Poor Son... Poor Mom

Today Caden had his tonsils taken out. We have been pushing this off for awhile now and the ENT I work for assured me that he would feel much better after we take care of this. Now before you tell me what a horrible mom I am, let me just explain that Caden has NEVER eaten a Thanksgiving dinner... so don't judge me for doing it the day before Thanksgiving!!! :D

We went in at 8 and met with the nurse and doc and anesthesiologist. They were all super nice (of course the doc was... I take the phone calls that come into his office). I could tell Caden was a little nervous, but he put on his brave face and headed into the OR. After he came out, we met him in recovery... This is where the poor mom comes in.

I start feeling really WEIRD. I mean, I have never felt like this in my entire life!!! Caden coughed and spit some blood, then his nose started bleeding, then there was a really weird smell, THEN the nurse comes in with Cadens tonsils in a jar. This is where I almost lose it! I get all clammy, my ears start ringing, my peripheral vision goes away and my legs get shaky. I told Brian I needed to sit down and walked out of the recovery room. It only took a few minutes to feel better, but I really think I was only a few seconds away from passing out. Let me just repeat this again for you all... I have NEVER felt this way before!!! I totally freaked.

So... Poor Son for actually having the surgery

And... Poor Mom for being such a little weenie when looking at the removed body part

I have the coolest/ weirdest family EVER

From top Left... going clockwise...

Jon- The Fixer...pretty much able to fix ANYTHING

Becky- The Crafter... my crafty partner in crime

Jennifer- The Correcter... where would we be without her corrections? (It is called SPREAD!!!)

Brian- The First... the first "in law" to come in... set the bar high for all the others coming in

Me- The Planner... basically the COOLEST!!! ;)

Keith- The Kid at Heart...still plays swords with my kids (don't tell him I told you)

Caden- The First Grandbaby... he will hold a special place in a lot of peoples hearts

Mom- The BEST... really, who could ask for more?

Dad- The Chef... cooks all big family meals. YUMMO!

Autumn- The Girly Girl... if you think "girl" you mind should picture this one

Ben- The Gopher... you couldn't have a complete family without one.

Greg- The Comic Relief... he can make any situation funny/ awkward. :D

Carly- The Optimist... she is so fun to be around for this reason

Cienna- The Sassy One... if you need someone to put you in your place, this is where you go

Phillip- The Squishy One... need I say more?

Calli- The Cuddler... anytime you need a good cuddle, this is where you go

Brandy- The Patient One... I have never met a more patient mother/ wife/ auntie

Matt- The Poop Guy... always the first one to bring up poo at family gatherings

Gavin- The Perfect One... not pictured as this picture was taken almost 5 months before he arrived in this world
*** Matt AKA The Poop Guy would like me to post that he does not always bring up poo. But actually his statement that he doesn't bring up poop proves that he does bring up poo at ALL family gatherings! ***

My bosses...

Are the coolest!!! I just have to say that I totally LOVE my job, co-workers and my bosses!!! They make it so fun to come to work and be there all day long. I really couldn't have it any other way!

Halloween... about 1 month late

This is by far my favorite picture...

Calli looks like a real princess!!! I have the coolest friend in the world that made my girls costumes. She is so amazing! I did help by cutting fabric and being a cheerleader on the sidelines, but she did both costumes in a day and a half. They look so nice and are made from great material. I probably spent more on the material than on a costume already put together, but it was totally worth it when the girls got to wear them for the first time.

I did the hair! I must say I am pretty proud of that accomplishment.

Football... You Bet

Sports are a pretty big deal here in the Candelaria home. Brian with his baseball, Caden with football and baseball, Calli with gymnastics, Cienna with Cheerleading... and me... with fantasy football. Are you serious??? Ummm yeah! I freaking LOVE fantasy football. I have always placed high in my league and have actually won a few times.

Get this people...

I am undefeated right now!!!! Yeah!!!

So to keep updated with fantasy football, you have to watch EVERY football game. This is how we spend many a Sunday and Monday.

I had to just laugh my butt off when I look out my window and see this...

Disneyland!!!

Monday- (Disneyland) 1st day here... arrived at park early and waited in line for 20 minutes to get into the park. Loved the Halloween decorations... loved the people at the gates... LOVED how excited my kids were! We forgot the camera today. :( Hind sight, it was just really nice to run around the park and not have to worry about taking a photo at each little spot. First ride at Disneyland for all the kiddos... Space Mountain!!! All kids are big enough to ride. I knew this was a good time to take the kiddos. No strollers... and all rides are available to all my kids (except Indiana Jones). It sprinkled on and off today which I think kept the crowds away. The longest we waited in line today was 15 minutes for Pirates. All in all... an amazing first day!

