Who are these kids and why are they calling me Mom?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-25T13:23:00.001-07:00

Why not take nine kids to Baskin Robbins at 9 o'clock at night??

2011-10-01T17:32:00.001-07:00

L-R- Brittany, Christina, Mauricio, Sebastian, Nicky, Taylor, Hannah, Aedan, and Avery Rose. : )

2011-09-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

Me and Jakey

Ok, this is one of my all time favorite photos. This was taken last year at the Anderson's house. I was feeling a little loopy!! : )

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

Little Orphans Avery and Madyson!!

2011-08-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, this picture cracks me up! Yes, it is another "Classic Avery". She and Madyson were with me in Anthropology and when I was paying they walked up to me with headbands covering their eyes. Haha! They remind me of the cartoon "Little Orphan Annie". : )

I think I can, I think I can.....

2011-08-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

I will blog more, I will blog more!!!!

Today I downloaded 1,048 pictures to my laptop from my phone!!! YIKES is right!! I have decided that I whenever I think of it I will post random pictures to my blog and write about it for your reading enjoyment and so I can remember what my life was all about in my early 40's.

This photo was take in 2009. This is a Santa toilet lid cover, so when Avery Rose (10 1/2) came around the corner with this on her face I laughed so hard and almost fell off the chair! : ) Typical Avery!!

Avery the Artist!

2011-03-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

Brittany Rose Wiseman?

2010-10-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

Generally I am a quick person! Quick to think logically, and quick witted. Quick to notice things, not so much!

Here is the wall in our hallway were I display these pictures of my cute kids. I walk by these photos probably 3 dozen times in a 24 hour period. Why did it take me that long, 24 hours, to realize that something was different. I don't know, but boy did I laugh a lot!!!

Yes, that is Brittany Jurgaitis, not Hannah!!

I think we will keep it!

Seriously, Aedan??

2010-10-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

OK, seriously, all of my kids are funny but lately it has been Aedan who says these totally random things and cracks us all up.

Tonight he says- "Mommy, if my wee wee gets cut off will I have to pee out of my butt?"

OY VEY!!!

OK, now what?

2010-10-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

I am want to get in the habit of blogging on a regular basis. There are approximately 100 times a day that my kids say or do something that I think to myself, "I should blog about that!" Then five minutes pass and me and the kids are onto something else or somewhere else and blogging while driving is frowned upon and dangerous.

All of my kids say funny things on an hourly basis. Of course just as often they say things that only they themselves think are funny and then I get frustrated with them.

I have been reading dozens of blogs and one thing that is pretty common in the blogging world is Friday Fives. In case you don't know what Friday Fives are. Pretty much, I post five questions along with my answers and whoever else feels led to answer them does so under comments.

1- Five places that I have never been to that I want go before I die.

a. The Great Wall of China

b. Safari in Africa

c. Tahiti

d. Space

e. Egypt to ride a camel by the pyramids

YUCKY!!!

2010-09-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

I hate to say it, but I am sick. Actually, I hate to say "I hate being sick" because seriously, who doesn't hate being sick? Although I really don't know who hates mommy being sick more, the kids, Bob, or me.

I felt this coming on for the last few days but you know me, it is hard to slow down! Now I am forced to now so that is a bummer. I am hoping that I get better before Jenna goes into labor! For now I am drinking my herbs, pouring saline water in my nose, watching MLB Network, baseball games, and sleeping.

Off to bed now!

Baseball Fans

2010-08-04T12:27:00.001-07:00

Be sure to check out my Dodger blog!

http://josaysgododgers.blogspot.com

Be sure to click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of each page!

Epiphany!!

2010-05-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Regarding laundry, what drives me next after socks is towels! There are bath towels left all over my house constantly. I put up hooks in the kids rooms so in theory they would shower, use a towel, then hang it up so it would dry and be ready for the next time they showered. Well, that wasn't really cutting it so voila, I came up with an even better idea. Go to Target, assign a color to each of the kids and get 2 bath towels, one hand towel, and one wash cloth of that color. Tim-orange, Christina-hot pink, Aedan-black, Hannah-green, and Avery Rose-blue.

I will let you know in a few weeks how that works out for us!

Ta Dah!!!! This was started yesterday

2010-05-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

I am a busy mom, well I guess everyone who is a mom is busy whether you have one, two, three, four, five, or nineteen kids.

This morning started with Avery Rose still not feeling well, then trying to get the healthy kids out the door. Aedan and Hannah had to have their bags packed because they were going to spend the night in Anaheim for a choir competition.

