Monday, Monday

Grandma is determined to get her Christmas card photo!

Oh, it was hard to go back to the normal routine after having a week off! It didn't help that my Monday started a wee bit earlier than I would have liked.

Hudson started screaming bloody murder at 4:20 this morning. It's the kind of scream that launches you out of bed because it is so intense. I got to him just as he was scrambling off the bed and onto the floor.

I managed to calm him down, and I settled into his bed with him. He was asleep within seconds. I went back to my own bed, but sleep was not happening. I finally got up at 5 and got ready for work.

School was fine. We had a staff meeting. It's hard to believe that we'll be on Christmas break in 3 weeks! (I'm not counting down or anything!)

After the meeting Evan and I made a super quick trip to Payless Shoe Source for some shoelaces. While we were there I figured I might as well pick up some cute knee socks for me. It's one of my new things. Keeps my legs warm. I might be picking up some leg warmers next to transport myself right back into the 80's.

Home, frozen pizza, baths, football, and soon to run. Just a regular old Monday with the Forcey Family.

I run because...

...it gives me more patience to deal with stuff like this.


These are the shutters in the playroom that Hudson felt weren't pretty enough...apparently.


The Little Stinker was supposed to be napping. I guess this is our reward for putting him in the big boy bed. He is able to get out of it, wander the hall, and try out his artistic abilities on the wall. (At least he used red and green Christmas colors!)


Hudson was not too happy once I got done yelling at him.


Right after this photo was taken, Chicken decided to be stealthy once again. I found him back in the playroom standing on a chair with DVDs in his hands. Ugh! He is now in the crib.

Luckily the marker on the wall and shutters is nothing a little Magic Eraser couldn't handle, but geez, Hudson, was this really necessary?!

Official Time

My official time for the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning was 39:56! That means I was only 16 seconds slower than my first race, and I had to walk and run hills in this race. I am really hoping to see a difference next weekend in the flat 5K.

I am also excited to think of what I will be able to accomplish over the coming year if I keep running. It will be fun to see where I am next year at this time. And with that, I need to give the boys a bath so I can run!

Favorite Thanksgiving Day Photos

We took many photos on Thanksgiving Day. I'll spread them out over the next few days. However, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites today.


Hudson in front of the Christmas Tree.


This little boy sure does love his Grandma.


Grandma gets kisses from her four boys.


I really like this picture of Hudson and me. No offense to Evan, but I need to photoshop him out of there!


Me and my honey.

There you have it. Some of my favorite photos. More to come later.

Turkey Trot

I have decided to enter as many races as I can to keep myself motivated to exercise. Yesterday morning was race #2! Eric was a great sport and was up at 5:45 right along with me...ON THANKSGIVING MORNING! Even I couldn't believe that we were up and out of the house by 7 a.m. on Turkey Day!

We drove over to Woodward Park to join the other crazies for a morning jog. I even saw some people I knew! Former parents and students of mine!


Trying to stay warm while waiting for the race to start.

At 8 a.m. they shouted, "Go," and we were off through the park. I felt really good for the first 1/2 mile.


Still feeling good at this point. I love it that Eric was there with me and got photos!


Pony tail goes one way...


...and then the other way!

Then I started to panic because the park has HILLS! I have never run a hill. At all. I "train" on the flattest ground in Clovis that you'll ever find. You have to look hard to find hills here in the valley. All the hills are at Woodward Park! Who knew?! I guess I need to start using the incline setting on my treadmill.


I am heading up the hill in this photo. I am between the two groups of people. I did okay on this hill. Then it went downhill from there...hee hee hee! (I wished it was all downhill from there!)

I managed to run some of the hills, but they started kicking my butt. I had to stop and walk the inclines, and then I ran the declines.

The BEST part was when I came around one corner and saw Eric and the boys. That really boosted my spirits! I had to laugh at myself though. When I passed Eric the first time, he was amongst tons of other spectators. When I finally made the loop around the park and came back to where he was standing, he was one of about three spectators left! He stayed put and waited for me to come back though! I am SLOW! But it's okay. I did it. I stuck with it!


A mile later and coming back around the loop where Eric and the boys were some of the only spectators left. You can tell by the look on my face that I was feeling a bit tired at this point, and I still had just under a mile to go. Ugh!


But every time I saw Eric and the boys, it made my day!


Eric said I was looking at Hudson in this photo. At one point, I told Evan to run with me, so he ran for about 20 feet with me! I can't wait until he can do full races with me!


