I say wonderful because we need the rain and because my family is healthy, happy and safe however that is about all the wonderful you get! Otherwise the wind is AMAZING, the rain when it comes on shore is torrential and the weather is the craziest I have seen in the 5 years of living here in sunny, southern California. You see, we are weather wimps here. Yes, we live in weather luxury where our years are a perpetual summer of sunshine, warm balmy temps, little rain and any given day can be a "beach day" almost year round, there are many days that I miss living somewhere that has 4 distict seasons but I certainly have no complaints, it could be worse. So this kind of weather sends our community in a tail spin and turns the town on its head, lol! Good thing these people don't live in the south, they would all run for the hills.
You can check it out here:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/storm-229995-highway-commute.html
So to make the most of the day we are hunkered down in the comfort of home crafting, cooking, catching up on housework and homework and just being happy! For those without home's or the comfort of a safe haven, we send our thoughts, prayers and hopes that you are finding a place to stay dry.
Hoping my darling hubby gets a flight in tonight from Tacoma in between the storms. We are missing him.
Have a great day making the most of your weather no matter where you are!
Showing posts with label Daily Drama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily Drama. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Busy, busy, busy
Good morning,
I am feeling so much better this morning. After a good vent and a good nights sleep, I am ready for the day. This weekend will be a busy one. Xander starts us off with water polo this morning and Hannah has a soccer game this afternoon. When Xander gets out of water polo he will head to Churches Campout with the boy scouts for an overnighter. Then he will get up and have to be packed out by about 7:30 Sunday morning so that he can get to his 9:30 water polo game. While he is not playing in the game due to an injury, he will be there to support and cheer on his team, dressed out in uniform. They have 3 games tomorrow however he will only be at the first one since daddy is surprising him with tickets to Street Scene down in San Diego (a belated b-day present). That starts at 1pm so they will head down after the game with Xander's friend Katin to enjoy about 50 bands on 2-3 stages. The Killers, Social Distortion, Modest Mouse, etc. will be there. Xander (like his father) both love punk, blues and good old fashioned rock and roll. I am sure Xander will be in heaven.
Right now Xander is writing his own music and will record a CD next week for the Reflections Art Program which is sponsored nationally by the PTA. This year's theme is "I can make a difference by...". Being that he is our tree hugging, I am going to save the world child, he has decided that he is entering in 3 categories: photography, literature and music. He intends to depict in the 3 various entries how he can make a difference by cleaning up the beaches and protecting our marine environments. I'll post pictures and let you know how he does once he is finished with it. So he has to work on that this next week as well.
Finally, I have lots to do to get my biz off the ground. For those of you that don't know, I am a shutterbug and after much encouragement and insistence from our friends, I am opening my own photography business. I am not a studio type girl so I will be doing everything completely on location and candid. I am not a "say cheese" girl either, I like to capture the raw beauty and essence of each person's personality. In addition to that, my creative side has reared it head again and I am offering a complete line of custom art creations made with either their own photos or one's I have taken. I will post pictures soon of some of my creations. Everything I make can also be made with any of your children's art work that you want to preserve. I can put it on canvas, tumbled tile coasters, wood blocks etc all without harming the original artwork. It's actually pretty cool and makes great gifts! However, between the photo shoots and the custom art orders, I am super busy.
Speaking of which, children are calling in the background, the dryer bell is ringing and I need to jump in the shower so off I go, I'll update more later.....
XOXOXO
Kimberly
I am feeling so much better this morning. After a good vent and a good nights sleep, I am ready for the day. This weekend will be a busy one. Xander starts us off with water polo this morning and Hannah has a soccer game this afternoon. When Xander gets out of water polo he will head to Churches Campout with the boy scouts for an overnighter. Then he will get up and have to be packed out by about 7:30 Sunday morning so that he can get to his 9:30 water polo game. While he is not playing in the game due to an injury, he will be there to support and cheer on his team, dressed out in uniform. They have 3 games tomorrow however he will only be at the first one since daddy is surprising him with tickets to Street Scene down in San Diego (a belated b-day present). That starts at 1pm so they will head down after the game with Xander's friend Katin to enjoy about 50 bands on 2-3 stages. The Killers, Social Distortion, Modest Mouse, etc. will be there. Xander (like his father) both love punk, blues and good old fashioned rock and roll. I am sure Xander will be in heaven.
Right now Xander is writing his own music and will record a CD next week for the Reflections Art Program which is sponsored nationally by the PTA. This year's theme is "I can make a difference by...". Being that he is our tree hugging, I am going to save the world child, he has decided that he is entering in 3 categories: photography, literature and music. He intends to depict in the 3 various entries how he can make a difference by cleaning up the beaches and protecting our marine environments. I'll post pictures and let you know how he does once he is finished with it. So he has to work on that this next week as well.
