Cabin Bathroom

Here are the pics of the newly remodeled cabin bathroom. We are very happy with the outcome. It is nothing fancy but it's perfect for the cabin!

New Cereal

Grace came up with a new cereal today....it's called "chiweenie o's". It is oval shaped cereal - a little long and skinny. And it has a dog head and tail.

I cracked up!

Hike

This is a pic of the creek behind the cabin. We took the dogs down there for a hike yesterday.

Missing Man Snowman

Since Mr C was out backpacking and not here to play in the snow, we had to make a stand in for him. This might be their next official family portrait. Mr C looks so handsome!

Snow Day

Priest Grade

This is the lowest I have ever seen snow near the cabin.

Trio of Terror

The men went backpack snowshoeing today. They left at about 8 am and were headed to Badger Pass. They were planning on making a 6 mile trek out to Dewey Point. But with a lot of fresh powder, it is likely they will be camped 400 feet from the parking lot! Esppecially once they realize that Jim forgot his warm jacket....he left it on the kitchen table! And it is suppose to be 25 degrees tonite! Brrrrr.

Cozy Cabin

We have lots of snow at the cabin this weekend!

More reasons to love where I work

I have been meaning to do a post about the guy I see in the cafeteria twice a week in the morning practicing his juggling. He has an area all set up and takes breaks to get a drink. I think its so cool that he does this and that no one thinks anything of the juggling guy in the cafeteria.

Then, yesterday, I was walking out of the gym and a guy walks by me in high spiky heeled shiny neon green boots! A guy....in women's boots....at work! And his shirt was the same color as his boots! No one even looked twice... And his goatee was a nice touch too.

It is a crazy place.

Why is it?

Why is it that some days you are not that hungry and some days you can not get enough to eat? Last nite, I had no interest in dinner and today I was ready for lunch 10 minutes after I ate breakfast....literally. It is going to be a long day.

I have already had 3 glasses of water and two cups a tea in an effort to keep from eating a bagel, a muffin and peanut butter toast!

Special Needs

I am involved at work with a support group for parents with kids with special needs. Myself and another gal started it and she just left the company. So now I have to pick up the pieces myself. I consider it to be one of the ways I give back in this world.

My issues with dyslexia seem tiny in comparison to what some of these parents are dealing with. But a lot of the emotions, processes and experiences are the same.

We have a meeting today at lunch and we have a speaker who is going to talk about a theater group for kids and young adults with disabilities. Check it out:

http://angelsonstage.org/index.html

There are people who do such great things in this world!

Farmer Grace

Grace and I growing a potato plant. It just started sprouting. Isn't that cool!?!?

More....

Winter Ball

The pics are trickling in!

JV Soccer

Drew's team played the first place team on Saturday and lost 3 to 2. He had some great saves - including this one. The weather was amazing for February! Gotta love California!

On Fire?

We had quite a scare yesterday morning. It was about 11 am and Jim I headed out to run a few quick errands. The kids stayed home to enjoy a quiet morning. They were both in their rooms when we left. And the attack dogs were on duty.

We were gone a total of about 30 minutes and were heading back from returning Drew's tux when Jim got a call on his cell from our alarm company.

Our alarm is centrally monitored so if the burglar or smoke alarm goes off, they call the police or fire departments and then call us.

The monitoring people said that the fire alarm had gone off and the fire department had been dispatched!

We were about 3 miles from home when we got the call. I am normally a totally calm person who does not easily get alarmed....but in this case, I drove 65 mph home and passed the fire truck!

While I was driving, Jim was calling the neighbors. After a couple calls he found one at home and sent him over to check things out. Butch, the neighbor, ran across the street with his phone and handed it to Drew. Drew reported that the alarm was going off and he could not disarm it but they did not smell any smoke.

We got home and Jim ran in while I met the kids outside. What upset me the most was how upset Gracie was. She thought she was home alone because Drew was sound asleep with my Bose noise cancelling headphones on and did not hear the alarm! So she answered the phone call from the security company, told them she was home alone and did not smell any smoke. And then she got the dogs out back and waited with them. She did all the right things! But it was super scary for her.

Finally Drew woke up and did another check for smoke and tried to turn off the alarm.

The fire truck pulled up shortly after us and came in to do a check of the house. One of the firemen was really good to Grace and praised her for doing the right thing.