At approximately 7:32 a.m. (we are supposed to leave for school at 7:25), I hear Hannah yelling at Aedan because he was supposed to get nice dress shoes for the competition (or else they get points deducted). In a nutshell, Aedan was being really irresponsible and Hannah was being motherly. I had a hair appointment at 10:00, which I would be walking out of the salon at 11:30. I called Papa Johns to place Aedan's cheese sticks order, and drove through Taco Bell for Hannah on the way to PJ's. picked everything up then went to the kids school. They had half day so Aedan and Hannah ate their food before they got on the bus to Anaheim. I picked up Christina and Melissa McCormick and took them to Red Robin for lunch then drove through the same Taco Bell for the second time in 2 hours for Avery Rose.

I took a nap then dropped off Christina and Melissa at Hillcrest so they could go to the Dodger game. THEN, me, Kim, Tina, and Alex (Kim's friend) headed to the game. The Dodgers won. It is always funner when they win!!

Get up off the floor!!!

2010-05-06T18:48:00.001-07:00

Two in a row, that is what I promised and here it is!!!

Bummer is that nothing life altering happened today but that is ok.

My day started out by discovering that Avery Rose was running a fever. Next, Allison, Jakey, and Z picked me up so I could take them to LAX. The nice people at Southwest Airline printed a pass for me so I could help her all the way to the gate.

Tonight is our date night. I am home waiting for Bob to come home and to see where we are going to eat unless I fall asleep first. I AM TIRED!!!

Hopefully I will be back tomorrow.

Dear Neglected Blog,

2010-05-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

I really do want to continue this relationship but I am so busy!! Between the five kids, our dog who recently had surgery, my crazy parrot who is screaming "Go Dodgers" as I type, and my new hamster. Yes, I HAVE A HAMSTER. Yes, me, the MOM has a hamster!! The kids got wind that Miss Celeste's class hamster had babies and they wanted one. Well, I took one look at it and fell in love. His name is Houdini and he is seriously the cutest thing and is nice! He loves to burrow in my fuzzy red blanket and run around the house in his tiny exercise ball.

As you can see I have been a bit distracted these days.

I have been traveling a lot too. First Phoenix, then Cancun, Tampa, and Nashville.

I am really hoping to blog more as my kids are so stinkin' funny and crack me up on a daily basis.

Today though they weren't so funny as I got very frustrated with them because they all leave messes all over my house!!!

The only thing funny today is Pele who seriously hears Vin Scully's voice and starts cheering for the Dodgers. Pretty cool if you ask me!

I will post again tomorrow! I PROMISE!!!!

Another little piggy!!!

2009-11-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

Avery Rose had swine flu Labor Day weekend and now two months later, Aedan has it. Aedan is on day 4 and has lost 7 pounds. Avery Rose lost 9 pounds in 5 days. Big bummer because those two have little weight to spare.

He just got out of the steamer because he was having a little trouble breathing. I am taking him to see our pediatrician to see if he has bronchitis later this afternoon.

To add insult to injury, Bob is out of town until about 9 o'clock tonight THEN he heads to Vegas tomorrow at noon until Saturday. I am praying that none of the other kids get sick or myself!

We get on the ship tomorrow!!

2009-06-12T09:46:00.001-07:00

Yes, we get on the ship tomorrow and I could not be happier. We have done a lot and had a blast on our land tour. The highlights were the helicopter ride and the ATV tour. The scenery is beautiful!!
Everyone says that Denali a.k.a. Mt. McKinley is only visible an average of 18 days of summer but yet we saw it three days in a row.
The hotels we have stayed at so far have all been Princess lodges and the food has been yummy!
Yesterday on the train we saw a couple of moose.
The weather so far has been warm but now that we are heading to the coast it has gotten a lot cooler and cloudy.
Today we get to be on a bus for about 5 hours so that means nap time!!

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Continued

2009-06-09T15:24:00.001-07:00

As we finally started seeing our gold in our pan a lady came over to help each of us. She kept pointing to me saying "I think she is the winner".
Inside they weighed our treasure and told us the value. Tim's was worth 6 dollars, Hannah -7.50, Bob, Christina, and Aedan-9, Avery Rose-10, and mine (drum roll please!!) was valued at $18.
It was a very fun day that was capped off by a great dinner on a river.

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Riverboat and Goldmine

2009-06-09T15:17:00.001-07:00

We had a blast yesterday! First we took a ride on a riverboat and learned a lot about the locals and their culture. Very interesting.
Our next stop was the goldmine. We got to pan for gold. At the end they were going to weigh it so it was a competition from the begining.

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On our four hour train ride to Denali

2009-06-09T12:48:00.002-07:00

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On our four hour train ride to Denali

2009-06-09T12:48:00.001-07:00

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Grandmother and Gunner in the taxi!

2009-06-08T22:05:00.001-07:00

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Grandmother and Gunner in the taxi!

2009-06-08T21:05:00.001-07:00

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Grandmother and Gunner in the taxi!