Finally, I have lots to do to get my biz off the ground. For those of you that don't know, I am a shutterbug and after much encouragement and insistence from our friends, I am opening my own photography business. I am not a studio type girl so I will be doing everything completely on location and candid. I am not a "say cheese" girl either, I like to capture the raw beauty and essence of each person's personality. In addition to that, my creative side has reared it head again and I am offering a complete line of custom art creations made with either their own photos or one's I have taken. I will post pictures soon of some of my creations. Everything I make can also be made with any of your children's art work that you want to preserve. I can put it on canvas, tumbled tile coasters, wood blocks etc all without harming the original artwork. It's actually pretty cool and makes great gifts! However, between the photo shoots and the custom art orders, I am super busy.
Speaking of which, children are calling in the background, the dryer bell is ringing and I need to jump in the shower so off I go, I'll update more later.....
XOXOXO
Kimberly
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
First Day of School...
Wow, I can't believe that summer is over and that school is back in session. Today is a very bittersweet day for us, Xander, our oldest, is going into Junior High (wow, hard to believe) and Hannah, our middle child, is starting her first day of Kindergarten. Christian will begin his first day of pre-school week from today, next Tuesday! For the first time in years, I will have 2 mornings all to myself with no children, it is going to be a little lonely I think to begin with, I'll keep you posted on how I find to spend my time....
Anyway, Bob and I wanted to share their first day of school moments with you, enjoy!
Hannah and her best friend Sara!
Hannah and her new friend Emma!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Long Time No Updates....Our trip to Palm Desert
Wow, I can't believe that it has been a week since I late wrote an update. It has been an oh so busy weekend and week. Where oh where do I start?
Last time I wrote I think I was getting Xander ready for scout camp. I drove him and 2 other families up to the San Pedro terminal to depart over to Catalina Island for a week long camp. He was very excited and before I left to come home, his tent mate and he gave me a laundry list of things they would like in their "care package" that he knew I would be sending. Asher (Xander's tent mate) has his mom there as an advisor so if I didn't add something in the box for him, he wouldn't get anything in the mail.
As I was leaving, I yelled across the way to Xander that I was going to be on my way, he was about 15 feet from me and hanging with his buddies. All of a sudden, he reaches out both arms and walks to me with this "I'll miss you mom" look on his face. Now mind you, there are hundreds of boys standing around, parents and others. For a 12 year old boy who normally banishes me to the outskirts of where ever we are so that I am seen but not heard from, when he reaches his arms out, gives me a huge, long-lasting hug and nuzzles into me, well, I almost lost it right there on the dock. That meant more to me than anything. Loving my kids is the most wonderful feeling I have ever felt and to get it in return is the greatest experience of my life! I love that kid like crazy and he is such a good kid. May he always be this sweet and loving!!!
On my way home from Long Beach I had a nice conversation with my mom. It was good to hear her voice and to just be able to share what's going on in our lives. I do miss them terribly and know at some point that we will make it back home but for now, phone conversations are always nice to share!
I was exhausted by the time I returned home so down for a nap I went. That is a rare thing for me, I almost never nap (it spoils my beauty sleep at night and boy do I ever need that beauty sleep, lol)! Afterwards we all headed down to the Kjell's house for a swim, wine and conversation with all our neighbors. We live in a great 'hood!
Monday-Wednesday I made an impromptu trip over to Palm Desert/Indian Wells with my neighbor and friend Maureen who lives across the street. She had her 2 girls, a boy from Italy that is staying with them and Debbie's 2 kids and then I had my own 2 kids. I am not sure if we were insane or what thinking that we should go alone with 7 kids between us. I guess since I am writing this, you know we survived the trip without any great incidents!!
When we arrived in the desert, my car thermometer read 111 degrees. WOW was it ever hot! We immediately hit the pool and poolside bar! I have never wanted to just stay in a pool without getting out in all my life. Once you were out of the water it was just hot, plain old hot! It was fun for the kids. The dive in movie for the night was Ice Age, the Meltdown which of course they had all seen so we headed to the comfort of A/C and take out.
Tuesday we headed to Cheesecake Factory for lunch then off to Knott's Soak City water park, FOUR hours later and the kids were exhausted (good for early bedtimes and a sneak for us mom's down to the lounge)! The kids had a great time in the water. I think that had I not had Christian with me, Hannah would have ridden every water slide possible that she was tall enough for. She is such a dare devil. She rode this one slide where you sit on top of the tube, hold on to the handles and it shoots you down this long twisty, winding tube and into the water. She rode that one many times. She loved all the rides, the more twists and turns and water, the better. Good thing she taught herself how to swim just the week before. I think she already knows the power of "the Secret" already. She thinks it, she can do it, there will be no stopping her in life. This should serve her well! I was very proud of her.
