Pretty Paisley Sheets and a Great New Book

We had such a great Christmas this year. First of all we got to spend a week in California with the Dickson Family and then we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the Mercado Family. As always Mom and Dad Mercado completely spoiled all of us!
As we opened presents on Christmas morning we declared that the Mercado Family had single-handedly boosted the U.S. economy with the amount of presents we had all bought and received! But honestly, this year was no different than any other in that household. We have so much fun trying to find great gifts for everyone. Especially Mom. I swear, that woman can out-shop every other female in America! She is so good at finding out what we all want and can use. She also has a great eye for the things that we love but never knew we wanted. It is almost more fun watching her watch us open presents than actually opening the presents...almost.
Mom and Dad gave us practical things, like underwear (cute ones from Forever 21) and lotion, pajamas and coffee or tea. But they also gave us things that we enjoy but do not need. Like Wii Fit (I guess we probably do need that) and Star Wars and Clue games.
But my favorite presents by far are the ones that family gives to us that are meant to bring us comfort and happiness: like soft, flannel sheets and books that we will love to read and talk about. It's these kind of presents that mean a lot. They are the ones that keep us cozy and warm, that help us relax after a long day. Things we can talk and laugh about when we get together again. Mom and Dad always give us gifts like these and we know they come from the heart, not just from the wallet. Little do they know, the best present they give us at Christmas is the time we get to spend with them! We love the time when we all get to relax and laugh together. Thank You, We Love You Guys!

Disneyland Trip

I know I have not been keeping up well with my posting but hopefully this will make up for a little of it. We got back yesterday from our big Disneyland vacation and I have added a post and pictures for every day of our trip! I am pretty proud of myself. We'll see how long it takes me to post anything else. Hopefully not long but I'm not making any promises!
Enjoy!

Disneyland Day 1: First Airplane Ride

Saturday we were up bright and early to drive to the airport. This would be all three of our boys' first ride on an airplane, so of course it was Daniel and I's first experience really traveling with small children.

I do think Daniel has had a little practice though, because unfortunately traveling with me can sometimes be like traveling with small children. I get stressed out about having everything packed and having snacks and stuff to do during the ride, but most of all I don't like to fly. I don't know what it is about it. I don't like the sensation of taking off and landing and I don't like the amount of commitment involved. Once you are in the air you can't change your mind. If you're in a car you can turn around or pull over. You can yell "Let me out!" But not it an airplane. Once you're off the runway there is no turning back. If something is going to happen it will happen. There isn't a lot you can do.

When Daniel and I flew to Las Vegas in August I really practiced my "flying face". That is my "everything is great, we are not going to crash" face. Because we were both really worried that I would overreact when the kids were on the plane and I would freak them out. Freaking out makes complete sense to me. If I am afraid when it is just Daniel and I or just me on an airplane, imagine how I would feel when all three of my precious babies were on the plane too. I might go off the deep end. Now, keep in mind, I have never physically had a meltdown on a plane. It has mostly consisted of crushing Daniel's fingers in a death grip and expressing my immediate need to get off the plane while Daniel lovingly encourages me to breathe in and out. I'm exaggerating a bit, but only a little. Luckily, my practice paid off ( I also had a practice flight with my Mom in November), I had a little panic attack when I realized how small the plane was but quickly occupied myself with handing out granola bars and answering questions. The flight was over quickly. None of the boys got scared or sick. And I didn't go berserk. Thank Goodness.

Now--off to Disneyland!

Disneyland Day 2: Relaxing Day at the Rental House

Sunday was our first full day in California and we decided to spend it enjoying all of the things our rental house had to offer. We played pool and Rock Band and swam in the pool in the backyard.

The kids all loved the swimming pool. There was plenty of room and lots of toys for everyone to play with. We swam around until Daniel started the cannon balls. I didn't get any pictures of Daniel himself because he had control of the camera but he did get some good shots of CJ and Rob jumping into the pool.

We tried to teach the boys how to play pool but of course they had their own way of holding the sticks and made their own rules. But they did have fun.