Back on the grass. The finish line is soooo close!

According to my watch, I finished in about 40:14. That is about 40 seconds slower than my first race last month. However, that race was COMPLETELY flat and I ran the entire way. This race had hills, and I stopped to walk several times. I like to think that I actually did better given all that!

In any case, I had a great time, felt good, loved having my family there, and think it is a GREAT way to start the holiday. I think this might be a new tradition! Eric is soooo excited at the thought of getting up early on Thanksgiving next year!


Note to my boys: I know it seems like Mom has gone a bit nutty running all the time and entering races that start early in the morning. However, I am doing this for me and for you! This makes me a better mommy. Hopefully I am more patient, happier, and better able to handle all that life throws at us. Just bear with me as I leave you guys for an hour or so to do my run. I love you both more than the moon and stars.


Note to my amazing husband: Thank you for always supporting me in all that I do. Thank you for getting up at 5:45 a.m. to get ready for a crazy race on a day meant for lounging in the morning. Thank you for getting me a treadmill so I don't have to run around the cul de sac because I am too much of a chicken to run around the neighborhood in the dark. Thank you for not rolling your eyes when I tell you I want to someday run a marathon. Thank you for saying, "Go ahead," when I tell you I want to enter another race. Thank you for being the amazing man that you are! I love you more than the moon and the stars and candy!

Race #3 is next Saturday. It is back at Fresno State, so I am eager to see if I will improve my time over my first race.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving...

...from a house full of turkeys!

The Forcey Family wishes you all the best life has to offer this Thanksgiving and beyond! We hope everyone has a blessed day with loved ones.

Ready for Thanksgiving via Christmas

The boys and I finished decorating for Thanksgiving using Christmas decorations! I am happy to report that all the issues I had in yesterday's post are not issues anymore. Take a look!


The village has a new home in the dining room rather than the formal living room. The formal living room doesn't really exist anymore. Maybe next year I'll find some sort of sheet or cloth to hang down to the floor to cover the cords. For this year, I don't really care.


Hudson was delighted with the village and kept saying, "Grandma, Grandma." He specifically pointed to this little Hershey Sweet Shoppe and said the little lady on the porch was Grandma! What a sweet baby!


The tree is up and the toys are gone. Last year the tree tilted to the right after a little topple accident. This year there were no accidents, but the tree is leaning forward a bit. You can't tell in the photo, but you can tell if you are sitting on the side of the tree! Evan was a big help putting ornaments on the tree. Hudson...not so much.


The fish don't look so bad amidst the decor. The light in their tank keeps things festive.


The plants are going to live on top of the frig for December. A few others have to live on top of Eric's dresser.


Even the elliptical is getting into the Christmas spirit with a little decoration! Normally this wreath goes on the outside door, but no one ever uses the front door. I may as well keep the wreath inside where I can see it!


The half completed bookcase from yesterday is all finished.


New to the Christmas ensemble this year are these adorable clotheslines with Santa's clothes and elf clothing! I bought them last year but didn't know where to put them, so I never put them up. This year Eric suggested this spot above the fireplace in the exercise room. I love them! They really are adorable.

That was today's big project. Other things on the agenda were to get gas, get the car washed, grocery shop, and relax. Well, we got gas. That took a half hour. Everyone and their uncle needed gas today. I zipped over to get the car washed, and apparently the other half of Clovis was hanging out there. I decided that a clean car just wasn't that important. I had already spent a lot of time cleaning out all the trash and junk that mysteriously accumulates in my van. It is a huge improvement. I'll go to the car wash this weekend...maybe.

I finally made it to the store after the kids were in bed. It was busy but not crazy. I just needed to get a few more things for tomorrow.

And relaxing? Well, not much of that happened here today. That's okay though. I'll be able to relax tomorrow. After my race of course. I'll be Turkey Trotting it up at Woodward Park tomorrow at 8 a.m. Should be fun!

Christmas is Coming

I sent Hudson to daycare this morning so Evan and I could enjoy a day with just the two of us. The day started out badly, but got better. Suffice it to say, Evan threw a few fits, I threw a few fits, and then we got over it. But this post isn't really about that. It's about the two of us seeing a movie (Planet 51), playing Chutes and Ladders, doing homework, and starting to decorate the house for Christmas.

The only problem with decorating was that I couldn't find the key to open the shed which houses all the Christmas decorations. We didn't get started until Eric got home at 3:30. We pulled a few boxes out and got busy.

