Let the Games Begin!

Although you wouldn't know it by the weather, summer has officially arrived - maybe not the real season but summer vacation at least. Jake had his last day of 1st grade on Friday, Tanner finished up preschool the week before. The end of the year carnival is over, gifts for the teachers/coaches/aides have all been purchased and given, and the neighborhood Icee Shack is open for business. Now begins the chaos of summer.

This whole system of "summer vacation" is contrary to what this country needs in so many ways.. Most kids are no longer needed to work the fields in June, July, and August. Most homes have two full-time working parents now. Kids need the consistency of school to avoid the whole "learning loss" that occurs during summer break. Now, don't get me wrong, I remember my summers with fondness- 3 months stretched out with nothing to do but hang out at the pool, read my Sweet Valley High books, and play games of hide-and-go-seek with all the neighborhood kids. There is definitely a part of me that wants that for my kids, too. But.....then reality sets in. Three months with nothing to do with Jake- who despite getting better at entertaining himself in the last several months is still prone to stand in the office doorway and watch Brian and I work while complaining that he is bored rather then find himself something to do. Ugh.

My eldest has always thrived on the routine of the school day so this break is really a challenge for us. This year we decided to sign him up for a bunch of camps- almost every week has something going on. And of course we will have lots of play dates. But the scheduling is going to be hectic. Next week is skateboarding camp, the week after that is baseball, then football, then rock band... the list goes on until the first week of August when we take our vacation to Tahoe for a week.

Luckily my job is flexible and so is Brian's so we can manage the odd drop-off/pick-up times and the occasional day of lost work made up by working evenings after the kids are in bed. It is really a blessing in a lot of ways and I am grateful for it. Plus, we have the YMCA this summer, too, which has WiFi so I can drop him at child watch while I get some work done in the cafe. Maybe not the intended use of the child watch, but a good one, anyway!

As soon as the weather cooperates we can't wait to get out in the boat. We found a pair of almost new trainer skis for the kids at the neighborhood garage sale yesterday and I can hardly wait to get Jake out there, with me holding his skis underwater for his first try at water skiing. The kids talked about the boat all winter and are so excited to get underway. Brian and I are just hoping it starts- and I am reliving many, many summers where we all had our fingers crossed that the old Evinrude engine would start the first time we put it in the water at the Delta each summer. Mmmmm. I can still smell the exhaust fumes and feel the hot sun on my back while standing on the dock.....

We have a bunch of camping trips planned, too. Our first is next weekend to Bruneau Sand Dunes- which is about 90 min. away and is the largest sand dune in the U.S. Then we go again July 3 to YMCA family camp, one more in July, and one in mid-August. We have some guests coming as well- Kim and Bill will be here in late July and Sheila and Wayne in mid-July. Still hoping for a visit from others of you that read this blog regularly: YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!

So, it is with both anticipating and trepidation that we say goodbye to schooldays and say hello to the summer!

End of the Season

In some ways, Jake's rookie league season ended the way it started; the last game last night was in danger of being rained (or more precisely, thunderstormed) out. We spent most of the season under the clouds instead of in the sunshine due to our weird weather this spring. Less the "boys of summer" and more the "boys of the scattered thunderstorms".

In other ways, the season was a drastic turn-around; the boys ended on a three game losing streak. They started out so strong and were undefeated until the middle of last month, then their defense caught up with them. A couple of the better hitters went into slumps to end the season and the focus in the field cost them a few games.

Jake ended up having a really good season (I lost track of his batting average along the way) but it must have been north of .700. He hit most everything hard the opposite way and his success was directly tied to the skills of the opposing pitcher and 1st baseman. He also did great in the field; playing a great 1st base, catcher, pitcher and last night made a couple of good plays out in left field. The level of the league means that the coach can't just stick the kids who can throw and catch at the hot positions every inning, so everyone get's rotated around and last night Jake ended up at shortstop for the first time this season.

The score was tied 9-9 in the bottom of the last inning with two outs and the bases loaded when the batter hit a hard one right towards Jake. He didn't stay down on it and it got thru his legs into the outfield for a run. The next hitter struck out and the game ended 10-9. I could tell he felt bad about making the error, but wasn't sure he understood the actual significance of it until Tanner announced while we were walking back to the car, "Well Dad, the score was tied until Jake missed that ball, then they scored and won. If Jake would have caught that ball it would have been a tie." Seriously, the one time all season that he's paying attention to the game and it has to be to announce that!

Jake's face just fell as he realized what it meant, that his error had cost them the game. I spent most of the rest of the night consoling him. Funnily enough, we're reading a Mike Lupica book right now when the title character makes the same error at second base and costs his team the 1st game of the championship series. We were able to talk it thru using the lessons from the book and I think he's made peace with it as it hasn't been mentioned yet this morning.

He did say last night, "But Dad, staying down on it is the first thing you taught me in baseball."

I explained that the reason it was the first thing I taught him was that it's the most difficult thing for a fielder to learn and do. That everything in you is screaming, "hurry up, get the throw off", but you have to wait until you have the ball first. Watching Sportscenter last night we saw Jason Werth with the Phillies do the exact same thing in the outfield, so I think that helped as well.

We have our end of the season party on Friday (the last day of school as well). Then I think skateboard camp is up next.....

The YMCA

The YMCA here is much bigger than in CA. All of the sports camps that Jake does, Tanner's soccer, the basketball program, swim lessons, etc... are all through the Y. We have been really impressed by their programs and especially with their coaches (who wear t-shirts that say "Professional Role Model"). They are mostly high school students and I haven't met one yet that wasn't great. There are multiple locations here that have really nice, fully equipped gyms with childcare and indoor pools with slides, pilates, yoga, weights, etc...