We also loved playing Rock Band as this is fast becoming a Dickson family pasttime! All in all it was a nice relaxing day that we used to prepare ourselves for our first day in the Disneyland Parks!

Disneyland Day 3: First Day at Disneyland

Monday was our first day at Disneyland. The kids were so excited they could hardly contain themselves. I think I can say that the grownups were pretty much feeling the same way. Unfortunately this kept us from planning well. We packed bread and bologna and chips in the car to make lunches later and then trekked our way in. It was very overwhelming! You have to remember that the last time my parents took little kids to a big amusement park was almost fifteen years ago and Daniel and I were first timers. My family went to Disney World when were teenagers but I think that was a little less chaotic. This felt like a whole new experience for everyone.

Needless to say, we walked into the park and were immediately innundated with requests for this ride and that ride and this attraction and that treat. It was ten o'clock in the morning and the boys were asking for ice cream and cotton candy!

We reined them in and tried to make our way around the park with some type of plan. We did make it to the Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Carribean rides. We also went on the Haunted Mansion ride and got the see the whole thing redecorated as the Nightmare Before Christmas. We went through Tarzan's Treehouse and rode Splash Mountain.

Lunch was an adventure in itself because we had to ride the tram back to the parking garage and walk our way back to the cars. Then make sandwiches for six hungry children and four hungry adults without counters or tabletops. Mom and I decided that we would spend our next two days at Disneyland eating at restaurants inside the park!

After everyone's bellies were full it was time for more. Gabe got to ride Dumbo's elephants and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. The boys got their cotton candy and we got to see the fireworks.

We drove home to the rental house exhausted but looking forward to two more days at the Disney Parks.

Disneyland Day 4: Kidspace Museum in Pasadena

On Tuesday we decided to drive to Pasadena to go to the Kidspace Museum. This was a museum we found online when we were looking for stuff to do nearby. It was going to be an hour drive to get there but it looked like there was plenty of fun stuff to keep the kids entertained.

First of all there was a climbing structure where the kids could climb thirty feet onto different platforms surrounded by safety netting. I really like the safety netting. There were also displays teaching the kids about earthquakes and water erosion. The kids got to slide plates to cause the quakes and build up the dirt to see how the water would wash it away. Gabe especially like the Jeep that was outfitted for an expedition, it had a steering wheel where he could pretend to drive.

The big boys liked the area where they could see tarantulas, scorpions, and spiders through magnifiying glasses. And the live bee hive where they could see the bees buzzing throughout. We kept looking for the queen bee because she was supposed to be marked with a dot but never could see where she was. There was also a kid sized ant hole where they could all pretend to dig through and then climb through back to the surface.

There was also two water coloring stations. One where you could make an actual painting on paper and then sprinkle it with salt to see how it affected the paint. And another where you could paint on a plastic leaf and wait for the water to wash it off.

All of the kids really like the trike track. Where they could put on helmets and zoom around the track. There was also a tandem trike so the bigger boys could give Gabriel a ride.

Finally there was a rock climbing wall. All of the kids enjoyed this, even Gabe who needed a little boost.

We all had a lot of fun. Daniel was especially excited when we got to drive by the Rose Bowl and see the grandstands being put up for the Rose Parade. Of course, classic California style we got stuck in traffic on our way home. It took us at least an hour and a half to go forty miles!

Disneyland Day 5: Second Day at Disneyland

Our second day at Disneyland was much more organized than the first. We had a plan. We would arrive as soon as the gates open and head straight for the Matterhorn. We missed the Matterhorn the first day we spent at the park because by the time we made it there it had closed for repairs or cleanup or some other reason. Caleb was very disappointed. So we made sure on day two that was the first ride we all went on. Next we hit Autopia, a ride where the little ones could drive (even Gabe), but of course it is California and towards the end there was a traffic jam, so we sat for 5 or 10 minutes.

