Sleepy But Can't Sleep

It is 1:17 am and I am tired as hell but I can't get to sleep.  I have so many ideas and thoughts and issues swirling around in my head that I had to get up and write about it.  I may be up for another 2 hours or more before I am able to truly clear my mind and get to sleep, but that is OK.  Just as long as I get up in the morning in time to go to church and hear the word I will be fine.  Why do I have so many things on my mind?  Well, I am at a crossroads in my life and I am beginning to realize where I need to go in life and the direction I need to go in, but the way to get there seems to keep changing.  I have ideas for businesses, how to become more financially independent, dreams for things I want to do with my husband and kids, and a great many other things.  It may sound like there is an eclectic mix of things that I am thinking about; which there is, but they all lead back to the same result and purpose.  That is a happier, healthier, simpler, and more stress free life that is rooted in God, family, friends, and service to the causes that I am passionate about.  The ride that I am on may be a bumpy one, but in the end I have to believe that there is something better for me and my crew.  There is something out there that we are meant to do and I truly believe that my family as a whole has a purpose and one day that purpose will be fulfilled!!

Regrets & Mistakes

There are some people who say you should never have any regrets about anything in life, but as I stop to think about that statement for me it is not true.  I have many regrets about things in my life.  I regret that I have not been better at building relationships with my sorority sisters, family, and friends.  I regret that there were opportunities that I did not take advantage of in my life because of fear or disbelief in knowing that I can make it happen.  I regret staying in one place for too long; whether it be an apartment in a relationship or in a job.  Regrets do happen and sometimes we can't help that.  But, what we can do is look back at the things we have regretted in our lives and try not to let them happen again.  Regrets offer us a chance to see where we can improve in our lives and provide us with times of reflection.

I have made many mistakes in my life, but I can say that my mistakes is one thing that I don't regret.  While some of the mistakes made in my life may have put me in a difficult situation I don't regret them because it provides me with an opportunity to learn from my mistakes and make a change in my life.  Sometimes when we make a mistake we fail to realize that a golden opportunity has landed in our laps.  An opportunity to now reinvent ourselves, do something different, and do the things that we have always dreamed of doing.  Sometimes we take responsibility for a mistake that was not our fault, but we feel we must take responsibility because there were things that we could have done to prevent it from happening.  In a case like this we can learn how to stand up for ourselves and how not to be afraid to confront the real party at fault in an adult manner.

In my opinion regrets and mistakes are something that most people have in their lives but they are things that not many people choose to learn from or make a change as a result of these things.  When the light bulb finally comes on in your head about a regret you may have or a mistake you may have made then what do you intend on doing about it?  Every person has their own mind and their own way of doing things.  Sometimes the way they choose to do something may be a mistake for them but when someone else does it the same way it may turn out to be a blessing.  One person's regret or mistake is another person's opportunity to learn.  So today I say it is OK to have regrets, but what is not OK is to let those same regrets happen more than once.  It is also OK not to regret mistakes; but just be sure that you learn from them and make a change or they will become mistakes again and then turn into regrets.

First Day of Summer Vacation

Yesterday was the first day of summer vacation for the boys.  It was a relaxing day because we did absolutely nothing.  By nothing I mean that we lounged around the house all day, watched movies, and played.  At times it was hard remembering that it was actually a Friday and not a Saturday.  The hubby kept thinking it was Saturday because the boys were home all day long.  Friday night we had a camp-out on our living room floor; a favorite activity for us on weekends.  Now that it is summer-time we can do this a lot more often during the week.  The hubby went to watch the Heat vs. Celtics play-off game while myself and the kids watched Pirates of the Caribbean; which all of us fell asleep on.  I can't wait for whatever planned as well as unplanned adventures await the Gambles Clan.  Stay tuned for updates on our escapades this summer.

Three Half Days

This is the last week of school; which only lasts three days because Monday was a holiday and Friday there is no school.  These last three days will be half-days and the kids will get out of school at 12:20 pm.  This means that beginning this Friday my boys will be home all day for 87 days of summer vacation; including weekend days.  We have not established a plan as far as what we will do during the summer except that we intend on having a lot of creative fun.  For all of the parents out there who will be home with their children what do you have planned for the summer?  Will your kids be going to camp at all or will you come up with your own plan for keeping them entertained?

In addition to my boys being home all day we will have three extra teenage kids in the house because my husband's niece and nephews will be coming to stay for the summer.  So, we will have a total of six kids in the house ranging in age from 2 years old all the way up to 16 years of age.  That is quite a big gap; which will make for some interesting days, but I am up for the challenge.  Stay tuned for the updates on the summer adventures of the Gambles Clan!!

