tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355148902024-03-07T11:17:43.178-08:00The Solomon SpotBridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-30980616273434570392012-05-16T21:28:00.000-07:002012-05-16T21:28:35.846-07:00Construction Play BoxThe other day I finally bought some beans and completed our construction box. I figured this would be a new fun and inexpensive idea (and it was...thanks Pinterest!). And I figured it would easily entertain Gavin for a bit while I cleaned the house (and it did...only not in the way I expected). <div>
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It began like this. Using the construction vehicles to move the beans around, he was busy digging and dumping and working his machines.</div>
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When I came back a little later it had turned into this. A nice cozy spot to rest apparently. There were construction vehicles, beans, and flip flops OUTSIDE the box. Gavin was INSIDE the box.</div>
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I carried on with my work for a bit more until I heard Gavin say from the next room, "C'mon blankie. Let's go in the bean box." I peeked my head in again to see this. </div>
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To each his own. I should have expected the clothes would come off. They always do. </div>
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*Shortly after this incident Gavin and I made a mutual agreement to wear clothing in the bean box. Pulling beans out of one's crack is no fun for him or me!</div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-51043393699350110822012-04-25T22:40:00.000-07:002012-04-25T22:40:10.734-07:00I Heart Gavin TooI meant to write a special post about Gavin back in February when I wrote about Owen. And it turns out I had no photos of Gavin to share. None! How sad is that? The post just fell by the wayside. But my love for Gavin has not. So I'll finally say a few things about Gavin the Great.<br />
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He's fashionable. He likes to hang out around the house in items found in anyone's closet but his own.<br />
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He's naked. A lot. I try to keep him clothed, I really do. But inevitably the pants come off. He even showed up in the buff while the neighbors were swimming with us last weekend. I put his swim trunks back on him no less than four times that day. But he's just more comfortable naked. Who can blame him. <br />
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He's lazy. When asked to pick up toys he sweetly replies, "No thanks Mom" or "I can't". It's kind of cute, until I find myself picking things up over and over. We're working on it. <br />
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He's silly. I'm not sure if he means to be all the time. But he is. Look, there's his little head hiding in my piles of laundry. Just doing his thing.<br />
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He's slightly out of control. For instance in this video, you're not sure if he's gonna pull off a sweet move or accidentally run into a wall.<br />
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And he's independent. A couple months ago we were potty training and I let him wear underwear to pick up Owen from school. We were making our way off campus with a group of kids and parents, when all of a sudden I lost sight of Gavin. I looked behind me and couldn't see him. So I began walking back a few steps. Suddenly I spotted him behind a bush, next to a classroom wall. Pants down...peeing. Right there in front of the school! My first reaction was absolute horror! All those people sitting in the pickup line must have been judging. But then I realized, he's a pro. He didn't need me. I should be proud of my two-year old who needed to use the bathroom, didn't see one in sight, didn't want to wet his pants, discovered a bush (thank goodness for that), and proceeded to take care of business. Pretty awesome. Now, let's not let that happen again.<br />
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<br />Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-67344670354732205722012-04-09T23:50:00.001-07:002012-04-10T08:47:11.662-07:00A Happy Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">The boys dressed in their Easter Sunday best</span>
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Evidence of our awesome glow-in-the-dark egg hunt with the neighbors. </div>
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We filled about 250 plastic eggs with glow sticks and goodies! The kids LOVED it!</div>
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And our little spring seedlings sprouted in time for Easter</div>
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(thanks Grandpa Solomon for buying them for us!) </div>
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The season ended weeks ago, but I am finally sitting down to post a few highlights from flag football. This was Owen's first attempt at the sport and, true to form, he was slow to warm up to the idea. But with each practice and game he gained more confidence and ended up loving it!</div>
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I was amazed to see the growth of Owen and really all the boys on the team. Most of them had very little experience playing, and were clueless as to the rules/positions of the game. But by the season's end they were completing all sorts of plays. It was so much fun to watch!<br />
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Owen loved playing quarterback the first half of the season because he could hand off the ball to a teammate and avoid getting his flags pulled. But eventually he got comfortable running the ball and even scored a few touchdowns. </div>
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Another team, another trophy. I don't think it ever gets old for Owen. It was a great season with mild weather, fun coaches, and energetic boys. Flag football was a good experience. I'm a fan!<br />
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</div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-15798413253461340692012-03-11T00:45:00.000-08:002012-03-11T00:45:33.359-08:00Bahamas in FebruaryAfter a lot of talk, much waiting, and an insurmountable amount of coordinating...we finally did it! We managed to get away on a couples retreat! And I'm so glad we did. We met up with our Boston friends and our Bountiful friends to cruise to the Bahamas.<br />
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This was my second cruise, and it was decidedly different than the first. Smaller boat + shorter distance + cheaper price + spring season = party cruise. Without our bikinis and booze, we seemed to fit in best with the older set; preferring card games and shuffleboard, to pool parties and bar tabs. But really, we were there to hang out with our friends and relax...and that's just what we did.
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(The whole group "awkward family photo" style....the girlies hanging out after hours....and us)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Our ship...shuffleboard with the guys...gettin' crazy with cards)</span></div>
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We spent our first stop at Cococay Island. Cococay consisted of lounging on the beach, taking a nature walk, searching for shells and small sea creatures, and taking shelter in a cabana during a rainstorm. The island felt a little overcrowded with fellow cruisers. But once we discovered the other side, with a beautiful remote beach, it was just perfect. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Two things...why didn't I get a spray tan before the trip?...and what is Mark doing in the plants?)</span></div>
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Our second destination was Nassau, Bahamas. We chose to spend our day at the Atlantis Resort. It's actually been on my list of places I would love to go on a family vacation. And after spending the day there, I am positive my boys would love it. The place is massive. I'm talking water slides and activities, pool after pool, private beaches and aquariums. Seriously, the aquariums were amazing...mostly because of how you could view the sea life. Glass tunnels and underground walkways. So much fun! <br />
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Back on the ship I have to say we had the most fun while dining. How can you go wrong with food, friends, and a waiter like Sina? He dazzled us with his magic tricks and kept us on our toes with his rich Philippino accent. Sina made everything better.</div>
