Week 34

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  Things are starting to mellow out and become more routine again although we have a lot more on our plates each afternoon that makes simple things like dinner more complicated.  Last week I was at the high school 3 days in a row after work until after 8pm each night so I'm really hoping this week will have less of that.

Take a look at how it all went down:

Day 232- Monday, 8/20/18

It's always wonderful to see my boys play together especially the oldest and youngest.  Tyler set things up so he could play Fortnite with Brandon and it made Brandon's day and mine.  These two have also been playing basketball out front together a lot.

Day 233- Tuesday, 8/21/18

The kids are all either at work or practice and I have to leave soon before they get back for a sport's night meeting (1st evening at the school).  Usually the kids feed the pets but it's all on me tonight before heading out. 

Day 234- Wednesday, 8/22/18

 After back-to-school night (2nd evening at the school) we finally got to cheers to 26 years.  Happy Anniversary to us!  We'll celebrate in a better way this weekend when we have more time.

Day 235- Thursday, 8/23/18

 I snapped this picture of Justin just before heading off to work in the Booster's snack bar (3rd evening at the school).  He's usually not home until later but had a final prep session for his SAT this afternoon which meant no cross country practice. I feel like this is the first time I've been able to see him in the daylight all week.

Day 236- Friday, 8/24/18

Here's a typical weekly tomato harvest.  There are so many cherry tomatoes out there but the larger tomatoes not so much--maybe next year.  And then there's this cat who is just happy to finally see me home for the evening.  At least I can enjoy my Friday night at home with the family.

Day 237- Saturday, 8/25/18

We spent the day at home and then escaped into the city for a great steak dinner, some yummy drinks and a nice stay at this new hotel near the arena and in the heart of the revived downtown.  Now this is how you celebrate an anniversary.

Day 238- Sunday, 8/26/18

 These too are more than happy to show Bella some extra love today for National Dog Day.  They're so cute, and I wish Tyler could have been in the picture too, but he's working at the lake again.  It's really rare to have all 3 at home at the same time these days.

Wait! One more:

August's Family Photo

This was taken during our trip to San Diego as we enjoyed the serenity of being on the coast before all the craziness started.  Boy did August fly by!

OK that's it!  See you next time for a new week in a new month!

Week 33

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!  These pictures are going to seem boring after our vacation snapshots but such is life.  We're adjusting to a new normal balancing school and sports and work schedules.  Hopefully after a couple weeks things will settle down and seem more routine.

Take a peak at last week:

Day 225- Monday, 8/13/18

I'm back at work after vacation going through hundreds of emails and fixing problems that cropped up right and left while I was gone.  I can't wait to get away from this computer and do some bench work--it's way more fun.

Day 226- Tuesday, 8/14/18

Brandon has squeezed in a little more play time before school starts by building the Lego New York City Skyline he got for his birthday.  He really wants to visit the actual city some day and see it all in person especially since he's been fascinated with the Empire State Building his entire life.

Day 227- Wednesday, 8/15/18

Here we go-- it's the first day of the new school year and I have 2 high school kids again.  Brandon is a Freshman and Justin is a Senior.  I know it will be a very busy year starting with today.  I didn't even get pictures until after school.  Brandon's was around 2 pm and Justin's wasn't until about 6 pm after cross country practice.  He had a super long 12 hr day starting at 6 am for senior sunrise and ending at 6 pm after practice.

Day 228- Thursday, 8/16/18

What's for dinner tonight?  "Chicken on the Bone" as my kids affectionately call it--super easy to make and feeds them for at least a couple days.

Day 229- Friday- 8/17/18

TGIIF!  This boy has been working super hard all summer and will continue to do so over the next month until he returns to school.  He's also getting super tan and is always happy to come home and relax first thing with his pup.  She soaks it right up too because he spoils her and she knows it.  They'll really miss each other come fall.

Day 230- Saturday, 8/18/18

I just picked these two up from a great day volunteering at the animal shelter.  It was Brandon's first real shift and he was happy to be able to work with Justin.  The teen group there got the chores done quickly so they could spend most their time playing with and socializing kittens.  Now Brandon's hooked.

Day 231- Sunday, 8/19/18

The breeze has picked up to help cool the 100 degree temps down so we're enjoying the backyard while grilling dinner and drinking some refreshing  adult beverages.  Sadly the weekend is almost over but there is a 3-day weekend coming up soon so we're looking forward to that.

All done!  Thanks for stopping by and see you next week as we plug on and try to master this crazy 3-ring circus that is our life..

Week 32

Welcome back!  It's time to get caught up by sharing the pictures from last week mostly while we were on vacation. I'm so happy we could squeeze this trip in just before starting school.  It was a great way for us all to bond over good food, natural wonders, and interesting places to explore.  Forgive the picture overload.

Here's a look at week 32 in photos:

Day 218- Monday, 8/6/18
Our second day in San Diego was mostly spent at the zoo which is a pretty amazing place.  We were there almost all day and still didn't see everything--so much walking and I'm doing it with a messed up baby toe that is very black and blue.  Yeah, that happened yesterday morning as we were getting ready to leave for the airport.  It's not exactly something I wanted to bring with me on this trip.  After our long day out we headed back to the house and then took a small walk to Sunset Cliffs just in time to see our day end with some amazing natural beauty.