I learned three things from this:

1. If we ever leave the kids home alone, we will be clear to tell them, "we are leaving and you both are home together". This way Grace will know that Drew is home.

2. I always said I would save my dogs first. But when push came to shove, they never crossed my mind! Sad for them but I was happy that my mom instincts are solid!

3. The taxes we pay to allow us to have a fire department are worth every penny and the money I pay to have my alarm monitored is completely worthwhile....even if there was no fire!

The alarm went off again a few more times during the day, including during the super bowl party! Our alarm guy is going to come and take a look but it is likely that the smoke detectors need to be changed. Apparently after 8 to 10 years the normal dust in a house can cause them to not work well.

Winter Ball

Hot off the presses - Winter Ball pic.

Crazy

This is a pic of Gracie when I was trying to take a group pic of her soccer team. As we sometimes call the chiweenie...."total ball of crazy!"

Soccer game

Here is a view from Drew's soccer game today. What a beautiful day! The lost 3 to 2 against the team tied for first place.

Nose buddies

My girlfriend, Heather, had some surgery on her nose to remove some skin cancer. Jim felt bad for her so he dropped a board on his nose to show her some sympathy! Now they are boo boo nose buddies.

Peace

Check out the new peace signs I put up in Gracie's room. I put them a long each side of her window. They look super cute!

One Dwarf

Sneezy is getting better! Ahi is sneezing less and less. Not sure what that was all about but she seems to be fine now. Still sneezing occasionally but not much.

Hiking

We took a hike this morning and saw a whole bunch of giant wild pigs. They were so big that they looked like rhinos with short legs! Jim was so excited that we have to go back again tomorrow!

Indoor Soccer

Gracie's soccer team had a play off game for indoor soccer and won 6 to 1. It was not really a fair game because the other team only had one sub and Gracie's team had about 8!

Winter Ball

This is the only pic of have of Winter Ball. Drew went off to a friend's house at 4 pm. The girls were all showing up at 5 and the limo was going to pick them up at 5:30. We dropped him off with a wad of cash and took off! Can't wait to hear about how it was.

Preview

Here is a quick preview of Drew in his tux. Just picked it up and tried it on.

Bless you!

My chiweenie has the sneezes! She woke up in the middle of the nite with huge sneezes. And thru the day today she has bouts of sneezing. I did some research online and it is one of four things:

* a virus
* allegeries
* a foreign body in her nose
* a bacterial infection

One of the things it said to do was smell her nose and see if it smelled bad! So I sent Grace and Jim off to do that! Grace said it smelled like poop and gagged. Jim just hugged her like a baby and said she was fine. Then I tried and she licked my nose with her tuna breath tongue. I think we all decided that she does not have a smelly nose. But she has terrible breath.

I am just going to watch her for now.

Old Times

Daisy and I went out for a run this morning WITHOUT the chiweenie....just like old times! It's been over two years since we have run without the little weiner!

I went a little earlier than normal and Ahi did not want to get out of bed! Lazy butt.

But as soon as we left, she went crazy. She ran around the back yard trying to find a way out and then went to the front door and cried.

She made her decision! And she regretted it!

Damn

My crown came off last week (the one in my mouth, not on my head)! I was eating jujy fruits - which was the first mistake - and it popped right off. I got it put back on the next morning and I thought all was well. Except now that tooth is hurting everything I eat or drink something hot!

DAMN DAMN DAMN!

I need a root canal.

Soccer Update

Drew texted me yesterday that he has been moved up to the Varsity Soccer team! So what happens is he finishes the JV season - 3 more games - and then joins the Varsity team for a tournament and CCS games. Not sure if he will get any playing time, but it is quite an honor just to be invited.

Winter Ball

Drew asked a girl to the winter ball at his school. He is a freshman, so this is his first formal dance. He brought her 12 yellow roses and asked if she would go with him --- such a gentleman!

On Monday nite, we went and got him fitted for a tux. The gal's dress is baby blue, so Drew matched it with a blue vest and blue tie. He is going to look sharp.

Last nite, Drew and Jim went and picked out a corsage. Don't worry.....I gave Jim a complete briefing before he went...no carnations, white flowers as the main flowers, with some blue accents, etc. I have high hopes that it will be beautiful.

The dance is Saturday and he and a group of 8 are going in a limo to dinner and then to the dance. I think it will be a good experience for him.