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And what's a cruise without towel pets? It was always a fun surprise to see how the towel would come to life each night. Our room attendant gifted us with these. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Note: I really must learn how to make these for my house guests.)</span></div>
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After we arrived back at our port in Florida, we had some time to kill before flying back home. So we took an air boat ride through the everglades in search of alligators. I was amazed at how the air boat maneuvered through tall plants and marshy areas with ease. We got to see a handful of gators on our ride and even got to take turns holding a small one that was 4 years old. (Another activity my boys would have loved.) <br />
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We were so thankful to Mark's family for taking good care of our boys while we were away. They loved having Grandpa, Grandma, Krissy and baby Calvin around for the week. Whadda you say we pencil you in for another stay in three years from now? </div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-44661060623227844482012-02-13T23:40:00.000-08:002012-02-13T23:40:34.417-08:00Happy Valentine's DayThere are so many fun and clever Valentine ideas out there. Every time I pick up a magazine or look online I find another idea that is cuter than the last. Valentine treats. Valentine sweets. Valentine cards. Valentine food. <a href="http://www.toms.com/womens/new-styles/valentine-women-s-classics">Valentine TOMS</a> (would LOVE a pair!).<br />
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Anyway, I thought I would share a couple Valentines we've made. Last year we used an idea I found online, and it worked perfectly for preschool because it didn't require any writing. Owen simply helped me cut the slits in the photo paper and insert the lollipops. </div>
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And here are the valentine cards we made for Owen to pass out this year in kindergarten. Again, we took a photograph but gave it a new spin. (<i>Go ahead...burst my bubble. I hope your Valentine's Day is bursting with fun!</i>). I love the way it's boyish and cute all at the same time. Owen wrote out all the names and we stapled each card to a pack of bubble gum. <div>
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Hope you have a LOVEly Valentine's Day!<br /><div>
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</div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-8096270464853049542012-02-02T21:15:00.000-08:002012-02-02T22:04:24.487-08:00I Heart OwenThree things about Owen that make me smile. <br />
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This picture:<br />
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(I love you. I am sorry Gavin. You are my best friend.)<br />
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This video:<br />
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This story:<br />
First, you must know that Owen requires A LOT of bathroom breaks when we're on roadtrips. So to avoid a number of stops we have been known to let Owen pee in a bottle once or twice. (Too much information? Well just wait.) So on our most recent trip home from Southern California we made use of an empty Gatorade bottle to take care of Owen's business. And somehow the bottle got left in the car after we unloaded our things. <br />
The next day I picked Owen up from school and headed inside the house with Gavin. Owen lingered in the car for a moment or two, then bounded through the front door and made a beeline to the kitchen saying, "I need a drink of water!" <br />
Okay, I thought. He must be really thirsty. It didn't even hit me until about a half hour later when Owen hesitantly said, "Mom, I drank my own pee."Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-47828912795856360392012-01-29T21:32:00.000-08:002012-01-29T21:32:36.957-08:00San Diego in JanuaryWe recently took a weekend trip to San Diego. I love to go to San Diego any time of year, but it was especially fun to be there for my brother's wedding this time. (Side Story: My brother and most of my family almost didn't make it to the wedding because of a crazy ice storm in Seattle. After a series of cancelled flights and alternative arrangements, though, it all worked out.)<br />
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Here are some highlights of the long weekend:<br />
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We spent a morning at Mission Beach walking the pier and watching the surfers. We also spotted several dolphins swimming nearby. But a highlight for the kids was watching the water splash down below us. At one point, we looked like this.<br />
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We spent the afternoon exploring Balboa Park then headed to Little Italy for the evening. We found some great places to eat! We settled on Filippi's Pizza Grotto for dinner. I have to say, having been to Italy, this place was very authentic Italian. Good food and good for kids. Then, we made a special stop at a second restaurant....just for dessert! That's my kind of place! Every dessert looked better than the next, and all the desserts we ordered were amazing. The ambience was amazing, the sweets were amazing...I MUST go there next time I'm in town.<br />
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Then there was the wedding. Sadly I don't have a single picture of the bride and groom. But they looked adorable and in love and it was a beautiful experience. I did manage to get a shot of Owen with his cousin Will. The two are super buddies. <br />
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And a shot of Mark and Gavin off to the side having one of many "talks" about acceptable behavior.<br />
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And then we spent a day at Sea World with all the cousins. Here's Owen with cousin Alice.<br />
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And a picture (of a picture) of us on the Sky Tram.<br />
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We ate at yet another super fun place after Sea World, though I don't have any pics. It was called the Corvette Diner and it was awesome. Burgers, shakes, dancing servers, balloon animals, arcade, and straw hairdos. Look it up, it was a great all-ages place.<br />
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And finally, before saying goodbye to the cousins and family, we had lunch at one last amazing eatery. Goodness, I should have titled this post "Where to eat in San Diego". We met up and ate at Lucha Libre Taco Shop. I'm serious, this place was DE-LICOUS. I have been craving the tacos I ordered ever since. The boys picked up a couple of Luche Libre masks as souvenirs. <br />
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Great January trip. Now, where should I go in February? Hmmmm.Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-56917288966596036492012-01-08T00:17:00.000-08:002012-01-08T00:17:50.132-08:00December...in a Single PostIt's so late to be posting this. I told myself to just forget it and move on to 2012...but I can't. December was crazy. It was fast. But it was fun. And I don't want to forget all the fun things we did. Here are some highlights:<br />
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I created an activity advent for the boys this year. And one of our first activities was to write letters to Santa. <br />
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Then there was the decorating. We almost didn't put up the Christmas tree since we were leaving for the holidays. But I'm so glad we did. I wish we had Christmas lights up all year long. They're so magical.<br />
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We also decorated a gingerbread house...made of real homemade gingerbread! This was so much fun that I think we'll make a haunted one for Halloween as well.<br />
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On the last day of school Owen had a Polar Express Party. We watched the class sing and dance and share their highlights of 2011. Owen's favorites were his "best friend Luke" and his "crazy brother Gavin". The whole party was so much fun. <br />
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Owen's teacher is seriously amazing. She had read the Polar Express book to the class earlier in December, and they knew the story well. They all wore their pajamas and had hot chocolate with marshmallows. But the best part of all was watching the kids get a special delivery from the North Pole. They were SO excited to receive their very own Polar Express ticket. They were to place the ticket under their pillow on Christmas Eve and if the train came to their house that night, they would use their ticket to ride. So fun! This picture almost captures the joyous moment perfectly. <br />
