Mentos and Diet Coke!

Alyssa had a friend over and begged me to go to Hobby lobby. I had never been and really wanted to see what it was like. We bought some various craft items and as we were checking out I saw this little kit that was made for the mentos. It basically is a small tube and it screws on the top of a two liter bottle and has a small pin to hold the mentos up until you pull the pin and run.
We actually pulled the kids out of bed and took them to the park in the jammies to try this out. It was actually so fun. I bought enough for each of the kids to try it. I was surprised at high the soda shoots in the air.

Naughty but fun!

Ok I know this is really bad but it was so much fun! This was on the Sunday that the playoff game was for the Cardinals. We won the game and the entire neighborhood went crazy. We could hear people screaming and lighting fireworks and that gave us the great idea to join the fun. Christopher had these fireworks he had bought on a camp out with the scouts one year and we took them from him and hid them so of course we forgot we even had them. We took them out and the "boys" started having so much fun. I have soooo many good pictures but most of them the little ones are in their underwear. If you know us very well you already know that it is a daily struggle to keep clothes on my little ones.

Steve put a firework in a container of water and I got the great pic of it flying in the air. Christopher actually put them in this bottle and that was really cool too.

OUr Family Pictures for 2008.

Madyson's 5th birthday.

I know it's very late but better late than never right?

Madyson's birthday as before Christmas ans I completely forgot to post since it was finals week!

Madyson had a few of her friends over after school on her big day! I was way to busy to have an actual party so this year we just had her friends over for cake and Ice cream!

Cole.

Olivia and Lauryn.

Madyson and Matthew.

She actually sat here looking at the candles for way to long. I had to actually yell
" hurry up there is wax everywhere"!

GOODBYE 2008 FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so by the heading of this post you can tell I am ready to say goodbye to 2008. I have had the most challenging year of my life. I know so many people can say that but REALLY if you only knew I believe you would agree. I sometimes wonder when life is really really hard do we forget how hard it was after a long period of time? I am hoping that is the case for me! Now I am sure you are wondering just exactly what it is that has been so hard for me..... I will keep you all in suspense by starting a different trend..... focusing on the positives of the year 2008 and hoping for many more in 2009!

1. 6 of the most hilarious, cute and precious kids in the world.
2. Happy and thankful for the fact they are healthy, safe and happy.
3. Thankful for the hubby.
4. Blessed we still have a job.
5. Happy I let go of PTA position at the local elementary school.
6. Family.
7. Got grandma's house completely cleaned out for new owners.
8. Thankful I am alive.
9. Happy (mostly) for the 25 lbs I lost.
10. Completely healthy eating habits.
11. My new bike!
12. All my biology classes are over! (Acing the last one was the best).
13. Best friends any one could ever ask for.
14. Even thankful for the friends that were not the best since I learn something from them every day.
15. 4 I repeat 4 cars in my driveway!
16. No foreclosure, adjustable rate mortgage or second mortgage issues to deal with.
17. Election is over!
18. Chocolate even though it has become a rare thing in my life I can still love it right?
19. Trip to Catalina with the hubby.
20. My dog Shadow made it to 2009.


I am sure I can really stretch more out of my head but just thought I would throw these out there and end on the number 20.

There is one thing I want to try to be better about and have learned so much about this year. I want to be better about making judgements on how people handle things in their lives. Being judgemental is almost never a good thing. Do you ever hear yourself say " oh if that happened to me I would never......? Well take it from me do not test fate by even thinking it. And believe me the way you thought you would handle it is never as easy as saying it. So for 2009 I strive to be better at the following....

1. Be a better friend
2. Be a better wife
3. Be a better mother.
4. Do not judge.
5. Do not gossip.
6. Think positive
7. Do not gripe, bitch and moan.
8. See the positive side of things.
9. Keep in contact with family better.
10. Not lose my temper with my kids.
11. Cuss less.
12. Eat better.
13. Budget better
14. Pay off some debt.
15. Be a stronger ally to myself.(I am really hard on myself).
16. Take some quiet time for me.
17. Slow down.
18. Keep a cleaner house.
19. Make my backyard beautiful
20. LAUGH MORE!


I wish you all a great 2009!

Abbey's first time sitting with Santa.

