Category: Home and Family

A few months ago, we got a wonderful surprise from one of the attorney’s at Dennis’s firm.  I eluded to it in this post, but never came back to tell you what the fun surprise was…

We were given 4 tickets to Disneyland!

Disneyland is one of our favorite places!  Even before we had kids, Dennis took me there 4 times in our first year of dating. I remember how excited he was the first time we went together. Hanging out with him there, I was tickled by how much he loved it.

We did annual passes to celebrate Dennis’s 50th birthday and went a bunch!  The kids had a blast and have been asking to go to Disneyland regularly ever since the passes expired, about two years ago now.  We kept telling them that it was expensive and we’d save up money to go in a few years.

So, these free tickets were very exciting!  We decided to surprise the kids and not tell them we were going to Disneyland until we woke them up Saturday morning.  Teo came into our bed around 6:00 a.m. (per his usual routine), so we told him first.  He was so excited and ran into Sienna’s room to tell her!  I quickly chased after him and just caught a glimpse of Sienna’s reaction.  She jumped up in her bed out of a deep sleep… “What? Disneyland?!?”  It was priceless.

Our day was wonderful!  It was early June and wasn’t too hot yet.  We know the park so well that it was easy to navigate and hit the rides we wanted to do without terrible wait times. The parade at the end was amazing, as was the new fireworks display.

The kids are both finally big enough to ride the rollercoasters!  We all went on Thunder Mountain Railroad together, which had been under construction for much of our “Year of Disney”.  I rode with Teo; Sienna rode with daddy. It’s such a great ride, but Teo was freaked out by the bats in the caves.  Poor kid.  After that he refused to ride anymore rollercoasters.

When it was time for Space Mountain, we had 4 Fast Passes and only three interested riders.  Sienna and Dennis went first while Teo and I looked around the Tomorrowland shops. When they came off the ride, I asked her how it was.  She looked a little shaken up as she told me it was fun.  I asked if she wanted to ride again with me.  She hesitated, and then said, “Okay, yes!  Let’s go!”  I explained that she was feeling exhilarated.  It can feel a little like fear, but it’s just because you’re so excited!

The outing turned out to be a milestone in that we didn’t bring a stroller!  The kids walked (almost all day).  We ended up carrying Teo at the end, but Sienna hoofed it from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.  We brought the kid’s pajamas along and they promptly fell asleep on the drive home.

For weeks after our visit, the kids kept asking when we could go to Disneyland again.

I explained, “Not for a long time, we need to save our money.”  Sienna shrewdly replied, “That’s what you said before, but then we went.”

Ah, touché.

On our recent road trip to Northern California, we brought along several CDs to listen and sing along to in the car.  One of the discs was Alan Jackson’s second greatest hits album. We love Alan Jackson!  His voice has such great tone and his gospel album gets regular playtime in our car.

On the second day of the trip, while driving from the bay area to Humboldt, we listened to the greatest hits album.  Sienna was up with Gaga already, so it was just Dennis, Teo, Claira, and me in the car.  The 13th track: “When Somebody Loves You” played through and as it ended Mateo asked, “Can we hear that one again?”

“Sure,” I replied as I hit the back button on the stereo. When the song ended the second time Teo asked, “Again?”

“Okay. You like this song, don’t you?” I asked, smiling at him in the rearview mirror.  Teo smiled and nodded.

This time, Teo started singing along with the chorus:

But when somebody loves you
There’s nothing you can’t do
When somebody loves you
It’s easy to get through
When somebody loves you
The way I love you

Oh my goodness, my heart!  Teo loves to sing and is constantly singing the songs he learns in preschool around the house.  He also sings along to several songs in the car. Twila Paris’s “Lamb of God” is a favorite.  But, this was extra precious in that he felt a connection to this particular song the first time he heard it. Then after two listens he was singing along.  Love.

For the rest of the trip, Teo frequently requested “the love song” as he called it. We must have played it over thirty times.  Once we picked up Sienna, she got into the trip theme song too.

The memory that stands out to me most was the four of us driving near the ranch with the windows rolled down and “When Somebody Loves You” turned up, all singing along.

My heart was full of joy.

I really like the idea of this being a theme song, not just for this trip, but for our family.  The lyrics speak of the strength that comes from knowing you’re loved.  I pray our children feel resilient because of the unconditional love their parents have for them.  And, as they grow, I want them to know how much their love strengthens our family.

I found myself being very reflective about life during our recent road trip to Northern California.  Maybe it was the long stretches of boring Interstate 5 that lead me to think about life.  But, I think the reason had more to do with the places we visited and being with my sweet husband and children.