2009-06-08T21:04:00.001-07:00

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We have arrived in Alaska!!

2009-06-07T20:31:00.001-07:00

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Alaska

2009-06-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Alaska! The flights went quick so that was nice.
We arrived at the hotel around midnight and it was still totally light outside. Officially the sun set at 12:20 and rose around 3:20. Totally strange!!
Went to the museum of the north and found some amazing sugar corn. A.k.a kettle corn. Yummy!! Now we are in downtown Fairbanks just finishing up dinner. Oh and we found a fudge shop!!
Tomorrow we go on a riverboat then to a goldmine!

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We have arrived in Alaska!!

2009-06-07T19:41:00.001-07:00

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We have arrived in Alaska!!

2009-06-07T19:39:00.001-07:00

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Bob's Big Boy

2009-05-25T17:28:00.001-07:00

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Disney

2009-04-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

We got home last night from a whole weekend at Disneyland. We were there for Bob's IHACI planning meeting and stayed at the Grand Californian. While it was very fun it was a tough road getting there and we are all exhausted now but it was a fun time! Tim drove down to join us Sunday morning and Hannah didn't come because of a soccer tournament. Also, Dana drove down Saturday evening and stayed with us through Sunday evening. I took video and photos which I will post this week, hopefully!

Oh, Bob and I got to eat dinner at Club 33!

Hannah said a funny!

2009-03-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

The other day Hannah had me take her to the doctor. She hadn't been feeling well and that both of her ears hurt. Afraid that she had ear infections I drove her all the way out to Newbury Park to see her pediatrician.

Good news was that her ears were clear so I paid the ten dollars and she got her lollipop and we left. As we drove away I called Jerree to give her an update. I was giving Hannah a hard time and told Jerree that Hannah was faking it. Without skipping a beat Hannah says "I just wanted a lollipop"!!

She is funny!!

Baking with the girls!!

2009-01-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

During Christmas break we had a baking day with Madyson and Abbey. We had a blast in case you can't tell from the pictures!!

Mad's stop drinking the oatmeal!

Silly kids!

Hello? Anyone there?

Abbey has always loved butter!!

Madyson reading the recipe (long story)

Hannah curled Abbey's hair!!

Pretty!

Last Thursday the snow came CLOSE to home!!

2008-12-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

View from our driveway.

View as we pull in our neighborhood.

Porter Ranch

Up by our church. Santa Susana and Topanga Canyon

The view north on Topanga Canyon

In line at Mc Donalds looking in my rear view mirror.

"Would you like a bowl of water??"

2008-11-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

I had a frustrating day today!! I know with five kids that a lot of my days come with some frustration but today there was more than usual and most of it wasn't even their fault!
Tuesdays are very busy for me and today was no different.
My alarm wakes me up at 6:15 and I promptly hit the snooze button and semi-sleep for 10 more minutes. Somewhere between 6:25 and 6:30 I drag myself out of bed and start knocking on doors. Avery Rose's, then Aedan's, then Hannah's, then Christina's, then Aedan's, then Avery Rose's, then Aedan's, then Avery Rose's, then Aedan's, OK, you get the picture. Aedan and Avery Rose take after me!! Today was fend for yourself breakfast. Somedays I make pancakes, and at least once a week Papa (my dad) comes over to make either waffles or pancakes. I like for the kids to be heading back to get dressed, teeth brushed and hair around 7:00 then we leave at 7:30. Today I dropped the kids off in front of their school and went straight to my trainer to workout from 8-9. I then go straight home and shower so I can be at CBS (community bible study) by 10:00. Today my group were the "love ladies" which means we help with the childcare. Every Tuesday I hurry out of my house so I can drive through McDonalds to get my egg McMuffin-no meat, and a diet coke-easy ice. This morning I forgot to eat before I worked out so I was very anxious to order my egg McMuffin-no meat, and a diet coke-easy ice and drive away. While driving down Devonshire towards church I excitingly open my egg McMuffin-no meat to find that while I specifically told them egg McMuffin-no meat they gave me an egg McMuffin-with meat and NO EGG! I was sad, and hungry, and I couldn't go back without being late for CBS so I kept driving.
Every other Tuesday I also have an appointment with my counselor so I had to leave CBS 15 minutes early and head to my appointment. I had planned to walk into McDonalds and "exchange" my McMuffin but it was so crowded and I didn't have time. I was still hungry so I drove through Burger King. I ordered a Whopper with cheese meal with no pickles, onions, or tomatoes and a diet coke-easy ice. I drive away and I am salivating as I unwrap my whopper with cheese-no pickles, onions, or tomatoes. Yum, they got it right!! After eating almost half of it I got a bit thirsty so I take a big gulp of my diet coke-no ice and I almost vomit. Literally!! It was iced tea and I HATE iced tea. I seriously couldn't even swallow it and I had to pull over on Devonshire, open my door and spit it in the street. Now I am really pissed because again, I don't have time to turn around and go back!!! I make it to my counselor full but thirsty and go in and tell her about my morning. She say's "well, you must be thirsty, would you like some water?" Yes, thank you!!! She goes into the tiny breakroom where the Arrowhead bottle is and starts chuckling and yells "You're not going to believe this but there are no cups!"
She offers me a bowl and there I sat for 50 minutes drinking water from a bowl.

