Flames!

Yesterday, Gracie and I got matching pink baseball caps with hot pink flames down each side! It is exactly how I want to paint the pontoon mama (my pontoon boat) -- but I would never spend the money on something so stupid! The ball caps will have to suffice!

a little illness

I went to use Jim's computer this morning to order some concert tickets for Tina and discovered that it has a virus! It is the first virus we have ever had. Which I guess is good news but the timing could be a little better....I am swamped with everything else that is going on and now I have to spend time disinfecting Jim's computer - while he is out wandering around Wyoming!. I am a little bit bitter.... URGH!

Honorary Italians

This weekend we were officially named "Honorary Italians", which allowed us all to work for free making chicken Parmesan sandwiches at the Italian Festival. Tina organized all the volunteer troops and the supplies, in order for us to make and sell about 1000 sandwiches. The sandwiches were bbq chicken on garlic ciabbatta bread, with homemade marinara sauce and mozzarella and Parmesan on top. All of it was made at the festival on a rented bbq!

The kids and I worked from 3:30 to 9 pm on Saturday and from 11am to 1 pm today. Drew actually worked more because he went with Tina and Marty today at 8 am. It was a lot of fun and it is nice to know that we could all work in food service if we needed to!

I hope someone will send me some pics that I can post.

PS - in honor of the event, I wore my "Guess What Chicken Butt" shirt!

Soccer Update

This Weekend's Soccer Scores:

Drew's team lost 1 to 3. Drew did not score but got one assist. A beautiful pass to team mate, Mikey, who shot it in. Their team played two players down for the first half and then one player down for the second half. So overall, they did pretty well.

Gracie's team won 5 to 1. Gracie scored 4 goals and got an assist on the 5th goal. And the 5th goal was made by Mikey's (the kid above from Drew's team) sister! Gracie was ON FIRE!

Tradition

As everyone knows, it is our family tradition to have your birthday dinner at the local sushi place. The highlight is when they turn down the lights, turn on the disco ball and music, turn on the fog machine and have the birthday person do saki/sprite bombs. Here is Gracie doing her birthday sprite bomb tonite! And here she is with a bunch of gals who love her very much - Tina, her mama and Missy!

Gracie turns 8!

Today is Gracie's 8th birthday! These are pics from her birthday party last weekend. The girls did an art project, made their own pizza and then we went ice skating. It was really a great party. All the girls were delightful - no cross words, they all worked together, etc.

Aren't you....

I was standing in line with Gracie's 2nd grade class yesterday and a little boy, who I don't know, looks up at me and says, "HEY! Aren't you the lady with chickens!" I laughed out loud! I have finally achieved the status that I have longed for all my life...."the lady with chickens"!

My life has officially spiraled out of control....

This is what I am currently juggling:

• A new full time (and then some) job
• Hiring two people
• Assisting a friend who is trying to land a job at the same company where I work
• My husband is going to be off hunting for Bambi for 2 weeks
• My parents are gone for 3 weeks
• My kids in the last two weeks have had an abscessed tooth an earache and had to get new glasses
• I am doing physical therapy
• I have to schedule surgery for my shoulder
• Filling my tire up with air every 3 days because it has a hole in it
• Researching private junior high for Drew
• 4 Soccer practices and 2 hockey practices a week
• 2 soccer games a week
• Running or precoring 16 to 22 miles a week
• Worrying about my neighbor who is seriously ill

All this does not include the normal stuff: homework, groceries, paying bills, walking the dog, cooking, etc.

If I end up missing, don't look for me on a lush tropical island..... That won't be me in the wig with a margarita in my hand!

Bean and Richard's wedding

A couple weekends ago we went to Jim's cousin's wedding. Her name is Bean or in the real world she goes by Kristine. But in the family we all call her Bean because of her tall, lean body type. The groom is Richard and I think they make a great match!

Friendship

I have spent a lot of time in the last week thinking of friendship.

