Hot tubs and alcohol

My sister and her family are visiting from Sweden. They have been here for almost three weeks. Last year they were here for three weeks in the summer as well, and not once did we go in our jaccuzzi. Don't know why it never happened. So, we said they definetily have to try it out before they go back to Sweden on Thursday. Well, our jaccuzzi is old and takes some time to heat up, so when my friend invited us to come and soak in their jaccuzzi, which by the way is a rolls roy of jaccuzzis, we didn't hesitate one bit. Of course we'll come. So, last night we had some wine with dinner and then headed over to my friend's ouse. Over there we had some more wine before going in the tub. Finally, we all went in and had a little Bailey's to make a toast. We had a great time talking, laughing, and listening to music. Then all of a sudden my sister is starting to look a little cross eyed. I had forgotten to warn here that alcohol goes to your head a lot quicker when you're sitting in a hot tub. Did I feel bad or what? Long story short, we got her out of the tub and she fell asleep in my friend's really cool massage chair. Don't know if she remembers much of the jaccuzzi experience.

Going Places

I had a couple of busy days. On Sunday we went to Santa Barbara. It was a gorgeous day, and my husband, the toddler, and the youngest teen took my sister and her family to show them something other than our backyard pool. Santa Barbara is such a quaint little town with a lot of ambiance. Us adults had planned to walk around for a while and then find a cozy place to have lunch. The kids however, as soon as we got out of the car, "We are hungry"! Hello, that's why we told everyone to eat a good breakfast. But, of course, like good parents, we didn't want our poor children to starve so we found a small Hawaiian Grill which served burgers and salads. It was ok, but not great. Then we walked down State Street down to the pier, and there were so many nice places we could have stopped at. On the pier itself they had a couple of seafood places. Next time I will not listen to the kids. You didn't eat your breakfast, tough, you'll just have to wait.
It took us 45 minutes to get to Santa Barbara, but 2 hours to get home. We got stuck in the worst beach traffic ever. I will never go in that direction on a Sunday in the middle of summer. Everyone goes to the beach on Sundays....why didn't I know this after living here for 20 years? Next time we'll go up on a Saturday or midweek.
Monday we realized we were low on food and other neccessities such as toiletpaper, so we went to costco to stock up. Well, did we ever...! Our cart was full to the brim and $415 later we were on our way home. But, we're a big crowd, so the food goes quickly.
Today I took my family to the beach and then I took Hayden to a playdate...a lot of driving but it was worth it. I think everybody was happy with their day.
Tonight all the young girls are going out for some Thai food and then our oldest daughter, the 20 year old, is taking them all to Hollywood for milkshake at some famous milkshake place!!! What do I know? I have no clue where all the hot places are. Us adults are staying in our backyard for some barbequed steak and potatoes and of course some wine...we're so boring.

Going out for Sushi

Went out for sushi last night. Oh my God it was sooo good. I didn't have any sushi the whole time I was in Sweden, and I had this crazy craving. We brought my sister and her husband and of course the toddler. Just to make sure we could eat our sushi in peace I had brought my I Touch with Nemo and Bolt downloaded. I mean the complete movies. It worked wonders. The other people in the restaurant must have thought this kid was the most behaved child ever. I feel so smart. Well, we're going to have to do this soon again. This night out did not clench my cravings for sushi even though we ordered a whole bunch of stuff. I will definetly have to go back in a few days.
Today we took the swedes to the Ronald Reagan Libray and Museum which is very close to our house. It was really neat. We got to go into the Airforce One that Reagan used during his administration. Got some cool pictures. And now I think we'll do a little pooltime while the little one is napping. Until next time...

Vacation

Just put Hayden down for a nap. My sister and her family are all in the pool. They absolutely love the sun, the beach, and the pool. I get bored, so I sneak away to my bedroom to check my mail, maybe read a little, or just relax. I know in Sweden the weather can be very unpredictable, so I understand they want to take advantage of the sunny days here. But, I get them almost 365 days a year, so it gets a little old for me. I really want to clean my house, but that seems kind of rude when you have visitors. So, I pretend that the hairballs the size of a beachball in the corners don't bother me a bit. I pretend that the dirty dishes in the sink will be taking care of by the non existent maid, and that the laundry that's piling up will somehow find itself to the washer. My poor husband is working his tail off in the office, and I am just on an extended vacation. I'll have to make it up to him. I am going to make a nice dinner tonight at least.