Abbey has always had a great fear of Santa, as well as any other character like the Easter bunny and chucky cheese. Every time we even get close she just starts to shake and cry. She NEVER wants anything to do with them. This year before we left to go see Santa she told me she was going to talk to Santa but of course I did not believe her. Well she proved me wrong. Not only did she sit with him but she told him exactly what she wanted for Christmas. She wanted a boy baby that can go in the water and a princess guitar. Now how was I going to find these few things when all the stores were completely run over. Thanks to Grandma Swanson she actually got both the things she really wanted for Christmas.

Christmas Eve!

Every year our kids get a big box from their Grandma Santos. In this box is individual gifts for each of them. The point was for the kids to have something to open during the long dreaded waiting time before Santa came on Christmas. My mother in law thought of this idea years ago and has become a tradition. The kids open them Christmas eve every year. They get a pair of Jammie's, an ornament for the tree and a full packed stocking! This is the first time I ever got a picture of them all together in the Jammie's and holding the ornaments.

Madyson excited.

Alex being a goof ball!

Abbey just as happy as can be!

More !

So By Sunday morning she looked awful! it was swollen red and green and was just spreading. Monday morning I call the pediatrician and we go in on Tuesday for a look. The immediately say get to a plastic surgeon. She has growths under it and it is infected. She needs surgery on her face and it needs to be done soon. She gets an antibiotic and off we go. The referral takes a day or two to get and so we wait. Got the referral and call the doc nooooooo they will not see her for that kind of thing. So its calling doctor back time. They have no idea what to do so they recommend I get all the numbers to plastic surgeons and call to find one that will see her and then we can go to that one.

I get on the phone and pretty much luck out. No one will see her. My mother in law (the best) decided to help me. She takes the same list I have and we start from opposites ends and call each one. I finally got one that will take her on Monday the 10Th. My mother in law calls back and says "man you were right no one will see her" It was funny though she called the same doc I got into right after me.

So Thursday comes and Alyssa's face is really bad but we have no appointment until Monday. I call both the pediatrician and the plastic surgeon and both say go to ER this can not wait. Both offices told me to have them call a plastic surgeon in that would be on call for the hospital.

Friday morning I take the kids to school and take Abbey and Alyssa to ER. They pretty much look at me like I am crazy and say they have no surgeons at all to call. The doctor took one look and said" I will make some calls be right back"! With in 5 minutes they had a name of a doctor that they personally spoke to and will see me right now. One down fall it is in Deer Valley! So off I go with my toddler in tow to this doctor. We arrive at about 11 am and wait and wait. By 12:15 the receptionist comes out to tell me he can not see her! She is not covered by this doctor. I was fuming. I just asked and double checked that they did before I drove 45 minutes out here. The doctor personally told me to come not an office staff so I said let me talk to the doctor. He told me to drive here I want to talk to him personally. They told me he only is covered in ER. Ok I will go there then. The doctor comes out and I convince him to see me in the Hospital. He agrees.

Off we go to Paradise Valley hospital. We go there at 12:30 and wait and wait with toddler in tow mind you. At 4:20 the doctor finally arrives. He definitely has to do surgery on her but will do it right there. YEAH!!!!! They numbed her up pretty good and took alllllll the Dermabond off and scrapped all infection out. He cut out the growth that was under and got it a clean wound. They then stitched it up. It looks sooooooo good. It was about 1 tenth the size and was a clean line with 6 stitches. We were sooo happy. Off we go home finally.

Saturday morning she wakes up with a small rash around her sore. No big deal until Saturday night when it has spread. Sunday morning the rash is completely covering one side of her face. Now we still had the appointment from the first surgeon on Monday anyway. So Monday I took her back there so that we could figure out what this rash was. It is the worst rash I have ever seen. Her entire half of her face is one huge red hot cluster of bumps. They think she is allergic to the ointment we put on it. Basically do nothing and stop everything that we were doing and leave it.

So that's where we are now. We go back on Friday to get the stitches out. i will update again then.

Alyssa and her on going face saga!

Thought I would finally get the entire story here so when I am old and look back on this I will actually have all the details to remind me of my way crazy week.

It all started on Halloween night. Alyssa was in a haunted house. She was going to take a break and walked out the back of the house through the back yard when she fell. She hit her cheek just below her right eye. Her friends told me I had to come and I had to get Alyssa she had blood running down her face .... I did not believe them. Its Halloween and i just knew they were tricking me. Well no they were not kidding. She really did need to go to urgent care.