We decided to join for a few months this summer to try it out since we get half price on all of the camps we signed Jake up for, and Tanner/Faith's swim lessons- so financially it was kind of a wash. So far we love it. It's not very convenient for a workday workout, as it is downtown, but on the weekends we can take the kids and drop them at childcare for an hour or two while we get a good workout in, then feed them lunch and head to the pool. The boys LOVE the big slides there- even Tanner went on it alone yesterday. And with the

current weather being more like winter than spring, it is a great place to get some energy out.

They just finished building a resident

camp up in Cascade (about 1.5 hours away) - the first one built this side of the Mississippi in 50 years- it was kind of a big deal here. Anyway, we signed up to do family camp in July. Three nights camping with a dining hall, activities like canoe,kayak, archery, crafts, swimming, etc... and evening programs. I think the kids will love it. Reminds me of the Indian Princess camps we used to do when I was little.

Anyway, if we can swing it we'd like to remain members while the kids are young- with the hope that when they get older they could become the "professional role models" themselves or lifeguards or camp counselors. I know that's a long way off- but instilling the values now and starting them thinking of that early can't hurt, right?

Vegas Nights 1, 2, and 3

The kids were troopers and after taking long afternoon naps we kept them out until all hours. No one was in bed before 10 the entire trip. Poor Grandma Mary and Auntie Sue! They are usually early to bed early to rise, but this week they were late to bed but STILL early to rise!

The first night was all about exploring the Luxor, Excalibur, and Mandalay Bay- which are all connected by tram. Auntie Sue took Faith and Tanner into a toy store while I ordered dinner and out wandered Faith with animal #1 of the trip. When I gave Auntie Sue a stern look and reminded her that she does not need to buy the kids any toys on this trip, she told me that she had to get this one. Faith apparently picked it up, hugged it to her chest and said, "He's purple and white and I WUV him!" So she told the boys they could each pick out one toy on the trip, too. Hence began our five days of looking through tourist shops for the perfect pick. Tanner ended up getting a glow-in-the-dark pirate t-shirt from NYNY. Jake picked out (surprise, surprise) a small leather ESPN football from the ESPN Zone, also in NYNY.

Monday night was date night for Brian and I. Grandma Mary and Auntie Sue took care of the kids while we went out to a nice dinner, drinks, and dessert at Mandalay Bay. It was great to have the time alone and we were so grateful to those two for making the night so fun for the kids. I guess the only glitch was when they entered the elevator and the lights all went out. Nobody freaked out, but for the rest of the trip they asked us each elevator ride if the lights were going to go out again. They also learned a lesson: No getting on the elevator until an adult is on board first. I guess Faith ran headlong into an elevator and the doors started to close on her. Mary got there in time, but the lesson was well learned and all three kids waited by the open elevator door for an adult to board first. They took this rule very seriously!

That night was really really windy but after dinner we took the kids outside to see Luxor in the dark. They wanted to see the laser that shoots out of the top of it. Halfway out to the parking lot, however, Faith freaked out because of the wind and jumped out of my arms and ran back toward the hotel. I could not coax her out to see the lights so we waited for Brian and her brothers in the safety of the hotel. The winds were really crazy- close to 30mph- and we were glad that our baseball tickets weren't for that night!

Speaking of baseball.... Night #3 was spent at the Las Vegas 51's game- a AAA team that feeds into the Toronto Blue Jays. Weather this night was PERFECT. Everyone enjoyed the game. We met some friendly Red Sox fans behind us who loved the kids and bantered with them the whole game. This is where the kids picked out their souvenier from us. Jake got a 51's baseball hat, Tanner got a 51's clinging monkey stuffed animal, and Faith got (another surprise) a 51's horse stuffed animal. We left in the 7th as it was already almost 10 and we had to drive back to the hotel still! The 51's lost 15-10.

The Lion King

On Monday afternoon I got a call from Auntie Sue from next door. She told me that the hotel was running a "Cutest Kid in Vegas" contest and that OUR KIDS HAD WON. The prize? Tickets for everyone to see The Lion King on Wednesday night. Uh-huh. After a little bit of drama over the generous gesture that Auntie Sue had made (we are so spoiled!!) we were all excited to see The Lion King together. Given that our kids are afraid of mascots (otherwise known as "people dressed up like animals") we were worried that they would be afraid of the show- given that it is made up entirely as people dressed up like animals!!! So we took them to the Lion King store at Mandalay Bay and let them watch a video preview and look through the books of real pictures from the show. We talked to them about what to expect and how none of it was real, etc... etc...

That night Grandma Mary (also prone to spoiling all of us) took us to Rainforest Cafe for dinner. In keeping with The Lion King theme, this restaurant is full of animated animals- very real looking- and has a thunder storm every 22 minutes. Faith was not so sure about this and insisted on sitting on my lap through most of dinner. This is where the kids picked out their souveniers from Grandma. Faith picked out a stuffed elephant. Tanner got a toy that lights up and spins, and Jake got a t-shirt.

We arrived at the theater a few minutes early and after making sure everyone went to the bathroom one last time, we found our seats. Center aisle. Second section back. Amazing seats. Faith sat on Brian's lap the whole time but was truly fascinated by the show. She was also fascinated by the ushers before the show and asked Brian lots of questions about them: Where do they sleep? Do they live here? Do they have homes? Tanner sat next to me and during scary parts hid under his sweatshirt, and had to be reminded frequently that the animals weren't real and that Scar would not come out into the audience, but he, too, loved the show and declared afterwards that he wanted to go every night. Jake, being a Lion King afficionado (his 3rd b'day was Lion King themed) loved the songs and remembered lots of lines from the movie that were also in the play.

It was a truly great experience and one that we will all remember forever.

The Mirage, The Venetian, and the Bellagio.... Oh my!

The last day was one of the best, actually. We woke up intending to take it easy but ended up being out from breakfast until almost 3PM, then again from 5-10PM.

