Week 16

Welcome back!  What a week last week was.  The kids and I were off on spring break and it was very busy with a lot happening so you will see more pictures than normal.  We were blessed with perfect spring weather and could not have asked for anything better.  This week we are expecting rain, but hey it was fun while it lasted, and we could use more rain still so that's ok!  It can rain all it wants while I have to be stuck inside at work!

Here's more than just a peek at last week's activities:

Day 104- Monday, 4/14/14

Justin is obsessed with all things botany these days so he was super excited to join me on a trip to Lowe's for some new spring plants.  He even managed to talked me into buying him a red pepper plant when I was just really looking for tomatoes and flowering shrubs.

Day 105- Tuesday, 4/15/14

During break the boys had tennis camp in the mornings and swim team practice in the evenings.  It was great to keep them active because too much time in the house and they start to get on each other's nerves.  We also managed to squeeze in a movie (Mr. Peabody and Sherman) today right after lunch.

Day 106- Wednesday, 4/16/14

Tyler has lifeguard training all week from 9-5 and so far is loving it, but I do miss having him around during break.  He really enjoys learning about the CPR and first-aide stuff in addition to the swim components.  He's so excited that he's working on his application for a summer job and plans to submit it tonight.  It's great to see him so motivated.  I'm not sure how he can sit like that though.  For some reason he refuses to move the computer over and use the knee space.  *sigh*

Day 107- Thursday, 4/17/14

After tennis today I took the younger boys to Sonoma to visit the Mission as part of Brandon's mission project for school.  It was a fun little escape on a beautiful day.  We explored the mission, had a picnic lunch in the park, enjoyed some ice-cream, and found my very own hidden cottage on the walk back to the car.

Day 108- Friday, 4/18/14

Justin and Brandon learned how to make ice-cream pies this afternoon.  We'll pop them in the freezer and have them as our Easter dessert.  They look amazing and everyone can't wait to try them out.   Later I managed to get a few more of those plants we bought in the ground--yep, it's taking me awhile but that's ok because it turns out our drip system needed some work first.

Day 109- Saturday, 4/19/14

Wow!  Today was super eventful.  This morning Brandon, Bella, and I started early by taking part in the Vet School's Dog-n-Jog fun run.   We all loved it and will probably try the 5K next year.  Then just after lunch Tyler had his required 2hr driving lesson with a certified driving instructor (this was all done for free through the high school back in my day, but now it's all private, on your own time, and expensive!)  He was a little nervous at first, but it went well so now he's ready to go, go go and drive with us.  Lastly, we squeezed in some time to dye our eggs for tomorrow.  I'm glad we could at least find a time when all the boys were home to participate.  Whew!  I'm exhausted and still need to find the energy for bunny duties ;0)

Day 110- Sunday, 4/20/14

Happy Easter!  John's checking out the loot in the boys' baskets, and I'm sure staking some claim on a little chocolate.  He had to work all week so no spring break for him :0(  After baskets and a small egg hunt we sat down to a nice brunch with a breakfast egg and sausage casserole and cinnamon roll coffee cake.  It the the perfect way to start our beautiful Easter day.

I hope everyone else had a fabulous Easter.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come back next week for more fun--never a dull moment!

Week 15

Happy Tuesday and welcome back!  We are finally on spring break here which feels great.  We can't really go anywhere, but we'll still try to have some fun.  I have one kid in lifeguard class all week while the other two have tennis camp in the mornings and swim practice in the evenings.  I'm hoping we can manage squeeze other things in there to help it feel more like a break. At least the weather has been perfect and just plain gorgeous.  It feels so good to be outside right now.  Bust out the shorts and dust off the bikes!

Here's how last week went down:

Day 97- Monday, 4/7/14

Happy Birthday John!  Justin and John's birthdays are exactly 1 week apart.  We celebrated with ice-cream cake and then he was super excited to open presents and find a new motorcycle jacket for spring and summer riding.

Day 98- Tuesday, 4/8/14

Bella also had her birthday yesterday, and she is happy to have some new toys the boys picked out for her.  She got a new ball, a shark, and a new collar.  The kids love spoiling their pets and the pets love them for it.  She's got quite the toy collection now.

Day 99- Wednesday, 4/9/14

Right after Tyler's swim meet I had to run over to the other school for Justin's Science Fair.  He did a great job pulling his project together and was happy and excited to be there sharing it with others.

Day 100- Thursday, 4/10/14

Next project up is Brandon's Mission report and model.  It's a 4th grade state standard here in California.  Unfortunately we'll be working on this over spring break, but he's getting a good jump start on the research so that should help.  I think this is the first major report he'll have to type.  They grow up so fast.

Day 101- Friday, 4/11/14

Speaking of growing up too fast, Tyler passed his test for his driving learner's permit this afternoon.  Yikes!  I'm not sure I'm ready for this.  Look at that mosaic at the DMV office in Davis--so colorful and cool.  To celebrate I took the boys out for dinner at the Graduate. Yum!  What's up with Brandon and that sweatshirt?  It's been over 80 degrees out all week, and I haven't been able to get him to take that thing off!