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And the fun continued as we traveled to Utah to spend the holiday with family. We took the boys to see the lights on Temple Square and made it extra fun by riding the light rail there and back. Truly a highlight for the boys, who kept asking if we could ride it again.<br />
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Then on Christmas Eve we had a special family dinner. Mark's mom prepared a wonderful Christmas message using lights to tell the story of Christ. And we ended it by lighting Sky Lanterns and sending them off into the night sky. I think we should do this every year!<br />
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Owen made the final Christmas Eve preparations and then we were off to bed. <br />
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Here are the boys on Christmas day...in their Sunday best.<br />
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We had such a good time staying at Grandma's and Grandpa's house and visiting with our cousins. We also squeezed in a visit with our good friends...and made our kids take a picture together. Because, after all, they will be lifelong friends too. <br />
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There were a lot of highlights in December. But my very favorite happened one Sunday afternoon, a couple weeks before Christmas. Owen was in the next room looking through a holiday book about the nativity story. On the last page you press a button to turn on bright lights around the baby Jesus and play the tune Silent Night. After looking through this book Owen came into the room crying. Mark asked him what was wrong. And he replied that the book made him cry. He said he just had a good feeling while reading it, and they were happy tears.<br />
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I know he felt the Christmas Spirit--the true meaning of Christmas. I hope he always remembers that feeling. And I hope I can too as I step into 2012.Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-3972244853189783792011-11-27T22:06:00.000-08:002011-11-27T22:06:23.796-08:00Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoDrCNUpGdnIiAG5LaT5p9Pf99h9bxPuMf4dMkkD88wtWxET_-Eyy3CiG2DoLHnOwZXXKliSe17TvfCQucOtX8Yg3O1KxfMBmuf9XTTp5WDhIIXE0QqRGzUGTBCcf-5q7EQxi/s1600/Wish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoDrCNUpGdnIiAG5LaT5p9Pf99h9bxPuMf4dMkkD88wtWxET_-Eyy3CiG2DoLHnOwZXXKliSe17TvfCQucOtX8Yg3O1KxfMBmuf9XTTp5WDhIIXE0QqRGzUGTBCcf-5q7EQxi/s400/Wish.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Mark's parents were kind enough to fly out and join us for our turkey feast. Yes, I prepared a turkey! Although it was only the turkey breast (I don't do bones or dark meat), it was slow-cooked and really delicious! Everything was delicious. We were happy to have the company to share it.<br />
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The boys dressed the part in their indian attire. Owen in his pow wow shirt and headband, complete with drum and beads...courtesy of his kindergarten pow wow held at school last week. He even had a Native American name--woodpecker. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvDEOEeSNJbmIJwC_m8fP8bYTmyvd3TaKehN4LqJL9Ba8anuAU8Q7owsZT7GNMgjKKCroQTKY_OziwDQsLneGzn5JiXT23-K-pJEEKef5BaVTV6q2qb_1u8XUwE1sFgTjg6nk/s1600/O+pow+wow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvDEOEeSNJbmIJwC_m8fP8bYTmyvd3TaKehN4LqJL9Ba8anuAU8Q7owsZT7GNMgjKKCroQTKY_OziwDQsLneGzn5JiXT23-K-pJEEKef5BaVTV6q2qb_1u8XUwE1sFgTjg6nk/s400/O+pow+wow.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And Gavin sported this awesome jacket that Mark used to wear as a child. True vintage embroidery and fringe. It's probably more "cowboys and indians", but it worked for him quite nicely all Thanksgiving day. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieavXJM8BWIv-pEfqwxffdDLpEXHY8icWfpGR_uy_Te18djeokBQEymt8Gr38qr-QjUGqojPbgQHRruoNxc5efbjqtWtRv_CzgN_qYe1_Txgl83aHAemyEqqTfMZGIy-7R92dK/s1600/Gav+jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieavXJM8BWIv-pEfqwxffdDLpEXHY8icWfpGR_uy_Te18djeokBQEymt8Gr38qr-QjUGqojPbgQHRruoNxc5efbjqtWtRv_CzgN_qYe1_Txgl83aHAemyEqqTfMZGIy-7R92dK/s400/Gav+jacket.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We had beautiful weather throughout the weekend. We managed to visit a local park and zoo. And we spent a day at the beach. Yes, the beach! The weather couldn't have been better with sunshine and 70s. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-onVlsmweCZa-TQSjt1wieC9_sfdApr1TZCfnmrBwqdwBtTTz7naHN2JJyDm8KkL5a8E9wlsEIBNzJ7SCyBrNXheofR5W3yDo0nH3M3dZ3lUe9aMGgtUpIDeIbhl5J6s5mA9r/s1600/Gav+binoculars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-onVlsmweCZa-TQSjt1wieC9_sfdApr1TZCfnmrBwqdwBtTTz7naHN2JJyDm8KkL5a8E9wlsEIBNzJ7SCyBrNXheofR5W3yDo0nH3M3dZ3lUe9aMGgtUpIDeIbhl5J6s5mA9r/s400/Gav+binoculars.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We went to see the monarch butterflies that migrate here and rest in a grove of eucalyptus trees on the coast. They were amazing. Some clung to the trees in clusters and while others fluttered freely through the air. It reminded me of THIS group of monarchs:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVRIeFLDQ-EJeSVQF7HKHpWsxU5bnYbOz-TDXs-cOIafScRyj8IA1J3GufoXU9EL-TvOkv38nSKQMRTb__pa0wk0hDKPrCxpYD7AQ1r8D3KXeWkozHl7nv6Z8CknJ6DBUEKUV/s1600/O+butterfly+cluster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVRIeFLDQ-EJeSVQF7HKHpWsxU5bnYbOz-TDXs-cOIafScRyj8IA1J3GufoXU9EL-TvOkv38nSKQMRTb__pa0wk0hDKPrCxpYD7AQ1r8D3KXeWkozHl7nv6Z8CknJ6DBUEKUV/s400/O+butterfly+cluster.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Owen's kindergarten class studied the life cycle of the butterfly about a month ago and then held a butterly parade at school where they released their monarchs into the wild. So it was fitting that we pay the butterflies a visit and see them in their natural environment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xq2lQVDrwQI3Yt8dBG3HkW3vajc5K1EW76dAFt3lVOEQb4-Jmk5zkEfl0BCuYphCItzwjMcopkumNY-Owud_oJ964TZzI2Y8CCtHcbfk-BNTYSYBMTW2U2Az3hHtdMm76sS1/s1600/O+wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="265" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xq2lQVDrwQI3Yt8dBG3HkW3vajc5K1EW76dAFt3lVOEQb4-Jmk5zkEfl0BCuYphCItzwjMcopkumNY-Owud_oJ964TZzI2Y8CCtHcbfk-BNTYSYBMTW2U2Az3hHtdMm76sS1/s400/O+wings.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Back at the beach, we played near the water's edge. We drew with sticks in the sand and built castles and motes. The water was at low tide, even lower tide than normal because of the season or moon or whatever combination. So we were able to enjoy the exposed rocky cliffs and extra seaweed. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFaMb_R-k1ijPz78E4mkswHbVRNqUVKcu7C-r6BOJaBq0efkVobOrZMPpb10u5PSJMYWxWqj67LdntNr98_AIAwOpDtaIGVQm5MIBlFCMKo90EA-KNcLHGDQVcKXdyqTcuzMM/s1600/Group+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFaMb_R-k1ijPz78E4mkswHbVRNqUVKcu7C-r6BOJaBq0efkVobOrZMPpb10u5PSJMYWxWqj67LdntNr98_AIAwOpDtaIGVQm5MIBlFCMKo90EA-KNcLHGDQVcKXdyqTcuzMM/s400/Group+beach.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We had to take full advantage of our beach day because the weather was just so pleasant. So we also visited a small marine discovery center on the UC Santa Cruz campus. The boys got to touch sharks and sea stars, compare furcoats of seals and otters, and watch all sorts of sea life swim through their tanks. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6MvWREaKJ17yClsMOlotDppiEQS_1i9arUOPY5b64n7wG6As2CjzbhZUKNtrTdl181EfVJ2SfesHuQphcjDjfkoBlDbQ_1XkiaIjpmM3G31y-gLP9Qx5XzoT0GdogB9mZOWI/s1600/Heads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6MvWREaKJ17yClsMOlotDppiEQS_1i9arUOPY5b64n7wG6As2CjzbhZUKNtrTdl181EfVJ2SfesHuQphcjDjfkoBlDbQ_1XkiaIjpmM3G31y-gLP9Qx5XzoT0GdogB9mZOWI/s400/Heads.