The Last Month of School

This is the month of May, the last month of school for the school district that my family lives in.  There are a lot of exciting activities that the boys will be having at their school, but most importantly, it is the last month they have to learn in a formal setting before they take a break for a couple of months.  Now just because their formal education will be over for a couple of months does not mean that their education ends.  As a parent I see it as my job to continuously educate my children in all areas.  Whether it be in reading and writing or in life lessons.  Education is an everyday process and should be done on a regular basis.

This last month of school is also a time for parents to figure out what they are going to do with their kids when summertime comes.  Some kids will go to camp, some kids will enjoy just lounging around the house, while others will spend the summer visiting relatives.  If you are a stay at home parents and your kids are home all day then it also means that you will need to plan for extra meals and snacks.

One of the best things I am looking forward to once we get to the end of school is the fact that I will not have to get up early to get the kids ready and get them to school.  I will probably still wake up early because my body is used to getting up at a certain time of day, but the point is I don't have to.  If I actually get out of bed when I wake up it is because I want to.

So to all parents I say take advantage of this last month of school to plan and prepare for what can be another amazing summer.  Do what you feel is best for you and your family and not what everyone else thinks or expects you to do.  After all, creating lasting memories for your children over the summer is something that can not be taken away from them and something they will never forget!

Spring Break Chronicles 2012 - Day 7

Friday was day 7 and it was what I call the official end to spring break as it was the last day before the weekend.  Our family didn't do much of anything in the morning.  Just our normal routine of eating breakfast, kids playing, adults having some computer time, watching a movie or two, and whatever else popped up to fill our morning until the afternoon began.

In the afternoon we decided to go on an outing to a new museum for the kids and one that myself and the husband had not been to in awhile and that was the Mission San Luis.  The Mission San Luis is a living history museum that depicts a setting where Apalachee Indians and Spaniards lived together in one area.  They each had their own living quarters, but they were in close proximity to each other.  The buildings on site that would have existed back when the mission was in full swing have been recreated.  The reason for this is because when the British began invading and they moved to start taking over the Spanish missions in Florida the mission was burned by the Spanish and the Apalachee Indians and abandoned two days before the British arrived to keep it from falling into British hands.

Most people may not have visited a living history museum, and for those who haven't a living history museum is one where there are re-enactments and people in costume on site each day to provide information regarding life on the mission.  When I asked one of the people in costume how they knew what the Apalachee structures and other buildings looked like I was told that even though they burned the buildings there was still an outline and remnants of the foundation in the ground.  The Spanish also kept very detailed records of the structures, especially the Apalachee Council House; which will be discussed later.  One of the interesting facts that I learned while visiting the museum is that back when there were actually people living in the mission they used to bury the dead underneath the church.  So when I found that out I asked the person who was in his friar costume by the church about it and he told me that yes they did that and that the remains of those who were buried there were still in the ground.  When they reconstructed the church they moved it from its original site so that the remains would not be disturbed and visitors would not be walking over them.  He showed me the general direction in which the remains lied and I thought that was very intriguing.

One of the more massive structures recreated was the Apalachee Indians Council House.  If you look on the Mission San Luis website it tells you that the council house was over 140 feet in diameter, five stories high, and had 72' rafters that weighed more than 1000 pounds each.  Just think about how much skill it must have taken the Apalachee to build this structure, pictured above, during a time when there were no automated tools or large cranes to lift the heavy objects.  To see it in a picture is one thing but to see it in person it is astonishing view how large it was and how much room there was on the inside.  The interior of the structure could hold a few thousand people and in the one recreated at the mission site there are various artifacts and things on display (some pictured below) that would have been used at the time.

While we visited the mission we decided to go walking on a trail that was on site.  Before we started walking on the trail we were greeted with a couple of signs (pictured above); one that warned us about staying away from wildlife and one that made mention of snakes and mosquitoes.  That is not a very welcoming sign if you want people to take the plunge and walk the trail, but at least they are being truthful.  We went on our walk and it was not like the trails we have walked before.  It was much smaller and we actually had to push the tree branches out of our way a few times.  While walking the trail we saw some old brick structures (pictured below), or at least what was left of them, that looked like they were there for a very long time.  I don't know what they were used for, but you could tell the way the trees grew around them and the way the bricks looked that they had to be hundreds of years old.  I am no expert of course so don't take my word for it... go and see for yourself.