Christian on the other hand is my reserved, laid back, let me think about it and get used to it first kind of guy. He wanted to do things in his own way at his own pace and wanted nothing to do with the tall water slides. The baby slides and playing in the splashing water was just fine for him. He is definitely a mama's boy and needs me to be there every step of the way with him. He is adventurous in his own way and is getting ready to ride a 2 wheel bike with no training wheels. He rock climbs large walls, he rides a scooter from the tops of large hills to the bottom with no problems, doing turns, etc but the water is not a place he really wants to be adventurous so with this, we are cautious and let him do his own thing and that's okay with us.
We hit the outlets in Cabazon on the way home however it was too hot to shop! I didn't think I would ever say that but it was. The heat was oppressive and miserable. Needless to say, I came home with very little and a much happier bank account!!
Today is cleaning day around the house and working on my "to do" list, grocery shopping, etc. We leave a week from today for Costa Rica. I need to get many things accomplished before we head out on our trip to see our friends who just moved there from Charleston. So off I should go and stop the long novel that this is coming to be. I promise shorter updates for the next week. Take care and talk again tomorrow. ~K & B
Last time I wrote I think I was getting Xander ready for scout camp. I drove him and 2 other families up to the San Pedro terminal to depart over to Catalina Island for a week long camp. He was very excited and before I left to come home, his tent mate and he gave me a laundry list of things they would like in their "care package" that he knew I would be sending. Asher (Xander's tent mate) has his mom there as an advisor so if I didn't add something in the box for him, he wouldn't get anything in the mail.
As I was leaving, I yelled across the way to Xander that I was going to be on my way, he was about 15 feet from me and hanging with his buddies. All of a sudden, he reaches out both arms and walks to me with this "I'll miss you mom" look on his face. Now mind you, there are hundreds of boys standing around, parents and others. For a 12 year old boy who normally banishes me to the outskirts of where ever we are so that I am seen but not heard from, when he reaches his arms out, gives me a huge, long-lasting hug and nuzzles into me, well, I almost lost it right there on the dock. That meant more to me than anything. Loving my kids is the most wonderful feeling I have ever felt and to get it in return is the greatest experience of my life! I love that kid like crazy and he is such a good kid. May he always be this sweet and loving!!!On my way home from Long Beach I had a nice conversation with my mom. It was good to hear her voice and to just be able to share what's going on in our lives. I do miss them terribly and know at some point that we will make it back home but for now, phone conversations are always nice to share!I was exhausted by the time I returned home so down for a nap I went. That is a rare thing for me, I almost never nap (it spoils my beauty sleep at night and boy do I ever need that beauty sleep, lol)! Afterwards we all headed down to the Kjell's house for a swim, wine and conversation with all our neighbors. We live in a great 'hood!
Monday-Wednesday I made an impromptu trip over to Palm Desert/Indian Wells with my neighbor and friend Maureen who lives across the street. She had her 2 girls, a boy from Italy that is staying with them and Debbie's 2 kids and then I had my own 2 kids. I am not sure if we were insane or what thinking that we should go alone with 7 kids between us. I guess since I am writing this, you know we survived the trip without any great incidents!!
When we arrived in the desert, my car thermometer read 111 degrees. WOW was it ever hot! We immediately hit the pool and poolside bar! I have never wanted to just stay in a pool without getting out in all my life. Once you were out of the water it was just hot, plain old hot! It was fun for the kids. The dive in movie for the night was Ice Age, the Meltdown which of course they had all seen so we headed to the comfort of A/C and take out.
Tuesday we headed to Cheesecake Factory for lunch then off to Knott's Soak City water park, FOUR hours later and the kids were exhausted (good for early bedtimes and a sneak for us mom's down to the lounge)! The kids had a great time in the water. I think that had I not had Christian with me, Hannah would have ridden every water slide possible that she was tall enough for. She is such a dare devil. She rode this one slide where you sit on top of the tube, hold on to the handles and it shoots you down this long twisty, winding tube and into the water. She rode that one many times. She loved all the rides, the more twists and turns and water, the better. Good thing she taught herself how to swim just the week before. I think she already knows the power of "the Secret" already. She thinks it, she can do it, there will be no stopping her in life. This should serve her well! I was very proud of her.Christian on the other hand is my reserved, laid back, let me think about it and get used to it first kind of guy. He wanted to do things in his own way at his own pace and wanted nothing to do with the tall water slides. The baby slides and playing in the splashing water was just fine for him. He is definitely a mama's boy and needs me to be there every step of the way with him. He is adventurous in his own way and is getting ready to ride a 2 wheel bike with no training wheels. He rock climbs large walls, he rides a scooter from the tops of large hills to the bottom with no problems, doing turns, etc but the water is not a place he really wants to be adventurous so with this, we are cautious and let him do his own thing and that's okay with us.We hit the outlets in Cabazon on the way home however it was too hot to shop! I didn't think I would ever say that but it was. The heat was oppressive and miserable. Needless to say, I came home with very little and a much happier bank account!!