Off we went to urgent care. When we got there they did not know why we were there. I was like what can't you see her face. Of course I forgot it was Halloween and they thought she was just dressed up! They were going to put stitches in and decided to lessen the scar to put Dermabond on it. This is basically liquid stitches an the equivalent to super glue. So off we go. Sat morning she wakes up not looking so good.

Before stitches.

After stitches

Random Craziness!

This was at the grand opening of Dana Park. I thought it was especially funny since it has been open for 2 years :). They had all sorts of booths set up with kid activities. Balloons, face painting and even free ice cream!

Alex with her crazy hat!

This one has nothing to do with the precious night. This is Hunter with orange yes I said orange hair in a mohawk! We actually took him to the mall looking like this!

This is hunters crazy hat. I do not know if you can notice but the fountains were full of bubbles and the kids actually got into wars throwing them at each other.

One crazy day shopping with Steve. His back was hurting him so bad that he hopped on this shopping cart and had me pushing him around! It was rather
hilarious to see other peoples reactions!

My little Abbey Doing Dance!

This is a small pic from my cell phone so not too good. She had the hardest time getting her head off the floor for her bridge. Of course I was excited when she did it so I had to snap a pic!

Alyssa in action.

This is one of the best action pictures I have. This is the current season of soccer. Alyssa is pretty much the soccer woman! She absolutely loves the sport. As you can see she is an active player. She scored a goal the week before she feel and got stitched in her face so now she is out for the season:(

Christopher's first boy scout picture!

I was thumbing the old pictures and came across this picture that one of my friends gave me. Isn't he sooooo cute.? He is going to kill me when he sees this post!!

Funny things Abbey says.

Actually.........

Ok let me just tell you the truth!

I guarantee it.

I say Abbey are you sick? Her response no just sick and tired!

Mom, dad there is a problem in my room.

wow he is being difficult today!

Just another crazy day in the Santos life.

This is just a random picture I found of Hunter. My son actually made a Mohawk with orange gel on him. We were getting ready to go to Arizona Mills that day and I was running late and by the time I realized he looked like this we were already in the car! The worst thing was my mother in law was with us soooooo embarrassing! The good thing if there was one is that mall is the perfect place to look like a freak. I mean really what is up with the entire gangster look there?




Her we have a very tired daddy during Christmas shopping time! After listening to him complain for long enough, I said get a cart then you baby. Sure enough we found this cart and I pushed him through wally world in a cart!!!

MY CRAZY SATURDAY NIGHT!

For some crazy reason I decided to take the kids to the Val Vista grand opening! It was really A good time but a ton of work for just one parent with so many kids. They had balloon making, face painting and so many fun booths for the kids. They had the fountains filled with soap and the kids just loved to throw bubbles on each other. There was a juggler on stilts and the kids just were amazed at that. All in all a good time.

Abbey's 1st Day of Preschool.

So I am a totally lame blogger and mom. Here it is two months later when I finally get around to posting my last baby on her 1st day of school. She is going to Mrs. Christi's preschool, where Hunter and Madyson have attended in the past. I was very apprehensive because if you know Abbey she does not leave my side well. For so long I would drop her off anywhere, even the places she was most comfortable, she would still cry like I was killing her. I tried her there over the summer and had Madyson go with her to try to transition. So here she is on the 1st day and she was sooooo excited. The other little girl is a neighborhood friend that we carpool with. I really was surprised when off she went without a word or a look back. I thank God she loves it. When I got there to pick her up she could not stop talking about her day. She went through the entire morning blow by blow as to what her teacher said. NO GUM MOM! The trash can loves trash. You have to wear shoes..... There is a boy that does not listen here mom!! It was the cutest thing. I mean come on how many of us moms get the dreaded answer "I Do not Know" or "NOTHING" when asked what they did at school today???

Abbey's Twin!

So this weekend when Steve was playing at the Oktober Fest I got to see a lot of people I had not seen in some time. One of the people I see at some of his gigs (Michelle) was there this year. She decided to bring her daughter.......... I about died when I saw her I actually had to think for a moment that I actually did not bring my daughter with me!!! She not only looks exactly like her she also acts just like her. You know what they say, everyone has a twin well here they are!

1st day of school!

This is the boy who will not allow me to take his picture. He decided to try to be cool.

At least I have a typical picture of a high school kid right??

This is just too cute. I was trying to take pics of the school kids when Abbey decided she wanted in on the picture with her cool 3-D glasses Christopher was wearing .

The coolest 1st grader!

The studs!

Our newest school girl!