We also made it on Space Mountain that day. I think we rode three times and loved it each time we went. We also rode It's A Small World. Caleb really like that one and I was so impressed that they had it set up so well for the Christmas Season. I had expected them to add a couple of things for the holiday but no, they had redone almost all of the scenes to represent the the Christmas holiday. It was great.

We also went to Toontown where all of the kids got to meet Mickey Mouse. Gabe also got to ride on a little roller coaster that he loved. I will never forget seeing him and Daniel get off and walk towards me; as soon as Gabe saw me he was talking a mile a minute and kicking up his hands and feet. He cracked me up! Even the guy standing next to me laughed at Gabriel's explanation.

We spent almost 10 hours at the park and that was plenty! We all went back to the rental house happy and exhausted!

Disneyland Day 6: Beach Day

We spent Thursday at Newport Beach. The forecast said the temperature would be 80 degress but it felt much cooler around noon when we arrived there. There was sunshine but there was also a cool breeze coming off the ocean. We let the kids play in the sand and the water and we made sandwiches for lunch. It warmed up a little as the day got later but we left early and drove a scenic route up Newport and Huntington Beach on our way back to the rental house.

Disneyland Day 7: Third and Final day at Disneyland

We spent our third day at Disneyland at the California Adventure park. We started off with the Soarin' Over California ride which I must say was my favorite. It was so neat. It wasn't crazy or sensational but it was very entertaining. It reminded me of skydiving (I have tandem skydived only once when I was 19) but I didn't have to worry about my boys making it safely to the ground. And it was realistic enough that the boys were pointing and shouting and getting excited about what they were seeing.
We also rode the Tower of Terror (three times, I think). The boys were so excited for this ride because they could see it each day we spent at Disneyland and had been waiting and waiting for their turn. We also did some fun Bug's Life rides for Gabriel and did a lot of shopping to buy souvenirs for the boys and for family back home.

Disneyland Day 8: Saturday Travel Home Day

Saturday we all woke up early to finish packing so we could make it to the airport for our 11:00 a.m. flight. Our 11:00 a.m. flight that turned into an 11:45 a.m. flight. Oh well...we ended up packing our clothes, closing up the house, and returning the rental car in plenty of time to make it to the airport and through security without missing our flight.
The boys waited as patiently as they could and did well on the non-stop flight back to Boise. They didn't even complain when we got off the plane and had to walk through snow and wind to get to our car. That was an accomplishment in itself because I will certainly admit that I complained. I didn't like going from sunny, warm weather to cold, snowy weather. But what can I say? It was nice while it lasted.
We made it home safe and sound and were happy to be there!

A Friendly(?) Game of Twister

 

It's a Monday night at the Mercado household and we're all a little bored. Luckily, when Daniel was looking in the closet trying to help me find something he stumbled across our Twister game. Immediately he "challenged" Caleb to a game of Twister after dinner. "Challenges" are big at our house. There is always the raised eyebrow, the head cocked to the side, and the mocking "A challenge, you say?" So it was settled. There would be a family game of Twister after dinner. By the way, this always reminds me of the dinner/food fight scene in the Disney movie Meet the Robinsons, complete with kung fu moves and poor language dubbing. If you've seen the movie you know what I mean.
We took turns playing and taking pictures.
CJ and Caleb were so much fun to play with. They tried hard enough but they had so much fun falling down that they each only lasted a couple of minutes before they would fall over and try to take the other person with them.
When it was Caleb's turn to take pictures we realized that he is becoming quite the photgrapher. He wasn't satisfied with the candid shots. He kept asking Daniel and I to pose, hence the kissing picture! It was pretty cute!
Gabe didn't really know what was going on so he would just stomp across the mat and then fall down!
Daniel, I found out, is a cutthroat Twister player. When it was our turn to play against each other he kept intentionally putting his hand or stepping on the circle he thought I would be going for. He was trying to get in my way or make me fall over! Needless to say, we both ended up collapsed on the floor laughing.
We had a lot of fun and here are the pics to show it....

Gabriel's 2nd Birthday!