Today is cleaning day around the house and working on my "to do" list, grocery shopping, etc. We leave a week from today for Costa Rica. I need to get many things accomplished before we head out on our trip to see our friends who just moved there from Charleston. So off I should go and stop the long novel that this is coming to be. I promise shorter updates for the next week. Take care and talk again tomorrow. ~K & B
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Back to School Shopping Day
Yesterday (Wednesday) was a rather slow and peaceful day, thank goodness. After a day like Tuesday, I needed a break and some calm in the house.
Today started off with the hustle and bustle of cleaning, doing laundry and preparing for the weekend (I hate working around the house on the weekends so I try to get my "chores" done by Thurs). After vacuuming up 3 canisters of dog hair off the floor, I was completely disgusted and wondered how in the world 2 dogs can shed so much in the span of a day. I keep wondering where the 3rd dog is that I should be feeding with all these fur ball tumbleweeds rolling around my floor. Needless to say, I got them all up, bathed and got the kids ready for a long day of shopping!
I picked up Bob and we headed to Chick's, an outdoor store that carries everything for the "beach scene". We found some great things there for Hannah, Xander and 2 fantastic pieces of luggage for our trip. They are also starting a sidewalk sale tomorrow so I am sure I'll be back as I love a bargain! Next, we headed to the "dreaded" mall. I am NOT a mall girl, I like outlets and bargains however there were a few things I needed and could only get them at the mall. I did find a few bargains and so for now Hannah is set for clothes and shoes and Xander is almost ready. Our first trip up the Escalator proved to be a bit of a challenge for our eldest. It seems that he can't manage to stand in the upright position so took quite the tumble and gashed his knee open, it was quite a site. He managed to hobble around the rest of the day and put new skin on afer we got home. He seems to be much better now.
After a delicious "lundin" (lunch and dinner combo much like brunch) at Cheesecake Factory, we all waddled out and took our cheesecake to-go. The only problem with that restaurant is the fact that the menu has way too many choices and then the portions are huge. We came home with enough for fend for yourself night on Sunday! My favorite cheesecake there is the Banana Cream Cheesecake. It is so delicious, my 2nd favorite might be the vanilla bean, yummmm! Anyway, going there is always a treat as we only get there once or twice a year even though it is only a few miles from us.
So as I sit here this evening still feeling like a lead weight and eyes drooping, I think it might be time for me to find the comfort of a soft pillow and snuggle up for the night. Tomorrow is another errand day as we prepare for Xander's scouting trip. Maybe, just maybe, if I am not too tired tomorrow night, I will get back on and catch up. Otherwise it might be Saturday or Sunday before I get back on to update on this life as we know it.......Hasta Luego ~K
Today started off with the hustle and bustle of cleaning, doing laundry and preparing for the weekend (I hate working around the house on the weekends so I try to get my "chores" done by Thurs). After vacuuming up 3 canisters of dog hair off the floor, I was completely disgusted and wondered how in the world 2 dogs can shed so much in the span of a day. I keep wondering where the 3rd dog is that I should be feeding with all these fur ball tumbleweeds rolling around my floor. Needless to say, I got them all up, bathed and got the kids ready for a long day of shopping!
I picked up Bob and we headed to Chick's, an outdoor store that carries everything for the "beach scene". We found some great things there for Hannah, Xander and 2 fantastic pieces of luggage for our trip. They are also starting a sidewalk sale tomorrow so I am sure I'll be back as I love a bargain! Next, we headed to the "dreaded" mall. I am NOT a mall girl, I like outlets and bargains however there were a few things I needed and could only get them at the mall. I did find a few bargains and so for now Hannah is set for clothes and shoes and Xander is almost ready. Our first trip up the Escalator proved to be a bit of a challenge for our eldest. It seems that he can't manage to stand in the upright position so took quite the tumble and gashed his knee open, it was quite a site. He managed to hobble around the rest of the day and put new skin on afer we got home. He seems to be much better now.