We drove to the Mirage and took the kids to see the dolphins and white tigers. Weather was perfect again. The dolphins were fascinating for the kids- the first time Tanner and Faith had ever seen them in real life. The white tigers gave us a good show, roughhousing with each other and fighting over a big rubber toy. There was also a black panther and several big lions.

After lunch at California Pizza Kitchen we wandered over to the Venetian where the kids watched the gondoliers singing and we strolled through the really expensive mall with the canal running through it. Jake asked if we could ride on one of the gondolas. My first thought was "no" but when he didn't push it but I could see the look of true longing in his eyes, I started to change my mind. For how long will my little boy want to sit in a gondola with me and listen to schmaltzy Italian-esque music being sung by a man pretending to be from Venice??? There was no

begging involved; if there had been, I probably wouldn't have sprung for it, but watching him watch the boats go by I could tell he really, really wanted to do it. So Auntie Sue and I took the boys for a gondola ride (Faith opted out and chose to watch from the many bridges). They loved it and both Auntie Sue and I were so glad that we let them do it and that we got to do it with them.

After long, late afternoon naps we headed back out to see the Bellagio and the Pirate show at Excalibur. By now it was Thursday and the strip was really getting crowded. The pirate show was packed- and a tad bit inappropriate for the children (lots of sexual innuendo and scantily attired pirates both male and female). But there were fireworks and there was fire and cannon ball explosions so everyone enjoyed the show (well... not Faith. She hid behind me most of the time, content to talk to herself and ignore all the action).

The plan was to get some dinner, then head over to the Bellagio. The kids had seen it in the daylight but Tanner really wanted to see it all lit up at night (so did Brian and I). Jake wasn't feeling great (probably all the crappy food we had been feeding him) and the only thing he wanted for dinner was cereal. What the hell, we thought, cereal it is. Each of the kids got a container of cereal and I took them into a Starbucks for the milk and fruit to go with it. Their dinner consisted of frosted flakes and a few pieces of cantelope/strawberries. The adults found a deli and we headed out toward Bellagio. But first, Jake made a pit stop to throw up. Oops. Guess his tummy really wasn't feeling good. Auntie Sue, Grandma, and Jake took a cab home and we took the little ones to see the Bellagio at night. We got there just in time to see "Your Song" by Elton John. They loved it!!! That water show is the best thing ever. I could watch it over and over and over again.

Our last night in Vegas was over. We were heading home at 4:30 the next morning.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Real billboards We Saw on Our Road Trip to Vegas

Guess Which State: Utah or Nevada?

3 Glen Beck Ads

2 Rush Limbaugh Ads

1 "anti- evolution" church ad

"What Happens in Vegas God Sees"

and, on the other end of the spectrum:

"Adult Superstore next exit: Last Chance to Get off!"

As far as Vegas being kid-friendly, the only thing

that I really worried about (besides having to explain the many people smoking and drinking and gambling of course...) was when we walked past a dancing girl scantily clad in the middle of the Luxor that was entertaining the men that were gambling. She was the only actual show girl we saw. Jake asked me, "Mom, why isn't she wearing any clothes? (for the record she had on skimpy undies and a bra) Doesn't she know that boys might see her???" Um.... yeah. I think that's the point.

Vegas by the Numbers

Number of alcoholic beverages consumed: 2 (1 each on our "date night")

Dollars spent gambling: $2 (slot machine)

Real Cigarettes smoked: 0

Candy cigarettes smoked during Old Maid/Go Fish/Crazy 8 playing: 1 pack

Stuffed animals Faith wanted: 200

Stuffed animals Faith got: 3 (one from us, one from Auntie Sue, one from Grandma)

Children that threw up: 2 (Tanner the first night, Jake the last night)

Number of times we saw the Bellagio water show: 3

Gondola rides: 1

Elevator/escalator rides: countless

We arrived in Vegas Sunday afternoon and were greeted by Grandma Mary and Auntie Sue in the lobby. While our room was getting ready we went up to their room (right next door to ours) and the kids played the first of MANY rounds of cards- complete with chocolate cigarettes and a card shuffler. Cards were definitely the activity of choice

whenever we were in our hotel room (which wasn't that much, come to think of it...). There was a snack and goody drawer already set up in their room with squirt guns for the pool, new

bathing suits, books for everyone, crayons, and more.

The kids loved the elevator and escalators, the hotel

room keys, and the tram that took us between the nearby casinos. Tanner and Faith liked to pretend to drive the tram, while Jake liked to see if he could stand in the middle of it and balance without moving his feet. Mostly they loved the fountains- which could be found in every casino. We had to have a steady supply of pennies ready each time we left our room. Tanner also had a strange affinity for casino floors. He would jump off the steps, land, and roll on the floor for a few feet. No matter what we did he continued to do this move- in Paris, Venetian, Monte Carlo, Caesars, Luxor, Bellagio, and more. Something about casino carpet moved him, I guess (shudder to think about how filthy that carpeting must be).

One of the big highlights for all the kids was finally seeing the real Bellagio. Their entire lives Brian has been "doing the Bellagio" in the pool or hot tub- it is simply him spraying water up through his hands at various heights- but they have been hearing about the Bellagio water show for years and years so the anticipation for seeing the real show was huge. It didn't disappoint. We caught the show on Day 2. The song was "One" and the kids loved it. Tanner especially! We took a video of the entire thing just to capture his joy and awe at the sight.

One of Faith's favorite things was simple: The bathrooms in Paris. She loved the floral sinks and each time we went into a bathroom anywhere in Vegas after that (countless BTW...) she was a little disappointed that there "weren't pretty sinks in there".

All of the kids also loved the pool, of course. It was only 3 feet deep and it was really big. Tanner was so proud of himself that he could stand in it and touch the bottom all the way across. Jake and Brian swam together while Faith rode on Brian's back.

We played musical beds all week: Jake alternated between Auntie Sue and Grandma, Faith rotated between Brian and I, Tanner slept with all of us at one time or another. Through the miracle of texting we could check between rooms on when everyone woke up and was ready to start the day.

