FAVORITE.  We (the girls) are in love with Jude Law.  I think we watched it at least 10 times last year.  It makes us excited for the season.

I want to remember the story of Rhea and Sofia sharing a pumpkin and researching how to make a Harry Potter face. 

I want to remember the story of 9pm homework.  I am thankful that Rhea helps Sofia write papers.  She likes it and I don't.  They make a good pair, when they aren't laughing.

Week in the Life 2014 | Tuesday

The words and stories from today.

I want to remember the story that Lilia is self-sufficient in the morning, she gets herself up and ready, for the most part, on her own.

I want to remember that Lilia loves to catch the bus.   She is punctual to get out the door.

I want to remember that I have an amazing employer and colleagues who are flexible when I need to get home early.  I was home by 3:15 pm today, to prepare the flowers to honor the seniors in Beamer's last regular season game.  I want to remember that Sofia arrived at the same time and Rhea had pasta ready for her pre-game meal.

I want to remember the story of friends who come to support Sofia, even when they are blurry.  Romi and Sophie are our BFFs.
 

I want to remember the story that when I finally get home at 7:45 pm, sometimes it's okay to go from my car to Alex's, so that we can go get gas together.

I want to remember the story that even though I'm tired, it's nice to make a late night run to Costco, and eat dinner solo at the food court at 8:30 pm and talk about life.

I want to remember the story of Lilia calling and saying she would shower and be ready to make cookies.  She was ready and opened the door for me with open arms.  So we baked.

I want to remember the story of sharing my bed with this 9 year old.  Yes, she still sleeps with me, but she keeps to her side and has great reading habits.

I want to remember that today was so busy, that I saw poor JH for all of 30 minutes today.  Some days are like that....this will mean extra love tomorrow.