End of Summer, Start of Fall 2012

I can't believe so much time has passed since I have written- almost a month of school has already gone by. Summer is officially over and Fall is here. The last month was, as seems to be the norm for us, BUSY. 

Labor Day Weekend brought a wonderful visit from Lisa, John, and the four girls (two of them being dogs). The cousins had a great time together and seeing that Quincy is 12 now, we were even able to leave them home alone while the four adults went out to dinner downtown one night. That was heaven! No babysitting cost!! The kids loved the independence and surprised us all by taking the three dogs out to the dog park and for a walk while we were gone. We played at the pool one day and on Sunday we took a long bike ride along the river, stopping at Ann Morrison Park to play in the fountain and Joe's Crab Shack for lunch.  I think everyone had a good time. It was really a fun visit and with the kids all older now we were able to do lots of talking with the adults while the kids all played and played. 

Lisa and family left on Monday afternoon and Grandma Mary arrived on Tuesday evening. We switched our bonus room into "guest room" mode and enjoyed having Mary visit for several weeks. She was able to see one of Jake's football games, joined Faith and I on our weekly Sunday trips to Fred Meyer and Starbucks, and (of course) kept us all well fed! Between the pies, brownies, Sees candy, and 2 foot Twizzlers, Brian and I both have a little working out to do this next month! She played countless card games with the kids and kept herself busy during the days by investigating places to live nearby. For a week or so we were hopeful that she might decide to make Boise (or even Hidden Springs) her home but in the end she decided to stay in CA. But we are so grateful that she is back on the West Coast and able to come visit more frequently. 

School is going well for all of the kids.

-Faith cried everyday at K drop off for the first 10 days or so but since then she has been happy as a clam- if not a little bit nervous as she stands in line and waves to us repeatedly until she disappears through the front doors. She is taking to the math and reading like a fish to water. She shocked the heck out of me today on our way to the grocery store as she sounded out words off signs like a pro. Being the third child I am sure she did not get anywhere near the parental attention to pre-reading skills that Jake or Tanner did (and Tanner got it way less than Jake). No rhyming games for this one (Bad mommy) but she seems no worse for the wear. She loves her teachers and is making new friends.  Her love of animals continues, however her love of horses seems to have stopped.  She's never met a dog she doesn't like. She holds her own with her brothers but is quick to tears if she feels wronged by them. We can definitely see signs that her teenage years will be rough. She will get mad and stomp up to her room, saying things like, "FINE! No one likes me. I guess I will just NEVER play with Tanner or Jake ever again! HUMPH!" and we will hear a door slam and half an hour later we will find her listening to her iPod in her room.

-Tanner loves first grade and we continue to be amused by the long emails and texts sent home by his teacher.  He is very confident at school, has lots of friends, is well behaved, and is reading like crazy. His favorites these days are Junie B. Jones and Geronimo Stilton. He is obsessed with cursive writing and even though he doesn't have to learn it officially for two more years (and by that time I certainly hope that it is no longer required and instead that time devoted to keyboarding) but he wants to learn it now and is constantly asking us to write things in cursive so he can copy them. This is hard for both Brian and I since neither of us really knows this long lost art form. He is excited for basketball season to start next month and will be on a team with all his buddies. He is skin and bones and we were cracking up the other night as we read a blog from his 2nd year where we were convinced he was going to be a line backer because he was so stocky and big. Still my sweetheart, he loves to cuddle up and cover me with kisses. I continue to eat it up. 

-Jake loves his teacher and both Brian and I find him to be very easy going and funny. I think it will be another good year. He balked at the required 25 minutes of reading each night, and doesn't particularly enjoy the required written summary of what he's read, but he's doing great. He is still one that will get away with the minimum (academically at least). He is capable of more than he does but I am not one to push academics so it is what it is.  We have pushed him to try out new books lately and that is going well. He still won't do anything remotely "fantasy" or anything that is the least bit scary so lots of our favorites are out but at least he is expanding past Mike Lupica.  He joined the school choir and is very excited for this experience. It starts Tuesday and requires that he be at practice Tues/Thurs mornings from 8-830. We were anxious to let him try it since it is so out of the realm of his normal sports related interests. 

Brian and I have been spoiled lately with nights out. We had a great dinner out with Lisa and John when they were here, then went out for an early anniversary dinner with Sheila and Wayne while they were here. We spent the night in downtown Boise after dinner while Mary stayed with the kids and enjoyed a leisurely Sunday morning downtown before heading home. Then this weekend, our actual anniversary, we went to the Train/Mat Kearny concert at Taco Bell Arena. What an amazing show!! We both loved it and had a great night out.  The kids were very envious as they love Train- both the old stuff and the new album. Seeing as I had a girls night out two weeks ago and went to see Jake Owen at Idaho Botanical Gardens with a friend the week before that, I can't complain that I haven't been getting time to myself! Jimmy Buffett is coming to Boise (first time ever!) next month so that will be another night out. I think I am getting spoiled!