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The entire weekend was really great. And I feel especially thankful to live in such a great place and to have wonderful family with which to share it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi47QRRuA7WsCWToKJHmuIgc7F1mSzoECoGw1UjxJ6WpuAFpF5pItLeXP075NQF2Q-fqk4XRzc-w0HT6iKmis-HVJGp1Fk4XLXLPYcrq5_oIlOgfb5MGbfWOo5cyyxJG-_I05/s1600/Thanksgiving+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi47QRRuA7WsCWToKJHmuIgc7F1mSzoECoGw1UjxJ6WpuAFpF5pItLeXP075NQF2Q-fqk4XRzc-w0HT6iKmis-HVJGp1Fk4XLXLPYcrq5_oIlOgfb5MGbfWOo5cyyxJG-_I05/s400/Thanksgiving+beach.jpg" /></a></div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-10952064057162945552011-11-16T23:02:00.000-08:002011-11-16T23:06:06.395-08:00Fall SoccerThere's something about fall soccer. It feels familiar. Like running into an old friend. A turning of events from the ease of summer to the routine of fall. We began the season back in August, showing up to practices and games in our shorts and flip flops; guzzling down lots of water to keep cool. And week by week, the season progressed just as summer turned to fall. Slowly but surely, as the days grew cooler and the leaves changed color, we began layering up for practices and games. Until finally at our end-of-season tournament we watched from the sidelines in our jackets and warm boots. Cheering on our team, The Little Rascals.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRYlQ2WG-M70ArWYp2v0CtxShQ-03hyphenhyphenwHt8DQKcz4hdS9qmEsAX9mrpcLALMCX8v_2CUxPGYVX2PjCFSIB9S3hN_F8EAPXHqUA33pjbZ3jJrJrZiovHXwdomlUkaHYGdQL6lx/s1600/Rascal+Team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRYlQ2WG-M70ArWYp2v0CtxShQ-03hyphenhyphenwHt8DQKcz4hdS9qmEsAX9mrpcLALMCX8v_2CUxPGYVX2PjCFSIB9S3hN_F8EAPXHqUA33pjbZ3jJrJrZiovHXwdomlUkaHYGdQL6lx/s400/Rascal+Team.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Owen had a wonderful experience with soccer this time around. He showed so much improvement from last year. I think it was a combination of great coaching and being more grown up. He was so excited to go to practices and games. His teammates and his coaches really boosted his confidence. He went in not knowing a single kid on the team, and he walked away with a new batch of friends and a desire to play with the same coaches in the spring. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVwxEIrkZ9lbJJUkgWOqGEzNBU_yAp0qKqa-i8bAQE-VESjLJKCnQUn4xG79818yBB0CNGq9in4caphzUWJJw6faWAx3vfyMfopRA8Zk3fAc3sv6kbULgtjWpiLtG9VEE78fZ/s1600/Oandcoach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="290" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVwxEIrkZ9lbJJUkgWOqGEzNBU_yAp0qKqa-i8bAQE-VESjLJKCnQUn4xG79818yBB0CNGq9in4caphzUWJJw6faWAx3vfyMfopRA8Zk3fAc3sv6kbULgtjWpiLtG9VEE78fZ/s400/Oandcoach.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I didn't get many photos of the games this year because I was too busy watching and enjoying them. But here are a few shots I took for the grandparents.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdSKAR4E3zR2vsEoiESCQlrXJwkJ_H_LqhPezy9kt7Rv8SH3MaTcTGtpCh2wYhJkWL2TZ_YUd1cz54WLo9U7TXdl-GSqqiXSBD7V_ATrN5QINfMxnOtExJgNos9TzZ4loJRFA/s1600/Osolo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdSKAR4E3zR2vsEoiESCQlrXJwkJ_H_LqhPezy9kt7Rv8SH3MaTcTGtpCh2wYhJkWL2TZ_YUd1cz54WLo9U7TXdl-GSqqiXSBD7V_ATrN5QINfMxnOtExJgNos9TzZ4loJRFA/s400/Osolo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmJZe88GzwUEa0VNmMbcIyvuuGJrXUZZ93u2Q6quORpt-cm17xXfBjzgpidJyVD4cW6O713eujFZFNhtZE-J_QshAnnomBXEC6-iwTlU6jt1UuMA-ugfSKDVkhK193Fvj5zYa/s1600/O-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmJZe88GzwUEa0VNmMbcIyvuuGJrXUZZ93u2Q6quORpt-cm17xXfBjzgpidJyVD4cW6O713eujFZFNhtZE-J_QshAnnomBXEC6-iwTlU6jt1UuMA-ugfSKDVkhK193Fvj5zYa/s400/O-2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd867I07-hL3D-Wp_DNeyBHpo8n1mbUphXd2IToyy_IW3pEX6dZHts0JWXxA_I2z8goYTQOi0uQ2Pqj05HZUtJoNqRwrAINhSrSRXI8t2ol7FkD6Ra_hyphenhyphenhcZZRDS7VoR_uF5K9/s1600/O-high+jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd867I07-hL3D-Wp_DNeyBHpo8n1mbUphXd2IToyy_IW3pEX6dZHts0JWXxA_I2z8goYTQOi0uQ2Pqj05HZUtJoNqRwrAINhSrSRXI8t2ol7FkD6Ra_hyphenhyphenhcZZRDS7VoR_uF5K9/s400/O-high+jump.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIwgOFCqJp_B1FPvMwEt6rp5pGbos82SHbU5VelJ5xqpacJ1tS3UlExAifQhBOrzSvmXIQTVTIFMyf6mE39VSlnaLyz91Y_RMFJGw2t-3wwhjTnVhVUM-Ebv1G0RGU80R5Mib/s1600/O-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIwgOFCqJp_B1FPvMwEt6rp5pGbos82SHbU5VelJ5xqpacJ1tS3UlExAifQhBOrzSvmXIQTVTIFMyf6mE39VSlnaLyz91Y_RMFJGw2t-3wwhjTnVhVUM-Ebv1G0RGU80R5Mib/s400/O-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Owen's team did really well. They took first place in the tournament and got an additional trophy to show for it. Two trophies and one happy soccer player. What more could you ask for? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXX9IL511HjJLQzOUHJxqb3v7_Ce6aRJRMbqhVziUQqXMP55Z6U_VDjRJved1MoAuaeUo2affDeb9meZAkqfypKT9rZDpRGYoGD2NL0nNUrRk-EgZGWg-WnUnO27VBplQWlSRe/s1600/O-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXX9IL511HjJLQzOUHJxqb3v7_Ce6aRJRMbqhVziUQqXMP55Z6U_VDjRJved1MoAuaeUo2affDeb9meZAkqfypKT9rZDpRGYoGD2NL0nNUrRk-EgZGWg-WnUnO27VBplQWlSRe/s400/O-photo.jpg" /></a></div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-34219321641899901952011-11-01T23:33:00.000-07:002011-11-01T23:33:31.574-07:00A Happy Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNITidgduVOnRYZ7xoli7XOxdPbDhUgNn1w3RPtCwyDKqijzGwJYTxmq6ue9PWT9nmaLfS_QQ2eMqOHji6vrLxPLnhDkW29pRgSoOE7wMgdSmhBC0JWPBEPXAtDjcnl9VcLLKw/s1600/O+Gav+Side+by+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="250" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNITidgduVOnRYZ7xoli7XOxdPbDhUgNn1w3RPtCwyDKqijzGwJYTxmq6ue9PWT9nmaLfS_QQ2eMqOHji6vrLxPLnhDkW29pRgSoOE7wMgdSmhBC0JWPBEPXAtDjcnl9VcLLKw/s400/O+Gav+Side+by+Side.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The boys went for a reptilian theme this year. They chose to be a turtle and a dragon for Halloween. The turtle was easy because Owen wore the same costume when he was younger. And though Mark would rather he went as something "cooler", Gavin insisted on being a turtle. And a very cute turtle he was.<br />
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O's costume was a little harder. I looked around for dragon costumes, but I didn't like anything I saw. They all looked cheesy, or toddler-ish, or too much like a dinosaur. I wanted him to have a more grownup dragon look...without being gross. I think we achieved it. Sure the costume could have been more comprehensive, but the overall look was great. <br />
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You can catch a glimpse of our pumpkin carving in the photos above. But you can't see all the work that went into Owen's pumpkin. He first drew out a plan on paper, then he drew it on the pumpkin. And he carved it mostly by himself. I thought the finished project looked amazingly like his plan...and amazingly good. But he didn't think it was as creepy as Gavin's (Mark's) jack-o-lantern face. So he had Mark help him carve a creepier one on the back. Double the face, double the creepy I guess. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstTEYggazsx4JLgz2RcPQiysrmsZSnkH-Od2Ml1HosZdtusLL59xs3V00T2iVR2NaDQvb3vmpOeokxGzlERf5Gdpmx40up2sGjO-79tZ7_Djc_mdB61XLXi_E7iHJLE6ZwW_N/s1600/Pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="250" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstTEYggazsx4JLgz2RcPQiysrmsZSnkH-Od2Ml1HosZdtusLL59xs3V00T2iVR2NaDQvb3vmpOeokxGzlERf5Gdpmx40up2sGjO-79tZ7_Djc_mdB61XLXi_E7iHJLE6ZwW_N/s400/Pumpkin.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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And I'll leave you with this photo we call "Halloween turtle of joy". Hope you had a Happy Halloween!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFeTqHD9FxE5riE-FjaiYQFrfLhbMJNWqmWf98X_yr_c1r0cOn5NBnIfUl5imswChHixit9B76iVpORjND3uySubVLJCiP24S6TUtV4iyBhBg6M62wsedbj0phZc7rWpklsmw/s1600/Dancing+Turtle+of+Joy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFeTqHD9FxE5riE-FjaiYQFrfLhbMJNWqmWf98X_yr_c1r0cOn5NBnIfUl5imswChHixit9B76iVpORjND3uySubVLJCiP24S6TUtV4iyBhBg6M62wsedbj0phZc7rWpklsmw/s400/Dancing+Turtle+of+Joy.jpg" /></a></div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-50559021535311011282011-10-23T21:42:00.000-07:002011-10-23T21:42:41.317-07:00A Picking We Will GoI took the boys to a favorite pumpkin patch last week afterschool where we picked out pumpkins for carving. Nothing says fall like a hot day at the patch (around 86 degrees), followed by a cool dip in the pool (around 68 degrees). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz36wlCqgnphIwnugfnvKpBDuj7lQK-6syMy15hgRcragVIUmCC03tRTsp_HASESBmYbp_0NdDy0g9JbLSWpIMEdWi7XSiuqFZImHzyY2nblRAdvaf9t8YNPKILsWf17EBOKs/s1600/G+and+O+pumpkin+stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="301" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHz36wlCqgnphIwnugfnvKpBDuj7lQK-6syMy15hgRcragVIUmCC03tRTsp_HASESBmYbp_0NdDy0g9JbLSWpIMEdWi7XSiuqFZImHzyY2nblRAdvaf9t8YNPKILsWf17EBOKs/s400/G+and+O+pumpkin+stand.