When we first arrived at Mission San Luis I didn't quite know what to expect.  I wasn't sure if I would still like it since they built a new visitor's center or if the kids would even like it, but it turned out to be a great afternoon and we were there for a couple of hours.  After we left the mission we went home to eat.  We went to the museum without having lunch; only a snack.  Naturally we were all starving so we made a quick stop at the store to pick up a couple of items then proceed home to have something to eat.  The rest of our day was pretty much average.  Since it was technically the weekend I let the boys stay up late, but I made sure to let them know that after Friday they couldn't stay up as late as they wanted anymore because school was going to start back in a few days and their body had to adjust back to the normal schedule we keep.

Spring Break Chronicles 2012 - Day 6

Thursday was Day 6 of spring break and it was a somewhat uneventful day.  My daughter was a little under the weather so we couldn't really go anywhere as a family.  We hung around the house most of the day.  The boys spent a great deal of the time playing with one another; which is something they love to do.  After breakfast I laid down on the couch with Syann and we both fell asleep.  I think I was knocked out for about an hour, but not quite sure on that.  According to the husband I was snoring, but I don't know about that either.

Lunch was simple; the kids and the husband had some chicken nuggets and I had some buffalo chicken bites.  We all had some sliced potato fries to go with our meat and of course a drink.  In the afternoon the husband decided to take the boys for a walk.  They got dressed, put Booka on his leash, and went for a walk while I stayed home with Syann.  About 15 minutes after they left the house I heard a knock at the door.  They were back.  When they came inside I mentioned how quick that was and my husband said that not too long after they left the boys started talking about how hot it was outside and how tired they were so they came back.  Kids today don't truly understand what hot and tired is, but it was a little funny to hear them say it when they came back.

When it was time to think about dinner I got some rice going.  While the rice was cooking in the steamer the kids reminded their daddy that he said he was going to take them to the park.  So we all got dressed and went to Tom Brown Park.  Syann was feeling a little bit better after taking a lukewarm bath.   When we got to the park I went to swing with  Syann, who was a little clingy, and the fellas went to kick around the soccer ball.  I had a nice conversation with another mother while sitting on the swings and then eventually Syann wanted to walk around.  She didn't walk around for long before she actually got in the kid swings so I could push her.  She wanted to do that for a little bit before getting out.  We went over to where the fellas were playing soccer and watched for a minute.  Then I gave Syann to her dad and kicked the ball around with lil Malcolm.  After kicking the ball around for awhile we left the park and went to the store to get pizza; one of the kids favorite things to eat.  We went home and started to get ready for dinner.  I put the pizza in the oven and we decided to watch Mary Poppins; which they have never seen and neither has my husband.

A day filled with pizza, the park, and F-U-N.  Day 6, as usual, was another great family day.  Everyday is a great day for spending time with family; which is a theme you will see quite often in my blog and the spring break chronicles.  Stay tuned for more adventures.

Spring Break Chronicles 2012 - Day 5

Wednesday was day 4 of spring break and it was another relaxing day.  For breakfast we had cereal; something simple but fulfilling.  The morning was filled with children playing and laughter.  I actually put some dishes in the dishwasher and put up a few clothes.  Putting up laundry is a task that I am not fond of so clothes will sit forever, sometimes until I wash the next batch, but eventually they all make it to a closet or drawer.

Wednesday was a day for hanging around the house.  We didn't go anywhere this day but we still had fun.  Wal-Mart has some things on clearance so I purchased some bio-degradable water balloons and some balloon rockets.  First me and the boys blew up the balloon rockets.  It clearly states that you should let them go in an open area so they don't get stuck on a rook or up in a tree.  This task is rather difficult around our house because we don't have a large open area to stand in, but we found what we though was a good spot.  One of the balloon rockets got stuck on top of our roof, another go stuck on top of the neighbor's chimney, two of them had small holes and could not be blown up, and one of them popped.  It's a good thing they were only .50 cents otherwise I might have been a little upset.  It was fun though and the boys liked it.

After we finished with the balloon rockets the boys went back to dig in the dirt in our backyard.  While they were doing that my husband filled a few water balloons to throw at them by surprise.  When he was done he positioned himself on the front balcony and I lured the boys to the front of the house.  They were caught by surprise when they got hit with water balloons.  That was the beginning of the water balloon fight for the men in the house.  While the ladies went out to get a few items at the store the fellas filled water balloons and had great fun and got to cool off at the same time.