Because we are relegated for the time being to vacation locations that we can drive to (5 airline tix? Are you kidding me?) Vegas was a great mix of fun and sun for both adults and kids and a great change from our typical camping and CA trips. Next road trip? Well, we are hoping to plan a 2 week trip to see some major league ball parks sometime in the next few years.

Snaggletooth

That's what we have taken to calling Jake. He's a little bit behind the curve as far as losing his baby teeth goes. He has lost a few, but the last one is a little bit of a doozy.

It started out on the side and has moved around into the front and is a little sideways. It had us concerned enough that it warranted a trip to the dentist who said that all was well but if it wasn't out in 30 days to bring him in and he'd take it out.

Jake has been wiggling it a lot, but it's still hanging on and we're fast approaching the 30 day limit. So Snaggletooth will be leaving our house one way or another soon enough.

Sleepless In Salt Lake City

We decided to split the drive to Vegas up by spending one night in SLC on "our way" there. It isn't actually on the way it turns out (my geography being a little off) but it split a 12 hour drive into two nice six hour shifts. Anyway, we got there about 6, just in time to watch the Utah Jazz/Laker playoff game from our room- where we could see the actual stadium only a few blocks away out our window! We ordered pizza for the kids, then took turns working out. The kids worked on mother's day cards for me while hiding behind the curtains. All was well.... until Tanner threw up. Luckily it wasn't the stomach flu - something just didn't agree with his tummy I guess. Good news for us, for sure.

Sleeping arrangements were a challenge: Two double beds. Double. Brian and I are used to a King. And the kids wanted to sleep with us (bad habit we started a long time ago). So... Faith volunteered to sleep on the floor between the beds. Once again proving to be braver than either of her weenie brothers. So Jake and Brian took one bed, Tanner and I took the other. It was late by the time the game ended. Faith was NOT TIRED, as evidenced by her singing loudly from the center of the room, talking to herself, and just generally playing between the beds. Finally she fell asleep around 10:30.

Then, 2:30 we were all awakened by a muffled terrified screaming of "Mama! Mama!!" Groggy, I looked down on the floor to find Faith and after some light adjustment found that she was nowhere in sight. Slightly panicked but still half asleep I poked around down in the blankets, still hearing her muffled cries. Now I was really worried. I woke Brian up to see if she had climbed into bed with him. Nope. Finally we figured out that she had rolled under Brian's bed. All the way under. There was a bed skirt so she was completely hidden from sight and she was a good 12-24 inches under there. I pulled her out with some effort and calmed her down. I figured she would want to sleep with me in the bed so I put her in between Tanner and I. Nope. She cried and wanted to be back on the floor. Very brave girl. Still, there was little sleep to be had from that point on. Brian and the boys went downstairs around 7 to get me a Mother's Day latte and we departed for Las Vegas soon after.

BTW.... Utah lost the game.

All Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So the little kids daycare provider is off on her honeymoon next week, so obviously the day care is closed for that week.

That left us two choices:

1) Stay home and try to work full time jobs with Tanner and Faith home all day next week, trying to farm them out as much as possible without resorting to massive amounts of televison and dealing with the enormous parental guilt that would surely develop, as it always does. "How do stay-at-home parents do this?" morphing quickly into, "Is there something wrong with us that we're going crazy?"which always leads to the two of us inventing things to fight about just to deal with our raw nerve endings by the end of the week.

OR

2) Hit the road! We're not paying for day care this week so there's a little bit of found money there, which we have decided to burn thru in gasoline. We're going to Vegas BABY! We went to Las Vegas on our honeymoon and have always had a soft spot in our hearts for Sin City. Since neither of us drink (well.... not much), gamble, or smoke it seems an odd choice but we have been trying to figure out how/when to get back for years. Again, some parents would have picked Disney something, but we're going someplace you get free porn handed to you on every corner. That says A LOT about us as parents I am sure, but I'm so excited I don't even care.

We're meeting Auntie Sue and Grandma Mary in Vegas for a twisted sort of Mother's Day celebration thing. Adjoining rooms- and for once we won't be outnumbered by the kids! We'll post when we get back, but we're going to hit some shows, see a minor league baseball game (the Las Vegas 51's) and eat a bunch of bad food. I'm so excited I can't wait.

See you when we get back!

Rockies v. Angels

Well we're three games into Jake's Rookie League season and he's doing amazingly well so far. It's a pitching machine league, and when I got Jake in front of the machine over the winter he struggled keeping up with it, so I was prepared for a tough start to the season at least, but not so. He's 5-6 so far and batting .833 with 3 RBI. His one ground out last night was a well hit ball that drove in a run.The team is doing well also, havingwon two games and tied the third. They are having a blast. They are rotating positions, but so far Jake has thrown a runner out from 2nd base and tagged out a runner out at third. He's playing a little catcher as well which he seems to enjoy.

I'm liking this season and league better than T-Ball also. I don't know why, but I love the fact that they keep score. There aren't posted standings, but I just like to know if they are winning or losing. I wouldn't have guessed that would have mattered to me, but I do enjoy it. I am also liking "Assistant Coaching". You run the machine for your own teams, so I have been feeding pitches for our hitters (always in fear that I'm going to strike Jake out) and running the 3rd base side defense. I don't have to deal with the kids in the dugout which was always the worst and there's no logistics to have to deal with. I just show up at game time and help out. Next year I'm back to coaching T-Ball for Tanner, so this is a nice break.

Today we have to get Jake signed up for football (which runs from August to October) this morning, then Tanner has a soccer game, then Jake has a make-up baseball game then we are heading to the Steelheads playoff hockey game downtown tonight, so it's gonna be a busy day, but it should be a lot of fun.

