Pay Off

I have been forcing my kids after school to eat some fruit before a salts or sweet snack.  It has paid off. They now expect it and DONT WHINE or complain. 3 weeks people thats all it took to instill a new healthy habit. Thanks Lewis - Mussa

What To Eat

During the summer (12 weeks as I have mentioned) wasn't easy and feeding the 4 girls FIVE times a day YES I SAID 5 x's a day....breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner.....UGH


SO I will admit to shopping at at least 2 stores weekly sometimes 3 (all grocery stores I am ANTI Target  and Wallmart for food).

My girls ONLY EAT one type of cheese (with the exception of pizza cheese) Tillamook Special Reserve EXTRA Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Thank you husband. I must say cheese slices, organic corn chips from a bag and sliced fruit is a great lunch or snack and they love it when I cut the cheese into shapes and they build shit on their plate with it.


Next never forget people that BREAKFAST for any meal is GOOD.  I highly recommend any whole grain waffle (frozen) and Trader Joe's all natural syrup is cheapest per ounce and delicious. We recently tried the VANS all natural maple flavored waffles - they have half the sugar of a bowl of regular cereal (6 gram), 3 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber (in 2 waffles)!

And finally one of the household favorites is my husbands famous Turkey Tacos.  BTW - We don't use everything all natural or organic only when it seems reasonable and fair. We use Jenno Ground Turkey 99% lean, mixed with Taco Bell packaged seasoning (only 1/3 of the package so as not to freak out the kids). We cook that up, fry our own tortillas (white corn) in olive oil and serve it all wth diced tomatoes, lettuce and shredded (YES Tillamook) cheese. Do my kids use the tomatoes and lettuce? No.


That was JUST one day in a day of the Ho House summer meals.


Now what?

Those Moments

People do ask me why I had so many kids.  It is rude yet it is a valid question .... I mean its a curious thing all these kids (ps I do NOT know how anyone has more except that lots gets lost, forgotten and many get left in the dust emotionally) how do I take proper care of them?  well like this...the best I can which may or may not be very good at all we will have to see.  Odds are looking good at least 2 out of 4 will be successfully happy in life. Who knows if I had only 2 kids maybe only one would be ok?


My husband does a lot - this is KEY!


He screwed himself by being such a great dad it made me want (and have :) more.


The picture is the 3 girls hanging out together at the table listening to music doing homework.  This is one of those moments that tells my heart its ok I had 4 beautiful daughters because they will love each other unconditionally, support each other and be there for each other to gossip and grieve and celebrate when I am gone...

So back to the title..."Those Moments", they are what remind me why I had 4 kids, I NEED THOSE MOMENTS when I am in the throws of WHY THE F*CK DID I DO THIS!

I do have those and any mom that denies that she feels like that sometimes not often is a freakin' liar and lives in constant fear of what other people think.

In the morning the teenager is an angel! She gets herself up and has been doing it since 6th grade. She cares about her appearance (a good thing that comes from puberty folks) so she is motivated to shower and brush her teeth and she is old enough now to desire food in the morning to avoid the nausea feeling that comes about 10am from forgetting or refusing to eat in the morning. She is generally cheerful by nature which has always made her pleasant to wake up. SO you can see this one is not an issue just the 15 minute drive every morning at 6:45am kinda sucks but not really when I have perspective and coffee and she drives me and its a chance to catch up without her sisters interrupting!

Now to the 10 yr old - who has badgered me to "homeschool" her since she was about 6 years old is not as pleasant to wake up. She rolls over ignores me and her first words 4 out of 5 days a week are "I don't want to go to school".  ARG. Then I leave to wake up the two little ones and come BACK to the 10yr old who 5 out of 5 days a week still is iint bed grumbling.  INSERT THOUGHT "God why cant this kid just wake up happy she doesnt have to do anything but get dressed, I make her breakfast, I pack her lunch and her dad walks her to school what a life and she has to start out with this shit".  then I reset my brain and say "come one sweetie you dont want to be late".  

Then off to the toddlers room to wake them up again - at least usually they are pleasant about getting up unless the 6 yr old feels she has been wronged in the first 2 waking minutes by the 4 yr old then there is hell to pay with this one.  Mind you from when this 10 yr old wakes up until she walks out the door I have to re-dreict her attention to the task at hand more than 15 times ARG. eat honey I say, then 2 minutes later EAT HONEY its getting late....then I say again 2 minutes later and the cereal isnt gone at all OK THAST IT one more bite and go get dressed...."But I am hungry mom"....tough you had your chance......go get dressed. Now when she gets to her room I think she slips into another dimension because I cannot get her to get dressed by calling up to her eveyr 5 minutes for 20 minutes for the life of me and when I get up there all steamed up she isn't dressed she is sitting in front of her mirrored closet door smiling at herself and then me.  ARG she melts my heart that little.....