Day 10

2008-10-15T03:28:00.000-07:00

Poor Bob!! So my husband has food poisoning! Up all night!!! He stayed in bed all day while I tended to his needs. Turned out it was a perfect day to stay indoors as it rained all day long!
Bob felt better as the evening progressed and we even ate dinner on the patio of a restaurant. We did go to bed early though!
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Day 9

2008-10-14T01:33:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am going to have to give you all the "Readers Digest" version of today until I can type it out on a real keyboard.
In a nutshell we woke up, ate breakfast, walked to the dock, got on the boat and headed out to the Great Barrier Reef. Because I have been known to get seasick I took TWO Bonine tablets, 2 ginger tablets, and wore motion sickness wristbands. Guess what? I still got sick. BAD!! I threw up most of the out to the pontoon. It took about an hour and a half. Thank God there was a pontoon that was stable!! I rested for a while then went snorkeling. I was able to stay out there for about 30 minutes before I knew it was time to come in. I did get changed before I threw up some more. Here is where the story gets long but I must keep it short for now. I opted to take a helicoptor back to the dock with 3 other people. We did have to take a rowboat out to the helipad. Just as we were getting ready to get in the rowboat a monsoon hit. We got SO wet. We made it to the heli and eventually made it back to the hotel. Quite an adventure!! Bob got back a couple of hours later. He went scuba diving and saw a reef shark. We order dinner from room service and then off to bed.
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Day 8

2008-10-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

We had to have our bags all pack ready for pickup at 6:30 a.m. We once we did that we went down to breakfast. We weren't leaving our hotel until 8:30 so I had plenty of time for a little nap while Bob read his book. Actually I read AND took a nap. We were soon on our 3 hour plane ride up the coast. As we got off the plane in Cairns the first thing I noticed was the tropical feel. Humidity, yeah!! Of course it also rains a lot too but who cares if it is a warm rain! We had a really early dinner after we walked around the town for a while. Then back to the room, read some while Bob smiked a cigar then off to bed early because we have a big day tomorrow!!
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Day 7

2008-10-12T14:49:00.001-07:00

Today was an easy day. Bob worked out, I slept in then we had breakfast then walked to the Rocks to shop. We went to the Harbour where I had more of my yummy fish and chips for the last time and Bob just had a couple of beers. We stayed in for the night to pack our bags for our plane ride up to Cairns. Bob ordered room service and I skipped dinner.
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Day 6

2008-10-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

We got up this morning, skipped breakfast then got on our charter bus which was going to take us to the Koala Park and Melvy Harbour. The Koala Park was small but with a lot pf different kinds of animals. The first we saw was a wombat and we actually got to pet it. What an interesting creature, like a huge hampster type animal. We then went to visit the koala's. The worker brought over and sat him on the ledge and we all got to pet and take pictures with him. Very cool! We were then taken to a petting zoo type area where we walked through a gate and there we were in the midst of a bunch of kangaroos. I pulled out the bag of snacks that we had been given to feed the roos. The snacks looked like Cherrios and we just put them in the palm of our hands and the roos came and ate them. At one point while Bob was feeding them one of them came over stood on his hind legs and had his front legs resting/scratching on his tummy. Very funny. Two of them had joey's in their pouches which was really cool! At one point one of them came out and was jumping around like a boucy ball! So adorable!
Once we finished there we drove for awhile to catch a boat that would take us to Melvy Harbour. It was a family owned company that brought you back to their house and cooked for you. Very nice people and yummy food in the middle of nowhere.
Back to our hotel we went. I finished my book then we went and found a place to eat. Now we are uploading a video onto Facebook so go check it out. If I have time I will upload it onto here as well. Goodnight!
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Kangaroo Bob

2008-10-10T01:38:00.000-07:00

Day 5

2008-10-09T03:58:00.000-07:00

I slept in today as I wasn't feeling great. I feel much better now, so that is good. Bob was up and signed up for an adventure. He signed up to climb up the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was a 3 hour climb and he did great. He said the view was amazing! A couple of people didn't make it because they had to pee. That would have been Chris and Jerree!
We then walked around an area called 'The Rocks' to shop and eat lunch. We then came back to take a nap and read. We shopped some later then ate at "mamma's kitchen" for dinner. Tomorrow we go to the Koala Park!
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Day 4