As most of you know, Gabe is a Halloween baby. Towards the end of my pregnancy I was put on bedrest and we were forced to induce labor before Gabriel's due date. The original date for induction was Oct 30th. But when we got to the hospital and the obstetrician check mine and the baby's vitals he thought it was fine to wait another day. So, Halloween morning we traveled back to the hospital where finally the doctor decided to induce labor. But he kept asking us if we were okay with having the baby on Halloween. He asked several times. We kept saying yes, if that was what was best for myself and the baby that was fine. We are not superstitious people, honestly the doctor seemed more worried than we were. Alas, everything went fine and Gabriel was born just after noon on Halloween Day 2006.
This definitely makes for an interesting holiday. It is extra special because not only do we get to have a big celebration to include both of the holidays but Gabe gets to get dressed up in a cute costume on his birthday. This year Grandma Mercado got him an adorable Pluto costume from the Disney Store. It was so cute and warm enough that even if the weather had been cold he didn't need to wear a coat. During the day we worked on getting Gabe to say "trick or treat", which came out sounding like "treat or treat"! He tends to have a sweet tooth like his mom and dad.
We went trick or treating at Grandma Dickson's office and then drove to Mountain Home where we went trick or treating in Grandma and Grandpa Mercado's neighborhood. The night ended with Gabe eating too much candy and being grumpy when it was time for bed. But we had a great day with all three of the boys wearing costumes and getting lots of candy!

Mommy Rocks!

Gabriel is almost two years old, his birthday is at the end of this month so of course he is doing all the things a two year old does. He throws some pretty intense fits, screaming and kicking on the floor. But he can also be sweeter than an angel, batting his eyelashes.
Over the last few weeks he has really started talking a lot more. It used to be that when you asked him, 'Can you say ______?' He would just say yes and leave it at that. It was like he was mocking us, 'Yes, I can say it. But I'm not going to.' The little stinker. Now he has realized that we get all excited when he actually does say the words so he will repeat pretty much whatever you ask him to.
Today I must have been feeling pretty cool, so I asked Gabe to repeat after me: 'Mommy Rocks!' He said Mommy, but he didn't quite say 'rocks', instead he ran into CJ's room and picked up the bag of (literal) rocks that CJ keeps as a collection. It took me a few seconds to get it, but pretty soon Daniel and I were cracking up! It was so funny. I was pretty impressed at how quickly he put the two together.
I guess tomorrow I'll have to work on 'Mommy is awesome!'

My Boys on Playground Toys

 

This past Sunday was kind of a lazy day for us. We spent most of the day at home lounging around. In the afternoon, we did take a little walk to the playground near our house. The boys spent time playing on the swings and the jungle gym. They went down the slide and across the monkey bars. We even spent a little time playing baseball. I should have taken a picture of Gabe's batting stance. He gets so into it he looks like a big leaguer, it's so cute. Here are some of the pics I took.

St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration 5K

 