We are planning a fall vacation from November 1-6th. Brian had to take some days in 2012 so we planned it to coincide with the fall conference days for the kids so they will only have to miss 2 days of school. We had originally planned to do an RV trip to the Utah National Parks but upon further investigation realized that most of the RV parks close in October there. We looked up average temps for that time period and decided we didn't really want to wake up to 14 degree mornings. So... we are considering RV trip to Oregon Coast (also chilly but highs in 50s during day and 40s at night). We would do the sand dune buggy tour, the coastal aquarium, a whale watch boat trip, and explore the towns of Newport and Yachats, etc...  In any case, no matter where we end up, we are looking forward to it. 

Giants are the National League Division Champions so we are looking forward to a magical October :)

Saturday Morning Football

Jake was a little torn when it came to Optimist Football this year. We asked him a couple of times before football sign-ups if he was sure he wanted to play again this year for his first year of tackle. With all the concussion issue and health concerns, we have been secretly hoping that his interest in football would wane, but he was pretty insistent that he wanted to play this year.

Then he played several months of highly competitive baseball. His All-Stars Manager wanted him to play fall baseball to get some more work in another season, but he had committed to play football. Once the season and practices began, he said he wanted to quit so he could go play baseball, but we sat down and talked to him about it. We have always had a "no quit" policy once you start something and we explained that to him with regards to football. We told him that if he didn't want to play again next year, he didn't have to, but he had committed to this team for this year and we didn't feel right about him quitting. We also didn't want him to look back and regret quitting just because he didn't like all the hot summer practices. 

He has made a 180 degree turn since then. Now he loves it again and is already talking about next season. They finally won their first game of the season this morning. They had a very early kickoff at 8:30 in very crisp, fall like weather. The last few games they have really gotten man handled, but they held their own this weekend. Jake played the entire game at wide receiver and corner back. He had gotten some reps at QB during the week and will likely get some more this week en route to a starting slot in the next couple of weeks. 

He did really well today and held his own. He has no chice but to try to play bigger than he is and he did it today, taking on blockers that were much bigger than him and making plays in the secondary. He was really happy with his play today, and unless anything changes over the next few weeks, he will likely want to play again next year.

With that process still playing itself out, we just got notification that the three kids are all signed up and ready for basketball, starting in just a few weeks.

First Day of School 2012

They're gone!

We dropped all the kids off at the SAME SCHOOL at the SAME TIME for the first time this year. They were ready to go and we were ready to be able to work at home again after a long (fun, but looooong) summer.

The kids were all fired up over the weekend for school to start. They all laid out their first day of school outfits last night and were up early, raring to go this morning.

This is old hat for Jake by now and he acted like it, dropping off his supplies and gear in his room before school, saying "c-ya" and heading off to line up with his class before the bell rang.

Tanner was used to the process, but was still a little clingy on the playground this morning. We have already gotten about 9 emails from his teacher, with very specific directions on everything; from how to line up to which kind of ruler is the best (the kind with the metal spline - in case you were wondering), so we're a little concerned about that. Tanner does really well with specific directions (not from us, mind you, but from other people), so my guess is that he will thrive in her class, but we'll wait and see. 

Faith was very excited to start kindergarten. She held her own in the line as we were able to line up with them for today only. She did the Pledge of the Allegiance, said the Harbor Pledge and then we followed her into the classroom for our first day routine. She sat down at her desk, listened to her teacher, said "here" during roll call, etc. so we thought we were in the clear. Then the kids went up to the rug and Ms. Schubert read "The Kissing Hand", like she does every first day of school. On the first page, where Chester is sad to be going to school, Faith lost it. Marisa had to go up and join the class on the rug for the rest of the book. I'm convinced that if Chester hadn't been sad, or if we had skipped the book, we would have been golden. But we did have tears on the first day.

The school always has a get-together for the kindergarten parents (I'm not sure we've ever gone before). They wanted us to write a letter to Faiths teacher or to "the world" that would get mailed to us at the end of the year...a little too touchy feely for us, so I waited outside while Marisa filled ours out. It was an exercise based on Abraham Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher. They gave us a copy, which I included here because it was awesome and everything that I wish I could have said to my kids on their first day of school.

Abraham Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher

He will have to learn, I know, 
that all men are not just,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that 
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish Politician, 
there is a dedicated leader...
Teach him for every enemy there is a 
friend,

Steer him away from envy,
if you can,
teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that 
the bullies are the easiest to lick... Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books... 
But also give him quiet time 
to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun, 
and the flowers on a green hillside.

In the school teach him 
it is far honourable to fail 
than to cheat... 
Teach him to have faith 
in his own ideas, 
even if everyone tells him 
they are wrong... 
Teach him to be gentle 
with gentle people, 
and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son 
the strength not to follow the crowd 
when everyone is getting on the band wagon... 
Teach him to listen to all men... 
but teach him also to filter 
all he hears on a screen of truth, 
and take only the good 
that comes through.

Teach him if you can, 
how to laugh when he is sad...
Teach him there is no shame in tears, 
Teach him to scoff at cynics 
and to beware of too much sweetness... 
Teach him to sell his brawn 
and brain to the highest bidders 
but never to put a price-tag 
on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears 
to a howling mob 
and to stand and fight 
if he thinks he's right. 
Treat him gently, 
but do not cuddle him, 
because only the test 
of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage 
to be impatient... 
let him have the patience to be brave. 
Teach him always 
to have sublime faith in himself, 
because then he will have 
sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,
but see what you can do... 
He is such a fine fellow, 
my son!

