Mini-cation

Every so often, I have the desire to get out of town.  It doesn't really matter where, just as long as we go somewhere.  We came to a weekend with no soccer games and Mike off work, so I booked a hotel in SF.  We gathered our things and took off!  It was just what the doctor ordered!

We ate at The Rainforest Cafe and enjoyed all the fun stuff there.  As we checked in to the hotel, we couldn't resist the pool.  The kids grabbed their suits and swam for a bit even though it was waaaaay past typical bedtime.  They enjoyed it big time!  We spent the following day exploring San Francisco, especially Ghirardelli Square. 

 

Then we spent some time at the Exploratorium.

It was a much needed weekend, and only one night away was just what the doctor ordered.  I'm so grateful for times like these!

Newsboys

As you may have read previously, Calvin is a huge Newsboys fan.  He can dance around for hours to them.  When I heard that they were going to be here locally for the Winter Jam, I knew we had to go.  They were the last band to go on and Cal was fighting sleep to see them.  But he made it and it was totally worth the wait.  These pics are not great (cause our phones stink when it comes to the camera) but they capture the emotion none-the-less. 

PSA

One pet peeve of mine....people who drive in the rain without their headlights on.  Did you know it's a law?  If your wipers are on, your headlights MUST also be on.  It was quite crazy driving home this afternoon in the blowing rain.  It was quite crazier not being able to judge the distance of cars coming and going because they didn't have lights on. 

That's all for now.

Flippers

My brother is pretty talented.  He is an awesome swimmer.  We used to swim competitively all throughout our childhood.  He went on to swim in high school and college, while I chose volleyball and basketball. He swam for the Aggies and actually still holds a few records in some events at UCDavis.  He currently coaches in Austin, Texas.

He and his amazing wife have created a book that is like none other.  It is an unique instructional book that is a flip book.  Throughout his coaching career, my brother recognized that most people learn fastest by watching demonstrations. Since it is not convenient to bring a computer or video player onto the pool deck, he started looking for an easier way to show his athletes the proper techniques. He printed a series of photos illustrating the progression of the stroke, and stapled them together to show his swimmers. As the pages flipped, he saw the light bulbs flash in his swimmers’ eyes and started hearing “oh, now I see what you’re saying!”

So if you have a swimmer in your family, or know a coach or swimmer, this is the perfect book for them.  The book has been used by many age group swimmers as well as Master's swimmers.  All to improve the technique of the stroke and to become a more efficient, faster swimmer.  Check out their page http://www.goflippers.com/ You can also "like" their Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/GoFlippers.  OR, leave a comment and I can get answers for any questions you may have. :)

Chores!

The girls have mowed the lawn the last few times it's needed to be done. They have a blast doing it, probably cause there isn't a lot! They do a really good job, and I actually like seeing the little bits they miss.  It makes me smile.

The Gardeners

It was beautiful last weekend, so we took advantage and finally planted some fun plants in the front.  The kids picked these out.  We'll see how long they last!  They had a great time planting and it actually looks really pretty!

Mia the Star

Is Mia awesome or what?! She is a complete natural on the soccer field. Just like her name sake! I love to watch her play. She is fast, she has control, and this year she is not afraid of anybody! An amazing combination!

Happy Birthday Jewlz!

Even though it's been a month, it's never too late to share a celebration. I still find it hard to believe she's 11. The saying is so cliche, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Juliet was the only labor that I went into completely naturally...and the only one without pain meds.  I helped Mike & my dad rebuild our back fence that had been blown down in a storm on Sept 4th, 2000. While I was nailing in those nails on the bottom of the fence boards, I remember thinking, "I really shouldn't be doing this....but if it puts me into labor, fine with me!" I'd say that was God's little glimpse to prepare my head for it happening. I went into labor that next morning! Saw my doctor at 9:30am who said I was for surely in labor and to meet her at the hospital at noon. We did and at 3:29 Juliet entered our world!

She is a very strong, stubborn, full of love, goofy girl. She still loves golf, and is darn good at it. She plays soccer and enjoys it. While her teammates will sometimes give up if losing, she wouldn't dream of it. She gives it her all every single game. I'm quite proud of her for that. She plays the piano and has just picked up the clarinet. (hmmm sounds like someone else I know...) She LOVES music. She has every single song played on Air1 memorized. She can listen to a new cd and have the songs down pat in one day. She loves "Pretendville". That's what we call it when all three kids are playing some sort of game of which they have made up. She can play for hours!

She has 3 best friends who are inseparable. They are great girls! They were all in the same class last year, this year one is not, but it doesn't matter to them. They still all get together as much as possible. They will play handball in the street for hours and then come in to be crazy goofy together! These girls stand up for one another at school if needed too. They all know the Lord and always have each others back. What more could you ask for in a friend? She is blessed with these girls, that's for sure! It takes me back to my school days often because it seems that every time I walk in the door from work, the girls have concocted some sort of plan of who is going to who's house and when! While Jewlz is the only friend without a cell phone nor a Facebook account, they all still like her! hehe

Another thing I LOVE about Jewlz, she loves sports! It does not matter what sport is on tv, she is all into it. Baseball, football, tennis, golf, soccer, bowling...really it doesn't matter. We have become huge fans of our local AAA baseball team, and I love the fan she has become. She knows everything about the players. She knows who has been pulled up to the big leagues, who came from where, who plays what position, each player's number and what song they come to bat to. It's awesome! We have a baseball that Mike caught at one of our first games. Jewlz has gotten it signed by nearly every player on the team! I love it!

So what would we do for her birthday? Why, go to the playoff game of course! Duh.

 It was an awesome birthday!  What a lucky girl!

A little behind...

I still find it hard to believe we're into another year of school already.  Didn't we just finish the last one?  The kids have been back to school for a month and a half now, and I've been back for 3 weeks.  It has already flown by.  We're settling in to somewhat of a routine, but homework still stinks!  It definitely gets in the way of our afternoons!  The girls have soccer practice twice a week, however, they are on separate nights.  That means 4 nights a week we're at the soccer field.  We come home for dinner, showers and bed.  There is no time for anything else.  The kids all love soccer, but it is definitely taxing on us.  I love Saturdays and watching each of their games!

Here we are, first day of school!  

 The girl next to him has turned out to be his BFF.  Her name is Mia!  So cute!

 Mia with one of her BFFs.

 

Juliet with one of her BFFs.

Sharing vs Show & Tell

Calvin's Show & Tell days are on Mondays.  The first Monday, he brought in his green light-up Light Saber.  He was so excited!  At the end of the day when the teacher asked him if he had any sharing, he told her no.  So after a couple of other people shared, he told his teacher, that he DID have sharing!  But time had run out, so he had to share the next day.

I talked to him about it and come to find out, he didn't realize Sharing and Show & Tell were the same thing!  So all is understood now.

Fast forward a couple of weeks to tonight.....and Calvin says, "Mom, I still don't understand why Sharing and Show & Tell are the same thing.  I mean, when you share with some one, it's like you say, 'Do you want to play with this too?'  and Show & Tell is when you tell about something you're showing people." 

Too smart for his britches!