Soccer

Tanner has been a little reluctant to play organized sports- even though he loves to play football and basketball and hockey and soccer and lacrosse and anything else that involves a ball- he has seemed a little timid about doing any Y sports. But several months ago he expressed an interest in doing their soccer intro class so we signed him up.

He has asked us multiple times each week for the last several months WHEN he will get to do soccer. Finally the week arrived. All week long this was ALL he could talk about: Will there be snack break? Will it be a real game? Will they practice? Will they have a coach? Will he get a t-shirt to wear? He told me yesterday on the way home from school that he wanted to be sure to wear good pants- ones that don't fall down- when we went to soccer today. And good unders, too, he said. He got his soccer ball out and practiced dribbling and shooting down the hallway last night. He talked incessantly about his soccer clothes: cleats and shin guards.

So, imagine our surprise when he burst into tears upon arrival at the field, ran into my arms and declared that he didn't want to play soccer! Poor guy was terrified. I don't know what he was expecting vs. what he saw there. I mean, he knows what a sporting event is like- lots of people, loud, etc... I coaxed him into going on the field with me so we participated in the

stretching and running together (luckily I wasn't the only parent there with a timid kid). But

once again, as soon as the drills started he burst into tears, ran off the field and said he wanted to go home. Brian and I were perplexed. The coaches were so nice, the other kids were having so much fun. What the heck was going on??? After a little break (and pep talk) we tried it again. I went with him to each of the drill stations and as we moved through them he eventually let go of my hand and I think I may have even seen a slight smile or two at one point. He says he wants to go back next week. Hopefully we can wean him from my joint participation and he can shine out on the field on his own!

Papa Comes to Boise

It had been almost a year since Dad had seen the kids so he was amazed not only at how big they each had gotten but also by how much Faith had grown to love him in his absence. She was thrilled to see him and warmed right up to him- quite the opposite of how she was last year!

The boys, of course, couldn't wait to get out on the court with him. Papa stepped off the airplane with a big box full of tennis balls so over the next few days they each got to have "alone time" at the school courts with him. The weather was (finally!) beautiful so we enjoyed the yard, did some gardening and went on a long bike ride along the Boise River on Sunday. In years past we had the little ones in a trailer and Jake on a "ride along" thing behind Brian's bike. This year Jake was old enough to ride on his own bike. We rode for almost 6 miles, stopped at the park to play, then stopped for an early dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, and rode the 6 miles home again. I wasn't sure going into it if Jake would be able to ride that far but he did great and was really proud of himself.

The kids and I loved seeing Dad and spending some time together. A year is too long to go between visits but everyone knows how time just gets away. I am sure Papa was worn out by the time he left on Wednesday- I know he is awed by the chaos that is our life- and leaves grateful that his child rearing days are in the past. But he was so patient with them- even though Jake was a bear for part of the visit and everyone (including me) had their "overtired" moments! Get some rest, Dad- you deserve it!

Opening Day 2010

It was another year of divide and conquer for Opening Day. Faith was exhausted and needed to nap, but Tanner really wanted go to Opening Day with me and Jake. So the boys headed off to the field and the girls stayed home to nap.

It was a good time again this year, my first not being the coach, which was cool. Tanner and I go tot hang back and take pictures, talk to other parents and just enjoy the day. This is his 1st year of pitching machine and it's a mix of both 1st and 2nd graders on the team, so some of the bigger kids dominated the events. Jake did throw 5th hardest which surprised me.

We've had three practices so far and Jake is doing farily well hitting off the machine. He's also gotten to play catcher in practice which he liked (the only requirement for catcher is that you're wearing a cup). That was pretty cool for me as that's one of the postions that I played in my brief little league career, so it was a kick seeing him with all of the gear on.

It's still a little overcast and cold here, but the season kicks of next week. We play two games a week, so we'll see how much stamina Jake has as we go thru the season, but for now anyway..... PLAY BALL!

Flower Girl

For the record, daycare providers are, in my book, heroes. Let me say how incredibly lucky we are to have the kids in a daycare where they are so loved and appreciated. Wendy and Travis take care of Faith and Tanner like they are their own children. We feel like it is their second family. We realized that Wendy and Travis felt the same way when they asked us if Faith could be their Flower Girl in their wedding.

Wendy involved both the kids in all the wedding planning details- Tanner even went to the mall with Wendy to help her pick out shoes and he was the one that picked out the bracelet that she wore during the ceremony. Faith had many chances to practice what she called her "flowergirling" in the weeks leading up to the wedding wherein Tanner stood in for Thomas (Wendy's third grader who escorted Faith in the real wedding) and held Faith's arm while she held the flower basket and practiced dropping the petals while she walked through the livingroom. She had a beautiful dress and shoes, got to attend the rehearsal, and even got a "wedding party" present (a lavender silky purse that she slept with the first few nights after she received it).

Even though she never expressesd any concern or worry I have to say that I was a little worried that when push came to shove and she found herself in the back of a crowded wedding hall with mom and dad nowhere in sight and strangers lining the aisle on either side of her, she would panic or cry or refuse to walk or whatever. But, nope. She was a pro. She took her job very seriously and portioned out the flowers, dropping them very carefully as she walked. I don't think she was the least bit scared or nervous. She was so well behaved for the TWO HOURS of pictures we had to take before the wedding, too. We were so proud of her. We had so many comments from wedding guests on how composed she was and Trav said how happy he was to see her walking down the aisle and smiling at him.

The boys got all dressed up to attend the wedding (their first) and looked so handsome in their suits/vests/dress pants. I am fairly certain this is the only time in history we have all been dressed up at the same time. Quite a departure from our average day of sweats, baseball/football/hockey/basketball jersies, jeans, and baseball caps!

We left fairly early and Jake was disappointed we didn't get to stay for the "disco" (his words, not what was actually on the agenda I don't think....) but on the way home I overheard this conversation:

Jake: Tanner, did you like the kissing part?

Tanner: (with a sly grin on his face) Yeaaaaaaah!