We are picking the kids up at 1:15 (early release) for our 1st day of school Merc treats to hear about their days. I'm sure Faith was fine the minute we walked out the door and will be thrilled by her 1st day. I can't wait to hear about it. 

Lake Shasta 2012

After the exhaustion of last month we really needed a relaxing vacation so this family reunion came at the right time. We left Boise on Friday afternoon and drove 4 hours to Burns, OR to spend the night in Bates Motel. I should have realized luxury would not be the word of the day when I paid 67.00 for a two room suite but it’s not like Burns OR is a  raging metropolis. My hotel options were limited. 

Anyway, we got up the next morning and headed, skirting fire after fire, to Sugarloaf Cabin Resort on Lake Shasta to rendezvous with about 25 other family members ranging in age from 3 to 70. Brian’s dad arranged the trip and rented each family their own cabin on the lake. He also rented two jet skis, a speed boat, and a huge patio/party boat complete with BBQ facilities, deck chairs, and a water slide. He provided all the food and flew in family from London, CA, OR, ID, and WA.  It was pretty amazing. 

The kids had a blast playing with all of their cousins. Between the pool, the basketball court, the game room with air hockey and pool table, and all of the water toys there was no shortage of things to do. They all got along so well- I don’t think I overheard a single squabble. The ages ranged from 3 (Callan) to 15 (Jack) and everything in between. It was so much fun watching them play together. 

We spent the days waterskiing, swimming, and using the jet skis.  Jake got up on two skis for real and Tanner tried hard, providing great comic relief as he “belly boarded” (his skis fell of but he kept hanging onto the ski rope and was dragged a hundred feet). Faith was content to ride on the various water craft and watch. Tanner was a wild man on the jet ski, driving by himself (with Brian behind him) and going upwards of 50 mph. 

The evenings were spent in the pool, park, and game room. The kids had full independence at the resort and just had to tell us where they were going. Otherwise they wandered at will. There was no TV and no video games, just lots of hanging out. I  did a lot of reading and loved the evenings spent on the Party Boat with the sun setting , the BBQ going, and the kids splashing and swimming and going down the water slide.  Brian caught up with his cousins and his sister and Dad- and also got the chance to practice his fly fishing skills. On two of the evenings the resort put up a portable movie screen and showed movies right on the lake complete with popcorn and s’mores. In their spare time the cousins worked together to create a music video to give to Grandpa Phil as a thank you for the trip. It was so cute. 

The kids made memories to last a lifetime and can’t wait to see all of their cousins again. 

July 14-Aug 17 in a Nutshell

It has been awhile since I have posted... but with good reason(s). I  returned from a week long business trip to Pittsburgh on July 14th and life just got crazy from there. I was really sick for a couple of days, was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, and then my dad came for a visit. I never got a chance to post about that visit because four days after his departure we got the news that my eldest sister had passed away unexpectedly on July 31st.  The next week was a blur of family phone calls and taking a crash course on dealing with the practicalities of death. Kim and her family came into town, as planned,  on August 4th and somehow we managed to fit in a whirlwind visit of activities- floating the Boise River, a day at Roaring Springs Water Park, and a day on our boat- while continuing to make sense of Kerri’s death. Emotionally and physically we were all pretty beat up. Optimist football started right after my sister left and we had two weeks of 100 plus smoke-filled heat with 1.5 hour football practices five days a week. My incessant cough continued and was classified as Whooping Cough. We did our back to school shopping, dropped off supplies at school, and got ready for Brian’s family reunion at Lake Shasta. We left for that trip on August 17th.  Whew. It’s been a wild ride. 

End of the Summer of Baseball

It's been hot here lately, like Africa hot. North of 100 degrees on most days. Jake just finished up baseball in this heat, playing for his fourth team of the summer as they finished up Summer Ball, after All-Stars, after travel ball. His last game was on Thursday the 2nd (his team didn't make the finals), which was good because football started on Monday.

The first three practices are mandated by the league to be in shorts/helmets, but no pads. Those days were hot enough, but the last couple of nights the boys have been in full pads and it has been smoking. During water breaks, they are pouring as much water on themselves as they are drinking. It's a lot of agility work, getting them used to moving in pads and helmets (this is their first year with full gear). The last two nights were the first full contact practices. It is a big change to get them used to hitting and doing it correctly. Some of the kids have been dragging almost as soon as we start.

Jake has been doing really well. He complains about his helmet hurting his head (they all do), but he seems to like to contact so far. He has impressed his new coaches with his throwing ability and his attitude. He also knows a ton about football that most of the boys don't. He really loves football, and so far, shows no sign of letting up. 

Next week is another full week in the heat. Then we are out of town for a full week of practice. We also miss the jamboree and the 1st game this year. We'll see how next week goes, but if the same holds true, we'll be busy on Saturdays this fall.

Float Boise River - check

Yesterday we got to check something off our bucket list that we have been wanting to do since we moved here six years ago. We finally floated the Boise River. Shelia and Wayne were in town with Sam and Shelby which gave us a good reason to go. 