Spending money

Went to Santa Monica Pier yesterday with Hayden, the youngest teen, and my sister and her family. The kids wanted to do rides. We bought them the unlimited ride wrist band for $22 a piece. Then of course we had to buy food and ice cream. Before the evening was over I had spent almost a $100. Didn't plan to...just happened.
I just spent 3 weeks in Sweden, and let me tell you those tickets weren't cheap. And of course I spent a few hundred dollars just doing absolutely nothing in Sweden. I honestly have no idea how that happened. I'd better start working....

Wild and Crazy

Today I saw that I had a few facebook messages, so I went to my page to check them. I almost choked on my coffee when I saw that an old friend of mine had posted a picture of me and her from the mid 80's. I guess this middle aged part time RN part time house wife living in this white middleclass suburb was a pretty wild child at one point. Since my kids and all their friends have facebook I wonder how long before I'll be bombarded with some stupid ass comments. Oh, well...guess I can't hide from my past. At least I had a pretty interesting life...

Sleeping with a toddler

Hayden is in our room for the next three weeks...!!! I have a full house already, but now it's even fuller. Picked up my sister and her family from the airport last night. I gave her and her husband Hayden's room and her girls are sleeping my youngest teen's room. So, Hayden is still a little off from our return from Sweden, and now he's schedule will be a little more off. But, that's okay. I don't have visitors that often. Just wish he would sleep a little better. After he woke up for the 3rd time at 5:30 I gave up on sleep. The first time was 1:30 and I had slept for 1 hour. Then he woke up at 3:30 and wanted to come to our bed from the little mattress I had placed for him on the floor. And anyone who has had the joys of sleeping with little children knows that they are not still. I had feet in my back, in my face, and in my stomach. Thought my son had turned into a milliped. It's now a little after 9 am and I can hear everyone stirring in their beds. They're all ready to wake up, and I am ready for a nap. Goodnight.

Parenting...sigh...

Being a parent is a double edged sword. You want to be understanding and give them the benefit of the doubt, but you also don't want to be taken for a fool. Because most teenagers, by nature, are very egotistical, and they will try to turn any situation to their advantage. The younger teens want to be older when it comes to priviliges, and they want to be catered to as far as responsibilities are concerned. They older ones who are of legal age want to be independent and "do their own thing" without parental control, but they don't want to carry the financial responsibilities that come with such independence. So, being a parent to 4 such kids and also to a toddler can be a very challenging task. I like to take care of and do things for my kids, but I have to be careful not to enable them to claim ignorance and incompetence when it comes to basic shores. It is a very fine balancing act. I asked my youngest teen to clean her room for two days since we're having family from Sweden arriving tomorrow and two of them will sleep in her room. Her reply is "I'm gonna do it. I haven't forgotten" "I'm doing it after the gym". Well, it's after the gym, and I can hear her in the pool with her boyfriend. I have also asked everyone not to put their dishes in the sink, but to put them in the dishwasher. If it's full then empty it good damn it. If it's full but still dirty; then start the dishwasher, and wash your dishes by hand. But, this very simple concept is too advanced for these kids. So, I end up doing it all...not happily, I might add.
The other thing that really bothers me is that they think we are fools. They think we buy all their explanations or denials of incidents that have happened throughout their teenage years. Not so..., been there, done that, got the t-shirt so to speak. I'd rather they tell me the truth than have them believe they can lull me into some false sense of security. Ain't gonna happen kids. They may think we're from the stone age, but we really do know what's going on.

Glad to be Home

Finally I have the privacy, the time, and opportunity to come back to my blogg and write. Three weeks in Sweden went by in a blurr. I can't believe I'm back already. Thank God...I wanted to kiss my driveway as I stepped out of the car from the airport. I love my parents and the rest of my family, but I had absolutely no privacy. Not that I have any secrets, but I like to check my emails and I do enjoy writing in my blogg without having anyone looking over my shoulder or bugging me about wanting the computer. Yes, we all shared one, and my kids wanted to be on 24/7. It was a little tiresome. It was like they never left home. They talked to their boyfriend respectively girlfriend several times a day. Hello, we're in Europe...maybe you guys should try to go out and "do something".