Jake: Me too!

Tanner: Who are you going to marry when you grow up?

Jake: I don't know yet Tanner. Who are you going to marry?

Tanner: I'm not sure. Maybe Mom or Faith.

Faith: (piping up from the seat ahead): No, Tana, I am going to marry Mom!

Easter Craziness

We had our annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday afternoon. It almost didn't happen for Tanner and Faith because just as the egg hunt began with seemingly hundreds of toddlers under 5 racing onto the Green, who should appear but the all-feared Easter Bunny himself. He wasn't more than 3 feet away and Faith wouldn't go anywhere near the eggs until we moved her to a safer distance. She screamed in panic. Tanner, too, was backing away fearfully. Luckily Mom and I scooted them down the sidewalk a ways so they, too, could pick up their 12 allotted eggs filled with candy. Tanner was so worried about getting only 12 that after he had quite a few (but no

more than 8 or so) he dumped them out so that other kids could get some. By the time I realized what he done most of the eggs were picked up, so he only ended up with 5.

Bless his sweet heart, though, he couldn't have cared less. He even offered Jake one of his eggs when Jake tried to finagle a little more candy for himself. I think Faith's favorite part of the day was getting to wear her new ballerina dress

and aptly named "fluffy pants" to the hunt. A friend of my mom's had sent it to her and she got it that

morning. It didn't come off until bedtime and she slept in the fluffy pants and wore them to Easter Breakfast the next day.

Speaking of the next day..... due to the fear surrounding the large bunny, Faith and Tanner told us repeatedly at bedtime, in no uncertain terms, that they DID NOT WANT THE EASTER

BUNNY INSIDE OUR HOUSE. We tried to convince them that he (she?) would stay downstairs only, but no, that was not safe enough. Brian ended up promising a tearful Faith that we would meet the Easter Bunny at the door and he would tell us where to hide all of the eggs/baskets. Hence the convoluted Easter Egg Treasure Map tradition was born. We drew a map of the downstairs and marked egg locations with an X. (We only hide 5 eggs each and each egg has a clue in it to where their easter baskets will be found). The next morning the kids had a letter from the Easter Bunny and the egg map. They found all the eggs, put the clues together, and found their easter baskets in the Mini in the garage. Thanks to the grandmas and Auntie Sue, they were stuffed full with everything from coloring books/crayons to mini (fake) hamsters that run around in their habitat (sold separately but also included in the basket!).

It was a fun morning, followed by a yummy breakfast out, then we began the next part of our marathon weekend: Miss Wendy's Wedding (see separate

post for details!).

Boise Rock School

With both of us working full time, school closures become the source of major panic and stress..... what to do with the children. Marisa has become an expert at handling this, parsing them out to camps, playdates, daycare, movies etc. But it's always a chore to fill the time. Jake is scheduled for about 6 camps this summer break, all of them sports related, except one.

Marisa found this camp kind of loosely based on the movie "School of Rock". Kids with no experience come in for week sessions and the instructors give them crash courses in music so by the end of the week, the kids give a mini-concert for the parents. It goes for a hour and a half a day, and Jake went over spring break after swimming lessons and before baseball practice (which was cancelled by a snowstorm).

The more often the kids go the more experienced they get, and thus the better the final result. Jake had never been before and had never played an instrument, so his final product is a bit rough as far as musical virtuosity goes, but he did great and had a really good time. He ended up being the singer in his band, "The Rocking Rockets" and sang "T.N.T." by AC/DC and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day in the final show. He also played guitar on their band's original, "Adventures of the Astronaut".

The concert was great, we were both so proud of him for standing up and singing in front of everyone. It was great to see how into it he was. He has already asked if he could go back for the summer, when I explained that he was going back for another week, he was disappointed, because he wanted to go for the entire summer. I think guitar lessons may be coming form the Easter Bunny tomorrow.

Theological Discussions w/ Tanner

Tanner: "Dad, is heaven up above the clouds?"

Dad: "It depends on what you believe Tan."

Tanner: "Do you believe that heaven is up above the clouds Dad?"

Dad: "I do Tan. What do you believe?"

Tanner: "I think it is too"

Dad: "Why do you believe that Tan?"

Tanner: "Because, in Tom and Jerry, when the cat dies, he flies up to heaven above the clouds."

Well okay, then!

Spring is Here (check it out, I made dirt!)

I composted last year for the first time. I thought it went okay, I got a bin and we filled it up. I didn't rotate it like I was supposed to. I didn't add any worms or grow starters like the websites said. To a certain extent I kind of forgot about it and gave up. This year when I was geting ready to start the garden I figured I'd just use whatever was in the bin just to get rid of it and then dump the thing.

Lo and behold when I opened the bin after months of neglect.....dirt! I made dirt! I savored my creation in God-like awe. This was awesome, I barely had to do anything and I turned a bunch of what would have been garbage into thick, rich, planting soil. I spent all of today turning it into the Richard E. Simonich Memorial Vegertable Garden, adding some other organic fertilizer (I figured what the hell, you can't over fertilize can you?). I need to do a couple of sprinkler repairs, get the scarecrow back up and the bird repellers in the ground, but we're getting close.

The soil looks great and there's rain the forecast for the next few days which will work the nutrients down in the soil. I can't wait until it warms up to get the plants in the ground.

Farewell to Paradise

Okay, overstatement for dramatic effect, but still, I do feel a true sense of loss. This is the Playland at our Fred Meyer Grocery Store. Backstory....we upped our grocery budget about a year ago and started shopping at the Fred Meyer instead of the much cheaper Walmart because of the free childcare. Yes, FREE CHILDCARE. Now it's only while you shop and it's limited to an hour, but that hour became a lifesaver sometimes on the weekend.