We have been waiting for Tanner and Faith to be a little more water safe prior to floating the river, and this year we finally decided they were good to go. Tanner is a full out swimmer now and Faith is very water safe (especially in her life vest - which she still wears to the pool). 


The Parks and Rec department, really has this trip lined out. There is a private raft rental company (which is what we did yesterday), but the county has pump stations and launching ramps at the put in. There are rest stops set up along the way that are really clearly marked and the take out at Ann Morrison park is easy. 


We are Truckee River floating veterans, but this is the first time we have ever been on the Boise River. It was similar to the Truckee River. Wider and the float is a little longer, the river isn't a much on the highway as the Truckee River is, so it's a little more quiet. At the same time, it flows right through downtown which is really cool. You float through the BSU campus, right past Bronco Stadium and end up right next to the playground the kids like in the park. 


The weather was perfect on the river. The water was clear and cool and it was just a great trip. We packed a picnic lunch/snack for the kids, which Tanner was into before both my feet we even in the raft from putting it in. We had some cold Diet Cokes and enjoyed a cool float through the heart of our new hometown. It's amazing how one small thing can make you re-connect to a place. 


I got up early this morning and went out fly fishing on the river before the kids woke up for a couple of hours. It's such an amazing thing that this beautiful river is only minutes from the house, and I plan to take better advantage of that in the future.

Diet Jake

We dropped Jake off at the bus for YCamp on Monday morning. We briefly met his counselor, talked to the camp nurse, and then said goodbye. He had been really nervous on Sunday night but at drop off he barely hugged me before rushing back to be with his buddies and camp leader. We have written letters to him and are allowed to send one email a day but we haven't heard from him- except for a brief letter we got in the mail on Day 2. I am sure he is having a great time- he is rooming with his best friend and knows two other people in his cabin. Plus he is familiar with the camp since it is the one we have gone to the last two years as a family.  

It is so weird, though, not getting to hear about his days as they happen. I don't think a day in his life has gone by, until now, that I haven't spoken to him-even when we were in Hawaii we called to say hello every night- so five days with no communication is definitely a first. I am so proud of him for being able to do this- especially in the wake of last year's anxiety. It is hard letting go- he'll always be my baby- but I am so glad he is independent enough to do this type of thing and thrive. 

We have all missed him but his absence, while making our heart grow fonder, has also shown us that having two children is SO MUCH EASIER than three!! Brian and I have enjoyed our "alone time" with  Tanner and Faith.  They did such a great job playing together and entertaining themselves while we had a busy work week that we decided to reward them. It was Tanner's turn to choose an activity so Thursday night we took them glow-in-the-dark miniature golfing, and last night we had Movie Night with Big Miracle and a Sleepover.

We are all so excited to go pick Jake up this morning. It's a two hour drive each way so it will be a day-long event. Sirius Radio and a scenic drive. Heaven.  I am sure we will have lots of stories and camp songs to entertain us on the way home- unless, as I suspect may happen, he gets in the car and immediately falls asleep.

Non-Baseball Day

Due to a rare (this summer anyway) break in the baseball schedule, we got out on the boat yesterday. It was great as the forecast was for 104, and the lake was gorgeous. We woke up and got out early and were on the water by 9:00 AM.


Jake and Tanner both tried waterskiing and each got up briefly before they tired out. Everyone got in the tube for bit. We swam, fished, ate lunch and just enjoyed a day out on the water. We even got a campsite across from the Marina, which we have never been able to do before. We're going to try and come back for an overnight in a couple of weeks.


Even though we don't get out on it near enough, the boat is just perfect for us. Lucky Peak is a quick drive and it's a great way to unwind after a long baseball season. Hopefully we'll be able to get out a few more times this summer.

Summer in the Neighborhood

The biggest critique I hear about Hidden Springs, from those that don't live here, is that it is too much like "The Truman Show" (the Jim Carrey movie), that the people that live here are  Stepford Wives (Ummmm... not sure anyone would describe me in that manner!) or that it is like Desperate Housewives (if this is the case I definitely am out of the loop on all the drama going on behind the scenes!). None of these is really very accurate in my mind. In fact, probably the best way to describe our neighborhood is as a modern day Mayberry. Still not everyone's cup of tea, but also not nearly as sinister as the other comparisons.  In any case, we love our little Mayberry and one of the things we like most is the community events. In the last two weeks we have had three great events.

The first was a concert on the green in mid-June. Great music, great friends, and perfect weather. Tanner and Faith rode their scooters in little "pre school and kindergarten gangs" around the Merc and through the closed parking lot for hours and I only had to check on them every once in awhile to be sure all was well. They knew where I was sitting and came and got me as needed. Lots of neighbors gathered with umbrellas and picnics and drinks and we hung out until way past bedtime.

The next week was the Annual Camp Out. Again, lots of neighbors and friends joined in the fun. We set up our giant tent and the boys each invited a friend to join us for the sleepover. There were s'mores and a campfire, a movie on the big screen outside at dusk (10PM here!), and a pancake breakfast the next morning. The kids all stayed up playing with their friends in the dark, playing light stick tag and light stick baseball until midnight and then sacked out until 7AM the next morning. 