Day 219- Tuesday, 8/7/18

Time for a late start and breakfast out at Breakfast Republic which did not disappoint.  John had peach cobbler pancakes with a scoop of ice-cream on top and a side of Jurassic bacon which made him a happy boy.  Then we headed north to check out the Cave Store which has a door inside leading down into a sea cave.  That was pretty cool.  The only other way into this cave is by boat and there's some interesting history behind how the entrance was made and why.  Check it out if your ever in La Jolla. After that we headed back near our house to check out the tide pools at the pier on Ocean Beach.  Justin and I then ventured off on a scheduled tour of San Diego State while the others chilled at the house.  Once we reunited it was sushi for dinner.  Yum!

Day 220- Wednesday, 8/8/18

Today was another full day starting with a trip to the Natural History Museum.  See that sea otter?  The information on the left side of the plaque all comes from my group's research efforts at the Vet School--pretty cool to see and know it's available to the public here.  Then it was time for lunch at a Triple D spot for some amazing Hodad burgers before heading to Point Loma for more sea cliff hiking and tide pools.  After that we dropped the kids at the house so John and I could go on a food and drink tour, "Brothels, Bites, and Booze," in the Gaslamp Quarter.  It's hopping down there at night and was so much fun-- a great way to learn more about the city and end our trip.

Day 221- Thursday, 8/9/18

We headed home today and even though we had a great trip it always feels good to be home.  The pets are happy to see us and I think I wore these guys out.  LOL!

Day 222- Friday, 8/10/18

Back to business.  Justin and Brandon picked up their high school class schedules and student IDs for the start of school next week.  I think we're pretty set on supplies too.  I don't need to buy as much stuff now that we're done at the K-8 school and no more uniforms.  Yay!

Day 223- Saturday, 8/11/18

Brandon had his walk through tour and orientation at the Front Street Animal Shelter where he'll be putting in volunteer hours for a school requirement.  The area pictured here is the storage for the pet food pantry where they hand out free food to anyone that needs it on Sunday's.  Justin volunteers here too so it will be fun for them to volunteer together to help the animals.  Tyler still has another 6 weeks before he's back in school so he'll continue to lifeguard until then.  He just got off a shift at the lake and is giving Bella some attention trying to get her to do tricks for treats.

Day 224- Sunday, 8/12/18

The worst part about vacation is always the laundry once you get home.  This is day 2 of that.  Thankfully we were still able to escaped the chores for a bit to do a wine club pick up and tasting.

That's it!  It was a really good week and a great way to end our summer break.  I hope to see you next week when I'll be completely back on track.

Week 31

Hi all and welcome back.  It's Tuesday and I'm a week behind because we were on vacation most of last week.  These pictures today will be from 2 weeks ago and then in a couple days I'll share the shots from last week.  There's just too much to pull together for today and that's ok. I'm fine with spacing it out.  It's been super busy lately but also fun with a lot of good family time thrown in which is just how I like it.

Here's a look at Week 31 in pictures:

Day 211- Monday, 7/30/18

Justin had his wisdom teeth pulled today.  He did really well and is recovering nicely.  The hardest part is not being able to eat especially for a growing teenage boy.  The liquid/soft foods are just not as filling and he thinks he's starving. 

Day 212- Tuesday, 7/31/18

Happy Birthday to Brandon who turns 14 today.  The first picture was taken Sunday when we actually celebrated because everyone was home then.  The second picture is today with him having some leftover cake after dinner.

Day 213- Wednesday, 8/1/18

How is it August already?  I'm not a fan of summer break ending so soon.  Rusty was reluctantly kind enough to pose with my monthly marker as long as it didn't get too close to him.  Sorry kitty, you're the only one home right now.

Day 214- Thursday, 8/2/18

Speaking of summer ending, this is pretty much the last run for tennis club.  Brandon has been biking to the courts almost every weekday this summer to play which has been a great way to get him out of the house and off the computer.  He also got a new racket for his birthday since he outgrew his old one and has had to borrow one in the right size for the past few weeks.

Day 215- Friday, 8/3/18

Time for a night out on the town with some good friends.  TGIF and cheers to the weekend.

Day 216- Saturday, 8/4/18

We spent most the day packing for our last minute summer getaway.  Brandon was also giving extra attention to Bella because he knows we have to leave her behind and that she doesn't like it one bit.

Day 217- Sunday, 8/5/18

And were off to sunny San Diego with clear blue skies.  I'm not sad to be leaving the smoky air behind.  First stop was Old Town for a good Mexican feast before heading to the harbor where we explored the USS Midway air-craft carrier.   This retired ship turned into a museum was really interesting and so HUGE.  Then we headed up to Ocean Beach and settled into our rental home located right on the ocean.  It's the one on top in the middle and we can catch amazing sunsets here which is a fabulous way to end the day and week.

That's it for now.  Check back Thursday and I should have last week's pictures up.