Tuesday- (California Adventures) Pouring rain!!! This could be good or bad. We bought some umbrellas and ponchos and decided to take our chances. Crowds were no existent today!!! Holy cow, this place is deserted. I LOVE it! First ride- Soaring over California. All I can say is WOW!!! What a cool ride. I mean, you could smell things, and the wind, and just the overall feeling of flying. I absolutely LOVED it! We ran from one ride to the other and got pretty wet. Today, we took cover and went to see the "Aladdin" play. Honestly, the highlight of the ENTIRE trip for me. We called it quits around 4. It was still a great day!

Wednesday- (Disneyland) We decided to let the kids pick where we would go and what we would do today. Caden picked "Matterhorn" & "Splash Mountain". Calli picked "Indiana Jones" & "Space Mountain". Cienna picked "Buzz Lightyear" & "Autopia". Dad picked "Captain EO" & "Big Thunder". Mom picked "Pirates" and "Peter Pan". We got A LOT of pictures today and I feel so much better about accidentally forgetting my camera the first day.

Thursday- (Beach) Keri took us to a cute little beach and we played and found shells and took pictures. The weather was actually better on the coast than inland so we basked in the overcast warmth. We ate at Pink Berry which was so freakin amazing that I have craved it since.

Friday- (Disney/ California Adventure) Today is our last day here. :( We are so sad to leave the happiest place on earth! We got to meet up with my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Roland and my cousin Rachel (which I haven't seen since Caden was a tiny baby). It was so nice to see them again and even better that we got to spend the day at Disneyland with them. Today, we took our time and just did what we felt like doing. The crowds are insane!!! I am so glad that we spent most of our time here without all these dang people. Highlight of today... meeting Jack Skellington and Sallee. :) Time to head home... until next time, Disneyland, you will be forever in our hearts!

Sneaky (kinda) Parents

Since I can remember, I have promised my kids that as soon as the baby turns five, we would pack the car and head to Disneyland. Well, if you can imagine this... my baby turned five in July! Yikes!!! To be totally honest, I never really thought that day would come. :)

Brian and I decided it would be way more fun if the kids didn't know where we were going. We bought tickets, studied hotels, and planned our trip without them catching on. There were a few times that a brother of mine (ehem, Matt!) came very close to spilling the beans. But... we made it! When the time came, we told them we were going to Las Vegas to visit Auntie Robyn (which was totally true because that is where we were staying before and after our family vacation). We packed 12 days worth of clothes and toys and shoes and snacks. They were PUMPED that we were spending so much time at Auntie Robyn's house... just imagine their reaction when they found out we were going to Disneyland!

After spending the weekend with Auntie Robyn, we packed up the car and told the kids we needed to go home and then we would come back next weekend. Caden (now 8) grumbled at the thought of driving all the way home and then coming back again. We totally ignored him. With our Disney package came a phone call from Mickey and Goofy and Minnie. We received that phone call right after we crossed into California. Hehehe... totally sneaky.

Here is the kids reaction...

I just love that they really had no idea what was going on. I really don't think they totally understood until we stood in line to get in the front gate.

Ok... I have tried like 20 times to upload this video, and am having NO luck! If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear. Anyway... they were super excited and they were shocked to find out that we were actually on our way when the Mickey call came. Love these kiddos!

CNA? Me?

Well, yes... I guess so! I have been working at a doctors office as a receptionist for about 9 months. I work 4 days a week and I really LOVE it here! I was given the opportunity to have my boss pay for my CNA class and begin working 3 days a week making the same amount of money that I am now. Yes please! I am really excited to learn new stuff and start a new path in this career that I have chosen... however, I am VERY, VERY nervous about the clinicasl I will need to do before I can take the test. You see, my job at the office will mostly be taking patients into rooms, taking vitals, giving allergy shots, and pre authorizing procedures. The clinicals, I have heard, involve wiping old peoples butts and giving really large people showers. In truth, I am TERRIFIED that I will have to do this!!! One of the nurses in our office said to just bring some vicks and apply to my upper lip before I go in any room... enough said! I guess it is too late to change my mind now as the class has been paid for and I start on Monday. Wish me luck people... I am going to need it!!!