We all slept amazingly well, but the fact that the kids only got 7 hours of sleep instead of their usual 10-12 was definitely felt the next day (actually it was felt for the following 3 days) which was nothing short of a nightmare. They were all overtired, hyper, and misbehaving. I think we are finally caught up on sleep now, despite being out until almost midnight again last night for the 4th of July.

Speaking of the 4th... Again, we didn't have to go far to enjoy the festivities. The kids and I watched the parade at 11AM from the front porch of a friend of ours on Hidden Springs Drive. They collected candy that was thrown from the people in the parade and used their water guns to soak the participants. We headed to the end of the parade route and joined in the party on the South Meadow Green (nearer to our new home) and stayed until almost 3PM. There was more music, BBQ, drinks, a bouncy water slide, and lots of friends.  

Having learned our lesson (see "lack of sleep" in paragraph 3 above) we required all the kids to nap from 3-5 because we were headed to the Hawks game and fireworks at 730. Only Faith slept but the boys rested and after an impromptu BBQ dinner of hamburgers, fruit salad, and corn on the cob (how patriotic!) with Sheila and Wayne we headed to our first Hawks game of the season. The weather couldn't have been better. Not too hot, a nice breeze blowing. It was a really fun night. The Hawks lost, but the kids loved the game, being there with Sheila and Wayne, and of course the fireworks display afterwards. Just like last year we sat very close to where they were being set off and got to witness several fire balls that nearly singed our eyebrows. Faith wasn't so pleased with that part of the night but the boys thought it was "awesome". Tanner did remark after the fireworks ended, however, that he "liked watching fireworks but he wouldn't want to have a job where he would have to set them off". Smart boy. So we had  a 4th of July that involved friends, family, fireworks, baseball, community BBQ, watermelon, and music. I'm not sure we could be more of a cliche but it was a great day!

All Stars and The Zoo

Summer baseball has been a point of discussion in our home for several months now with the debate being if we let Jake try out for All Stars ( a 3.5 week commitment but a very intense one) or just let him play summer ball- less intense and less competitive. In the end we pretty much left it up to Jake. We told him that if we let him do All Stars it would mean making a choice to give up some other stuff. With practices almost every evening we wanted to be sure that he knew what it meant:  fewer trips to the pool, fewer nights bouncing on the tramp, fewer play dates with friends. It also affected the first three weeks of summer: we haven't been able to take the boat out yet or go camping (although, to be fair, we probably wouldn't have done either of these things yet anyway due to the fact that we still haven't even finished moving in completely!). In the end Jake decided to try All Stars and the first 10 days has been crazy busy. 

We had a tournament last weekend with games on Thursday, Friday, and all day Saturday. Tanner and I went on Thursday night while Faith stayed with Nana. It was a beautiful night- a perfect evening for baseball. The boys won and played again on Friday. We sat out that game, letting Brian and Jake go alone, then decided to do the "marathon day" on Saturday. We were at the field from 11-7. Although a lot of it was fun and the kids had  a great time with their bubbles and balls that we brought along, it was also a lot of work on my part keeping them entertained, taking them back and forth to the porta potty and snack shack, etc... Tanner really enjoys the games, but Faith doesn't have much interest in them so she is a little trickier. The team played two games- winning the first and losing the second. The loss of the second meant that they were out of the tournament so there was no baseball on Sunday (I have to admit to being a little bit relieved that we wouldn't be at the ballpark again on Sunday!).  

We decided to let Faith choose a family activity for Sunday, being as she has had to be a major trooper through all this baseball. She decided to go to the zoo. So Sunday we headed out to breakfast at a new place downtown where we sat outdoors and even enjoyed a mimosa before heading to Zoo Boise.  We laid down the rules up front: Although we could walk through the gift shop there would be absolutely NO buying new "guys"!!!. She agreed and we all really enjoyed our morning with the monkeys, giraffes, and tigers. That afternoon we went to the pool together and that evening had a Family Movie Night. Even though it was a lot to fit into one Sunday, it all sort of just happened and it was really fun. 

I have been lamenting our loss of "Family Time" lately and realized just tonight that up until this point we have done almost everything as a team. Even the grocery store used to be a family affair and we all went to everyone's games and events. Lately though, with the kids getting older and their needs/interests being more diverse it has been more of a "divide and conquer" kind of thing. Brian will take Jake to baseball while I take Faith and Tanner to the park, or Brian stays home with Faith while I take Tanner and Jake to football camp, etc... I kind of miss the days of being able to do it all together. Actually.... I really miss it. It's not the same, and I miss being with Brian and with whichever child/children I am not with on the weekend and/or evenings.  It is yet another sign that our family is growing, the kids are getting older, and we are moving onto another stage in life. (And, as most of you know or remember: I am not good with change so I am having a difficult time with it right now!). 