The 6 yr old since she was 2 yrs old has always loved a schedule, getting up and getting ready. She is a total girly girl. She loves bags, accessories, scarves, socks anything to jazz up her daily outfit which she chooses with great care every day! She does how ever come downstairs hungry but refusing to eat anything I offer. WELL I assume she is hungry I mean GEEZE she hasn't eaten since 7pm the night before thats 12 hours....she tells me "Im not really hungry I will just have GOLDFISH". Which then my awesome husband jumps in (he is usually eating cereal at the computer during this process on www.ESPN.com) and gets her some apple slices. She pretty much eats 10 goldfish and 2 apple slices (no skin) and thats it.  Believe me I know what you are thinking MAKE THAT KID EAT MORE breakfast is the most important meal of the day blaa blaa blaa, its how a student starts their day of right blaa blaa blaa I KNOW THIS PEOPLE YOU JUST DONT KNOW MY KID. You cannot force feed a 6 yr old.  I have offered scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes, waffles, fruit, oatmeal, lucky charms.......nothing people NOTHING.  The only truly difficult thing with her is her finding the "right" jacket for the day. UNfortunately she has coveting issues and always wants to wear her sisters coats and this leads to an almost daily fit between the two (the 6 yr old and who's ever jacket she is confiscating for that morning).

Then there is the "baby". She is 4 and a half and so easy peasy unless you are giving her medicine. She does just like one would expect... she gets up when her sisters do, gets ready like them and wishes she could go to the Elementary school instead of preschool. She eats easily and dresses herself when prompted. If feeling tired she will let you dress her in any thing you like (not good when daddy has his choice I would like to add...great dad does NOT = style for little girls LMAO).  She even says things like her older sisters like "I dont want to go to school" but she says it with no oomph, with no heart and happily forgets when I use basic distraction and in the car she goes.

There are so many moments when they hug me, kiss me and smile at me that makes me understand why. Those moments when they tell me about their day and are so excited about something or when we do some art work and they thank me, or they help me pick out health foods at the store and help me cook......SO MANY MOMENTS

Thats the morning. Not so bad is it? more to COME...

why why why

does it feel like my children who are outgoing,  zealous and intelligent are thumbed down by people who need a lot of order and quiet?

I often felt as a child unliked by my teachers.   I tried hard to show them I was smart and funny.  I was enthused by life and class.  Rarely did I find a teacher who appreciated my passion, embraced it and encouraged it. It seemed that 95% of the people "above"me don't enjoy my fervor.

I see this happening with my own children now.  Or is it I am sensitive to it so I see it more?

Why can't I conform? Why can't I be quiet? Its just who I am.

My kids its seems have the same lovely passion for life and learning.

Why must others squash this Is it because they do not feel listend to or honored when a child is moving around and speaking her mind?

My children are kind, caring and compassionate. They do not steal from other kids, they do not hit, they do not cuss...they are good kids.  They have a spice in them and it bothers certain personality types I fear and those personality types are often teachers.

hmmmmmmm

It could be me.

Summer

Honestly 12 weeks? Who is letting this go on?

I mean since when were the kids working the farm and needing the planting or harvesting months off? Is that even why we used to have kids home from June through August?  Does anyone know for sure why those 12 weeks started out?

I made it all the way to week 9 until I broke.

I hit an emotional wall.

By week 10 I was cagey. There was some pleasure back by week 11 due to the anticipation of school returning.

WTF

And dont get me started about school days. I want my child in SCHOOL from 8:30am - 3:30 m and I want them to have a 45 minutes lunch and several 15 min recesses. WHY is my fucking 17 yr old, 10 yr old and 6yr old going school before 8am? WHY are they getting off at 2pm when the rest of San Diego (who mostly is dual income because its so damn expensive to live here) is working until A LEaST 5pm?

WHY is after school care and summer camps so damn much $$?

more to come

Drama

4 daughters - do I really need to write any more than that

Ho Hum

too much to write and no motivaiton....help lol

i give because i love

if i give you something that was mine it is special, if i make you something it is special, if i buy you a card it is special, what is special is i am thinking of you and taking the time to give to you it is NEVER what i give ONLY that I thought of you enough to get something and bring it to you and give it AND if i listen i have given you my time a most precious item: erika ho