It started last Friday when I had coffee with my study buddy from graduate school who I had not seen in 8 years. When we were in grad school we spent a lot of time together because we were going to school fulltime and working fulltime at the same company. We studied together and did projects together. It was not unusal to spend all day Saturday in class together and all day Sunday working on projects together. And most importantly, he "carried" me thru our quantatative and qualitiative analysis class. He was incredibly patient as he explained the concepts to me over and over again.

But as life is, after we graduated we became busy with our families and careers and lost touch.

I thought of him often over the years and hoped that he was happy and well. About 3 weeks ago, I looked him up on the web and located him at a company in Israel. I reached out to learn that he would be in the Bay Area the next week and we decided to meet for coffee.

As in the case of a true friendship, we immediately picked up where we left off and enthusiastically caught up on each others lives - sharing in the triumphs, the missteps and sorrows. We left coffee that day committed to keeping in touch.

Our encounter made me appreciate the variety and quality of friends I have in my life. And it made me realize how much they mean to me and how deeply they touch me. They truly make my life richer.

At the same time that I rekindled this friendship, I have been experiencing the loss of another friend.

And this friendship could not be any more different than my friendship with my study buddy. But is just as rich and meaningful.

My neighbor, who we have lived across the street from for 15 years, has been very sick. She has fought cancer a couple times and just finished another round of chemo about 6 weeks ago. The tests after the chemo was done, were very encouraging - the tumors in her lungs had shrunk.

But shortly after she stopped chemo she started getting sick. She got sicker and sicker until she was finally hospitalized last week. In the hospital, even on iv nourishment and antibiotics, she became sicker. Finally last nite, her husband called to tell us that there are cancer cells in her spinal fluid and that she was terminal. She will likely only live a few more weeks.

My neighbor is a woman in her mid-60's who drove a school bus. She is vastly different from my study buddy. But she is as important to me as any other friend I have. And I am devastated for her and her family.

I am not sure what the moral of this story is...maybe it is to love your friends and try to make their lives as rich as they make yours... maybe it is to live life to the fullest each day....or maybe it is more simple....maybe it is to just love your friends and your family with all your heart.

Attention Tooth Fairy

Dear Tooth Fairy,

There is a little girl at our house who needs you to stop by tonite! And it would be really nice if you gave her a little extra money for her tooth because it was a big trauma coming out.....

You see, she had a sore tooth all weekend. We scheduled an emergency trip to the dentist this morning and by 9:15 am, the dentist was removing the tooth! There was an abcess caused by some type of trauma and the tooth was breaking down and being reabsorbed by the body (YUK!). Luckily it was a baby tooth.

She was very brave during the procedure and even while recovering with bloody gauze in her mouth.

Thank you,
From the Mom of Very Brave Gracie

Yosemite

These are pics from the weekend that we went backpacking to Kibbie Lake. If your remember Drew opted out of backpacking and instead went biking in Yosemite with Tina (his other mother). They had the time of their lives!

The Cost of Feeding a Family

There have been all kinds of studies about how it is cheaper to eat fast food then it is to eat fresh healthy food. If that is the case, I need to consider getting an extra job because my family eats a huge amount of fresh food and it is costing me a fortune.

The other night, I had $350 of groceries delivered by Safeway (this is the greatest thing ever and I highly recommend it). In order to make room for all the new fruit, I cut up all the fruit that we currently had in the house. It was:

* One pound of strawberries
* A big honeydew melon
* 4 apples and a peach that I made into applesauce

I left it all on the counter and thought we would munch on it for a little while and then put it in the fridge for the kids to use in their lunch the next day. HA! Who was I kidding!?!?!

Within 45 minutes it was ALL gone and Gracie had added a green apple with carmel dip to the menu!

I would like to say that this was unusual for us - but it was not! Our kids eat a tremendous amount of fruits and veggies. Honestly (don't tell anyone) I sometimes suggest some junk food because I think anymore fruit is going to give them the runs!

Ouchee Mama!

Drew had swimmers ear this week.