First of all, my college roommate and best buddy Michelle took us to our college, Saint Mary’s, for a music on the lawn event. Being back on campus was very cool and instantly took me back to that time in my life.  I’d had a serious boyfriend for most of my college years, so memories of him (who I haven’t spoken to since we broke up in 2003) came flooding back.  Particularly when I went into the beautiful chapel, where I’d spent a lot of time in tears during my senior year because of our relationship.  Teo shook me out of my spell as he ran around the church and exclaimed, “It’s so pretty, Mommy!”  After that, I was in the moment and caught up with a lot of old friends that I hadn’t seen in years.  As we were driving back to Michelle’s place that night, I said little prayers of gratitude that God had brought me to San Diego to meet Dennis.  He’s an exceptionally wonderful husband and I am thankful that my college boyfriend sparked my move to San Diego.  The entire direction of my life was shaped by my years at Saint Mary’s College.  Having Dennis and Teo at SMC with me made me feel like life had come full circle… if that makes sense.

The next leg of our trip was driving up Highway 101 to Humboldt County.  I’ve driven this stretch of highway countless times in my life, particularly while in college when I went home to Eureka frequently.  The mountains and hillsides full of trees make me feel instantly at home.  I love the Richardson’s Grove area where the redwoods are inches off of the highway!  It’s all so precious and makes me feel connected to my childhood.

Once we arrived in Eureka, the memories become even thicker.  We tried to spot the house I grew up in from the highway, but the trees have grown in and we couldn’t find it.  But simply driving down Broadway (where Highway 101 cuts through Eureka) there were dozens of places with childhood memories – Pierson’s Building Center (oh, the Saturdays we spent in the nursery there as a family!), Harbor Lanes bowling alley, Adel’s…

Later in the trip we visited my grandparents and their den has literally not changed in over twenty years.  It was so comforting to see the same furniture, pictures, and toys that were there when I was a child.  Sienna and Teo played with these little bears that I remember playing with when I was their age. Awesome!  We even took a quick trip by my childhood home, where I lived from the age of 2 until I left for college.  It’s been repainted and has different landscaping around the front yard.  We didn’t linger there long because I want to remember it the way it was when we lived there.

Hanging out with my sister, Sarah, brother-in-law, Casey and nephews was a great highlight of the trip!  Lane is almost 5 and Cody is 3, so they played beautifully with our kids. Sienna had spent the week before in Humboldt with Gaga, so she’d already become totally comfortable at Sarah and Casey’s house.  The first night we were in Humboldt, we left their house and Sienna ran back to give Aunt Sarah one more hug.  My heart melted to see my daughter and my sister sharing a bond, and one that was formed while I wasn’t even around.  It was poignant and sweet.

Casey started to tell Dennis that we should move up to Humboldt.  During Leah’s baby shower, Casey and Dennis took the three boys on an adventure that included a drive in a dump truck!  So, then the thought was that Dennis could move up north, work for Casey’s company and drive a dump truck. I think Casey was only partially joking.  We played along and talked about what life would be like in Humboldt.  There was a tiny bit of me that started to seriously wonder if we’d like to live up there.  The main draw is family – having the cousins grow up together! – and the natural beauty of the area, which definitely had me under it’s spell.  Particularly at the ranch, where this conversation occurred.  It was fun to indulge this dream, and it continued to be on my mind for the next couple days.

However, an interesting thing happened.  By the time we hit Marysville, the last leg of our trip, I was feeling deep gratitude for my husband, children, and our little life in San Diego.  Spending time away from home, away from the day to day, allowed me to focus on them.  Being in our hometowns surrounded us with the feeling of home and thankfulness for the countless blessings God has showered on us.  There are so many “conspiracies of accidents” (as Ronald Rolheiser calls them) that shaped our lives.  Being at my college and in my hometown made me consider the many other paths my life may have taken.

Somehow being away from home and visiting our childhood homes made me focus on what’s most important: my relationships with Dennis, Sienna, Teo, and our extended families.   Home, for us, is stretched out along this great big state.  When we approached Eureka, I thought, “I’m almost home” as I’m sure Dennis did when we pulled into Marysville.  Then, as a family we kept saying, “We’re almost home!” as we approached San Diego.

I suppose it would be cliché to end with the platitude: Home is where the heart is.  But, it’s very true.  The places we love become home principally because the people that we love are there.

This was the last week of first grade for Sienna!

It was a busy week – early morning meetings and rushing out the door to get to school on time – meant that I couldn’t park and walk Sienna into her classroom on Monday and Tuesday.  She’d recently warmed to the idea of being dropped off at the front of the school, after claiming it was “Too scary!” for most of the year.

When I had to drop her off on Tuesday morning, because we were running late, I promised Sienna that I’d park and walk her in the next day.