After a delicious "lundin" (lunch and dinner combo much like brunch) at Cheesecake Factory, we all waddled out and took our cheesecake to-go. The only problem with that restaurant is the fact that the menu has way too many choices and then the portions are huge. We came home with enough for fend for yourself night on Sunday! My favorite cheesecake there is the Banana Cream Cheesecake. It is so delicious, my 2nd favorite might be the vanilla bean, yummmm! Anyway, going there is always a treat as we only get there once or twice a year even though it is only a few miles from us.
So as I sit here this evening still feeling like a lead weight and eyes drooping, I think it might be time for me to find the comfort of a soft pillow and snuggle up for the night. Tomorrow is another errand day as we prepare for Xander's scouting trip. Maybe, just maybe, if I am not too tired tomorrow night, I will get back on and catch up. Otherwise it might be Saturday or Sunday before I get back on to update on this life as we know it.......Hasta Luego ~K
Monday, July 30, 2007
Lazy Days.....
Monday morning here with NOTHING to do! Woo Hoo! Did I say that loud enough? Actually we have no plans for kids activities or to go anywhere however we do have the normal housework and a few flowers to plant but nothing major. I had to run to the store for milk and bread this morning so I came back with doughnuts, a special treat in our house, for the kids. They were so excited. Now, hopefully, I 'll get them all sugared up and ready to clean their rooms!!!
I'll check in later, hasta la vista baby!!!
I'll check in later, hasta la vista baby!!!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Weekend Work....
Who ever said weekends are for resting? It seems that in our family, the weekends are the busiest time of all. This weekend was the first weekend that we had any time whatsoever to do nothing and what do we do? Yard work! We worked so hard on our back yard, de-thatching, pulling weeds, pulling up yucky plants that we've wanted to get rid of for a long time, re-seeding, mulching and planting new flowers and shrubs. Wow! We got a lot of work done, now we just need to head to the front yard....I guess that's for another free weekend!
I Will say however, after we got everything done, cleaned up and sprayed off, the yard looked really good and ready for summer back yard BBQ's and entertaining! For our first treat, Bob and Xander picked up grouper and tilapia from the store and we had a fantastic grilled dinner out in our cleaned up back yard! It was not only delicious but it was extremely relaxing. It was the best part of our day!
Sunday after church we took the VW bus and drove to Scott and Vida's house. They used to be our neighbors when we lived in Mission Viejo. We don't get to see them as often as we'd like too so it was nice to be able to spend the afternoon with them. The kids immediately dove into the pool as soon as we got there. They have a great pool with waterfalls, a slide and a jacuzzi so the kids were in heaven. Of course when daddy gets in, everything changes and he becomes their personal water toy. Here are a few pictures of them having a blast!
I Will say however, after we got everything done, cleaned up and sprayed off, the yard looked really good and ready for summer back yard BBQ's and entertaining! For our first treat, Bob and Xander picked up grouper and tilapia from the store and we had a fantastic grilled dinner out in our cleaned up back yard! It was not only delicious but it was extremely relaxing. It was the best part of our day!
Sunday after church we took the VW bus and drove to Scott and Vida's house. They used to be our neighbors when we lived in Mission Viejo. We don't get to see them as often as we'd like too so it was nice to be able to spend the afternoon with them. The kids immediately dove into the pool as soon as we got there. They have a great pool with waterfalls, a slide and a jacuzzi so the kids were in heaven. Of course when daddy gets in, everything changes and he becomes their personal water toy. Here are a few pictures of them having a blast!
This of course, is called the "Flying Hannah".
If you have never tried it, you should ~ it provides hours of fun!
Bob and Xander getting set for Xander to do his famous backward "McFlip". He has gotten pretty good at doing backflips off his daddy's hands.
Christian right after he and daddy took the plunge down the slide. He was scared at first but the right after he and daddy jumped off the waterfall. After that he decided he had enough and was done with all that deep water nonsense, he was ready for the jacuzzi again.
A boy after my own heart!
Here are Vida and Scott's 2 adorable kids, Ryan and Kiele (pronounced Ky-Lee). Our kids were best friends with them when we all lived in the same "hood!
It was a great day ending as always at their house with delicious home-made tacos and the works!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Woo Hoo, it's Friday!
I never thought we'd make it to Friday. We have had plans every single day for the last 2 weeks! Today marks the end of water polo until next month and activities until late next week! That means no commitments, no responsibilities, no shuttling children around to misc. practices! Wow, that's a first in MANY months, I think I may take a pitchers of margaritas and head to the beach!!