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvZvFuE7m-WJxD7Xxh2FVJAfNmqyZqNtbZMOBy8T0x13lijOQkeyo4mXoFU2nXkznnCYi5iJZeALvRZXCdWH4Cqeq4O_o2CjcBaONPEjFOLaS5E08uktj_4TlwsYIk51ZmtcO/s1600/G+and+O+wheelbarrow+nut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="280" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvZvFuE7m-WJxD7Xxh2FVJAfNmqyZqNtbZMOBy8T0x13lijOQkeyo4mXoFU2nXkznnCYi5iJZeALvRZXCdWH4Cqeq4O_o2CjcBaONPEjFOLaS5E08uktj_4TlwsYIk51ZmtcO/s400/G+and+O+wheelbarrow+nut.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We rode the train, fed the farm animals, ran around the hay bales, sweated through our clothes, and grabbed a milkshake for the ride home. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXghyphenhyphenjrRYX0HWZs_ai0NTcj3JIC45WbR9zi7wS3eS5CYDI4rBSjh6k1-DiZd9u5f5hF7Q2YHlurxamT2bTn5ybgyPNKjkMYmfpPzf-keiQkhi3j452eOypP8j8eGQ5ntzp4xSx/s1600/G+and+O+smiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="288" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXghyphenhyphenjrRYX0HWZs_ai0NTcj3JIC45WbR9zi7wS3eS5CYDI4rBSjh6k1-DiZd9u5f5hF7Q2YHlurxamT2bTn5ybgyPNKjkMYmfpPzf-keiQkhi3j452eOypP8j8eGQ5ntzp4xSx/s400/G+and+O+smiles.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG43D0rhJnt9qBtTRYUJlfEq6ZHOsNPRgQf28uPSfnMy7Jht6JfSGWyNyPairf1o2yaWcpSw5qStqg6skNnBpkrbVM0iplF-Kgm1WlCvpYEeGyQfPLqufQX4aMmEvAvikUOfcT/s1600/G+and+O+pumpkin+sit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG43D0rhJnt9qBtTRYUJlfEq6ZHOsNPRgQf28uPSfnMy7Jht6JfSGWyNyPairf1o2yaWcpSw5qStqg6skNnBpkrbVM0iplF-Kgm1WlCvpYEeGyQfPLqufQX4aMmEvAvikUOfcT/s400/G+and+O+pumpkin+sit.jpg" /></a></div><br />
With pumpkins ready for carving and costumes set to go, the countdown is on for Halloween!Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-71179717622815412582011-10-12T22:11:00.000-07:002011-10-13T09:23:02.846-07:00It's ElectricOwen's school picture came home in his book bag today. I took one look at the photo and laughed out loud. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibti1gvRnOKYi9tyErCmn1ro-cMg-GfL5qbZPbqhg9JvC7kIe-QI-2B5n0wpNc4O45cOGwMnxidbnX1E0aXY8nQ60j91zte2f8wW16eSJ9SGMzXlv3mflld-4mHYpvBJizQyyQ/s1600/Owen-Picture+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibti1gvRnOKYi9tyErCmn1ro-cMg-GfL5qbZPbqhg9JvC7kIe-QI-2B5n0wpNc4O45cOGwMnxidbnX1E0aXY8nQ60j91zte2f8wW16eSJ9SGMzXlv3mflld-4mHYpvBJizQyyQ/s400/Owen-Picture+Day.jpg" /></a></div>Seriously? That hair is <i>shocking</i>. <br />
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Generally we don't even spike it. But for the occasional photo we try to dress it up a bit. And on this particular picture day I had Mark do Owen's hair. <br />
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You see, Mark and I disagree on how to "do" Owen's hair. He thinks that I make it look too nerdy; too done. He prefers a messy look and likes to rough it up a bit. So Owen's hair either doesn't get styled at all, or we take turns styling it. Silly, I know. But those are the kinds of compromises you have to make in a marriage. <br />
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And, believe it or not, Owen seems to be just as particular about how his hair should look. On picture morning he insisted on having it stick up in the front. And this photo reflects the sort of decisions that occur in the early morning when you're just trying to get your kid out the door for school. <br />
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Really it's not that bad. Pretty cute in fact. But on first glance it just struck me as funny. It's like his finger was just pulled out of a socket...and <i>click</i>.Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-69402634357871832922011-10-02T23:58:00.000-07:002011-10-02T23:58:17.893-07:00Rainy Day FunI looked at the weather forecast for the week and noticed tomorrow is the first day of predicted rain since...well, since the beginning of summer. <br />
We did encounter cloudy drops once during the summer while visiting Grandma and Grandpa's a couple months ago. It was a warm downpour with weighty drops and high humidity. I love those kind of rainstorms!<br />
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Here's to warmer weather and fun at Grandma's house:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaXuFtR_XvdQj4m2feRdv-48XUiAGvTb-AsPLt0UVTKn_EtKMXDlAFKDDYiTIIha702VlTX6E5TJ-6bjDcGWhHfm5Ojo74xlpfDm3JOS4OeNrS349NElfAoFJ3laSaGxhHmsL/s1600/Rain-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="309" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaXuFtR_XvdQj4m2feRdv-48XUiAGvTb-AsPLt0UVTKn_EtKMXDlAFKDDYiTIIha702VlTX6E5TJ-6bjDcGWhHfm5Ojo74xlpfDm3JOS4OeNrS349NElfAoFJ3laSaGxhHmsL/s400/Rain-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jNqInBJW9-fw7WVEdryIkmFm_obJmD_e0EZb4RoNS_yk4J2c0FHZix_9GuJ1r6dWlaPgBoXS-Wl327-UnIAGiPR0qByLA1DNsl6KzhapcPwc_itvXgMmIoEwzQm49Uu4Lk3K/s1600/Rain-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jNqInBJW9-fw7WVEdryIkmFm_obJmD_e0EZb4RoNS_yk4J2c0FHZix_9GuJ1r6dWlaPgBoXS-Wl327-UnIAGiPR0qByLA1DNsl6KzhapcPwc_itvXgMmIoEwzQm49Uu4Lk3K/s400/Rain-2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRkoBLuOw3jUVRYur5KvHrPXBPe1QFnHfWrEtdL42J668YsfvpNwHRqBzOxyi9_oHoz3Yhw1xQzQRohD8ZrHdt9SlrO5ZjpRKrGtVW6ZnbRwL4lHKgH3Ce3leg6Nxjf7z7d5q/s1600/Rain-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="309" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRkoBLuOw3jUVRYur5KvHrPXBPe1QFnHfWrEtdL42J668YsfvpNwHRqBzOxyi9_oHoz3Yhw1xQzQRohD8ZrHdt9SlrO5ZjpRKrGtVW6ZnbRwL4lHKgH3Ce3leg6Nxjf7z7d5q/s400/Rain-3.jpg" /></a></div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-54814507884832696392011-08-24T22:04:00.000-07:002011-08-24T22:04:17.771-07:00First Day of Kindergarten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJ2KuMtZUD0BH8bY7GrBo6veBng1NqQufHVDWXk_TzybxIFaG6V8IeGVYJpYUsgbkOwp0PP6qbcL71kdamnFrB8lQfwma3cBQNPv8jvlbRc22Rg9bb3CBeYewPX-5f6H76bdO/s1600/First+Day+of+Kindergarten-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJ2KuMtZUD0BH8bY7GrBo6veBng1NqQufHVDWXk_TzybxIFaG6V8IeGVYJpYUsgbkOwp0PP6qbcL71kdamnFrB8lQfwma3cBQNPv8jvlbRc22Rg9bb3CBeYewPX-5f6H76bdO/s400/First+Day+of+Kindergarten-2011.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It was a success!<br />
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He was happy. He was brave. He was normal.<br />
I was glad. I was floored. I was relieved. <br />
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The real story begins on the morning of day two. He woke up mad and I could tell it was not going to be good. He refused to get dressed. He refused to eat breakfast. He came up with several excuses to NOT go to school. But somehow I got both boys out the door (dragging and pleading). We arrived at school just in time, but Owen wouldn't go in the classroom. We had a student teacher helping...but not really helping...convince Owen to go in. <br />
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Finally we managed to get him to go in the door. And she promptly closed it so he couldn't run back out. I stood on the outside with Gavin, holding back my own tears, listening to him yell on the other side of the door, "I NEED TO SAY GOODBYE TO MY MOM!" There was some kicking or knocking things down. And then silence. <br />
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I think Owen decided to wait until Mark left town to pull out the performance. Needless to say, it was still better than last year's first day of preschool. Speaking of which, here's a side-by-side photo of the milestones. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7XSgodJn8YcVjGB1rVoFdksGnSHJX1VBA6O-KyTeg6Ug99oC_zc7JWKvRCTLV5YDW2DOsGU-DulF177U2YOtmXe7hfr_iGZl_ZWmyTxZyV9AwY50_cwMwIO52ckAB4vsqQdD/s1600/School+Sign+Side-by-Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7XSgodJn8YcVjGB1rVoFdksGnSHJX1VBA6O-KyTeg6Ug99oC_zc7JWKvRCTLV5YDW2DOsGU-DulF177U2YOtmXe7hfr_iGZl_ZWmyTxZyV9AwY50_cwMwIO52ckAB4vsqQdD/s400/School+Sign+Side-by-Side.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Day three was better than two, but not as good as one. What will day four bring? We'll see. <br />