Wednesday morning we were making our way down the hill to school when I noticed a lot of cars parked on the side streets.  “Do the Kindergartner’s have a performance today?” I wondered aloud.  When we pulled into the parking lot, we learned what was going on: Fifth Grade Promotion, in the Multipurpose Room.  Oh man, there was no way I’d find a parking spot.

“Lovie, I’m not going to be able to park.  Fifth grade promotion is right now and everything is full,” I told Sienna.

“But, you promised to walk me in,” she replied.

“I know I did.  But, I didn’t know that the promotion was this morning.  I’m sorry, Babe.  Sometimes things happen that I can’t control.”

A brief moment of silence and then Sienna said…

“It’s okay. Sometimes even good moms make mistakes.”

A lump immediately formed in my throat.

“Yes, that’s true.  And when we do we need our children to forgive us,” I told her, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

“I forgive you.”

Life is sometimes so poignant and real, it hurts.  This moment was so precious because I saw that Sienna is starting to understand grace and forgiveness.  Dennis and I are trying to model our parenting after the relationship between God and us.  We offer one another forgiveness, without guilt or retribution, because that’s how God forgives us through Christ.

Being forgiven for accidently breaking a promise to my child reminded me that sometimes the problems in life provide opportunities for connection, love, and joy.

Thank you Lord for this moment of grace.

Today Teo had to stay home. He caught the stomach bug that’s been going around and threw up in the car on the drive to school.  When they returned home and I was getting him cleaned up, he sadly asked me, “Does this mean we can’t have Mother’s Day?”  He meant the Mother’s Day Tea that we’d been eagerly anticipating that day.  It was the sweetest, saddest moment.  “Yes, we won’t go to the Tea, but we’ll have our own special day together, okay?” I replied.

While we were sad to miss this annual event, mostly I was looking forward to spending special time with my son.  We still got to do that; only, we were cuddled up on the couch, watching the Veggietale’s Jonah movie instead.

Seems to me that caring for a sick child is the epitome of maternal duties.  When my sweet little boy is feeling awful, days like today, the only thing that makes him feel better is cuddling up on my lap.  There’s nothing more important for me to be doing at those times than holding and nurturing my boy.

***

Lately I’ve been telling both Sienna and Mateo how much I love being their mom.  The other night, as we cuddled in his bed, I told Teo, “I love being your mom.”  He replied in a very serious tone, “I love being your son.”

It just doesn’t get any better than that.

***

My big girl is growing up so fast!  One of Sienna’s things lately is asking to have a talk with me.  She sometimes calls it a “girl talk” and often they occur in the bathroom.  The other day, she asked, “Mom, I’m wondering… what if I don’t fit in at college?  What if nobody wants to play with me?”  (To give some context, we’ve talked about the fact that people go away to college and Sienna feels pretty strongly – at 7 years old – that she doesn’t ever want to leave her mommy.  So, that’s what she’s getting at with these questions.)

I had to suppress giggles as I explained that you don’t actually “play with your friends” in college, but that of course she’d have friends because she’s very likeable, kind, and a good friend.

Boy, that analytical apple didn’t fall far from this tree!

***

As we look forward to Mother’s Day this weekend, I am cherishing the little people who made me a mom.  They make me smile and keep things interesting everyday.

As a mom, I’ve loved reconnecting with the fun of childhood play!  When we go to a playground, I can often be found running around, climbing, swinging, and otherwise playing with Sienna and Mateo.  They come up with imaginative games, where we’re chasing each other – for some reason or another.  Last summer we were often the characters from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  This year I expect there will be superhero roles for each of us.

I think most adults will agree that one of the things that happens as you mature (and accumulate more responsibilities) is you end up making less time for pure fun.  We’re always thinking about what we need to do, making lists, or attending to tasks and responsibilities.  Since it doesn’t have a sense of urgency and no one is relying on you to accomplish it, playing and having fun tend to drop to the bottom of the to do list.

This past week, my best friend and college roommate Michelle was visiting.  She’s the epitome of fun for me!  We giggle a ton when we’re together.  With the spirit of playful fun already heightened by her presence, the five of us headed off to play on Saturday.  San Diego has a cool, relatively new, park at the Harbor, that Sienna has been begging to return to after a visit with her friend’s family.

This park is really amazing!  There’s a huge water feature for kids to splash around in, lots of unique play equipment – including a large hill that has built in slides. The area around the slides is all that rubbery fall surface.  Running down the hill made you feel like you were going to fall – but in that energizing, silly way. Racing back up was a fun challenge and an interesting sensation.

Dennis, the kids, and I rode a big seesaw together – boys on one side, girls on the other.  Wow, it was fun!  I haven’t laughed that hard or felt that exhilarated in a long time.  It was that scary, silly energy of being on ride.  Teo’s slightly terrified expressions at hearing my screams and hysterical laughter was pretty priceless.  Just pure playful fun.

What kind of purely fun things do you like to do?