Marisa would stop and get her Starbucks, I would get a Red Bull, we would drop the kids off and for an hour while we shopped, we could talk and enjoy some peace and quiet. Yes, I know, it's sad....but it was like "date night" in the middle of the day. We haven't been able to figure out why we feel the need to both go grocery shopping together, but we like it, even though is officially the least efficient way to get it done.

But, back to the sense of loss. The kids can only go into the Playland until they turn 6. The daycare ladies love our kids (not like we don't) so they have been letting Jake in for the past year, but said they would get in trouble if they let him once he turned 7, so he went shopping with us today. He doesn't like shopping and to be perfectly frank, I don't like taking him shopping, so we're gonna have to figure something out.....we need the groceries after all....

Hockey Night in Idaho

Sometimes (scratch that, A LOT of times), I feel like the scientific test monkey. You know the one, you've heard the anecdote, the monkey keeps punching the food bar but gets an electric shock each time. Eventually, the test monkey figures it out and stops punching the shocking food bar. I just keep punching it and keep on getting shocked because I apparently have no short term memory, and can't figure out the cause and effect. Anyway, the reason for this observation...

We took the kids out to the hockey game last night. Now I'm sure that you, as a resonable person, with a short term memory, are saying to yourself, "Boy the last few times they've done that the kids have been really crabby the next day", because we've written about it on multiple occasions. But we can't seem to remember (or have blocked it out). So we went out to the game anyway.

We were just supposed to take the boys and Faith was going to stay home with Cori. But Faith somehow got wind of this plan and was having none of it. She was crying and screaming, "No, I want to go". In a rare example of patient fathering, I sat her down and tried to get her to verbalize why she wanted to go. All she could say was that she wanted to sit at the game. I kept asking her and eventually she got up walked over to Marisa and cried, "I don't know what to say!". So at that point she was going with us.

The game itself was great as always. The Steelheads lost 1-0, but it was exciting and we had the best seats we've gotten so far. We got home at around 10:30 and just like that little monkey, boy are we paying for it today.

Baseball Paradise

We got back from AZ today after three days of sunshine, friends, baseball, margaritas, good food, and three nights of peaceful,uninterrupted sleep. We stayed the first night at the W Hotel in Scottsdale. It is a really modern hotel and definitely "too hip" for us (but it was really fun mocking the pretentiousness of the people around the pool (called, "Wet") and the pool bar (called "Shade"). That night we enjoyed what was quite possibly the smallest portion of food for dinner at a ridiculous price than we had ever experienced at Roku Sushi (in the hotel). 19 dollars for three scallops??? 7 dollars for two tempura shrimp? We felt like we were on candid camera. We actually went back to the room and ordered room service: french fries, dessert, and diet coke. (And I wonder why my treadmill workouts aren't working????) We had so much fun the first afternoon/evening just hanging out without the kids and laughing and talking while wandering the streets of Scottsdale in search of a drugstore (we forgot our sunscreen and 2 miles down the road we finally found a Walgreens) and hanging out drinking mojitos at "Wet".

The next day we met Sheila and Wayne downtown for the first of two baseball games. The weather couldn't have been any better. We even got to see Lincecum working out with Rigetti behind the ballpark before the game (that's him- ant-sized- in the above photo). It was so great to spend time with friends and catch up without herding the kids! No interruptions.... unheard of in our daily life!

The best part may have been that while we were in baseball paradise, the kids were being spoiled by Grandma Mary, Auntie Sue, and Nana. I don't think Jake and Tanner missed us at all! They played countless games of Uno and Old Maid and Go Fish and had Movie Night and sleepover night (complete with new jammies, of course!). The relationship the kids have with their Grandmas and Auntie Sue is so great. I love watching them together. It makes me so happy to see how much they adore my kids and how much my kids adore them.

We came back on Sunday to dinner having been prepared and weekly grocery shopping already done. There was a "Welcome Back Mom and Dad" sign that the kids created and handmade bookmarks for each of us.

We had an amazing time in Arizona and having time alone was wonderful, but there's nothing like going away to remind yourself how much you love being home.

Leprechauns and Birthdays

Tanner came home from preschool on Tuesday before St. Patrick's Day on fire about the leprechauns that had apparently paid a visit to his school while he was at recess. The green little people had caused chaos in the classroom, tipping things over and messing up tabletops. They left behind gold coins and chocolate for the kids, but all escaped before Tanner could meet any of them. He was so excited about the leprechaun's visit.

Then Jake came home that and leprechaun mania continued. He told us all about how he had built a leprechaun trap at school- he showed us how it is done (using bits of candies as bait instead of Lucky Charms- even though, according to his teacher, Lucky Charms are really the leprechaun's favorite treat!). He set up his trap and checked it many times prior to bedtime, even asking us to make sure it was still working before we went to bed that night.

After he was asleep Brian and I drew little leprechaun footprints on the trap, bit parts of the candy off, and tipped over the plastic cup (the trap). When the boys awoke they were very surprised and excited to see that the trap had almost worked and figured that the leprechaun must be hiding somewhere in the house. A search ensued until it was time to leave for school and I reminded them how difficult it is to catch a leprechaun and suggested that perhaps he/she was long gone until next year. Jake insisted on bringing his trap (and partially eaten candy) to school to show his teacher. Very fun.

Birthday celebration continued for Jake that evening. Auntie Sue had arrived on Tuesday so we did his family b'day on St. Paddy's Day night. There were card games with prizes (thanks, Auntie Sue!), his favorite dinner (sugar ham, peas, cheesy rice), and ice cream for dessert. He opened presents from all of us. Tanner had decided to give him the paper plate octopus he had made at preschool that day. He had me wrap it all up for him to present to Jake. Bless Jake's heart.... when he opened it he feigned great excitement and gave Tanner a big hug and a sincere "thank you" as if it was exactly what he wanted.

Happy 7th Birthday (for real this time) Jake!

