Then and Now...

Got this picture recently from my Gram...thought it'd be cute to post a then and now...mainly to mortify my daughter!! Above is Allyson at 6, and below is Allyson at 12. I don't even want to think about Allyson at 18...

I DID IT!!

I actually MADE a gingerbread house!! Whoo - whoo!!!

There is a company out here called BBC Holidays that for a small fee, hosts a gingerbread house decorating party at your house. When I got the invitation from my friend Allison (I just noticed that she is in here A LOT!), I thought about it long and hard. Being only moderately creative, with not so much as a whiff of creativity in the food department - I'll admit, I was hesitant. I am SO glad that I caved in and went!!

Is it outstanding as far as gingerbread houses go? No. It's lopsided, sloppy and pretty funny to look at actually. Do I love it? HELL YES! Having never done anything like this before, I was pretty intent on following instructions. We all bounced ideas off of each other, copied each others creative spurts and had a great time. Added to that...I got the bonus of my puppy fix :O)

Be sure to check out my rather depressed looking reindeer that our "assistant" Michael made for me. I'm calling him Shopper - the tenth reindeer (Olive is technically number 9!). He's a sad little soul! I couldn't resist him!

Breakage

While I realize that every Christmas brings about some ornament breakage - I'm a little cheesed that the first one this season hadn't even made it onto a tree yet :O(

My friend Allison gave me this ornament (she has it's twin) that she found in a great shop. It's TOTALLY my style. I LOVED IT!! Now it is little glass dust. The cat is toast...

PUPPIES!!!!!

Dog Mama Millie and gang...they are about 12 hours old...

This little lady looks like a baby bear...

She has a little white dot on her forehead - too cute!!

Little girl looks like a baby skunk - we love her!

Gooti's three sisters were born Thanksgiving morning! I got to spend a little time with them all while their "Grandma Allison" was in Ohio for the holidays, and they are as cute as cute can be!! We will soon have TWO little girlies running around our house! Early January will be a fun time at Casa Malabanan!!

Funniest thing - we chose the name for our puppy on Wednesday night (they weren't supposed to be here for another week)! Since Gooti's name is Chinese, we stuck to that theme and attempted to name the new puppy from a fortune cookie too. Nothing good that round of dinner, so to the Internet we went! After only 5 minutes - Noel found the translation for "puppy love". Yes, our new doggy's name will be Zao Lian. We have officially shortened this to Zaoli (zowlee), and everyone is calling her Zaoli Mo-Mo - 'cause we're weird like that. Gooti is "Gooti Mae" or "Gooter" or any other variation you can think of. Nicknames for our pets...we probably need therapy!

We get to choose our puppy when they are about 4 weeks old - trust me...I'll keep you "posted"!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Cute pic of Elly that I HAD to use, but...OK...parent teacher conferences...

I realize that this is a little behind, as PTC's were a week ago come Monday. I really didn't have the time to post about it, and I had to allow my mind to wrap around the blitz of information that I get in a 40 minute period (20 minutes for each child).

Jillyan's conference was first this year. She has a great teacher that both older girls had in 3rd or 4th grade. No surprises. Jillyan is a bright girl who started off the school year below grade level and will bring herself up throughout the year. She often has trouble listening, following directions and holding still throughout the day. She LOVES school, she just isn't very good at it yet. Wow. Big surprise. Think the school could get this kid a 504 or IEP? NOT!! Be sure to check back in at some point for my ADHD post that will soon come!!

Evan's conference was next. I was excited to hear that he has finally stopped crying everyday at school, and his teacher thinks that he's a "hoot". Evan socially is right where he needs to be (1st grade), but his academic level is quite a bit higher. I was THRILLED to hear that his teacher is using techniques to keep him motivated and learning new things - even though he's intellectually done with 1st grade. She's a great lady that Melyssa had in 1st grade too.

Melyssa's conference rounded out the PTC blitz. This one was a pleasant surprise. She is doing everything at grade level at the beginning of the year (never happened before!), and has some pretty high grades to boast about. When I had asked her about a week before the conferences if I would have any surprises, she ran down a list of anything negative she could think of. Needless to say, I went into the conference prepared for the worst! Throughout the meeting, we talked about how the positive was much more important than the negative, and how Melyssa REALLY had to start looking for the positive in school. Since her teacher and I BOTH told her (this was a "student led" conference) the same thing, hopefully she will realize what attributes she brings to this world. Ms. Negativity needs an attitude adjustment!