2008-10-08T03:46:00.000-07:00

We got up and ate brekky. We then were on standby for the Sydney city tour. We made it on and were happy we did. We had been seeing a lot of wild white cockatoos and saw a lot more today. An unexpected surprise was getting to tour the Sydney Opera House. It was way more interesting than we thought it would be. After the tour we went back to the restaurant in the harbour that we ate at the other day with the yummy pizza bread, dip, and fish and chip's. I was beat after that and since I am fighting a cold I napped. We skipped dinner and are flipping channels right now. Goodnight.
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Day3

2008-10-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

I know I am posting this a day late but we were on the go all day long yesterday.
We got up early, skipped breakfast, got in our rental, and headed to the Blue Mountains! On our first stop we were fortunate to see 2 kangaroos eating. Then we went on a couple of good hikes. We drove a lot and walked a lot. On our way back we saw a kangroo and wombat road kill. We have also seen a lot of wild cockatoo's. They are white with yellow feathers on top. Beautiful! We ended our driving excursion with a stop at Bondi Beach. It is a beautiful cove. The sand is white and very fine and soft. We returned our car to our hotel then walked to Darling harbour to eat dinner. I had fish and chips. That is the end of our long day!
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meBird.jpg

2008-10-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

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meKangaroo.jpg

2008-10-06T14:42:00.001-07:00

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meKoala.jpg

2008-10-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

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Day 2

2008-10-06T02:10:00.000-07:00

I slept for 11 hours and 45 minutes last night. Yeah for me! We ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant then headed out to Darling Harbour. We went straight to the Sydney Aquarium which was awesome! After that we went next door to the Wildlife park. I got my picture taken with a few koalas and even got to pet one. I did land up waking it up and he looked a bit bothered when he turned to look at me! It is funny because I have seen koalas and kangaroos several times at the L.A. Zoo but seeing them here was way cooler! We also saw wombats, platypus, and Nemo. Once we finished there we explored more of the city then came back to the hotel to veg out for a bit.
We ventured out for dinner and found Mamma's Kitchen. To say the food was yummy is an understatement! We both got pasta dishes and in a blink of an eye our bowls were empty. Bob asked if I thought it would be rude if he licked his bowll. I told him yes so he ordered 2 canolis instead! He said they were homemade and amazing. We are going to bed early tonight as we are getting up early and renting a car to drive to the blue mountains which are 2 hours away.
G'day mates!
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BobHarborBridge.jpg

2008-10-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

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BobHarborBridge.jpg

2008-10-05T01:56:00.000-07:00

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We made it down under!

2008-10-05T01:35:00.000-07:00

After a fourteen hour flight we arrived in Sydney this morning. It is Sunday here. That means we totally skipped over October 4th. Its almost like we went on a time machine.
We arrived at our hotel about 9 this morning and our room wasn't ready so we had the breakfast buffet at the hotel restaurant. Once we were finished with breakfast we only had to wait about 30 minutes for our room which wasn't bad. Once we got into our room we took about a 2 hour nap.
We then left our hotel to explore. The first thing we did was walk to the Sydney Opera House. As far back as I can remember I have wanted to see this in person. There Bob and I were taking each others pictures in front of it. We then walked over to a little Sunday street market. It was fabulous!! They had the coolest things! They even had a kangaroo leg back scratcher AND kangaroo balls bottle opener!!! Go figure! By the way we did not buy either! We passed by a store that sold Uggs the fur inside the REAL Uggs is way thicker, so pretty much we in America are being jipped!
Once we were done shopping we went back to the Harbor for fish and chips which were yummy! Our appetizer was pizza bread with three toppings. Olive tampanade, sundried tomato paste, and goat cheese!! Amazing!! Remember with me it is all about the food!
I fit in more here than let's say Peru or Spain as there are a lot of tall people. The things I notice.
You all are sleeping now (lucky) and it is 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening here. Bob and I will walk around a little more then off to bed early!
Thank you for all of your prayers! Keep them coming!
Jo
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The L.A. County Fair

2008-10-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

Baby Maddie

2008-09-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Jenn has THE CUTEST kids! Asher, Lizzie, and baby Maddie. The other day we went out to lunch and I was holding Maddie on my lap. All of a sudden Jenn starts cracking up laughing and wouldn't stop. I asked or yelled to her "Why are you laughing??" She then informs me that I had dripped Ranch dressing on her baby's head. Oops!! Sorry Maddie!

Maddie who is looking a lot like her big brother Asher here.

Me trying to take a picture of her head with my phone.

Big sister Lizzie took these last two pictures.

Getting my Maddie fix.

Go Dodgers!!!!!!!