Today was the day for the St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration 5K. This event was special to me for two reasons. First of all, it was the first race I would run with my mom, my sister and my sister-in-law. Second, it was the anniversary of the first 5K race I ever ran.
I had two goals, the first was to cheer my mom and sisters over the finish line and the second was to beat my time from last year's race. The bonus was to get a personal record for my 5K time. I met both of my goals but didn't get the bonus. Here's a RR (race report) for the day:
I set my alarm for 6:05 am. The girls and I had planned to meet at Mom's house at 7:15 so we could make it downtown to the start line by 8:00. I got ready and got in the car to leave; there were left over raindrops on the windshield from a shower the night before. The forecast for the day was not good: chilly with rain most likely. Now, Boise has not had any rain in the last 59 days. That's right, almost two months. But on the morning of the biggest women's 5K in the nation, it rains! Just before I got into Boise it started pouring. Not little raindrops but big, fat, heavy drops of rain. The kind that echo off the roof of your car. It had eased up a little by the time I got to Mom's but when we made it downtown it was a downpour again. We walked (quickly) toward the start line, but just before we got there we decided to take cover in a parking garage. We took a couple of 'before' pics and a picture of the street outside.
I was running in a different wave than the other girls so I waited with them as long as I could. Soon, I had no choice but to leave the parking garage and brave the rain. I took a little warm up jog to my start line and tried to keep warm by moving around.
Finally, the gun went off. It was still raining and I was already soaked. You could wring the water out of my ponytail. My hands were freezing. But I started running. The course was very nice. There was a little uphill and a little downhill for variety, it passed by the historic Boise Train Depot, and also took us down a residential street past beautiful old homes and a spectacular rim view of downtown.
I finished the race with a Nike plus time of 28:06, about 45 seconds shy of a PR. I could blame it on race day conditions (it was stinkin' cold) but I won't. I could have prepared more and I think I could have pushed a little harder. But I did improve on my time from last year--by almost 5 minutes--and I did have fun. It was great to see my mom and sisters finish their first 5K race. It was also great to know that we weren't going to let a little(or a lot of)rain stop us. We are already planning for our next Dickson Girls' race--it should be the Barber to Boise 5 and 10K in October.
We'll all continue to train and I will post a RR to let you all know how we do then!

Check Out My New Ink...

So I had to put that title because it doesn't sound like anything I would ever say!! But it is true--I did get my very first tattoo. My opinion on tattoos has always been 'to each their own'. While I have been suprised by what some people will permanently etch on their bodies I have always respected the fact that it is THEIR body.
It wasn't very long ago that I decided I wanted a tattoo. I started running a little more than a year ago and I decided if I ever finished a big race (half or full marathon) I would commemorate it with a tattoo. Back in April, I signed up with a running group and registered for my first half marathon. The training program in itself was a trial. They increased my mileage very quickly and I battled a few injuries. Even through those I didn't give up thinking that I would be able to finish the race. It wasn't until the last long training run that I really considered not running in the half. The last training run was 12 miles and I underestimated the difficulty and didn't hydrate or rest properly. The run made me literally sick. I seriously spent the rest of the day in bed. Even the day after I didn't feel well. I honestly wondered if I was willing to put myself through all of that again. Was it worth being able to tell myself that I had finished a half marathon if I was miserable for two days afterward? 'No pain, no gain', right? It was a tough question for me to answer. But I wasn't willing to trash all of the hours I had put into my training, and I wasn't willing to quit.
Running is a very passionate thing for me. Even when I have a bad run, I love every minute of it. I love the way I feel when I finish, even if I'm hurting. It's a weird love/hate relationship. So, I decided I would do it. I was prepared to feel crappy, I was even prepared to walk part of it. But I wasn't prepared to not finish. I ran it, and I finished. So I decided I needed a very permanent reminder of it.
I did a lot of research. I wanted to make sure that the tattoo I got was something I would want on my body forever. I also knew that I wanted it on my foot. So many people told me that tattoos are much more painful on your foot and they tend to need touching up over the years. But I was okay with that--that was where I wanted it.
I decided on a Latin phrase, 'Alis Volat Propis', it means 'She flies with her own wings'. It's on the side of my right foot (the foot I take my first step with on any run) and I love it! I had it done by Hollywood at Tattoo Revolution in Nampa and he did such a great job.

Back To School

Okay, so I know I'm behind and this post should have been here last week but we have had such a busy summer. I think I might be glad it's over!
CJ and Caleb started school last week. They are now my BIG second and first graders. I can't believe they are getting so big. Everyone always says--"Oh the time goes by so fast, your kids grow up too soon". When they are keeping you up all hours of the night and throwing two-year-old tantrums you think-"Yeah, right!".
But it's true. Frankly, I have a hard time believing I'm old enough to have a second grader, let alone two kids in elementary school! And Gabe is just starting to get into the "terrible twos". I think this will be an interesting year.
But we did have fun getting the kids Red Sox backpacks. We had a little hang up when one of the back packs we ordered ended up being junior size. It wasn't even big enough for a folder to fit in. We took it in stride and "handed it down" to Gabe and ordered another one. Now all three boys are the happy owners of Red Sox backpacks! Hopefully this will be a great school year.
Soon to come...pics and post of the most recent camping trip!