Day 102- Saturday, 4/12/14

Rusty on the other hand is loving the warmer weather because it means the sliding door is open, and he can hear the birds and smell the fresh air through the screen.  This is one of his favorite spots to be especially in the morning and evening.

Day 103- Sunday, 4/13/14

I mined John's Facebook page to find some pictures.  Today was the main race at Moto GP.  John has been in Austin, TX with his friends since Thursday and is enjoying the last day of this big motorcycle racing event.  I'm glad he had fun but will be happy to have him back home tomorrow.

That's it folks! See you next week and I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter.

Week 14

Welcome back!  After a couple rainy and gloomy weeks we are happy to have some sunshine and warm weather again.  The past few days have been in the low 80's so we are loving that except that I did get a pretty bad sunburn at polo on Sunday.  I need to be more careful with that.  It's the final week of school before spring break.  Let's do this!  We all need the break and are looking forward to it. 

Here are last week's pictures:

Day 90- Monday, 3/31/14
Happy Birthday Justin!  He's officially a teenager--the big 13!!! and even has a phone now which he's not exactly thrilled about.  He's not sure he wants the added responsibility, but it's becoming necessary as he becomes more and more independent and needs to communicate about impromptu after-school activities and pick up times.  He'll like it more once he figures it all out and gets used to it.

Day 91- Tuesday, 4/1/14

This is no April fools.  It's a rainy start to our new month, but April Showers bring May flowers so I'm good with that.  It poured like crazy today and of course was the first official day of swim team practice.  The boys were hoping for a lightening strike or two so practice would be canceled but no such luck.  They swam in a super crazy downpour that never let up.

Day 92- Wednesday, 4/2/14

If only I would let her off leash to run.  You know she wants to!  The mustard is in bloom and we have many fields in our area which makes for a pretty evening walk.  The skies are still cloudy and grey but no real rain today.

Day 93- Thursday, 4/3/14

Neither one of us wants this hanging over our heads for the weekend so Justin is pushing through and trying to get his science fair poster done now.  The pets are being very supportive, and Justin is now a master at trimming paper and using a tape roller.

Day 94- Friday, 4/4/14

His poster is officially done!  He just finished the last little details he didn't get to yesterday and can relax and enjoy his weekend.   I thought he'd run upstairs to play right away, but he found Rusty napping in his favorite chair and decided to give him some love and attention first.

Day 95- Saturday, 4/5/14

Brandon helped me walk the dog on this beautiful evening.  It's still a little chilly out but is supposed to warm up really quick starting tomorrow.  Everything is so fresh and green after all the rain this week.  I even got around to some yard work and like seeing how my plants are blooming out to fill the space with color again. Welcome spring!

Day 96- Sunday, 4/6/14

Tyler and I spent most the day in Stockton in the scorching sun at a water polo tournament.  It was down right hot and the sun was so intense.  We needed some pop-up shade.  At least the play experience was a lot better than last time, and the refs were working well with the teams.  Later the family headed out to diner at BJ's Brewhouse to celebrate John's birthday for tomorrow.  The kids decided they are all pizookie fans, and when the kitchen messed up our dessert order we ended up with a couple extra pizookies to share--darn! ;0)  I'm going to have to kick up my workout routine following all these birthday celebrations.

Another week has come and gone!  Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you next week.

Week 13

Happy Tuesday and happy April 1st!  There's no fooling around here.  I think we are trying to catch up on rain.  It was a wet one last week and this week is starting off much the same which is a bit inconvenient, but we still need a lot of rain so better now than June!  We're working on school projects throughout the week.  There always seems to be a big push just before break.  I guess that helps us enjoy the break more.  Can't wait!

Here's a look at last week's photos:

Day 83- Monday, 3/24/14

The younger boys have been playing out front a lot and Brandon has discovered our long lost skate boards in the garage.  It's fun to watch him learn.  He picks things up fast!

Day 84- Tuesday, 3/25/14

Justin joined the older karate group for teens this month so he's working with the big boys now.  I think he likes it which is great, but it adds an extra hour to our Tuesday karate commitment.

Day 85- Wednesday, 3/26/14

It's a wet and wild swim meet for the high school kids.  I'm helping time today.  Right now the sun is out, but a few minutes ago it was dark and pouring rain.  Thank goodness for pop-up tents to help keep us volunteers dry.

Day 86- Thursday, 3/27/14

The past couple days John has had late-night work dinners, and I've been running here and there for kid activities so the dog has suffered a bit not really getting the attention she needs.  Thankfully Tyler was able to walk her today right after swim practice as I was leaving to work in the Boosters snack bar and drop the other two kids off at their last swim clinic.  Official swim practice for the city club starts next week.  Never a dull moment!

