I Don't Have Much Time

I'm on my way to catch a flight to Chicago, departing in a few hours. There has been a death in the family, my aunt's mother. I will be there for a couple of days and then back home. I will be bringing the littlest guy, age 2, but I don't want to be away from the other little guys for that many days in a row, either.

I am looking forward to seeing Chicago and my relatives again. And the weather doesn't even put me off. I think it's exciting.

I will try to mobile blog from my Blackberry and keep you updated.

Flying the friendly skies

I'm really going now. Packing today and flying tomorrow. Back Monday night. I'll miss you. I wonder if I will be able to steal any computer time over there. Perhaps. DH has a sort of cell-phone internet connection on his computer. Sometimes I can sneak on when he is doing something else, which is not often. Either way, I will for sure be back by Tuesday, G-d willing and the creek don't rise.

Edited to add the new tree the kids and I planted in our yard in honor of the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat. That is the New Year of Trees. It is a great time of the year to plant a tree in your yard, anyway. Especially in the Mediterranean climate Southern California. This is a type of magnolia tree that I have loved ever since I saw one in the courtyard in front of the biology building at UCLA.

Gearing up for a trip

My husband and I will be hauling the 4 youngest boys across country with us on a direct flight to the midwest next weekend. Part of me wants to forget the trip. I mean, we just unpacked our suitcases last week after being out of our house for 2.5 months.

On the other hand, I'm starting to get really excited. We will get to spend one day with my husband's brother's family for a bat mitzvah celebration. Then we will drive to spend Sunday with my family. Remember my Aunt M who is sick with colon cancer? She is holding steady at 88 pounds. And she will, G-d willing, be there to greet us next weekend and meet my husband and the three older boys. And she will get to see Baby A again, now that he is walking and talking (in his fashion). And my 4 cousins and their 12 kids will be there. I can't wait for my boys to experience what it is like to be a kid in the midwest. In Southern California, they play with friends if parents arrange a play date. In the midwest, the kids roam free, from yards to basements, playing and having adventures. Just like I did when I was a kid.

To celebrate this upcoming event, I treated myself to a trip to the Nordstrom's Rack and T J Maxx for some boot/purse/wallet shopping. He he.

Making Travel Plans

My Dad emailed me this week that his sister has terminal cancer. :-( I have decided to go and visit her now, ASAP. So baby A and I will be hopping on a plane for a visit the first weekend of October. My aunt is pretty upset by this news. I hope we can bring a little sunshine to her days.

This is a side of the family that I don't know very well. My aunt has 4 daughters, all about my age, and they have 12 children between them. This will be a long-awaited family reunion for me.

I read a really good blog post this week about breastfeeding on an airplane. I had no idea that I would be putting the suggestions to use so soon.

Tips for Breastfeeding on a Plane

Have a great weekend

I won't be here. I'm leaving bright and early Friday morning for Chicago and won't be back in town until Monday afternoon. Did you know I was born in Chicago? Quite some time ago, really. When I was in elementary school my parents moved us to Northern California. Then I came to Southern California for college. UCLA, to be exact. The same school where my daughter goes now. I'll be staying with my aunt over there and my uncle, who has suffered a series of strokes. This couple has been such a large part of my upbringing and they are beloved by me. I can't wait to see them. And my cousins. This is going to be great! I'm taking my dd along, and also the baby and ds-9. My husband will have to hold down the fort here with the 3 and 4-y-o. I scheduled our gal to work this weekend so he won't be overwhelmed. This will be a guilt-free holiday for me. Yahoo!

Hey, remember this saying? Here is a twist on an Ancient Chinese Proverb.

If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was, and always will be yours. If it never returns, it was never yours to begin with. If it just sits in your room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your phone, takes your money, and never behaves as if you actually set it free in the first place, you either married it or gave birth to it. :-D

Preparing to travel

I haven't had enough fun lately. And I'm going to do something about it. I just bought plane tickets to visit my mother for Memorial Day weekend. I know what you are thinking. Mother. Does that sound fun? Well in my case, yes it is. I will get to see her new house in Washington State. And I also made reservations for whitewater rafting. There is a place that will take us out for 3 hours (remember Gilligan's 3-hour tour?). And my mom will watch the baby while DD-19, DS-8 and I go bouncing/sliding down the Elwah River. And my mom is also going to take us to Victoria, British Columbia to see the sights. So I have been scrambling the past few days getting things together for passports for the little ones, as DD already has hers in place. And I'm ordering a new one for me too, as mine expires in July this year so I might as well. I had a hard time with the baby as I didn't have a notarized statement from DH about ordering the passport. And I went to 3 places and none of them could take a passport photo of the baby. I just found a place at the mall who will do it, so I'll go there before Monday. And I also need notarized statements for the boys to take them out of the country even when I have their passports, so I will type up the statements now and get everything notarized at once. What a pain. But exciting at the same time. He he.