2008-09-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

Please go all the way!! I am very excited that the Dodgers have made the playoffs but I am leaving for Australia October 3, so the only way that I will be going to anymore games this year is if they make it all the way to the World Series. You never know!!!
Congrats to the boys in blue I will be watching from the other side of the world!

Avery Rose is a funny girl!!

2008-09-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

I picked up the kids at school the other day and as they all pile in the car Avery Rose says to me:

AR: Mom, did you hear that I lost another tooth? (She has lost more teeth than Aedan and Hannah who are 2 years older)
Me: Oh my gosh, you lost another tooth??
AR: No.

Beach Wednesdays!!!

2008-08-30T20:33:00.001-07:00

Avery Rose, Madyson, Brooke, and Calleigh.

Avery Rose, Madyson, and Brooke

Avery Rose, Madyson, and Brooke

Grace

Madyson and Avery Rose

Reagan and Hannah

Colin

Calleigh

Jackson

Lizzie

Lizzie

Colin

Lizzie

Carson

Reagan

Hannah

Maddie

Reagan

Christina and Hannah go to camp!

2008-08-22T17:33:00.001-07:00

Christina with her pink luggage!

Hannah arrives at the church parking lot.

Hannah and Dre'.

Hannah and Joey.

Rachel and Hannah.

Our summer.....

2008-08-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

We started our summer out with a bang and since we have been home from Europe we certainly haven't stopped.
We went to the beach on Wednesday's, girl's night out, kids went to camp, we went to Dodger games with friends, played in our pool, went to the Ventura county fair, and ate at Bob's Big Boy a few times! I will highlight these in my following posts!

Planes, trains, automobiles, and BOATS!!

2008-07-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken on our way to Greenwich.

Hannah with the London Eye in the background.

Aedan with Big Ben in the background.

The fam. Aedan, Avery Rose, Christina, Tim, Bob, and Hannah.

Tim

Harry Potter!!

2008-07-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

With five kids we have to take some pictures times five, so here you go!
Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter!

Hannah

Avery Rose

Aedan

Christina

Tim

PARIS!!!

2008-06-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

We have seeing a lot here in Paris. We saw the "Thinker", the Mona Lisa, Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, I could go on for a while. Here are a few pictures from the past few days.

Aedan when we arrived in Paris by train from London!

Avery Rose and Hannah in their new berets.

Aedan doing what boys do!

Aedan at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe

Breath taking

2008-06-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

Seeing the Eiffel tower today was simply breath taking!! We are all excited to go up on Monday. We took a city tour this morning and went into Notre Dame. Beautiful!!!
We are staying in an amazing apartment!! Very spacious!!
Today in France they are celebrating summer solstice with concerts all over the place starting later this evening.
Wednesday is the day we will spend at Disneyland Paris, all of the kids are very excited!
I will hopefully get a chance to post more pictures in a couple of days.
I hope you all aren't melting!!!

Oh, your American!

2008-06-19T13:35:00.001-07:00

Funny story of the day. We were in the bug house at the London Zoo today and a man was holding a tarantula talking about it and answering questions. Avery Rose, Aedan, and Hannah were up close watching when Hannah noticed that the tarantula pooped on the mans hand and promptly squeals "Ew, he pooped on your hand!" The looks confused at her, and asks, "what?" Then he said, "Oh, your American! Yes, he went to the loo in my hand, and you are very fortunate to see it because he only goes once a week." LOL. The kids thought that was hilarious!!

More pictures!

2008-06-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Walking across Abbey Road!

Aedan at the Harry Potter bridge over the train station

Fancy kids on our way to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.

A few more pictures!

2008-06-16T12:44:00.001-07:00

Today I am making up for lost time in regards to posting pictures!
Here you go!

Aedan in front of Stonehenge listening to recordings about what we are looking at.

Aedan and Avery Rose on the Underground

Avery Rose peaking out of the telephone booth

Aedan, Avery Rose, and Christina with Big Ben in the background

Christina on the boat headed to Greenwich with Big Ben in the background.

Aedan in front of the London Eye. The worlds tallest Ferris Wheel

Christina posing by the sign for our stop.

Buckingham Palace

2008-06-16T12:40:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture from when we went to Buckingham Palace the other day. Now I know that not one of us is in this photo but I am sure you can use your imagination. We haven't been gone so long that you forgot what we look like, right???

Yesterday

2008-06-15T23:57:00.001-07:00

First of all, I posted about 6 pictures yesterday and for some reason they aren't showing up.
Yesterday we took a long walk around Hyde Park. It is beautiful!!! The kids copied a man who was putting seeds in his hand and little birds would land and take it right out of his hand. We didn't have seeds but they did have leftover bread from feeding the ducks. Aedan, Hannah, and Avery Rose got birds to land on them. They also, along with me, feed the ducks right from our hands. For lunch we ate at Hard Rock Cafe. That was very fun! We also took a tour of the vault downstairs. We then took the tube to the British Museum and walked around there for a while. We then went and had Gelato for dinner then back to our apartment.
Today we are off to Stonehenge. I am very excited!!