We were swimming last Sunday at a wedding we went to - (note to self: weddings that include swimming are way more fun than normal weddings!) and by Tuesday his ear hurt. The thing with Drew and ear pain is.... he gets it REALLY bad! It takes about 3 days for the antibiotics to work and decrease the pain. So until then you need to treat the pain with advil or something like it. I was giving him 350 mg of advil and he would want more 3 to 4 hours later and the dosage is suppose to last for 6 to 8 hours. After almost 48 hours of this, I took him to the doctors. She confirmed the ear infection and after weighing him told me to give him an adult dosage of advil because he weighs 121 pounds!!!! So I ended up giving him 600 mgs of advil and it worked!

Soccer - week three

Two Wins Again!

Drew's team won - 3 to 2! Drew scored one goal and made one great defensive play.

A guy from the other team broke away and was going one on one with our goalie (Our goalie is Jeremy, one of Drew's buddies since they were babies). Drew comes running up from behind the other teams player (from way back), reaches around the front of him with his long legs and kicks the ball away from the guy with only 15 feet more til the goal! It was a great play and one that could have only been played by someone with 6 foot long legs! (OK - I am exaggerating a little)

I missed Gracie's game because I had to take Drew to hockey. But word from the big guy is that they won 4 to zero! Gracie made one goal.

The winning team

Here is Gracie's soccer team - that is her kneeled down in front with the red face!

Soccer

The Score: Two Wins!

Gracie's team won today 5 to zero.

Drew's team won 5 to zero.

Gracie scored one goal.

Drew scored 3 goals.

Fort contest

One nite recently the kids (including the cousins) had a fort building contest. These are the results. Gracie's had music welcoming the guests! Uncle Dave and Auntie "D" were the judges....and surprise....it was a tie!

Bulls Eye Jr.

Last time we were at the cabin we saw this baby deer with a white spot right in the middle of his forehead. A few years ago there was another one like that who we called "Bulls Eye". So we promptly named this one Bulls Eye Jr.

Betty

Betty LOVES hanging out in the front yard. I went out to take her pic today and got the action shot of her scratching and looking for ants. Then she became curious and I got this close up of her looking at the camera. At one point she and Daisy were hanging out in the garage watching the world go by!

More tattoo thoughts

I was driving to work today and had another tattoo experience.

The tattoos I have seen at work are goofy and inappropriate but overall they are on people who are well groomed, clean, neat, etc.

On the way to work this morning, I saw this guy with his arm hanging out the drivers window of his garbage truck. On that arm was a huge, very colorful tattoo....which does not sound so bad. But the arm was also covered with a lot of nasty hair and was dirty!

There is a HUGE difference in a tattoo on a young, clean body then on an old hairy body.

The moral of the story: before you get a tattoo consider that fact that in the future, you may become a big hairy, dirty man! ICK!

Sam's 7th Birthday

It is a tradition on our family to go out for Sushi on our birthdays. And that includes the kids! This is dinner for Sam's 7th birthday. At the restaraunt we go to they celebrate birthdays with saki bombs. The person of honor has to stand on the chair and do saki bombs while the waiters sing and play music, disco balls and flashing lights are on and smoke billows around!

This is a pic of Sam doing his saki bombs (you have to stand on a chair) --- but for kids, it is sprite bombs!

This is also the first time Amelia had any chocolate cake and she LOVED it. She was holding the plate up and licking it!

Mom, Dad And Grandpa

This is a pic from last week when my folks were in Chicago visiting my Grandma and going to my Great Uncle's 95th birthday party. This is my Grandpa Pete and my folks. I love the pic - everyone looks so happy in it! Who wouldn't be happy when celebrating a relatives 95th birthday!

Soccer Season Begins

Both kids started soccer yesterday.

Drew's team played at 9 am but I did not get to watch it because Gracie's game started at 10 am across town. But from the report, it was a blow out. The score was 6 to 1 and the referee asked Drew's team to let the other team score a goal! And Drew's team kept pulling their players until they had 8 players playing against the other teams 11 players. Drew scored two goals. I like it when teams and the refs work together to make it a more even game.