Still, we have lots of great family stuff planned. This weekend is the Camp Out at the Green with our big tent, smores, movie at dusk outside, and a campfire. The next weekend will be another baseball tournament, and the weekend after that we have a boat trip on the calendar. Summer just always seems to go by so quickly... and there is never enough days in the season or hours in each day to do everything we want. At one of the tournament games last weekend an older gentleman (he was probably 75) looked at me with the two little kids and said, "You know this goes way too fast... enjoy it while you can. I was with my dad last year when he died at age 95 and I asked him, 'What surprised you most about life?' and he said, 'The brevity of it, Son, the brevity'.  I know you may not see it right now, but you really will miss this!".  Then he patted Faith and Tanner on the head and walked away. A good reminder and one I'd do well to remember on those days/ nights when I want to throw in the towel and sell them all to the highest bidder :)

Dad's Barbershop (Father's Day 2012)

“Parenthood...It's about guiding the next generation, and forgiving the last.” 

― Peter Krause

After baseball all day yesterday, all I wanted to do today was take it easy. We went out to breakfast and then came home just to chill out and have a normal Sunday. Marisa and the kids went to the pool and I stayed in the AC (it's 95 today) to watch baseball and do laundry and mow the lawns. 


This week, it was time for haircuts for the boys. When we moved, I got a much larger workbench for my tools. Part of the area I sent up with a mirror so I can shave my head in the garage without getting hair all over the bathroom. Additionally, during the summer, when the boys have their short haircuts, I give them their cuts in the garage now. We've started calling it Dad's Barbershop. Here are a couple of pictures from Tanner's latest haircut. They really like the part where instead of brushing the hair of their necks, I just blow them off with the leaf blower. 


Later that night was Marisa's girls movie night out so the kids then went to Dad's Pizza Place on the patio where we had frozen pizza for dinner. We then got up the next day and spent all day together at the baseball fields watching baseball, which was awesome. 


Life is really great right now. We love the new house. All of the kids will be in the same school next year for a precious few years. The boys are starting to really get into the sports they love. Faith has really started to bloom, developing her own persona and really starting to be her own little person. We keep trying to get her interested and doing something, but everything we suggest she says, "Yes, that would be fun, but I don't want to do that". We'll keep trying, but until we figure it out, she's perfectly content to march to her own drumbeat.


So Father's Day weekend was a major success. I know that Marisa and the kids want it to be a bigger deal, want plans and goals and ideas. The truth is, I love my life each and every day, why would I want to do anything different?

Tournament Time

Jake played in his first Outlaw Tournament this weekend, and it was an experience. The tournament started on Thursday afternoon. Their first game was at 4:00. They lost to a team they had played before (while we were out of town). 


They played twice on Friday, playing at 8:00am first. We were up and out of the neighborhood by 6:30am. They lost that game as well, then played again at 12:00, also losing that game. Those three losses set up our seeding for the tournament on Saturday, ending up in the consolation bracket. We figured we would play 1st thing again in the morning on Saturday. They didn't get the seeding figured out until after 11:00 Friday night. I checked email when I woke up at 2:30 and found out we weren't playing until 12:00, which was awesome. I shut off the alarm and went back to sleep.


The won the 12:00 game, beating a Caldwell team in a great, tight game. Because they won, they played again at 4:00 that afternoon. By then they were just exhausted, and played like it, losing 14-3 to a year-round team that has been together for a couple of years. 


It was a lot of fun and a really good experience. This team will be on-going for the next year or two, in addition to regular baseball. We have an indoor facility to use here so they will be able to practice during the winter. The same coaching staff will be running the 9/10 All Stars team (tryouts are tomorrow night) and most of the same boys will be on that team as well.


Jake had fun in the tournament, did some work on how to handle losing and ended up going 1 for 4 with a run scored. He enjoyed the experience and is looking forward to continuing to play baseball for the next month or so. 

Bronco Football Camp 2012

Jake has done the Boise State Bronco Football camp for the last two years. This is the first year that Tanner has been able to do it as well. Jake has really enjoyed it the last two years, so Tanner was really excited to be able to do it this time. Jake took him up and introduced him to Coach Peterson the 1st day.


I have mentioned in the past that I like this camp because it was really well organized. They break the kids into three "leagues" based on age (Tanner was in the Arena League this year, Jake was in College). Then work on offensive drills, defensive drills, special team drills and then they play Bronco Ball, which is basically touch football. The coaches are all the BSU coaching staff and the kids get good instruction in the fundamentals and then have a lot of fun playing football. Additionally, the staff addresses the team each day about respect, teamwork and fair play.


Tanner did really well for his first time. He was one of the smallest kids on his team. He just went thru a growth sport and got taller, but is just skin and bones. He knows how to throw and catch though, so he was better than a lot of the kids in his league. He had fun doing the drills and enjoyed playing football, even scoring a couple of touchdowns. It's funny to see how he approaches it as opposed to Jake. Jake was always very into it and competitive during the games, getting upset when he threw an interception and cheering when his team scored. Tanner did what he was supposed to and was into it, but just seemed to roll with it more than Jake does. He's just more "Tanner" and it's really great to see how he's his own person and is true to himself. 

The camp was three days long and finished up today. Jake is still playing baseball, but Tanner is done with sports for a little bit as there really isn't anything for his age group that is appropriate for his skill level. Jake is still playing baseball and has practice tonight.