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Here's one last pic of Owen getting a haircut last weekend. He looks so grown-up to me! He wouldn't let me spike his hair for school this week, but it's cute don't you think? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbHw7Dn2a4MLImQ7UKhIYNNcwAdUIwWEFA5B7TyRemzE28VCxj-UbNgTnQUhNquPCzVpLrT8EKtiXPzVT51RkwEONSRYVxRUtR3z9y53V_32OCcCq3TO8JxwcsVCyBc2qoEBh/s1600/Kinder+Haircut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbHw7Dn2a4MLImQ7UKhIYNNcwAdUIwWEFA5B7TyRemzE28VCxj-UbNgTnQUhNquPCzVpLrT8EKtiXPzVT51RkwEONSRYVxRUtR3z9y53V_32OCcCq3TO8JxwcsVCyBc2qoEBh/s400/Kinder+Haircut.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-40287302219424500612011-08-18T00:56:00.000-07:002011-08-18T00:56:22.910-07:00Owen is 5!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhinjTHYEaEzk4L-_2868tU1VH3jbZefowm751dUQ1kxuSyRTTT87R4-kHDCpesIXkcWFsSKcbeOiS7swM5z3G8TAG7HFvHNvDbyefuZKS1xKB9m8ooHMQekpfBUvxO0yNsBqQ/s1600/O+tongue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhinjTHYEaEzk4L-_2868tU1VH3jbZefowm751dUQ1kxuSyRTTT87R4-kHDCpesIXkcWFsSKcbeOiS7swM5z3G8TAG7HFvHNvDbyefuZKS1xKB9m8ooHMQekpfBUvxO0yNsBqQ/s400/O+tongue.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So what does that mean?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpa6JQDOkHvSa4SBAmBox_YCcax3bRFcWlcLXiJOI0z_B8JzPnJDwG-LSIHiDSC6jvKAQS4cubIi7iy8Bm7M9TFJtCwghxbSArQz9P_2-m9G55DGC-16euCJDj9mP1t-Ol7xH/s1600/O+balloon+warrior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpa6JQDOkHvSa4SBAmBox_YCcax3bRFcWlcLXiJOI0z_B8JzPnJDwG-LSIHiDSC6jvKAQS4cubIi7iy8Bm7M9TFJtCwghxbSArQz9P_2-m9G55DGC-16euCJDj9mP1t-Ol7xH/s400/O+balloon+warrior.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He is 44 inches tall and weighs 44 lbs...a perfect square!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1__-5fKsUg8i8C5zTXUMXyIoLG-FwPgB6cjJKoiyWD9jiUwSuJCG6GGLTrlnNgXBcJ9wn4WPdoTNe3SfjyzckTra6TghY4t9Hr5zRPqiq_MbW9yvDKT4i_ty8u7fUPgtIF7o/s1600/O+with+G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1__-5fKsUg8i8C5zTXUMXyIoLG-FwPgB6cjJKoiyWD9jiUwSuJCG6GGLTrlnNgXBcJ9wn4WPdoTNe3SfjyzckTra6TghY4t9Hr5zRPqiq_MbW9yvDKT4i_ty8u7fUPgtIF7o/s400/O+with+G.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He is the leader, manager, and safety patrol of Gavin.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDsHm8bwqS8ZdBI_Bo5gazuCWHIJFdBVvE02qzM29bOoB1IwR5QzEKWHDXOdUl3Jr9ugji7tglCVjQoq9s8FZ0uJB3EzWdu3rxK-dDklIJmBj4pVAvkiDoqM-37gdWAyD6Qsj/s1600/Inventions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDsHm8bwqS8ZdBI_Bo5gazuCWHIJFdBVvE02qzM29bOoB1IwR5QzEKWHDXOdUl3Jr9ugji7tglCVjQoq9s8FZ0uJB3EzWdu3rxK-dDklIJmBj4pVAvkiDoqM-37gdWAyD6Qsj/s400/Inventions.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He is showing signs of entrepreneurship with inventions such as "Speed Fork".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpr3Vw6LRqbojKrQ7iYFot9CsF2ry5OTBVU4S0XEhYoBfRDnw_H45O4Qqpu_L76h3zPfbXQJMMzlEptOULztUOrCGIVgx3PmXSP1HqiiE9Q1Q2r-UiDYGiNthYQbiD_ZCSF9J/s1600/O+layers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="280" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpr3Vw6LRqbojKrQ7iYFot9CsF2ry5OTBVU4S0XEhYoBfRDnw_H45O4Qqpu_L76h3zPfbXQJMMzlEptOULztUOrCGIVgx3PmXSP1HqiiE9Q1Q2r-UiDYGiNthYQbiD_ZCSF9J/s400/O+layers.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He continues to entertain us with his gimmicks. The kid has layers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZMExQ21CUBZxucD94y28xhSOhcvIvo4-yHzasnwtum67MLIREbO2eWsyWv5rdwHHP77WeBZHa5yhZA2Mz7wykC4xSVihPWe7_32UgDJNBZwSdfa_FcnfMwyByYRqV7A8Chp5/s1600/O+hoodie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZMExQ21CUBZxucD94y28xhSOhcvIvo4-yHzasnwtum67MLIREbO2eWsyWv5rdwHHP77WeBZHa5yhZA2Mz7wykC4xSVihPWe7_32UgDJNBZwSdfa_FcnfMwyByYRqV7A8Chp5/s400/O+hoodie.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He has his own personal style. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4ttzo3lhjt0dd5_vutkDVcI2QylrCXYZj_IdCrmrnBM1JgZyq_umRpNAlYEWJySSR0TaQb3_fdrMj24AOzGK737N8EdXM6ljm7m6aHcvrG0dMenD0PyXMBfojUFZ9p2bl6UA/s1600/O+goofy+smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4ttzo3lhjt0dd5_vutkDVcI2QylrCXYZj_IdCrmrnBM1JgZyq_umRpNAlYEWJySSR0TaQb3_fdrMj24AOzGK737N8EdXM6ljm7m6aHcvrG0dMenD0PyXMBfojUFZ9p2bl6UA/s400/O+goofy+smile.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He is intense and playful, sourpuss and sillypants.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSx0OuuQBoQDKc-cchAhJb61pVlzf0xtIPt8iDbKI5W4hrk-A0UVjIHcEl7QOMPZhcK54BEl-Sew8fYPKehmBUJYAEkCXZ3A80EZZ9tGSo16Hy7oFrw6UvNQIbsNQNDOaz3lB/s1600/O+classic+smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSx0OuuQBoQDKc-cchAhJb61pVlzf0xtIPt8iDbKI5W4hrk-A0UVjIHcEl7QOMPZhcK54BEl-Sew8fYPKehmBUJYAEkCXZ3A80EZZ9tGSo16Hy7oFrw6UvNQIbsNQNDOaz3lB/s400/O+classic+smile.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He is more than he was last year. <br />
More intelligent, more attitude, more comfortable, more kid. <br />
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Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-54746905999587788642011-08-01T22:54:00.000-07:002011-08-01T22:54:10.347-07:00Swim Lessons - Take TwoLast year we enrolled Owen in swim lessons. And he refused to get in the pool about five out of the nine lesson days. Sound familiar? Not what I'd call a success. But a year passed, and he had become much more confident in our pool. So we decided to sign him up for swim lessons again this summer. He was so excited to get in the pool and show off his new skills. He talked about it and looked forward to it for weeks. <br />
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When the first day of class arrived, all that excitement and confidence went out the door. And the lesson went a bit like this. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhqldotf9fwZyZPaLKOGx2UDQPJXKrABfxi6QsfrdHDaPrXyO9dM5_jzsI2hhRdJcDRiNESobf4TmS0xxwmt2znp7yZEFNcGB-tbONFkRyIDdBGoQTwYkXbbd9M5boCMzINAq/s1600/swim+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhqldotf9fwZyZPaLKOGx2UDQPJXKrABfxi6QsfrdHDaPrXyO9dM5_jzsI2hhRdJcDRiNESobf4TmS0xxwmt2znp7yZEFNcGB-tbONFkRyIDdBGoQTwYkXbbd9M5boCMzINAq/s400/swim+1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
By day three we had graduated to this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5JiPUOEN90V0qln_vRWMi2FGlH5PK-cmXvZ47MtFIo8uJchVaqGc2oQHqzBTxVqbXab2izuNTMSp79Asbiw-J_IurEXfxIMo0tPGx_HXqXl4TCXJIyoTJBnHiXuvzkdKkZ-f/s1600/swim+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5JiPUOEN90V0qln_vRWMi2FGlH5PK-cmXvZ47MtFIo8uJchVaqGc2oQHqzBTxVqbXab2izuNTMSp79Asbiw-J_IurEXfxIMo0tPGx_HXqXl4TCXJIyoTJBnHiXuvzkdKkZ-f/s400/swim+2.JPG" /></a></div><br />
And day four found us talking with the instructor and swim manager about how to get him in the pool. Should I get in with him? Should we re-enroll for a different session? Did I want a refund? I didn't know what to say. And when I told them that we actually had a pool at our house; that he is completely comfortable in the water. Well, they had nothing else to say. <br />
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Then...amazingly...with five minutes of class left...Owen decided he was ready to get in the pool. And days five through eight he swam like a champ. Wouldn't stay on the wall. Swam and swam. Didn't want to get out. <br />
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On the last day of class his swim instructor couldn't be there, so there was a substitute. And wouldn't you know. Owen refused to get in the pool. <br />
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In the end, with a 44 percent participation rate, he completed all the requirements to move up to the next level. A success? I say yes. <br />
In true Owen style.Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-11450609849349973152011-08-01T21:53:00.000-07:002011-08-01T21:53:49.987-07:00I Do Love FlowersFresh flowers in my house just make me happy. I couldn't help but share these two because they are so amazing. First the peonies. I picked them up at Trader Joes awhile back and could not believe how they blossomed. When I got them they were the size of a small fist. And within a week they had opened to the size of my hand. Unbelievable. And just beautiful!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDI7BEbfaZk4PTwxUYk33S4D33e_X3ayRpfCiKHcm6TXqTa-aB4zWMsj0mCJZ6bmQcViJp3RHSephDLsJJurDpzUBTrewQuCyWzxYCue4WpK_8l15igKkkzsaQa7rB6avaKFA/s1600/Peonies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="291" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDI7BEbfaZk4PTwxUYk33S4D33e_X3ayRpfCiKHcm6TXqTa-aB4zWMsj0mCJZ6bmQcViJp3RHSephDLsJJurDpzUBTrewQuCyWzxYCue4WpK_8l15igKkkzsaQa7rB6avaKFA/s400/Peonies.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And this orchid has a great story. Two Julys ago it was given to me by my dear friend Kim. She gave it to me after I had Gavin and it blossomed beautifully throughout the month of July. Eventually the fun fuschia petals fell off. But sure enough, each July they come back and remind me of the time I had my second baby. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9BusYPvFGmGfN-Az2xgF2KojQdgyHTmE5FgSLdSxlSUsh3AKyDqepJ9QxkO7umVehb0v71LMRu04nT_NZ5oIJB13ZCLMRwfiJNal4rypB9jWAz-husKTiVzuyPoc7d0kiQS0/s1600/Orchid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9BusYPvFGmGfN-Az2xgF2KojQdgyHTmE5FgSLdSxlSUsh3AKyDqepJ9QxkO7umVehb0v71LMRu04nT_NZ5oIJB13ZCLMRwfiJNal4rypB9jWAz-husKTiVzuyPoc7d0kiQS0/s400/Orchid.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Yep, I do love flowers.Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-22370281273949730252011-07-17T22:48:00.000-07:002011-07-17T22:48:46.367-07:00Gav's Bday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eh0mL6S4GHEsn33QI-oqh9i__RMCQSe25kSGbKiF1HWvqN5YHUFmoqQLzUuNyqzcp1B6L2WpKAaATIes9cwDwSeDJBlS9KcBs8_jFvQtqORPQZJXapY0hhxR-0gqObwQ7lFL/s1600/Gav+Tall+Balloons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eh0mL6S4GHEsn33QI-oqh9i__RMCQSe25kSGbKiF1HWvqN5YHUFmoqQLzUuNyqzcp1B6L2WpKAaATIes9cwDwSeDJBlS9KcBs8_jFvQtqORPQZJXapY0hhxR-0gqObwQ7lFL/s400/Gav+Tall+Balloons.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It just so happened that Gavin's birthday fell on a very busy week for us. My parents were here visiting (fun!) and we were plowing through a bunch of home improvement projects (not fun). But we managed to celebrate the day with a couple giant balloons, a fancy hot dog dinner, and a favorite--chocolate ice cream cones. This face says it all. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VRANwZZ2WLI93Jb0Yf5_YBB0Hm-Fcz1bAddM7sl13PPHsRpIeoXF9YaDDaP8HREQW7-h-a0lk71d7S-Ao6Ky5MEO0EdRVg_o4kGKzpNwWVTgFse9RHdFQBGNNwoCfYfpayYC/s1600/Gav+Ice+Cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VRANwZZ2WLI93Jb0Yf5_YBB0Hm-Fcz1bAddM7sl13PPHsRpIeoXF9YaDDaP8HREQW7-h-a0lk71d7S-Ao6Ky5MEO0EdRVg_o4kGKzpNwWVTgFse9RHdFQBGNNwoCfYfpayYC/s400/Gav+Ice+Cream.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Gav got a lot of great gifts on his big day, but I thought I'd highlight the one Owen gave him. I'm really happy with how it turned out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK0T79R19gzae9roiw4sRS60MrorK8m3CwjF1eXdeQH3GcpCi2LT3MmqO3CTuEe7DpxYtW-Cie5DfYKUiyDWy6seXtI6iHufNHo5TBArgLbP15UKOrkKQXX52SkeZrNswLLQy/s1600/Feelings+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLK0T79R19gzae9roiw4sRS60MrorK8m3CwjF1eXdeQH3GcpCi2LT3MmqO3CTuEe7DpxYtW-Cie5DfYKUiyDWy6seXtI6iHufNHo5TBArgLbP15UKOrkKQXX52SkeZrNswLLQy/s400/Feelings+Book.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It's a book about feelings. Owen and I made it during Gavin's nap one afternoon. We had a lot of fun practicing all sorts of facial expressions, and Gavin loves to see pictures of his big brother in a book. Here are some of the pages: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRAi4KNjthGptcmNbEX_DvklRf_UjGSL_fYml88OKmBuHLaq1ffnDiCU1BwbALbhyphenhyphenE7_vZYPMG21_tjy3iRrPXckfe-5JWoj1w5NQTG57XYf__I82E5Z1p0LMVvz_nk7_qD41/s1600/Happy.Sad" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRAi4KNjthGptcmNbEX_DvklRf_UjGSL_fYml88OKmBuHLaq1ffnDiCU1BwbALbhyphenhyphenE7_vZYPMG21_tjy3iRrPXckfe-5JWoj1w5NQTG57XYf__I82E5Z1p0LMVvz_nk7_qD41/s400/Happy.Sad" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq_QI7pwyQihxBLmJzVjVGFexGR3dNxO-5Rjs1CGvZHgUQpMoYFWBtWqDp2xmam2LxnSP7kfGMyZ2yQG0tCIyukU_6m7WHTB0j1REiSvXZzRnAHsio9d0qmRGUACaihbOll46/s1600/Shy.Excited" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq_QI7pwyQihxBLmJzVjVGFexGR3dNxO-5Rjs1CGvZHgUQpMoYFWBtWqDp2xmam2LxnSP7kfGMyZ2yQG0tCIyukU_6m7WHTB0j1REiSvXZzRnAHsio9d0qmRGUACaihbOll46/s400/Shy.Excited" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqyW7YEnsmE187YxzbqRtpIqMFFO-j39x4MhPOnJMvm1WejGwkyH1EvfA6gM9D8rmnuV6ATKYZDzRmY9FLzgvA0zlAI1q9o_BeOBkXpPPZfvcG4u17P-MS8LWcLrsFBHTLYzM/s1600/Surprised.Afraid" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqyW7YEnsmE187YxzbqRtpIqMFFO-j39x4MhPOnJMvm1WejGwkyH1EvfA6gM9D8rmnuV6ATKYZDzRmY9FLzgvA0zlAI1q9o_BeOBkXpPPZfvcG4u17P-MS8LWcLrsFBHTLYzM/s400/Surprised.Afraid" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgag5WoZHUmlpxgJ5xmP5OjABH4_dlolVZrnF-Rik_JwHuGukhvenUrzUrBX-mXUT2czPd4T1mb_ZZGzqZgbG3RUs5WpS95IVk-Q0qhKodhqY0UXoZ_jupInFbCR9d2a-Ue4niL/s1600/Angry.Confused" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgag5WoZHUmlpxgJ5xmP5OjABH4_dlolVZrnF-Rik_JwHuGukhvenUrzUrBX-mXUT2czPd4T1mb_ZZGzqZgbG3RUs5WpS95IVk-Q0qhKodhqY0UXoZ_jupInFbCR9d2a-Ue4niL/s400/Angry.Confused" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIyN0SrW8_rz80kR2ZvUei_LSWlhkR9-b8vTEjYDix-2W-kwrDWSyBjbZQWIASxFVa-_jBONYHZ4JR7KtD81rqN675dorqZgjHRPT6wutAmJgUgmStjGZrq-28afMxYjMK0AQ/s1600/Frustrated.Playful" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIyN0SrW8_rz80kR2ZvUei_LSWlhkR9-b8vTEjYDix-2W-kwrDWSyBjbZQWIASxFVa-_jBONYHZ4JR7KtD81rqN675dorqZgjHRPT6wutAmJgUgmStjGZrq-28afMxYjMK0AQ/s400/Frustrated.Playful" /></a></div><br />
A very fun gift to make and give. Now that I've made this one, my mind has been busy thinking up lots of other books that would be fun to make.Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-82368197167515271882011-07-16T23:20:00.000-07:002011-07-16T23:20:32.885-07:00Gav 2.0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvEezgM1AxqsFyko2SUVfW9eB9dW1X6M_Dm3Sll2oCKarDgmqJ8mHNJ3WmDY3FEtc4LAl4navk-y-DmsVFQAIw9ZJ2VmwNnLA95kv3Yq04ix8uzp0fwyLBgujI3tqWbPpV1sH/s1600/Gav+Balloons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvEezgM1AxqsFyko2SUVfW9eB9dW1X6M_Dm3Sll2oCKarDgmqJ8mHNJ3WmDY3FEtc4LAl4navk-y-DmsVFQAIw9ZJ2VmwNnLA95kv3Yq04ix8uzp0fwyLBgujI3tqWbPpV1sH/s400/Gav+Balloons.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He stands 35.5 inches tall. He weighs 32.5 pounds. He's all boy. And he just turned 2.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhfVhJvaU3rjaSSyto2l-3WmAnmfuO5kk_xu2U0F1D9Ft_tCFHJfKQoOBJEW6bMgdwDDfGm8xWDYEdPfbfozqNfgXlVBwCUIK0BxOOGOlBWPrw5wWi8gKesQGWpirL4vh_aJf/s1600/Gav+Speedo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhfVhJvaU3rjaSSyto2l-3WmAnmfuO5kk_xu2U0F1D9Ft_tCFHJfKQoOBJEW6bMgdwDDfGm8xWDYEdPfbfozqNfgXlVBwCUIK0BxOOGOlBWPrw5wWi8gKesQGWpirL4vh_aJf/s400/Gav+Speedo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He's my sweet little heavyweight. And I can hardly contain myself when he wears his European swim trunks. I just want to squeeze him.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0NOZ-kzNs5ilfx9qwEL4406l8BOJXH-cKPb-wKlOIhrZlgPz4BBj-DdqFYkzfr02nXRJRDG41Vg0LEhHRrnksaosoN3A49iCSkvS05EQo83Apsy0UV4IKj-N9_dxoNfsFqvS/s1600/Gav+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0NOZ-kzNs5ilfx9qwEL4406l8BOJXH-cKPb-wKlOIhrZlgPz4BBj-DdqFYkzfr02nXRJRDG41Vg0LEhHRrnksaosoN3A49iCSkvS05EQo83Apsy0UV4IKj-N9_dxoNfsFqvS/s400/Gav+Beach.jpg" /></a></div><br />
What a difference a year has made. He is so much more independent; less baby. This summer's beach trips have proven it. He can go nearly all day at the beach and busy himself with jumping waves, digging holes, eating snacks and wandering around. It's like he's a kid or something!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRvBfGPRDMqJl8GMa3gCNVC09HgeIHrJcyYImBf9-7hmO0DZ1x-V3JwuHZt5lJOwLkh8d4jfp5KHa9i63UnQpIBOfPqvU6isgHW5-gxmNWdGtKnKgcwE5p9htVReggDtbR2i-/s1600/Gav+Lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRvBfGPRDMqJl8GMa3gCNVC09HgeIHrJcyYImBf9-7hmO0DZ1x-V3JwuHZt5lJOwLkh8d4jfp5KHa9i63UnQpIBOfPqvU6isgHW5-gxmNWdGtKnKgcwE5p9htVReggDtbR2i-/s400/Gav+Lounge.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He LOVES his daddy. Actually he is fairly obsessed with keeping tabs on Owen and me too. But if ever Mark is at work or traveling or at a church meeting, Gavin is constantly inquiring about him. Con. stant. ly. And if he gets to go somewhere with dad it's the best day ever.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_50aENsNOI1BkURDe8WYN-TpSMokfTR8L7qPGlu7ra_vLe36qLYCaY0i9_QxE8uMpqC246Z4M6_28AW7ijIQvuHfHRIRaSfZgTR_SaTW3nEV2kTUKZiIqEboJ_FloJeeHfmaV/s1600/Gav+Tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_50aENsNOI1BkURDe8WYN-TpSMokfTR8L7qPGlu7ra_vLe36qLYCaY0i9_QxE8uMpqC246Z4M6_28AW7ijIQvuHfHRIRaSfZgTR_SaTW3nEV2kTUKZiIqEboJ_FloJeeHfmaV/s400/Gav+Tunnel.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The kid has no fear. He does a lot of things that probably shouldn't be done. I often say he's "an accident waiting to happen" because even if his tubby body can't keep up, he is willing to try it. Second children. They're amazingly grown up.<br />
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He's a funny one. He does things that make us all laugh. And if he knows we'll react to something, he'll take it up a notch or do some more. He insisted on wearing this little number to pick up Owen one day from preschool. Would NOT let me take it off. I don't think he thought he looked cool. I'm pretty sure he was going for a reaction. And someday I'll have to share a video of the infamous "bum jump" where he drops from a standing position to an immediate sit position on any surface. On the carpet, the kitchen floor, the bath tub. We've tried to discourage it for fear of long-term damage. But seriously, it's hilarious.<br />
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Boy, does he love Owen. They've got a serious brotherly relationship forming. I've seen them act so sweetly toward one another, sharing snacks and helping each other out. They play really well together most of the time and make each other laugh. Yet there's the screaming and the wrestling matches and the teasing and bickering. True siblings. <br />