I always forget just how much Christmas stuff I have. And I love all my Christmas stuff. But I have another problem this year. Our house has changed since last year. We don't have the same furniture configurations as we did in the past which means less space for displaying my decorations.

Evan and I were forced to stop decorating because we had to get Hudson. Then we had to eat dinner, take baths, and snuggle. I ended the day by pulling out as many Christmas boxes from the shed as I could find in the dark.


There are 8 boxes waiting to be unpacked tomorrow, plus the tree in the large body bag looking thing on the floor! And these were the only boxes I could see in the dark. Who knows what I may have forgotten out there?


I cleared off the shelves, dusted, and packed away everyday decor. Evan pulled out Christmas stuff and stuck it on a shelf or the floor. This bookcase obviously isn't done!

I have yet another problem. We have inherited many plants over the past year. First with dad dying we got a bunch of his plants. Then with Eric in the hospital, we got a bunch more. I'm not really sure where these plants are going to live for the month of December. Big leafy plants just don't say "Tis the Season" to me.


Hmmmm. Where shall you beauties live for the next month?


The spot where the Christmas Tree will go. Eric had to move the DVD cabinet to make room for the tree. But now I have to find a new home for the rocking horse and exercise equipment, not to mention the random toys that migrate out here from the playroom. I need to have a stern talking with those toys about staying in the playroom when we leave the house. Silly toys.


This is the last problem I will talk about...for now. Last year we did not have fish, or a fishtank, or fish food. Now we do. And the fish live in the spot where my Christmas Bears usually spend the month of December. The fish just aren't the Christmasy look I was going for! I think I need to drape their tank in garland or something.

The house is going to look fine once it is all done, but it won't look like it has for the past 6 years. Another big change is that we turned our living room into the exercise room. We have a giant treadmill and elliptical sitting in the middle of the room. Not much I can do about that. It just won't be the pretty Christmas sitting room from the past.

Anyhow, Christmas is slowly getting there. Evan asked me today why I put Christmas up when it is Thanksgiving. I tried to explain to him that I have a week off now...not after Thanksgiving. It is so much easier to get all this stuff done now while I am off rather than on a weekend in December. He didn't seem satisfied with that answer, but he was happy to help decorate.

I can remember my mom pulling out all the decorations as a kid, and I'd get excited in remembering my favorite ones. Well, Evan was doing that today as he pulled things out of boxes. It was sweet to see. Hopefully I'll post completed pictures tomorrow. However, tomorrow I'll have two little helpers. We'll see how far we get with Hudson helping us out!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to the best guy around! I love this man with all my heart and soul. He is my rock. He's the one who keeps me balanced. He is my better half. We love you Honey!


Evan was really excited to give Dad his presents. While Hudson took a nap yesterday, Evan and I headed ALL THE WAY across town to do a little shopping! The joke around here is that I don't venture past Clovis Ave. For those of you who don't understand what that means, Clovis Ave. is only about two miles away from my house. But pretty much everything I need on a daily basis can be done on this side of Clovis Ave. To go shopping for Eric's gifts, I had to go to Fresno! I had to go to Blackstone Ave. Ewwww!


Hudson says, "Give me some love." Or it might have been the other way around with Eric begging Hudson for a kiss. Crazy little kid was crawling all around the table.


We got Eric a red shirt, a black shirt, and some tools. I was very proud of Evan for not spilling the beans about the gifts. Little man is finally learning how to keep a secret! (And yes Evan and Eric have matching OLPH shirts on!)


Hudson was really into the icing. I had a hard time keeping his sticky little fingers from digging into the cake all evening. In case you can't read it, the candles are placed in the shape of a "41."


The three men in my life. What a crew! Some of my favorite moments in life are seeing Eric hold his boys. It brings me to tears any time I see the boys snuggle in close to their dad. Okay, I don't exactly shed the tears, but I do get watery!

Happy Birthday Baby! You are the best!

Last but not least, here are 41 reasons why this man is the best!