Gracie's game was a tie - zero zero. Gracie played goalie for the first half and never even touched the ball. She played forward the second half and that is when the crowd started going crazy! Most of the families on her team had never seen her play before and she "wowed" them! As Drew says....."she's got wheels". She is FAST, agressive and good ball handler. Parents kept telling me she was taking on the whole other team by herself!

Then I had to crack up when one mother wanted to know how old she was and then went into the whole....wow, she is so tall routine, blah, blah blah.... then she tells me - "you should get her into modeling!" I almost laughed out loud at her...... She may look good from a distance on the soccer field but up close..... there is little grace or beauty.....just a rugged, tough little girl who prefers to be in the outdoors as opposed to doing her hair! Unless of course, beauty is shown by someone with dirt across her face and food in her hair!

Play Dead!

We just taught the dog to play dead! By the cheering in the house you would have thought we won a million dollars when she did it for the first time!

The kids and I tried it about 10 times yesterday. Then tonite we told Jim about it and tried it another 10 or 15 times and she got it!

Helps to work with a smart dog!

Our last lab (God Bless her soul!) NEVER would have done it - even after 15 years of training!

Football has begun

It is - without a doubt - the beginning of football season.

You ask how I know?

EVERY tv in my house is on with a football game blasting. The furniture is moved out of the family room, Gracie is in a football jersey and her and Drew and playing a game of football!

Pretty soon all the hockey gear will be out too.

And there will be hockey on one tv and football on another!

OH! I love the fall sports season!

Go OSU Beavers!

Go SJ Sharks!

New Toy

Check out the new toy at the Marina! It is a gian water trampoline with sections to slide off of, run down and get launched from. The kids....and Marty and Jim...loved it!

It kept coming unanchored and had to be moved around. That was great fun to watch!

Happy Birthday

Yesterday was Daisy Mae's 4th birthday! We celebrated with a rousing chorus of "happy birthday" and a Mickey mouse pancake!

Backpacking - Kibbie Lake

We went backpacking this weekend to Kibbie Lake which is in Yosemite. It was me, Jim, Gracie and Marty. It was about a 5 mile hike in. Elevation gain was about 1000 feet and we started at about 6000 feet. The problem was that the elevation gain was all in the first 1 and 1/3 miles so it was a bit brutal. We thought Gracie was going to give up after a quarter of a mile. But we had a stern talk about it being her decision to go with us and she sucked it up! Unfortunately the scale to weigh the packs was not on the trail head like it has been before so we could not weigh our packs....all I can say is mine was darn heavy!

The pics here show the view of the lake, Jim and Gracie sitting on a rock island, our buffet and Gracie and Marty at the trail head. Note that right next to Gracie's right shoulder (in the buffet pic) is a bear cannister. That is how you have to store your food. Everything needs to be put into it and then it needs to be stored away from your campsite. Lucky for us Marty spilled is dinner (tuna and bluberry jam - not together) all over himself, so we figured the bear would eat him first! And after eating Marty, we figured the bear would be too full to bother us! Luckily....we never even saw any signs of bears.

Next time we need to bring less food - we had way to much - and more furniture - Marty kept complaining that he had no where to sit!

On the way home we turned a corner to find a bunch of motorcycles scattered in the road. A guy had just crashed and gone over his handle bars. We were still way out in the woods so we stopped and helped out. He was pretty scuffed up and had a headache but he was walking around. We gave him some water and advil....even though he asked for a Bud! Seriously!!! He really needed to see a doc and get checked out but he was an old guy from the mountains and was NOT going to a doctor!

We got back to the cabin and got a full debrief on Tina and Drew's trip to Yosemite (they chose to do that instead of the backpacking trip). They took their bikes and rode all around the valley, had pizza and swam in the Merced River! Then they came back to the cabin and went to the Iron Door Saloon for a big fat juicy burger! Pretty much a perfect Drew and Tina day!