Jake's 7th B-Day Party

Jake's actual birthday is a few days off still, but his party was today. He invited a bunch of his buddies from school and sports teams and said he wanted to have a sports birthday party. He wanted to play basketball, football and baseball, which we were fine with as we didn't really have any other better ideas.

Well imagine our surprise when we woke up to 3" of snow this morning. Luckily, the streets stayed clear and we were able to have the party still. The boys decorated their own team "jerseys" and then we moved up to Tanner and Jake's hoop in their room for the first event of the day, "The Jake's 7th Birthday 2 on 2 Basketball Tournament". We split up into teams and played three games of the first to three. Jake's team came in first. Then it was downstairs for pizza. The sun came up and it warmed up to a balmy 35 degrees.

After pizza it was three on three flag football in the street out in front of our house (the grass was soaked from the snow). Jake, Jonus and James v. Tyler, Ryan and Sean with Jackson (the 2nd grader) as full time QB. Tanner and I were the ref's. He had a flag for penalties and I belw the whistle to clear the field when a car came through. We played for the better part of the hour and I was frozen solid by the time we went inside.

Jake wanted donuts instead of birthday cake (what kid doesn't like cake?), so after donuts and juice they boys went up for a free throw shooting free for all. Then back out into the freezing cold for a final game of three flies you're up.

Jake had a great time. He ended up getting two footballs, a football mouthgaurd, a foot ball board game and some nerf guns from all his friends. It was a good party and pretty low key all the way around. He did great in all the games, there was no showboating, no fits and he did really well playing will all his buddies.

We just got the email from the Little League Coach (not me woo hoo!), letting us know the season starts April 10th. Marisa and I head for Arizona this week for a little Spring Training Giants break without the kids (woo hoo again!), daylight savings time starts tonight, so even with the snow, we can't have much longer to go until spring.

Faith Turns 3

She has been anxiously awaiting what she calls her "happy birthday" for many weeks. In stores she would point at things and tell us, "I want to get that for my happy birthday!".

She wanted a Dora cake and asked to ride a pony. Those were her only requests, so I figured we could make that work. I made the cake myself- for those of you who know me well, you know that I am not Martha

Stewart and generally just buy the cakes for my kids, but this was something I figured I could do well enough to please a 3 year old. It turned out really cute! Nothing fancy for sure, but cute nonetheless.

Grandma Mary arrived the day before her birthday, then on Saturday we went to the Merc for

breakfast where she was treated royally by the people that work there. We came home to open presents and she fell in love with her Dora dolls, Angelina Ballerina doll/book, dollhouse, pink Leapster, and pretty spring dresses. Tanner got her Dora ponytail holders and Jake got her a My Little Pony. She threw off the wrapping paper with a flourish and played with each item before opening the next.

After nap we headed next door to the barn. Just up the road from us, past the apple orchard, a family opened a horse stable last week. They are offering lessons and summer camps, so I called to see if they could do a pony ride for a three year old and they were more than happy to oblige. We weren't expecting much more than what you get at the pumpkin patch: an older pony attached to a lead that walks in circles for a few minutes. What we got, however, was so much more.

They greeted her at the barn with a Tinkerbell balloon and cupcake, then let her pet and feed the

big horses in the stable. The people that ran the place were so kind and knew just how to work with Faith. They fitted her with a helmet and took her out to the corral for the ride. They put her on the horse and she sat there looking so comfortable- just like she had been doing it forever. They had her do different tricks- holding out her arms to the side, having the horse walk over poles on the ground, etc... She followed all of their directions to the T and took the experience very seriously! After the ride she brushed the horse and gave it a treat.

It was such a great day for all of us. Nana and Grandma Mary and the boys, Brian and I all watched her in awe. I think that riding lessons are in our future!

Brian took her out for a father/daughter dinner to the place of her choice (McDonalds, of course) and to end the day we watched "The Little Mermaid" together. She was beat and ready for bed after such an exciting day.

I know, I know, I know I say this all the time, but WHERE DOES THE TIME GO? It was only yesterday that we had the shock of our lives when that little pink line appeared 10 days after picking up our lives, quitting our jobs, and moving to Idaho. We could never have anticipated then the joy that this little girl would bring to us and to our family. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. Happy Birthday, Faith!

Jake's New 'Do

At Fred Meyer yesterday Jake announced that he wanted to get his hair cut short enough to "spike and put in a mohawk". Let me tell you how fast I had him in that barber chair! He was looking so shaggy and I wanted to see his sweet face again instead of that surly teenage mop in the eyes. He told the stylist what he wanted and watched nervously as the hair collected at this feet. It is shaved to 1/2 inch on the sides, and long on top so he can spike it, wear it in a "faux hawk" or lay it flat. Of course the mohawk is his favorite style and first thing this morning he had the gel out perfecting the look.

Tanner's New Shoes

Tanner has a bad habit of leaving his shoes wherever he happens to be when he takes them off: the middle of the kitchen, at the foot of the toilet, on the couch..... you get the idea. We reminded him and cajoled him to put them where they go- in the basket by the door- but he simply did not do it on his own without us forcing him to. Then, last week,we were at the shoe store buying shoes for Jake (who is growing out of things faster than we can buy them) and Tanner found a pair of "tie shoes" that he really wanted. So we made a deal: We would buy the shoes but he was not going to be allowed to wear them until he put his shoes away ON HIS OWN for 7 days.

I guess our middle child is really motivated by footwear because that's all it took. He came home from the shoe store and immediately asked me to make a chart that showed 7 days so he could cross off each day that he put his shoes in the right basket. Without fail that week he came home, took his shoes off, put them in the basket, and then crossed off the appropriate day of the week on the chart, always telling us how many days he had left until he could have his new shoes. He was so excited on Saturday when he woke up and was allowed to wear his new shoes. He was so proud of himself that we just had to take this picture. Now he puts his shoes where they go everyday without being asked. Of course, he knows that if he leaves them out, he loses them for the day, so that might be part of the continued motivation!