 Above: one side of Malik's treasure box

Below: one side of Malcolm II's treasure box

After that late afternoon activity everyone came inside and cleaned up and ate some lunch.  When the evening time came we decided to do movies and a craft.  We watched National Treasure and National Treasure 2.  While we watched National Treasure 2 the boys made their own treasure box using empty Capri Sun boxes.  Their design on their boxes may not be the prettiest thing in the world, but they did it on their own and had FUN!!  After they made their treasure box and we set them up somewhere high to dry they laid down to enjoy the rest of the movie; which of course they fell asleep on and keep asking to watch again.  Once again it was another great day and it wasn't because we spent a lot of money.  We had a great day because we were together and we enjoyed each other's company as a family.  Spending time with family is once of life's great joys.  Treasure every moment you have with your family because once it is gone you can never get it back!!

Spring Break Chronicles 2012 - Day 4

Tuesday was Day 4 of spring break and we started the day how we ended the day, and that is in our tent.  We slept out in our tent again Tuesday night and it was a relaxing and refreshing sleep.  We thought about sleeping in our tent again Wednesday night but looked at the weather report and saw there was a chance of rain and didn't want to get caught since we didn't have the protective rain cover for the tent.

Above: Malik and Malcolm II on the trail in the woods

Below: Syann on the trail in the woods

Above: Malcolm I and his princess, Syann, walking on the trail in the woods

Below: Picture of San Luis Park

After some Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and fruit for breakfast everyone did their own thing for awhile.  The kids played, the grown-ups had Internet time and conversation, and I finished a writing assignment.  About mid-day, just before lunch time, we decided to head to the park.  Usually we go to Tom Brown Park, but we went to a different park this time.  We went to the San Luis Park.  This park does not have a big playground like Tom Brown Park, but they do have a playground area none-the-less.  We started off our visit to the park with a walk in the woods.  We have to start with a walk in the woods because once the kids get on the playground it is hard to get them off.  We went walking on the mail trail and went all the way around until it brought us back to where we could cross over the connector bridge.

 Above: turtles that we fed in the water under the bridge

Below: Malcolm I and Malik watching the turtles eat

Above: Malcolm II throwing bread in the water

Below: Malcolm II pointing at the turtles in the water

Once we got to the bridge and started to cross over it we stopped at one point to look at and feed the turtles in the water.  At first there were only a few turtles, but once the kids started dropping bread in the water the turtles started coming from all over.  It was nice to see so many of them, but sad to see that their water and them were covered with algae and that people can't take five seconds to throw their trash in the trash can instead of the water.  We hovered where the turtles were feeding for awhile until I spotted a snack slithering in the water.  That was our cue to move on and head to the playground.

Below: Picture 1= Malcolm II on the playground, picture 2=Malik and picture 3 is Syann

  After getting over the small bridge and talking the kids to the playground we sat for a minute and watched them play.  Of course we had to switch off standing next to our two-year old because she wants to do everything her brothers did but can't.  After playground time we went home to have lunch.  The kids enjoyed their favorite cheese pizza Lunchables while the husband and I had left-overs from the night before.  There was some more play time and down time then of course the typical Gambles movie night and then sleep.  All in all it was another GREAT spring break day!!

Above: A great view, wonderful kids, and a GREAT father!!

Spring Break Chronicles 2012 - Day 3

Yesterday was day 3 of spring break and it is when the real part of break begins because the kids would have normally gone to school but since they are on break they were home.  We didn't have any plans for day 3...we just kind of went with the flow of things.  The kids spent the morning playing and we watched some movies.  I gave each of the kids a journal so they could draw pictures or write or whatever they wanted to use it for.  It was just a little something to make spring break more interesting.

 About a little more than half-way through the day my husband makes the suggestion that we have a camp-out, and of course the kids agreed.  So, my husband proceeded to get the tent ready in the backyard.  If you haven't been to our new place recently then you don't know that our backyard has a few trees and leaves all over the place so it is like being in the woods.  After the tent was set-up we went to the store to look for something we needed then came back home to get ready for our camp-out.  I made one last trip to Publix for a few items and came home only to realize that I forgot something important that we needed and had to go back.  By that time it was getting to late for me to cook what I was prepared to cook so I had to pick-up some fried chicken from the bakery and head back home.

Once I got back home we all ate and then we all freshened up with a nice shower, got our night clothes on, packed up our picnic basket, got our movie on the laptop ready, got a couple of stories along with a couple of flashlights, and then went outside to our tent.  When we went outside my husband had the covers and the air mattress all ready for us to lay down and get comfortable.  We even had our dog inside the tent with us for company and protection.  We watched the movie Happy Feet Two.  We looked at some books.  The boys played with their Leapster Explorer's.  We played games and talked and had some good old fashioned family fun.  Day 3 ended with us all falling asleep in our tent.  It was a great day yesterday and with a great start to spring break already I know that the rest of the week is sure to be even more fun and adventurous.