Xander was very excited about his last day of helping out with day camp today especially when we drove up and the marines had all the tanks and other military vehicles out! Very cool. He has worked the archery range every day and was excited when he discovered that helpers get fed everyday instead of having to bring a sack lunch! He has come home every day telling me about the wonderful meals he's been enjoying in addition to all the people that he's been "allowed" to yell at (politely) on the archery range. He is in charge of safety and has even had to "redirect" a few parents......ah, the joys of being a kid! I told him that was well and good but not to try to do that at home..... ;-)!
As usual the kids are sleeping and this is my time to catch up, get laundry going and to shower. I am so thankful for naps, for the kids that is. This is my only down time and I have to enjoy and make use of every minute, which isn't too long. So, off I go for now, I'll finish today's update after the kids have signed off for the night!
Xander was very excited about his last day of helping out with day camp today especially when we drove up and the marines had all the tanks and other military vehicles out! Very cool. He has worked the archery range every day and was excited when he discovered that helpers get fed everyday instead of having to bring a sack lunch! He has come home every day telling me about the wonderful meals he's been enjoying in addition to all the people that he's been "allowed" to yell at (politely) on the archery range. He is in charge of safety and has even had to "redirect" a few parents......ah, the joys of being a kid! I told him that was well and good but not to try to do that at home..... ;-)!
As usual the kids are sleeping and this is my time to catch up, get laundry going and to shower. I am so thankful for naps, for the kids that is. This is my only down time and I have to enjoy and make use of every minute, which isn't too long. So, off I go for now, I'll finish today's update after the kids have signed off for the night!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
It's only Thursday????
Wow, what a long week this has been. I cannot wait until Friday gets here. Once Friday night arrives, we will have a weekend with absolutely NO plans. This will be the first weekend in, oh, I cannot remember when, that we don't have plans of some sort. Whew! A much needed break. Today arrived with the alarm ringing at 5am in the hopes that I would get up and go to my beach boot camp class. I was so exhausted and knew that I was going to have to leave early to get Xander to day camp (the leaders have to arrive an hour early) so much to my own disappointment, I pressed snooze and went right back to sleep. I missed class on Tuesday also which is why I am even more disappointed that I didn't just get myself out of bed and go. I am trying to work on the self-discipline and get into a new groove but boy is it hard. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I will get up and go!
Hannah and Christian helped me with breakfast this morning. They had oatmeal (or hotmeal as Christian so aptly named it) and I had toast as usual, nothing too eventful. Then Hannah picked up after the dogs in the backyard and I cleaned off the back patio. What an exciting life we lead, :-)! Now, they are napping and I sit to catch up on news and email.
A friend of mine, Susan, has a son, Nathan, who has neuroblastoma stage IV and he is in the end stages of his life. He just celebrated his 7th birthday and I am heartbroken over the pain that the family is going through. I am saying lots of prayers to give them strength to get through this. Please, if you read this, keep them in your prayers.
Well, it is off to the shower to I can wake the kids and continue on with my extremely full afternoon calendar! Talk again soon...
What a busy afternoon. After picking up Xander from camp we headed straight to guitar practice (where he is working on composing his very first song ever) and then went directly to water polo. Practice was good and we are finally starting to get to know many of the other parents on the team. Xander has become good friends with a few of the kids, Daniel, Will, Garrett and Nicklaus and we really enjoy being around their parents as well so it works out great. I am glad he has found a sport that works well for him since he is not an overly athletic kind of kid. He is really not into sports all that much but anything that has to do with the water is right up his alley!
After we returned home, it was time to eat and then out the door again to head down to the neighbors (who are in Sweden mind you) to use their pool while they are gone. It was a nice time hanging out with Debbie, Joe, Christy and Erin sipping wine and watching the kids play. Erin made a point to tell us all that their are 27 kids on this street that regularly come out to play! TWENTY SEVEN.....can you believe that? Oh, and because we are all such winos on the street, we have officially renamed it from Via Mero to Via Merlot! Don't you love it?
Gotta run, good night!
Hannah and Christian helped me with breakfast this morning. They had oatmeal (or hotmeal as Christian so aptly named it) and I had toast as usual, nothing too eventful. Then Hannah picked up after the dogs in the backyard and I cleaned off the back patio. What an exciting life we lead, :-)! Now, they are napping and I sit to catch up on news and email.
A friend of mine, Susan, has a son, Nathan, who has neuroblastoma stage IV and he is in the end stages of his life. He just celebrated his 7th birthday and I am heartbroken over the pain that the family is going through. I am saying lots of prayers to give them strength to get through this. Please, if you read this, keep them in your prayers.