1. He doesn't worry about stuff.
2. He is an amazing cook.
3. He drives us all around.
4. He supports me in all of my crazy ventures.
5. He humors me when he knows the ventures won't last.
6. He is proud of me when I succeed and even when I don't.
7. He went to every prenatal appointment I had.
8. He was the best labor coach around.
9. He takes his job very seriously.
10. He makes me laugh often.
11. He is big and strong.
12. He loves to lounge as much as I do.
13. He drives the mini van with style!
14. He always says I love you.
15. He kisses me often.
16. He changes diapers.
17. He can talk sense into the big child.
18. He comforts the small child.
19. He is protective of us all, including my mom, sis and nephews.
20. He was there for me when my dad died and all that entailed.
21. He makes me feel beautiful.
22. He washes dishes.
23. He mops floors.
24. He makes sure my computer is always working.
25. He makes a mean margarita.
26. He loves his parents and siblings.
27. He goes to church.
28. He makes me breakfast.
29. He takes care of the bills.
30. He stays up late with me.
31. He plays catch with the boys.
32. He put up a swingset that was a pain in the rear.
33. He talks to me.
34. He gave up his "sporty" car for his family.
35. He loves his dogs.
36. He trusts me.
37. He is faithful to the end.
38. He always gets the mail.
39. He takes out the trash.
40. He remembers all the little things I say to him much better than I remember what he says to me.
41. He's mine!

Thanksgiving Tradition?

Last year on Thanksgiving Day, Hudson fell in the backyard and got a major shiner on his forehead.


This is Hudson last year with the scrape on his head.

Fast forward a year, and he's done it again! I'm not really sure what happened, but Evan and Hudson were playing outside today, and suddenly Hudson was screaming for dear life. You know that scream that is the "I'm hurt" scream as opposed to the "I'm mad at my brother" scream. Both Eric and I jumped up to see what happened.

At first the scrape/bruise/roadrash didn't show up, but later in the day, it was plain to see that Hudson has a large boo boo near his left eye.


Poor little face!


Better shot. Hudson was surprisingly willing to pose. He has been camera shy lately, so I didn't think he'd sit still for me to get a shot.

I hate to see his pretty face all scratched up. I hope this isn't a tradition he plans to continue every year. I also don't want it to escalate from small scrapes on his face to larger injuries. This is a tradition that needs to be nipped in the bud!

Don't Forget

Last Friday was the big trip to San Francisco to see King Tut. I didn't want to forget anything before I left the house at 5:45, so I made a list. I, however, did not take a picture of my list. I'm sure one of the little turkeys who lives in my house took care of that for me. It's always amusing to find "kid pics" on my camera.

Little Shark

About two weeks ago we had our last soccer game for the season. For some reason it was really packed that day. Eric let the boys and me out in the parking lot and went to find a space to park.

Evan took off like a flash to his field. Hudson and I lagged behind. Right as we walked in the gate of the school, Hudson noticed a play structure that he hadn't noticed before. He made a beeline for that thing. I caught up to him and grabbed him and said we had to go. He didn't like that. I ended up swooping him up to carry him off. He responded by biting me in the shoulder so hard it left a bruise for over a week!

Needless to say I was furious with him. It hurt so bad. I kept whining about it all during the soccer game. It wasn't until I took a shower later that night that I realized just how hard he attacked me! Two weeks later, the bruise is faint, but I can still see where he clamped down. Little shark.


The yellowish patch on my shoulder at the bottom of the screen is where Hudson got me. And this photo was taken several days after the incident. Anytime I had a bare shoulder, I would tell Hudson, "You hurt Mommy." He has kissed the boo boo many times. I hope he's sorry!

By the way, the only reason I took a photo of this is because Hudson got a hold of my camera one day while I was sitting at my desk. He took all sorts of great photos!

Backing up to Halloween

Great blogger that I am, I am going to post Halloween pictures in the middle of November. Hey, it keeps you guessing!


Before heading to daycare and school. Since Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, and we celebrated at school on Friday, the OLPH kids had to show up to school in Mass dress and get dressed in costumes after church. Hudson got to be a "scary lion" at daycare all day.


Scary lion.


Evan changed into his Ironman costume after Mass. He has never seen the movie, but he was dead set on being Ironman for Halloween.


Evan walking in the Halloween parade at school. The carnival was a lot of fun. My 7th grade class hosted a Karaoke booth which was a big hit.


Evan waited in line forever, but very patiently, to get this nifty face painting done. I think it looks pretty cool! I didn't even make him take a shower that night and let him wear it the next day at his soccer game!

I dressed up as a bumble bee this year for Halloween. Sadly, there are no pictures of me in my ensemble. Before the afternoon festivities, however, several teachers and I played in a mean game of flag football against the varsity boys. I didn't wear my bee wings, but I did wear my antenna for the game! As we would line up to hike the ball, I could hear the 8th grade boys say, "Get the bee!" Yikes! Teachers ended up winning, and I ended up so sore I couldn't walk the next day! Halloween 09...a success.