Day 87- Friday, 3/28/14

We're all so happy it's Friday and no one has any after school activities.  WooHoo!  Justin invited his friend Brian over to spend the night and was super excited about their sleepover.

Day 88- Saturday, 3/29/14

It's another pouring rain kind of day, but that didn't keep us inside.  We had some free tastings that had to be used before April so we braved the weather and hit the vineyards.  It turned out to be a really fun day.

Day 89- Sunday, 3/30/14

We ended up at Black Bear Diner for dinner after our first choice didn't pan out, but that's ok because it was a big hit.  Tyler and I have been to the original one near Mt Shasta back when he was about 2yrs old, but no one else has ever been.  They have a great selection of burgers that pleased the masses, and the desserts looked amazing, but we actually had cake waiting for us at home.  Tomorrow is Justin's birthday so we celebrated tonight.  I can't believe he's 13!

Wait!  One more-- 

March's Family Photo

This is in Old Sacramento by the Tower Bridge.  I was hoping to get more of the tower part in the picture, but we ended up being a little too close for that.  Oh well!  It's still a nice picture on this gloomy day.  Our plan was to take our picture here and then have dinner at Joe's Crab Shack but even going early at 4pm the wait to be seated was over 2 hrs--yikes!  No thank you.  That is how we made our way to the Black Bear Diner.  The food was just as good, probably much cheaper, and no wait.  Winner!

Now we're done.  Thanks for stopping by and see you next week.

Week 12

Welcome back!  Is anyone else freaking out that it's the end of March already?  I blinked and the the whole start to the new year disappeared.  Sigh--we're already making summer plans.  I do wish spring break would get here sooner though.  It's super late for us this year because it's always the week of Easter.  We still have 3 more weeks to go and it seems like everyone else has already had theirs.  A break sounds soooo nice right about now.  We can't go anywhere because the kids have commitments, but at least there is no school or work so we can enjoy some downtime. 

Until then take a look last week's pictures:

Day 76- Monday, 3/17/14

Happy St. Patrick's Day! There's no time for me to make corned beef and cabbage, but we can still have fun with dinner and go green.  I found these plates and straws at Target and went crazy with the food coloring ;0)  The boys loved it.

Day 77- Tuesday, 3/18/14

At work I'm processing a lot of horse samples.  These blood tubes are from mare and foal pairs at birth and a few days after to add to an interesting drug trial were hoping to publish this year.  It involves a lot of good and interesting results.  I love working with our horse clinician--he gets things done!  This is in addition to those 5000 horse samples I'm slowly working through.  I think we've tested about 300 so we still have a long ways to go.

Day 78- Wednesday, 3/19/14

Today I spent a lot of time at the pool.  Tyler had his first home meet of the season in the afternoon (that's him the third lane over), and then I raced home to feed the younger kids, get them changed, and headed back to the water for their swim clinics.  Brandon is done and working on his nightly reading while we wait for Justin.  My tag team partner is out of town which makes for a long day.

Day 79- Thursday, 3/20/14

John is in Reno for March Madness working on his basketball brackets which means I'll be heading to work late so I can take over morning duty and see the kids off to school.  Good-bye my little darlings.  Have a good day ;0)

Day 80- Friday, 3/21/14

It's movie night with my boys, and they are super excited I picked up the new Thor flick for them.  Justin in particular is a huge Marvel fan and is loving all the new Marvel movies and shows coming out lately.

Day 81- Saturday, 3/22/14
School number 2 on the college tour.  This is where John and I went to school and where I have worked for the past 19 years which means it may be a little too close to home for these boys.  We'll see.  I think UC Santa Cruz is up next but finding the time to break away and get there might be tricky.

Day 82- Sunday, 3/23/14

Spring water polo is up and these boys are rusty.  They have not been practicing because their true focus now is on high school swim so it was kind of an ugly day.  In the end the combination of some unnecessary roughness, a poor ref. call, and the coach being penalized for his concerns over the welfare of his player did not go down well and very much involved Tyler.  I do want to thank the coach, the players, and all the parents that supported and stood up for my son.  He is fine but was pretty shaken and upset over getting kicked out trying to defend himself from a player pulling his cap off and using the strings still tied around his neck to strangle him.  He had no choice but to fight like crazy.  Can you imagine someone trying to choke you like that while under water??  It left some nice red marks that I probably should have taken a picture of.  This is supposed to be fun and games not kids beating on kids to win and then laughing and bragging about it right after a team pulls from the game.  I'm not exactly sure what this means for the rest of our spring season, but I am glad our coach and parents took a stand and made a statement.  Player safety is no joke and dirty aggressive players with poor refereeing is a bad combination for safe sports.

OK! That's it--off my soap box ;0)  Sorry to end on such a somber note.  I needed to go all "mama bear" on this issue.  Check back next week hopefully for more fun and less drama!