All in all I'm sure that it was a productive day...I'm still just sorting through things in my mind to "game plan" the remainder of the school year!

Completely out of Context...

WARNING!! Not Thanksgiving related!!

This is completely out of context...but Allyson took this shot, and it looks like Mango is going to kiss Gooti, so I had to post it! I thought this shot was too cute to save for a later day!!

Thanksgiving 2007

Waiting seems to take forever!

Wow. What a crazy last few days!! I'd like to take a "page" from Michelle's blog and post about the things that I am thankful for...

I am thankful for the blessings that happen in my life everyday. Each day brings a new awareness, and a certainty of who I am and where I am going in life.

Manny and Anthony

I am thankful for family and the support and joy that they each bring to my family's life. Without them, days would seem more grey, and life's challenges more impossible.

WE DID IT! They all fit!!

I am thankful for my friends, both near and far. Michelle - I'd like to give most special thanks to you for being my sounding board, my philosophical guru and most days, my salvation from the craziness of my life. You've listened to me for almost 20 years, even at 350 miles apart, and yet you still love me. This is true friendship, indeed. There will always be a special place in my heart and at my table for you and yours!


I am thankful for having the patience to live with all of my children, and yet not one of them has made it into the roasting pan with the turkey!


We celebrated with 22 at our house this Thanksgiving, and wonder of wonders, there was a place for us all! Great food, warm atmosphere despite the snow (oh yes, I said snow!), fantastic conversation and a Malabanan family tradition - music. Seeing most of the cousins together was staggering as they are all now young men and women. Where does time go?

I remember Thanksgivings when I was young spent playing under the dining room table while my hungry tummy rumbled at the scents hovering above me. I remember the table linens and place settings arranged just so, and all of the beautiful desserts on the table frustratingly protected from little fingers by saran wrap. Not even a smidgen of pre-tasting was going to happen on that table! When did I graduate into the hostess? How can this whirlwind of activity be MY responsibility...

Looking back at the faces chatting and plates heaped with food; I can sit back proudly this evening, enjoy the memories of a wonderful Thanksgiving shared with family and friends and reap the whirlwind - and be thankful that I have taken my place in the generations.

Let the Music Play...

It's never a family gathering without music! My brother-in-law Tony on vocals, Melyssa on sax and Tony's daughter Agnes (my niece) on keyboard...impromptu jam session!! Hearing this family perform is enough to truly count your blessings!

Uh oh...

Ahhhhhh!!!!!!

Even with Michelle's post reminding me of Thanksgiving, it has snuck up on me again this season. I'm having a BIG uh oh moment...

We are hosting Thanksgiving this year, an exciting event! With only about half of Noels family able to attend, there will be about 20 of us on Thursday. I have a lot to complete in the house (that whole toothpaste on the mirror thing is coming back to haunt me!), and food to prepare. I LOVE cooking for Thanksgiving, I love the holiday itself. What better way to celebrate than by opening our home to family and friends to make memories!

This may serve as a warning...this week posts may be few and far between. Then again, I could use this forum to help blow off some steam!!

A Few Myths "Busted"

Clearing up some myths...

Jilly's cradle from a full (not so hot...)

Allyson and Meredith clowning at Awards...

1. Allyson's favorite color really isn't purple. I think it's a weird green and a weird blue. She DOES wear purple, because it coordinates with her cheer stuff, and as we all know, it IS all about coordination with this child!

2. Jillyan was a crossover - meaning that she competed with BOTH of our squads on the same day. This usually meant missing the Purple team awards and rushing to get into full makeup before Silver Team hit the practice floors. There were times when she could have water between floors, but it was very hard for her to keep up her stamina. Right now, she will NOT be performing as a crossover for the remainder of the season (through April).

3. Allyson is a giant chicken shit cheerleader. When she gets close to throwing a flip flop, she tanks because of her fear, It has nothing to do with her ability, she's just a chicken. She IS working on her flexibility and jumps at home, and has shown definite improvement. Allyson also works constantly on form in the cheer and dance, and is a help to me to work out timing issues for practice at home. She's also great at keeping her crews on task at practice.