My Husband, the Writer

Big changes coming for the Mercado Family!
Last May, Daniel graduated from BSU with a degree in Creative Writing. Since then he has been working, but not writing. This has been difficult in many ways. First of all, Daniel is a good writer and he loves it. But he had to go from writing all the time to having no time to do it at all. Second, even though Daniel's job was a good job, it wasn't one that he liked. And when you don't like your job and you have to be there almost more often than you are with your family that makes life pretty rough. I can't imagine going to my job everyday and not liking it, but I can tell you it sucks when your husband has to do it.
So by the middle of September, Daniel will be home full time. He will have to somehow manage his schedule to allow him to take care of a toddler and put several hours a day into writing. I'm glad he is very determined and disciplined because I think I would spend all day in my jammies playing with the baby! But I have so much confidence in him. Even though he is a fiction writer he will have to start by writing non-fiction essays and magazine-type articles. He may be able to submit some short stories, but when you're starting out it is much harder to get fiction published. Hopefully after he gets a good portfolio put together he can put more time into the writing he loves.
We're both a little nervous, this is a really big step. But I know Daniel is a great writer (that's the reader in me talking, not the wife) and he will work really hard! If anyone can do this he can. And to prove it I am certainly willing to eat Top Ramen every night for the next several weeks....or months....
So cross your fingers for us, say a little prayer, and maybe buy us a bag of groceries. Just kidding! I'll keep updating to let everyone know how he's doing and of course to let you know when his first book signing is!!

Is It Always This Crazy?

We have had the busiest summer! Don't get me wrong...I would rather be busy than spend my time twiddling my thumbs--but Holy Cow!
We have been so busy. We have spent every other weekend out of town since the 4th of July. It is almost Labor Day and we still have one more trip planned. It has been so much fun but I would have liked another day or two to just relax.
We spent July 4th in IF with Grandma Turnage. Showing the kids what I used to do for the holiday and going to my 10 year High School Reuinion. Not too long after that we spent a weekend in Utah, going to Lagoon and visiting with family. Daniel and I also spent a weekend in Las Vegas and now we have spent a weekend camping and have another one planned.
Now CJ and Caleb start school on Monday and the summer is almost over! It was nice while it lasted! Even with the busy schedule we have gotten a lot accomplished. We have spent time with family, Daniel and I have spend time alone together, and we have made it on the first of two camping trips! More that we got done last summer! But I don't know if my goal for next year should be to "out-busy" this year! A little calm would be nice. But I do have a feeling that it is just the beginning.

As the boys get older they will do more, they will become more independent and I will try to do more for myself. But for now I will try to appreciate the fact that CJ and Caleb still want to kiss me good-bye. They don't want me to drop them off a block away from the school. And they still tell me they love me whenever they want to...not when it is "safe". I know that will all end soon, so I will try to appreciate what I have now. Because I know some day the boys will avoid me. They will roll their eyes. They will blush and be embarassed by something I said. But until then, I will take the busy schedule and the feeling that I have no time to relax...and I will try to hold on to that. Because I'm sure that some day I will be bored! Yeah, right!

Camping

 

We just got back from a weekend in the great outdoors. We went camping with my family. We found a great spot on the north fork of the Boise River and it had everything you need for a good camping trip. There were tall trees for lots of shade, the river was nearby so the guys could go fishing but not so close that we had to worry about the little ones falling in.
We had great dutch oven food and smores of course. The guys didn't do too well when it came to fishing, but catching fish isn't always the point, right? There was even a little stream that ran through the campsite. It was only about 5 inches deep so the kids were able to wade through it and use cups to play in the water. They kept calling it "the lake"! They all got good and filthy--which is kind of a requirement when you're camping.
We had so much fun and it was so nice to get up in the mountains and spend time with family.