Well, it is off to the shower to I can wake the kids and continue on with my extremely full afternoon calendar! Talk again soon...
What a busy afternoon. After picking up Xander from camp we headed straight to guitar practice (where he is working on composing his very first song ever) and then went directly to water polo. Practice was good and we are finally starting to get to know many of the other parents on the team. Xander has become good friends with a few of the kids, Daniel, Will, Garrett and Nicklaus and we really enjoy being around their parents as well so it works out great. I am glad he has found a sport that works well for him since he is not an overly athletic kind of kid. He is really not into sports all that much but anything that has to do with the water is right up his alley!
After we returned home, it was time to eat and then out the door again to head down to the neighbors (who are in Sweden mind you) to use their pool while they are gone. It was a nice time hanging out with Debbie, Joe, Christy and Erin sipping wine and watching the kids play. Erin made a point to tell us all that their are 27 kids on this street that regularly come out to play! TWENTY SEVEN.....can you believe that? Oh, and because we are all such winos on the street, we have officially renamed it from Via Mero to Via Merlot! Don't you love it?
Gotta run, good night!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Another Summer Day..
Good morning family! Well, it is abeautiful sunny day, I am sure it will reach somewhere in the 70's again today. Gotta love the southern CA weather here along the coast. I took Xander to Cub Scout day camp down in Rancho Las Flores which is on the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. He is a Boy Scout youth volunteer this year and will be there from 9-3 today and tomorrow and later in the afternoon on Friday. He was very excited when we got there because he arrived early enough that he could sign up to work the Archery Range. That was all he talked about. An added bonus was that when he got there, he realized that the other 2 boys that signed up were his friends from the neighborhood, so that made it all the more enjoyeable.
He is certainly gowing up much faster than I would like for him too. I am learning to slow down and enjoy all his "little boy" moments as they are few and far between now. It's hard to believe that he will be 12 soon.
Hannah and Christian are wrecking havoc on our backyard at the moment so I can't "blog" to long as I need to get out there and play with them, make them lunch and then get them down for naps. I'll be back soon......
I'm baaaaccck! Well, after a good nap, I woke the kids up so that we could pick up Xander from Cub Scout day camp and take him to what else....water polo. Water polo was a lot of work out and prepping to get ready for the Junior Olympics in San Jose this weekend. Last year the Split OC team took bronze, this year we are hoping to take GOLD! Keep your fingers crossed. Unfortunately Xander didn't make the team as only 15 people can be put on the roster and we have far more kids than spots. That's okay since he has only been on the team for 5 months and still needs to "earn" his place on the team. He is doing well and come September 1st, he will have water polo games every weekend until mid January. There will be plenty of opportunity in the future for the "big game". A treat at practice tonight was birthday cake. A friend of Xander's, Niklaus, on the team, turned 12 and his parents brought cake to celebrate.
After practice, came home did the usual and finally after a long day, crashed into bed for a great night's sleep! See you tomorrow!
He is certainly gowing up much faster than I would like for him too. I am learning to slow down and enjoy all his "little boy" moments as they are few and far between now. It's hard to believe that he will be 12 soon.
Hannah and Christian are wrecking havoc on our backyard at the moment so I can't "blog" to long as I need to get out there and play with them, make them lunch and then get them down for naps. I'll be back soon......
I'm baaaaccck! Well, after a good nap, I woke the kids up so that we could pick up Xander from Cub Scout day camp and take him to what else....water polo. Water polo was a lot of work out and prepping to get ready for the Junior Olympics in San Jose this weekend. Last year the Split OC team took bronze, this year we are hoping to take GOLD! Keep your fingers crossed. Unfortunately Xander didn't make the team as only 15 people can be put on the roster and we have far more kids than spots. That's okay since he has only been on the team for 5 months and still needs to "earn" his place on the team. He is doing well and come September 1st, he will have water polo games every weekend until mid January. There will be plenty of opportunity in the future for the "big game". A treat at practice tonight was birthday cake. A friend of Xander's, Niklaus, on the team, turned 12 and his parents brought cake to celebrate.
After practice, came home did the usual and finally after a long day, crashed into bed for a great night's sleep! See you tomorrow!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
This is what our children learned today...
Since I am not a good keeper of hand written journals however, I am always typing away on the computer, I thought I'd join the "blogging" world to keep up with the life and times of our family.
Since today was as good as any to start, let me tell you how it began. Yesterday, the day began as all others.....get up, make breakfast, listen to the children fight, yell and scream, pour the OJ to precisely the exact same location in each and every cup because God forbid they are even slightly off, well you know....