4. Jillyan has a long way to go in cheerleading. It is sometimes a challenge for her to focus and concentrate on a task, then be consistent in the execution. Each practice and competition is a crap shoot as far as her performance. It's kind of like the Chicago Bears and Grossman. We don't know if we're getting "Good Rex" or "Bad Rex"! Poor little bean...it'll come!

5. Cheerleading had become a full time job. Our family schedule revolves around gym time, and competition schedules. This is not a "class" or an "activity". Think travel baseball or hockey. Yeah...it's like that. Not for the weak at heart or wavering of spirit, that's for sure. We are full out, full time. It helps that we love it :O)

I'm a Bug...Whoo whoo whoo whoo

Hi. My name is Gooti, short for Goo Tie which means "pot sticker" in Chinese. I was named from a fortune cookie about two weeks before I came home! My birthday is April 29th.

I am a Bugg. My dog mom Millie is a Boston Terrier, and my dog dad Bozo is a Pug. While my breed is not registered, I am a special dog called a hybrid. I don't shed very much, and I don't come with all of the health problems that my mom and dad may have. I do look kind of Puggy, but I have a longer, boxier snout and my ears perk up almost all the way. My fur isn't really all black, it just looks like it in the pictures. I'm actually naturally brindle. I have a black heart on the white of my chest too. My family thinks I'm pretty special!

Maybe, just maybe, if my new Daddy says yes, one of my brothers or sisters may come to live with me soon. They are still baking in my dog mommy though, so I'll have to wait a while. I get to play with my dog mommy, my litter brother Howie and my Auntie Lola (who is a beabull) about once a week. I get lots of excercize and social time with my extended family. This makes me a happy puppy!

I work very hard to learn my "good girl" commands and some tricks too! I can sit, down, high five, "hit", roll over AND play dead when somebody points at me and says "BANG BANG!". I also will never eat anything that falls in the floor. It's hard, but when my family says "LEAVE IT!", I sit and wait for a treat that is sure to come! I am not very good on a leash with just a collar. I really have to use my harness because there are SO many great sights and smells outside! I can hardly stand it! I just pull and scream like my dog daddy because I'm just too excited not to share my feelings with everyone on the block! We are still working on heeling, but I AM trying - I promise!

I love to go for rides with my people family, and I really like it best when I can sit in the drivers lap looking out the window. I like to look out the window at home too. The sunshine is so warm in the windowsill where I lay for most of the day. I really like lawn days, because I get to bark at the guys outside when they are in "MY" yard!! I also love to watch dogs on TV or on the computer. They just facinate me. I miss my big "brother" Ares, so maybe that's why I like to watch them. It's just not the same though.

I am a big fan of my clothes. It is getting colder and colder outside, and I like to keep warm in my sweater or hoodies. My favorite one is a black cheerleading hoodie that I have with "CCE DOG" embroidered on the rear end with a star. My "grandma" made it special for me. I really love to snuggle down and have a snooze in Mommy and Daddy's bed. Dad says that I snore pretty loud, but hey - so does the rest of our family!

I hope that this answers any questions that you may have about me. I think I'm a special little doggie...do you?

Want to see my doggie family and my brothers? Check out www.buggbabies.com! If you get the chance, there is a funny video of pugs on www.youtube.com that may explain why my Mom titled this post!

First Born Response

I would like to post about the importance of first born children. We have our special traits, our little idiosyncrasies. First borners - only we can truely appreciate the label...

First born children hold a special place in this world, starting with birth. Oh yes...we have a special job. Our first job is to stretch the womb to make it a cozier place for our sibling brethren. Hope you were all comfortable in the niches we had so thoughtfully provided for you. We also worked diligently to spread the painful head shaping pelvis to allow for a more comfortable passage for you - and I will not mention the actual birth canal. I'm sure by now you can see my point...

Our second important job that we have been charged with is "breaking in" our parents. Oh no, you were never triple belted in a high chair, or bumpered off from entering rooms. You never had a weeping mother frantically calling the emergency room when your temperature was a measly 99.0. There was no smothering blankets draped over your car seat when it was 65 degrees outside. We blazed the trail for you regarding the first day of school, the first big trouble (which, by the way, was NEVER that big of deal when YOU did the same thing), the first drivers ed, the first graduation. It was <> our pleasure to make sure that everything went so smoothly for you...

Our third important job has been to provide our parents with grandchildren. Fear not - as grandparents our parents love all grandchildren equally - but we have provided the first of the next generation in the line. Us first borners got the lucky nightly phone calls to ensure that we knew what we were doing - just like our parents, we BS'd our way through those calls!