I did notice that there were considerably less kids at this years camp than in the past, it used to be packed. I wonder if this is the beginning of the trickle down of the concussion issue to youth football. Jake likely had a concussion last year in flag football and I'm nervous about him in tackle this year as he is so little for his age. I have gotten to a point that if they say they don't want to play football anymore it wouldn't break my heart, but in talking it over with Marisa, it's not something we will tell them they can't do. It will be interesting to see if Tanner is drawn to football the way Jake is. They are both so good at baseball, I'm hoping that sport just has a natural draw for them. They can play it for three seasons if they don't play football.

Another Year Comes to a Close

Last week Tanner "graduated" from Kindergarten. Side note..Brian and I are really not fans of graduation ceremonies outside of high school graduation. I mean we had pre-K graduation, K graduation, 6th grade graduation.... by the time these kids hit high school graduation it will mean nothing. But...what are we gonna do? Refuse to let our kids participate? I feel the same about yearbooks. Yearbooks in elementary school? Really?

Anyway, for better or worse. Tanner had his K graduation last Friday. He was very cute as he got himself all gussied up (for Tanner this means a plaid shirt and plaid shorts that clash), came downstairs, and said, "Mom, I think this is the best I have ever looked!".  Bless that boy's heart- it was definitely an improvement over his normal day-to-day uniform of sports shorts and a glaringly mismatched sports jersey of some sort.  He was very proud wearing his cap (no gown thank goodness- at least that will be something special to add to HS graduation).

The ceremony was very cute. They sang a bunch of songs and Tanner was very animated throughout. We took great videos but won't bore everyone here. It was short and sweet and included a handshake with the principal and a "diploma" which was promptly discarded by our boy.

Later that afternoon there was a pool party at our clubhouse to celebrate the end of the year. Since Faith had her last day with daycare (Goodbye, Miss Wendy!) on Thursday she was able to come with me. Tanner hung out with his buddies and swam for hours. Meanwhile, Jake was with his friends on the green playing sports and later headed to a sleepover to celebrate the end of 3rd grade.

It was a great school year for all of our kids. They have been so lucky to have had such amazing teachers -and we are also blessed to have three kids that actually like to learn, take to it easily, and are self motivated. It's official: We are the parents of a Kindergartner, a first grader, and a fourth grader.

Uncle Ricks Memorial

Our trip to CA was for a sad reason, my Uncle Rick's Memorial Service. It was great so see my family, but hard because Uncle Rick was always there and always had a smile for everyone. I have always had a great relationship with my Uncle, even when we didn't see each other all that much. 


From him, I got my love of old houses and construction. When I was younger he was always working on his various houses. In their first home that I remember in Fremont, he built a water fall and lazy river in their backyard. I remember going there and just being amazed at the amount of design and work went into it and how cool it was. Ever since then, when I am working on a house I think of that house and when I think of taking a shortcut, I think of the work that he did and don't. He helped me put an HVAC system in my first house, 14 years ago now, in the middle of Summer in Tracy CA (it must have been over a 100 degrees all three days). 


When we first got the news that he had cancer, I was devastated. That was almost three years ago. I saw Uncle Rick a few times between then and now and he was always the same, happy guy who always made you the center of the conversation. He told great stories and could always get a laugh. He seemed so happy that I started to think that maybe it was just going to fix itself and everything would be fine. The end came quickly and, even though we were told it was coming, that didn't make it any easier to take. 


Just as I liked to emulate Uncle Rick as I worked on houses, I would really like to have people think of me when I am gone as I think of him. The quote below is how I define a successful life after the fact, and Uncle Rick nailed it.


He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.


Thanks for giving me something to emulate and something to try to live up to. Love you.

Family Man

We found a silver lining in the sad passing of Uncle Rick and Brian and I like to think that Uncle Rick would have wanted it that way. Rick was a family man to the core and after considering just sending Brian and Jake to the memorial this weekend we decided to bring everyone. This decision afforded us a great opportunity to enjoy our family and honor Uncle Rick's dedication to his. 

We set off on the trip undecided if we would drive the whole way (11.5 hours with no stops) or if we would stop and spend the night in Reno en route. We ended up driving the whole way and taking 14 hours to do it. We left at 730 AM and arrived (Boise time) at Auntie Sue's at 930 last night. Talk about family togetherness. We didn't even take our big car. We decided to rent a vehicle since our old Suburban has seen better days. We ended up with a Chevy Impala and the kids filled the backseat. I think the trunk was bigger than the car itself. 

I can honestly say we had a great, great day. We listened to music and ate way too much junk food, drank too many energy drinks and too much coffee, and gave the kids too many treats and let them play too many video games. It was a day of excess and a day of true family togetherness.  We played games and sang along loudly (and mostly out of tune) to all kinds of music. We stopped too many times and even wandered around the world's largest sporting goods store, Scheels Sporting Goods, for close to an hour. (That's Faith and I on her first Ferris Wheel ride.). 