Our day today...

2008-06-14T11:31:00.001-07:00

This morning we took the Underground to get the boat that took us to Greenwich. Being at 0 longitude was very facinating!
We had lunch at a great Italian restaurant!
After lunch we visited the Maritime museum.
Aedan and I took a little nap on the boat on our way back.
Aedan and I were exhausted so we came home and Bob and the other kids went on to Covent Gardens.
That is all for now!

I almost forgot to tell you!

2008-06-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

I have to share with you all that last night I LITERALLY fell asleep in the bathtub!!! I was even dreaming before my head tipped backwards and woke me up! That can't be good!
In this apartment that we are staying at there are 2 bath tubs and only one shower. The one shower is downstairs in Tim's room so I opted to use the bathtub connected to our bedroom. I was so tired and the water was nice and warm so I totally dozed off!!
That was a first for me!

First full day in London

2008-06-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here is what we did today:
Walk to Buckingham Palace.
Saw Big Ben.
Rode on the London Eye. http://www.londoneye.com/
Visited the London Aquarium.
Walked inside the Westminster Abbey.
Took the Underground to Piccidilly.
Ate at Rainforest Cafe.

We are all ready to go to bed but it is only 6:35 p.m.!! So, I am trying to keep everyone up for a little while at least.

That is all for now.

We made it!

2008-06-12T12:35:00.001-07:00

Our flight took off on time and it was pretty much uneventful which is what I had been praying for. There were little episodes of bad turbulence and the kids didn't sleep a lot but other than that it was great!
We just came home from Harrod's and dinner. Tomorrow we are going to the London Eye.
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All the many passports!!

2008-06-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

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We are running late!!

2008-06-11T16:51:00.001-07:00

We were supposed to leave for LAX 25 minutes ago. Oops! Josh Larson is trying to stow away with our luggage. Right now we are waiting for daddy!!
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Waiting to leave for LAX!!

2008-06-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

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Tomorrow is the day!!

2008-06-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

We are leaving to London tomorrow evening. I have been to the mall 17 times in the past 3 days. Well, maybe not quite that much but A LOT!!
I am trying to finish my packing quickly tonight because I really want to watch the Dodger game tonight. Clayton Kershaw against Greg Maddux!!

No comment necessary!!

2008-06-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Aedan's culmination

2008-06-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Getting his dress shoes on.

Walking through the parking lot.

Handsome man!

Bob and I with Aedan

Aedan on stage.

Aedan Glenn Koreiba is not an elementary student anymore, he is a middle school student. YIKES!!!
The program was nice then we went to Outback for dinner, and he got a digital camera from Momma Angie and Papa!

Tim's graduation

2008-06-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Timothy Bradford Wiseman graduated from Granada Hills Charter High School. He played bagpipes during the opening ceremonies and at the end. We all had a great time!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????

2008-06-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

Question, what is $150.00 plus $61.39???

$211.39!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is how much it cost me to fill up my Excursion the other day.
When is the maddness going to end???
BTW, my credit card only lets me put in $150 at a time so I just started it over. That is why there are 2 receipts!

Seriously busy!!!

2008-05-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

OK, so within the next 9 days three of my kids are graduating!! Tim from 12th grade tomorrow, Aedan from 5th grade on Monday, then Christina from 8th grade next Friday.
YIKES!!
We also are hosting 2 parties this weekend and we will be attending our niece Jessica's party who is also graduating from 12th grade. Valeries parents just got into town also.
The other crazy thing is that 5 days after Christina's graduation we leave for Europe. Yikes, I better start packing now!

CarsonHat.jpg

2008-05-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

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Carson Koreiba

2008-05-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is Carson, Aedan's baby brother who was born 2 days after Christmas. Isn't he cute???

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Busy, busy, busy weeks!!

2008-05-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

We have been home for 2 weeks and my life has been abnormally busy. Doctors appointments, dentist appointments, soccer games, choir practices, choir performances, oh, I could go on forever!! And I almost broke two of my fingers and they still hurt!
Today is my first down day. We did have church but now I am vegging out watching the Dodgers struggle.
I will post pictures of the choir show that Avery Rose was in soon!

27 hours later.....

2008-05-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

It took us 27 hours to get from our hotel in the Canary Islands to our front door. YIKES!! We are a bit foggy but hanging in there. We took "No Jet Lag" pills out to Europe and home and kept hydrated and that really seemed to help. I didn't even take a nap yesterday!! Now, last night I didn't sleep great so we'll see what happens today.
Thank you for all of your prayers for a safe trip!!