Our fourth important job is overseeing the family. WE get the phone calls about our siblings behavior (not OUR own kids), we get the communications from families regarding area "news". While this is a mantle we wear proudly, it is also exclusively ours. No one can take that from us, and honestly we don't want you to.

Oldest children bear the family responsibilities with pride. We will be the ones making the tough choices when faced with a parent illness, when helping out a sibling when a they stumble. We do it out of love, and because we have that strength and perseverance to do so. Will we allow the younger siblings to attend to family hustle and bustle in our stead? Well...pardon us if we're a little pooped out from making YOUR life easier from day "negative" one!!

Caption the pictures...

Some say I look like a pug...whoo whoo oo oo...

Whachu talkin' 'bout Willis?

Yes, my dog enjoys watching other dogs on the computer. We can't explain it...

OK...I'm leaving these captions up to you! These are some of my favorite new pictures of Gooti.

Allyson is currently composing a "12 Gooti's of Christmas" that I'll post at a later date, but you can see how much of a part of our lives this little weird looking dog is! We love her :O) Pound for pound - she's got more personality than any other dog we've ever had!!

Diamon Dazzler Competition

Jilly and her medals from comp.

Yeesh - what a day. Usually we don't have to stay all day - but this comp was quite a bit different! The girls did great - with Purple placing 1st in their division, and Silver taking home another 2nd. Silver has some problems with the routine, and were off first place by 5 points - AGAIN. Once these girls get their execution together - they'll be a force to be reckoned with!! Jillyan competed as a cross over hopefully for the last time. It really is starting to wear her out on comp days. All in all:

Great Job Girls!!

Allyson stretching up a scorpion while arguing with her sister...

Running with Scissors...

Evan rockin' out on Guitar Hero III!

Well inspired by Wendy's blog about parenting...I've decided to share some of our "off moments" - for lack of a better way to say it. Some questionable parenting "tactics", some situations that I refuse to be drawn into and the overall chaos trying to parent six kids...

I hear "How do you do it?" quite frequently. Here's the best answer that I can give these baffled people.



1. Have a sense of humor.

2. Don't sweat the small stuff.

3. Pick your battles.

4. Leave your expectations with the maternity clothes.



Having a sense of humor is critical when your patience is at the bottom of the ninth and your little "batter" is fresh off the bench. 18 hour lipstick all over your childs face (never mind that the tube cost you $20 or better) is something to laugh over. Watching your child attempt to "clean up" their mess before you see it is something to laugh over. Above all - when the school calls you and asks you to explain some eclectic behavior that your little angel has been exhibiting - is something to laugh over. Anything but a life can be replaced or fixed. Most of the time, what you may screech over today, will be stories told laughing around the dinner table tomorrow.

Don't sweat the small stuff is REALLY critical when trying to organize a family outing. As anyone with kids is aware - the Normandy invasion was probably easier to coordinate than this feat. So your daughters hair is not how you would like it. So your son wants to wear snow boots with his shorts. Big deal if the purse full of Polly Pockets CAN NOT be left at home. You just bring a bigger bag with a brush, extra shoes and plenty of space to toss in the overflowing Polly purse. This two minute fix is faster than the 20 minute meltdown and HOURS of endless pouting. Take the hard line ONLY when it matters most. Everything else is irrelevant.

Picking your battles is a harder tactic to employ. Daughters have an uncanny way of digging an issue under your skin until you want to wring their little necks. I admit, I will often take a stance based on how far my daughters are willing to force the issue. Fair - probably not - but I'm the Mommy, not the fairness police. I'm a BIG advocate of "deal with the outcome of your choices".

Parent have all sorts of expectations about their kids. The problem that most Mommies have is that they carry the same expectations for each child. Every one of them is different - and so should your expectations for that child. For example - Manny is a bright kid - he just can't put it onto paper. A "C" is a celebrated thing. I would never put the expectation of straight "A"'s to this child, as it is not a realistic goal - BUT Allyson better not have anything under a "B" because that is what she is capable of.



Is any parenting tactic fool proof? No way. So - just to air some of my dirty laundry...



A. I'm pretty positive that all of my kids have ran with a sucker in their mouth. God knows they roam around the neighborhood with them hanging off their faces!

