So Nicolas wrote me a song: For Mama, I love you, I love you, Mama you are good to me. He also made me a card that shows him blowing me a kiss. I'm cured, I think I found my inner positive (for those of you confused, please read post below)

For all you mommies out there this is a tribute to you and the crazy days we sometimes have. This was my wonderful day, but hang on first, a disclaimer: the following story is graphic and not for the faint of heart or for those in an optimistic mood (I can't find my inner optimistic today). Ok, here goes: Stayed up late last night preparing lunches to take to Sea World for a field trip through Nicolas' charter school. Got everything all prepared, was feeling on top of things. Finally got to sleep and 5 1/2 hours later got up with baby. He slept from 7:30 pm to 6 am which would've been great had I used my one last brain cell and gotten to bed at a decent hour. So because he hadn't nursed in quite awhile I was about to explode. Nursed him on one side got everyone ready to go, finished doing Isabelle's hair- we were on schedule to get there on time- yes! Isabelle stands up and I notice a peculiar wet stain on her pants, unfortunately it had become familiar to me what this stain was since we have regressed in potty training 5 billion times. Not good timing - she has peed her pants. So I go hose her down and get her dressed in new clothes, round the oldest two in the car along with everything I thought we needed, went to go grab Luc and he has pooped. So I change him and get him in the car. Forgetting to use the bathroom myself and to nurse him on the other side- no time we are running late now. I am driving on the freeway and having a great teaching moment lecturing about how we are now going to forget everything bad that happened so far and have a positive attitude when what should pop into my head but the fact that I have forgotten to grab our lunch. Thank you one brain cell- if I had two maybe they would communicate and send a message a little sooner. So I am back to the whole positive attitude attempt when brake lights appear on the freeway. So it then took us FOREVER to get to Sea World. We finally get there and I am about to explode with milk on one side. We are sooooo late and I am about to have an accident in MY pants. I hurry and feed Luc and get out of the car and the stroller is broken and I cannot get it to work! So I have to ask some guy to help. He fixes it, we finally make it up to the gate and I see the lady we are supposed to check in with. The first words out of her mouth are "Shame on you" (for being late). It took all I had within me not to burst into tears. She apologized when she saw my face and I started on how she would not believe the day I had. Ok, we are in Sea World in an educational Sea lion and Otter and despite our bottoms getting wet from the benches we are doing okay. We finish the show and look for some food - we are starving and somebody forgot our lunch! Everything is closed. We finally found a place within Sea World open and went in to stand in line. Cue inner baby demon- Luc starts screaming his head off. Since I don't curse I will just quote my great grandmother "Oh poop poopsie doo and flush it!!!!". We finally sit down and Luc screams through the entire expensive, disgusting tasting meal. So again we attempt to be positive, I get the kids all excited to see the Shark exhibit and we walk all the way over there and it is closed! The day just kept going on like this, then things started to look up. We found the dolphins and I thought hey I charged my camera this morning now would be a good time to take some pictures- I take a couple and then turn to Luc to take a picture of him and the camera dies. Then cue the whining "I want this, i want that" "I wish I could have cotton candy!" Does anyone know Calgon's 800#? Because they have got to take me away! To top off this beautiful day the furniture that was supposed to be delivered to us today may or may not come in a WEEK! Argggg! To sum up the story, I know I am blessed and my life could be much worse, but right now it doesn't feel like it! I'll spare you all from the numerous ways my body is falling apart after having baby #3. So to all you mommies out there kudos to you for I know you all have days like this too.

Today was Luc's blessing day and it was great. We were so excited to have Christian's parents, my Mom and Nana, Shannon and family, and Dan and Krystal and family. Thank you to all who came and those who participated. Luc was so good and didn't make a peep. I found this adorable outfit at Babies R Us and he just looked so cozy and heavenly. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We had Mom and Nana over and it was a busy day so we didn't eat till very late, but it was fun. Can't believe Christmas is around the corner! I love the holidays- I hope they don't fly by too fast. They seem to do that more and more each year.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween. I participate in a little homeschooling group (kind of like a joy school) and a couple of the pictures in the slide show were taken at the little halloween party I threw. It was really fun, we had games and crafts and food. Life has been busy but good. We are very grateful that we are all safe from the fires. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who were affected by the fires. If any of you are interested there is a family that could really use your help... I received this email from my daughter's dance teacher:

Dear Friends and Family,

I am emailing this to everyone in my address book which may include a few people I haven’t seen or talked to in a while, church friends, and also people from various sports teams that the boys have been on, so if you don’t want to get anymore updates on this particular situation just delete this email. After this blanket email anymore communications will be to those I know are interested who email me back, as well as family and church. You don’t have to email me back to help out, only if you want to be updated on things.

Our good friends AJ and Teri Andrus lost their home in the fires on Sunday Oct 25^th. They lived in Dulzura, which is East County near Barrett Junction. Just 2 months to the day before that their 10 month old baby girl, Bethany, died of a heart condition. One month before that, AJ had a heart attack. At the beginning of the year Teri and her boys were in a rollover car accident totaling their vehicle, but fortunately no damage to the passengers. They have had a particularly rough year spending most of it at the hospital with their baby. They did not own their home as it was Grandma’s and they were staying there to help with the livestock. Therefore they did not have insurance on it and everything in it. Their three wonderful children they have now, they fostered and then adopted just a few years ago and are very grateful for. Someone is bringing them a motor home to stay in on the property while they try and figure things out.

I have set up a donation fund account for them at Wells Fargo. If you would like to help them please donate to this fund. Just go to Wells Fargo bank and give them a check made out to “Teri and AJ Andrus Family Benefit Donation Fund.” or you can give it to me and I can deposit it. Every little bit helps.

I am also looking for donations of other kinds for when they may get to rebuild. We have a lot of home builders in our church and I am asking if you will think about what you might be able to do to help, and ask your contractors what they might be able to do. At some point they may need materials and labor.

Also, donations of other kinds such as house wares, (kitchen supplies, beds, bedding, towels, furniture, decorations, etc.) and clothes, socks, undies, shoes, toys, CD’s, DVDs, electronics, etc.

As they have no where to put this stuff yet I will be accepting donations and putting them in storage for them. (I don’t know where yet, but I’ll figure that out.)

Sizes:

Girl age: 15, 6ft tall

Shoe: 12 womens, 11 mens

Shirt: XL

Pants: 14

Boy age: 8

Shirts: 10

Pants: 10 slim

Shoes: 2- 1/2 – 3

Boy Age: 6

Shirts: 8

Pants: 8 slim

Shoes: 13-1/2- 1w

Likes legos, starwars, cars,etc.

Mom

Shoe: 9- ½

Loves crafts, quilting, partylite candles, sewing, etc.

Dad

Shoe: 9- 9-1/2 w

Likes padres, chargers, animals (their dog, we think their cat died in the fire as she hid and wouldn’t come out.L)

Thank you so much for all of your help.

Wow, I don't recall anyone warning me that life becomes ludicrous once you have 3 children! I am only one person! I do feel very blessed. 3 great kids, a fabulous husband and great family and friends. A charmed life indeed. I am trying out this blog thing. One of my best friends Shannon got me addicted- thanks a lot woman! It's late so I will post more later.