Afterwards, we wipe the leftover cinnamon toast off our mouths with the clothes we are putting on instead of what most people use, a napkin. Then we brush teeth, hair, the whole nine yards. Same as always, different day.
Xander has been working with another kid on the street heloping him with his Eagle Scout project. They are building backpack hanging racks that roll in and out of the classrooms for the elementary school right behind out house. He is doing this to earn community service hours for his own scouting ventures. Of course, they had to paint, screw and work with big power tools. Although I am not sure which has more paint, the racks or Xander. It is in his hair, on his clothing, his crocs, everything. When I took him to waterpolo last night all the kids wanted to know "what happen to you"??? He was quite covered!
Hannah and Christian are doing well. Our days consist of riding bikes, skateboarding, driving Christians car and just hanging out. It's been relaxing so far.
Last night, I felt so organized and prepared. I got this recipe for Fleming Beef (which is really a very easy copy cat of Beef Stroganoff without all the hassle) so I decided to pop that in the oven so that when I got home from water polo practice that all I had to do was prepare a salad and rice, wah-lah, dinner would be done! So, we politely all sit down to eat dinner.
Xander and Christian dive right in, they love it! Hannah skeptically, looks at it and decides that even she too, likes it. Great, for the girl that eats nothing, I have finally found a dinner she will eat (again and again and again). Yeah! Well, I also placed fresh grapes on the table and at some point after Bob finished his plate, he decided that it would be oh so funny to start placing grapes in his mouth to make funny faces and the sort. I am sure you can see where this leads, right? If not, let me draw you a picture..... Bob, 14 grapes in mouth. Xander, 12 grapes in mouth. Not to be outdone, they each start trying to outdo each other. Now Bob, 22 grapes in mouth and Xander, 20 grapes in mouth. I think at the very end they were each up to 28 and 24 grapes respectively. Can you say, gross! Then they decided it would be funny if they could see who could eat them all at once. Gees, and to think we are the role models and we wonder where our kids get table manners these days!!! I told them that they had to eat each and every one of the grapes they were "playing" with. Can you say "stomache ache" after a few hours? They were both headed to the bathroom after a while. I don't think they'll be doing that again anytime soon.
Well, it was off to bed to prepare for another long summer day!
Since today was as good as any to start, let me tell you how it began. Yesterday, the day began as all others.....get up, make breakfast, listen to the children fight, yell and scream, pour the OJ to precisely the exact same location in each and every cup because God forbid they are even slightly off, well you know....
Afterwards, we wipe the leftover cinnamon toast off our mouths with the clothes we are putting on instead of what most people use, a napkin. Then we brush teeth, hair, the whole nine yards. Same as always, different day.
Xander has been working with another kid on the street heloping him with his Eagle Scout project. They are building backpack hanging racks that roll in and out of the classrooms for the elementary school right behind out house. He is doing this to earn community service hours for his own scouting ventures. Of course, they had to paint, screw and work with big power tools. Although I am not sure which has more paint, the racks or Xander. It is in his hair, on his clothing, his crocs, everything. When I took him to waterpolo last night all the kids wanted to know "what happen to you"??? He was quite covered!
Hannah and Christian are doing well. Our days consist of riding bikes, skateboarding, driving Christians car and just hanging out. It's been relaxing so far.
Last night, I felt so organized and prepared. I got this recipe for Fleming Beef (which is really a very easy copy cat of Beef Stroganoff without all the hassle) so I decided to pop that in the oven so that when I got home from water polo practice that all I had to do was prepare a salad and rice, wah-lah, dinner would be done! So, we politely all sit down to eat dinner.
Xander and Christian dive right in, they love it! Hannah skeptically, looks at it and decides that even she too, likes it. Great, for the girl that eats nothing, I have finally found a dinner she will eat (again and again and again). Yeah! Well, I also placed fresh grapes on the table and at some point after Bob finished his plate, he decided that it would be oh so funny to start placing grapes in his mouth to make funny faces and the sort. I am sure you can see where this leads, right? If not, let me draw you a picture..... Bob, 14 grapes in mouth. Xander, 12 grapes in mouth. Not to be outdone, they each start trying to outdo each other. Now Bob, 22 grapes in mouth and Xander, 20 grapes in mouth. I think at the very end they were each up to 28 and 24 grapes respectively. Can you say, gross! Then they decided it would be funny if they could see who could eat them all at once. Gees, and to think we are the role models and we wonder where our kids get table manners these days!!! I told them that they had to eat each and every one of the grapes they were "playing" with. Can you say "stomache ache" after a few hours? They were both headed to the bathroom after a while. I don't think they'll be doing that again anytime soon.
Well, it was off to bed to prepare for another long summer day!
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