The night before we left my friend Donette gave me a great idea- she suggested filling a baggie with strips of paper that have different activities printed on them and allowing the kids to pick a paper every 30-45 minutes along the road. Brian and I wrote the activities the night before and told the kids of our plan that morning. They were so excited! The papers contained everything from, "Stop at the next safe spot and run around the car 6 times" to "30 Minute Mandatory Rest Time". They  pulled out strips that allowed them to play "20 Questions with Dad as the Leader"  and to "Play 2 Games of Hangman with Mom". "Blast the radio and sing along to music of your choice for 15 minutes" was a big hit, as was "Stop at the next gas station for a drink of your choice".  It is still hard for me to believe that in that entire 14 hours there wasn't one argument or sibling squabble.  

Uncle Rick- you will be missed by all of us and we hope that somehow you know the joy that was had by our family as we journeyed from Boise to CA to honor your life. 

The Last One

My baby girl "graduated" from pre-school last week. My last one.  She and Tanner were both blessed, truly blessed, with an amazing teacher and program. It was everything I remember preschool being (complete with the wedding dress in the dress up area)  and everything I think preschool should be- more playing and less direct teaching. She grew so much during those two years and went from crying everyday at drop off to happily waving goodbye and running off to play with her friends, barely noticing I was gone. Those years, like all of them, went by way too fast and I think I'd do them all over again if I had the choice. Next year she will be joining her brothers at "the big school" and even though she can't wait, I am not in such a hurry for that day to get here. I know she will do great  but I think I will go straight from dropping her off in Ms. Schubert's room to attending the annual "Tea and Tissues" event for Kindergarten parents. I've never needed the tissues before, always knowing I had one more to go. But not this year. This year will be the last one. And I have a feeling I'm going to need a large supply of those tissues.

Mother's Day 2012

Our traditional bike ride by the Boise River to Joe's Crab Shack and Ann Morrison Park couldn't happen this year due to the flooding on the river so we had to make other plans. Luckily it was a gorgeous day. I slept in late (while Brian made the kids pancakes) then stopped for coffee on the way to the park. We hung out and played baseball and relaxed in the sun. We bought lunch supplies on the way home and while Brian fixed the kids lunch I took a nap (do we see a theme here?). Later we all went to the pool and BBQ'd hotdogs for dinner. The kids bounced on the trampoline, I enjoyed a nice cool beverage, and a good day was had by all. I ended the day with my weekly "date with Jeff Probst" for the Survivor Finale (Yes, as pathetic as it is, I am still watching that show 25 seasons in!). 

I know I have posted the words to this song (by Rascal Flats) previously but I heard it the day before Mothers Day on the radio and I think it's worth an encore. Every time I hear it I am reminded of what success as a mom looks like. And, like all moms, I hope this wish comes true for each of them. 

The Wish

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,

And each road leads you where you want to go,

And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.

And if one door opens to another door closed,

I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,

If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,

All the ones who love you, in the place you left,

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,

And you help somebody every chance you get,

Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,

And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

CarniVAL

So the kids have watched the movie Rio about 5 times over the last month. It's a cute movie if you haven't seen it. It's about some birds who get stolen in Rio during Mardi Gras. The characters in the movie sing and dance about carniVAL. This is the way Tanner has chose to pronounce carnival when talking about the year end carnival at school, which has had everyone in stitches, since he keep saying things like, "mom, when are we going to carniVAL?" "I hope they have good candy at carniVAL" etc. Well we went last night.


This is yearly fundraiser at the kids school. Marisa usually signs up to sell tickets and I sign up for cleanup duty when it's all over. It's getting more and more fun as the kids are getting bigger. Jake and to a lesser extent Tanner, hang out with their friends and consume their body weight in candy, soda, cupcakes and cotton candy. Which leave us more more or less free to talk to fiends, socialize with their teachers etc. The teachers get in the dunk booth (the hit every year when the principal and PE teacher are in there), parents paint hair and faces, there are jump houses and games and it just a great community event. 


Jake this year really wanted to hang out at the karaoke booth (Why? It where all the girls are.). He and his buddies all got up and sang. Jake did a Nickleback song and and Eminem song, both of which I'm pretty sure he just did because he thought those artists were cool. I'm pretty sure he hadn't heard either of the songs he did before. I got some awesome video that will be played for every prom date, graduation party and rehearsal dinner in the foreseeable future. He came home with his hair dyed green and hopped up on a ton of crap. He didn't get to sleep until well after 9:30 and had to get up early and play a tough baseball game today.


Tanner played with his friends and wanted to try to dunk his PE teacher, which he did. The tradition is; the kids get three throws and if they don't hit the target or dunk the teacher, they all run up and hit the button by hand, so the teacher gets dunked every time. God love teachers, they have endless patience, are always good sports and brave because it is freezing each and every year they do this. Tanner also got his hair painted green and had a really good time. 


Faith is special person at Pre-School this week, so she has Calvin the Special Person bear home with her this weekend. She wanted to take Calvin to the carnival last night, s she stuffed him in a backpack and away she went. We have to make a photo page each time Calvin comes home for his traveling scrapbook, so Faith wanted to take Calvin into the funny photos booth with us, so she could put that on his photo page. 


This is one of the events we truly love in our community. It a fun, safe time out for kids and frieds. It also means that school is almost out for the year, which is both amazing and terrifying.