Chicago baby

2008-05-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

So here we are in the middle of our long layover in Chicago. We got on the subway to go grab a bite to eat in the city but unfortunately the blue line was down and we had to just stay on and go back to the airport. The good news was that we took some great pictures of flat Stanley on his first subway ride!
Well, our food just got here. We are eating at the Hilton at O'hare.
Next time I post hopefully I will be home!
Jo
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One down. . . .two to go!

2008-05-04T02:39:00.000-07:00

We flew to Madrid this morning and are now getting on our flight to Chicago. Then we have a 5 hour layover.
This is a 9 hour flight. Pray that everything goes smooth and that we get home safe and on time. Thanks!
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CanaryResort.jpg

2008-05-03T05:22:00.000-07:00

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The cat and the mice

2008-05-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

Alright, so Celeste wanted to know the story behind the cat and the mice, so here it is.
It is pretty simple, a guy wanted to make some money without working so he hangs out with a cat who likes mice. I met a guy like him in Key West many years ago. Only that guy walked around with a Rottweiler with a cat sitting on top of him with a mouse sitting on top of the cat. I spoke with him and he said it was just a matter of training the animals. Now because I didn't speak Italian I was unable to ask what was up with this cat and mice. Were the mice orphaned at the same time the cat's kitties died and they have now bonded? Maybe! Did the Italian man drug the animals? Maybe! Were they battery operated animals and just looked real? Maybe!
Oh, the guy I mentioned earlier was on CNN a few weeks after we saw him in Key West only he had moved on to Denver.

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2008-05-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

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The islands

2008-05-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

We made it to the canary islands. After an hour and 15 minute flight from Barcelona to Madrid then a 2 hour and 45 flight on to the island. We are staying at a fancy quaint hotel. Our room is small with 2 twin beds and a cute little balcony. The room looks very European. That might have something to do with the fact that we are indeed in Europe. This island belongs to Spain but is closest to Africa. They said that it is very warm and dry because of the winds that come over from Africa. Kind of cool huh?
Hopefully I will get around to posting pictures later.
Jo
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Update

2008-05-01T05:04:00.000-07:00

We landed up tying in our card game.
I told Bob that it means that we are both winners!
: )
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Madrid Airport

2008-05-01T04:42:00.000-07:00

Bob and I have a 3 hour layover in Madrid befor we head off to the canary islands. We had some yummy muffins and are now I am beating Bob in a game of Phase 10. It is a card game.
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2008-05-01T04:23:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-01T04:11:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-01T04:09:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-01T03:53:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

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Who are these kids and why are they calling me Mom?

Happy Halloween!

Why not take nine kids to Baskin Robbins at 9 o'clock at night??

Wordless Wednesday

Little Orphans Avery and Madyson!!

I think I can, I think I can.....

Avery the Artist!

Brittany Rose Wiseman?

Seriously, Aedan??

OK, now what?

YUCKY!!!

Baseball Fans

Epiphany!!

Ta Dah!!!! *This was started yesterday*

Get up off the floor!!!

Dear Neglected Blog,

Another little piggy!!!

We get on the ship tomorrow!!

Continued

Riverboat and Goldmine

On our four hour train ride to Denali

On our four hour train ride to Denali

Grandmother and Gunner in the taxi!

Grandmother and Gunner in the taxi!

Grandmother and Gunner in the taxi!

We have arrived in Alaska!!

Alaska

We have arrived in Alaska!!

We have arrived in Alaska!!

Bob's Big Boy

Disney

Hannah said a funny!

Baking with the girls!!

Last Thursday the snow came CLOSE to home!!

"Would you like a bowl of water??"

Day 10

Day 9

Day 8

Day 7

Day 6

Kangaroo Bob

Day 5

Day 4

Day3

meBird.jpg

meKangaroo.jpg

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Day 2

BobHarborBridge.jpg

BobHarborBridge.jpg

We made it down under!

The L.A. County Fair

Baby Maddie

Go Dodgers!!!!!!!

Avery Rose is a funny girl!!

Beach Wednesdays!!!

Christina and Hannah go to camp!

Our summer.....

Planes, trains, automobiles, and BOATS!!

Harry Potter!!

PARIS!!!

Breath taking

Oh, your American!

More pictures!

A few more pictures!

Buckingham Palace

Yesterday

Our day today...

I almost forgot to tell you!

First full day in London

We made it!

All the many passports!!

We are running late!!

Waiting to leave for LAX!!

Tomorrow is the day!!

No comment necessary!!

Aedan's culmination

Tim's graduation

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????

Seriously busy!!!

Ta Dah!!!! This was started yesterday