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All in all, I can't believe how he has grown. He's practically a kid. If it weren't for the recent onset of terrible twos, I'd say this child was practically perfect in every way. And we love him.Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-71217592236972019192011-07-09T10:06:00.000-07:002011-07-09T10:07:56.606-07:00Spring BaseballI guess since t-ball ended a month ago, it's time I blogged about it. <br />
I had such a great time watching O play t-ball. And I think that was mostly because HE had such a great time playing. <br />
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Our experience was very different from that of last fall's soccer. He actually participated from the get go, without prodding or pushing. And there was a lot less frustration with this sport. He also had a wonderful couple of coaches that always brought excitement to the game. I was amazed by how much his swing improved over the season. And can I just tell you how cute it is to watch a team of little boys in their clean white uniforms with matching shirts and ball caps?!. Loved it. <br />
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One of my favorite shots from the season. This man sat on the bench watching his grandson at a practice one day. Gavin decided to join him on the bench. And there the two of them sat. <br />
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The squint.<br />
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The stance.<br />
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The swing...and strike.<br />
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The slide.<br />
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The spirit<br />
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See you next spring!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUN4Bga7l_iSnLOdd03MuipEsRvDewOOvKX6XmQ0jdPDkWeB3eckNAfCb8e3W7ICNc24fUHY27SwIU3K9aIRC56rYEMd45FchqKQq1bbwu_JbmVf-z62VJ8XkW5NK6_Xy6vby/s1600/O-team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUN4Bga7l_iSnLOdd03MuipEsRvDewOOvKX6XmQ0jdPDkWeB3eckNAfCb8e3W7ICNc24fUHY27SwIU3K9aIRC56rYEMd45FchqKQq1bbwu_JbmVf-z62VJ8XkW5NK6_Xy6vby/s400/O-team.jpg" /></a></div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-55276716198915620732011-07-05T23:02:00.000-07:002011-07-05T23:02:44.361-07:00Fourth of July FunAmong our usual Fourth of July festivities was a soak in the sprinklers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkIb4zrQ-YV-pMPdJ7H8XhDvR9A2WF4AM6_9FemjJqSOsnpk-Co66UzgQt_b8WJZRWBuaCogPpsdBvnXXwFQ8yM-fy80Xof0ITeL2vJigvGgNZTmmFz7YP4XVyfaim7m75RxA/s1600/Sprinkler-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkIb4zrQ-YV-pMPdJ7H8XhDvR9A2WF4AM6_9FemjJqSOsnpk-Co66UzgQt_b8WJZRWBuaCogPpsdBvnXXwFQ8yM-fy80Xof0ITeL2vJigvGgNZTmmFz7YP4XVyfaim7m75RxA/s400/Sprinkler-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GprwS3iu5JWxT5vu6F291dP6KJfzCve6FyTwGRCSKo-JlK3fDdbe3aqDxTCT4qG2cRlZYIfOHsXrCsgJzhtW_lDq9zMVKeXkKZDrHMWN8I6Y7GH1j47iKKDs3L4ZXx9N8_d0/s1600/Sprinkler-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GprwS3iu5JWxT5vu6F291dP6KJfzCve6FyTwGRCSKo-JlK3fDdbe3aqDxTCT4qG2cRlZYIfOHsXrCsgJzhtW_lDq9zMVKeXkKZDrHMWN8I6Y7GH1j47iKKDs3L4ZXx9N8_d0/s400/Sprinkler-3.jpg" /></a></div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-23667830048187543862011-06-05T23:18:00.000-07:002011-06-05T23:18:34.960-07:00May Catch UpI feel like I need to bridge the gap in between posts. But there always seems to be something else to do that is higher on the priority list, and posting gets pushed aside. Also, I tend to sabotage myself by feeling like my posts have to be finished products. Something I will continue to work on...<br />
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So here's to rough drafts and posting more regularly!<br />
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My month of May in a nutshell:<br />
1. A toothache turned out to be a cracked molar...the molar needed a crown...the crown upset my tooth's nerves...the nerves called for a root canal (through the new crown)...and four dental visits later I now have a happy, fake molar with a filling. <br />
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2. My iphone is hanging on by a thread...it fell out of my pocket and dropped on concrete, cracking the face pretty badly. It still operates, but is hard to read. The apple store took a look at it and informed me it also has water damage (oopsy-maybe it was that time it fell in the toilet?) So it was recommended I pay for a replacement or wait until December to upgrade. What to do?<br />
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3. I made a new batch of pendant necklaces to sell at a local spring boutique. I wish I'd taken a picture of the finished products all cutely packaged up, but here are a few I worked on.<br />
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4. I put on another ladies' activity night at church. We had dinner and some classes. I made the flyers (below) and managed to take home some extra flowers we used as centerpieces. Believe it or not these beauties all came from people's own backyards. The vibrant spring colors were amazing. I felt happy every time I walked by them.<br />
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5. And finally, I was busy helping plan a wedding reception. This was the first (and maybe last) time I've ever been asked to help with an event outside our activity meetings at church. A wedding reception is a much bigger affair. And I was slightly intimidated. But they assured me they only needed some ideas to get started. And really it was just the decorating aspect. Food and activities were already being handled. Thank goodness. I would have no idea how to feed that many people! Anyway, these are some inspiration boards I gave the couple to get started:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EyC_jEjqCl3_kuydK6Ls-oOL0fD35aEAxOg03R-Ss7OfLT_8ZAHIO5sX2fYUJ_riVLlakwURG6fJqV2dTXrU5NMznISPsl5GQRISG3ZsMWv319Myed5TpWpB4Z7pmRxDTqNs/s1600/Vintage+Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EyC_jEjqCl3_kuydK6Ls-oOL0fD35aEAxOg03R-Ss7OfLT_8ZAHIO5sX2fYUJ_riVLlakwURG6fJqV2dTXrU5NMznISPsl5GQRISG3ZsMWv319Myed5TpWpB4Z7pmRxDTqNs/s400/Vintage+Garden.jpg" /></a></div>Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35514890.post-3778480284452232762011-06-05T00:36:00.000-07:002011-06-05T00:36:20.304-07:00Black-Eyed G<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHhnBc10ce0aNwzF89MSZyOMeqcdV4bliNIGo9zLPVkCoO2ywV8cz41JeCnrMbcAcdVJ2xvr8FWktMK5p1BHcVh4N4oFz_wKgRtCUVxahuRaGppt4fGB9ZEuJDilk-dE_E5Ej/s1600/Black-Eyed+Gav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHhnBc10ce0aNwzF89MSZyOMeqcdV4bliNIGo9zLPVkCoO2ywV8cz41JeCnrMbcAcdVJ2xvr8FWktMK5p1BHcVh4N4oFz_wKgRtCUVxahuRaGppt4fGB9ZEuJDilk-dE_E5Ej/s400/Black-Eyed+Gav.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It's a sad story really, so I'll spare you the details. Let's just say it involved the regular mischief and a fall. In fact there's been a lot of that lately. Mischief. <br />
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Gav is TROUBLE. And he thinks it's all fun and games. His latest antics include filling his mouth with drinks (any drink-water, milk, juice) and spitting it out everywhere. The thing is, there's no telling when he's going to do it. Just whenever. <br />
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He also likes to destroy things. He will break Owen's creations, scatter neatly-folded laundry, push buttons that shouldn't be pushed, climb things that shouldn't be climbed, and basically take apart the house tornado-style.<br />
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And worst of all, the scribbling. He's written on tables, walls, windows, himself. Just this week while I was changing a load of laundry he wrote with an inkpen on four separate cushions of our couch. I spent a good part of the morning cleaning it up. Luckily it all came out, but I fear for our furniture. <br />
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It's exhausting trying to keep up with him. And so far the time-outs don't seem to phase him much. When I give him the "no-no" talk, he smiles and replies, "OK Mama." He even looks remorseful. Then he proceeds to wreak havoc on something else in a happy-go-lucky way. <br />
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Wondering if the black eye incident will slow him down. Doubtful.Bridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781683307396559532noreply@blogger.com5