B. My kids all used pointy scissors before they were 3. I hide them all I want, but my kids have craft box radar and used all the goodies found inside to "decorate" things pretty early!

C. I - GASP - allowed my kids to play with things that WOULD HAVE fit through a toilet paper tube before they were 3. With Evan, Lego's kept me sane most days!

D. Most of the kids have watched PG-13 movies. If you think that they don't hear anything in these movies at school - pull the bag off of your head. It's there, you are just in denial. The reality is that the words are pretty common on the playground and even at the park.

E. Most of the time, their socks don't exactly match. I gave up on this master feat after collecting an entire hamper full of unmatched socks. Before you ask - no I don't know where they all go. Most of the time, MY socks don't exactly match either.

F. I am not above hiding the "good" hair products from my daughters. The oldest is 12. She'll get by just fine with Suave products.

G. I listen to unedited music. Again, even with the words bleeped out, they can figure it out. It doesn't take a rocket scientist - and my kids are pretty slick!

H. We live in organized chaos. My house is rarely "company ready". I'm OK with that. The time I spend with my kids are more important to me than a spotless home. When they look back on childhood, I want them to say that they spent a lot time with their mom - not that we never had toothpaste on the mirror!

I. Yes, they play video games. Sometimes even on a school night!


That concludes my parenting rant. My best advice: every family is different - you use what works for you!

I See You!

While this weird big virus thing is making rounds through the house (OK - so far only Elly has caught it, but I'm out of Lysol), we are preparing for the weekend from Hades. Fun, fun. I don't think that I've swept the living room/dining room floor for a week (it's pergo), my coffee table is running over with school papers, there is still laundry on the love seat, and somewhere in the bathroom is a trash can. All the doorknobs, phones, bedding and towels are disinfected...BUT... Some may cringe, but we are a two man cleaning service upon a six man wrecking crew. Imagine a daycare exploding. Yeah, it's a little like that...

Meanwhile, in Real-Life-Outside-the-House Land; we have tumbling, practice, a competition, a birthday party, and endless preparations for each. I'm still trying to play catch up from being a zombie for 5 days. As I type this, uniforms are in the dryer, clothes are in the washer for all of us, a leftover lasagna awaits for tomorrows dinner in the fridge, clothes are laid out for school and errands Elly and I will run tomorrow are posted on the white board. There are medications to be picked up at the pharmacy, dental floss to find (to sew in hair), an interview (for a friends paper for a class at school), copies to be made for competition information, a "date" to get the gifts shored up for Sunday - and I'm not including for my mother in laws birthday party - mainly because I don't know what I need to do yet!

My point here - if I haven't completely lost it - you will pay if you don't stay on top of your game. Responsibilities peek around all the crap on the floor and say "I see you!" and you are just screwed for your slacking...sick or not. Such is the life of a Mommy...

Daddy Got Me Ponies!

Warrior

Copper

Mr. Yet Unnamed

A tiny little bone of contention between my sister and I...I have dibs in Warrior and the new baby pony...Lyz has dibs on Copper. I say they are ALL MINE!!!! MWAH MWAH MWAH!!

My Dad has decided to take up mini horses as his next hobby. These are his current pride and joy... Cute little guys aren't they?

Feeling Blah...

I didn't make the cookies in the picture. My friend Allison did...

We have some bugs going around the area. Luckily, the kids haven't gotten it - BUT - naturally Mommy did. Sore throat, fever, aches and pains. Blah. Antibiotics go a long way in clearing up a slimy throat, but I'm still feeling pretty yucky. Saturday was TONS of fun. Coaching through that crap was pretty nasty...especially since I had some choreography to teach, and coaching is a lot of yelling 8 counts over music. Since we have a competition a week from today, there was no sleeping through that one!

This next competition will be a real eye opener for some of these girls. There will be multiple divisions competing throughout the day - from school programs to recreation leagues to all stars. I'm excited to see a special needs squad on the roster as well. The two squads compete about 3.5 hours apart, so there will be plenty of time for them to soak it all in. I hope that this allows these girls to realize and give thanks for their God given talents.

I have one addition to this post - my husband has by large left me alone this weekend to wallow in my own misery. While this sounds pretty negative - let me explain...

I DID NOT have to:

answer the phone

feed the masses (oh yes he did!)

clean up the kitchen

entertain the kids

referee arguments

feed/walk the dog

Who was that man?!?!