Basketball Season

Both Jack and Isabella began basketball season at the beginning of the month.

 Nate is coaching Jack's team this year, which he loves. We have some friends on the team also making it more fun. Both of their games are on Saturdays and overlap occasionally. The games are also in the afternoons, I like the early 8 am games, give me those any day. Bella is on a whole new team and didn't know anybody. There is such a big difference between the girls and the boys games. Jack's games are aggressive and there is a lot of ball stealing. When one of the girls loses control of the ball, they kind of politely let the other team take it. They are still learning and have a coach on the floor, it's just a funny contrast.

 Bella has been playing for three years now and really loves it. Sophie and Tessa tolerate the sport. They don't really watch, there is a lot of trying to get away and a lot of snacks. They do sit through a lot of games, so it's not surprising. 

The other night Sophie decided she wanted me to put curlers in her hair. I told her they weren't very comfortable to sleep on but she didn't care. She loved the curlers, but the next morning when I took them out she was mortified. She freaked out at all the curls, burst into tears and hopped in the shower. She thought she looked like I dog-not sure what dog she knows that has curly hair. Anyway, I don't think she will be wanting anything to do with curls again anytime soon. It was really funny and random.

On Sunday Jack wanted me to make him some cinnamon rolls. I have a awful cold going and declined but told him he could go ahead and make some himself. He did and they were decent for a first try. I look forward to him baking more often.

Also something that never happens, everyone sitting on the couch behaving and getting along.  Usually people are fighting over space and poking one another. The reason why they are all subdued and getting along-new episodes of "Good Luck Charlie", on Netflix. 

Since August we have.....

Been relieved of all fault.....

 Grew enough hair for pigtails....

Started gymnastics....

Had a birthday.....

 Went on a 9 year old trip to see...

Some Olympians.

Grew and shaved off quite the beard...

Tortured the children by taking them on a hay ride...

Halloweened...

 Won the championship!!!!

Practiced reverence...

Had a concert...

Built a snowman...

Made some cookies...

Lost some teeth, on Christmas Eve!!!

Had fun getting presents!

Here's to better blogging in 2013!

New Family Pics

 

 

Our friend Sanae came out in July and we were lucky enough to have some family pics taken by her.  She does an amazing job!  I have a lot of blogging I keep meaning to do but haven't done.  I think it may be better to sum it all up.  Isabella turned nine at the beginning of the summer and Tessa turned one three days later.  We then moved into our new house.  We got settled in then went to Oregon for a week to help my mom with a yard sale.  While we were gone Nate painted the garage floor.  We had two state baseball tournaments to attend in Salem in July.  I turned 35.  We had a few family BBQ's mixed in there and hope to have one more before it gets cold.  We went to Idaho Falls for Nate's 20th high school reunion.  Jack started football.  Then he started middle school.  Bella started fourth grade at a new school and loves it so far.  The little girls and I miss the big kids while they are gone.  That sums it all up so far. 

Baseball and Softball Season

May is such a crazy month for us.  It seems like it happens every year.  This year both Jack and Bella are playing baseball and  softball respectively and we spend our evenings at games and practices.  Bella played t-ball and coach pitch, but then took a year off, so it's kind of new again for her.  She plays all over in the infield and outfield but hasn't pitched or caught yet-not sure if she wants to.  Her league is really about learning how to play, they usually get in two innings in their allotted time.

                                  Doesn't she have the cutest stance.

Jack has been playing all over this year.  He has been catcher, pitcher, first, third and shortstop.  He is pretty speedy and athletic.  He really grasps the game and the play is pretty fast.  He has a lot of kids his age on his team, so they are a bit older in the 5th 6th grade league and play pretty well together.

                                Sadly this is my least crazy picture of Jack pitching. Need to do better.

The rub in all this is their games are on the same nights at pretty much the same times.  So Nate and I divide and conquer and go to opposite games.  We switch on and off.  I take Tessa with me and he takes Sophie.  What has really been great about this season so far is there have been no rain outs.  Rain outs=makeup games=season seems sooo long. 

On the house front, we are so close.  They were cleaning it today and the front door has been painted.  All they have left is the touch-ups.  We will hopefully be there in just over a week!

Spring Break 2012

The kids and I drove out to California to visit my grandma this year for spring break. Jack and Isabella hadn't been out since the summer of 2007.  Sophie and I flew out in March of 2010.  It was clearly time for a visit.

My cousin and her two kids got to stop by and visit, which was so fun, we hadn't met her kids before and they are so cute.

After they left we hid Easter eggs all over the front yard.  Now, my grandma has a lovely big garden-filled back yard which would be great for hunting Easter eggs, except for one thing-we discovered a snake in the back yard the night before.  We managed to see it three times, and while it was certainly frightened of us, no one really wanted to reach their hands into various bushes.

We hid the eggs again and again until everyone had a chance to hide them and find them.  We managed to find all of the hidden eggs-no small feat.  The weather was beautiful and I could have spent all day outside.

The next day the kids and I drove through Berkeley to go into San Francisco.  We went over the Bay Bridge where we encountered an really bad accident.  A small pickup had a run in with a van and the pickup lost and left it's innards over three lanes of traffic.  There were all sorts of people trying to pry open the drivers side door which was mashed shut and the passenger was clearly injured and on the ground on the other side of the pickup.  The accident must have just happened as no emergency assistance was there yet.  I tried to distract the kids from looking, but we moved by so slow.  After we passed the scene, we headed across the bay bridge, this bridge is the big one.

  It goes across to Treasure Island (man made) and then into the city.  We drove through San Francisco and to the Golden Gate Bridge.

  There is a vista point at the far side where we got out and walked over part of the bridge. 

 I had Tessa in the wrap, and I don't know if Sophie could have made it the whole way.  Then we headed over the Richmond bridge.  Sophie really wanted to choose where we ate and I thought maybe she would see somewhere we hadn't been before and pick that-but no, she chose Applebee's.

Tuesday we planned to go to Tilden Park to ride the carousel and see the little farm and such, but it was raining and when we got there everything was closed.  In a bit of desperation we called Nate and had him google and few things so we could decide on an activity.  We decided to go to the Exploratorium in San Francisco and headed back into the city.

  It is a museum of science and experience and the senses and all sorts of fun things.  The kids loved it.  I think all day wouldn't have been long enough to see and try out everything.  We stayed until it closed and then walked around back to the Palace of Fine Arts.

  Jack took about 400 pictures in our two days in the city-I will let him have the camera more often, I certainly don't take that many.

Everyone was getting hungry, so I drove down to Fisherman's Wharf and we got out to find somewhere to eat.  The kids were all for Subway or In-and-Out, but I vetoed on the basis of going somewhere we can't go here at home.  We ate at Boudin, a sourdough bakery.  It was really yummy, Jack and I are big fans of sourdough and could have eaten twice as much I am sure.  The girls shared a cheese pizza on sourdough crust and it was so yummy.  

We then walked down to Pier 39 and went out to see the sea lions laying on the docks. 

 It was a bit rainy, so no real crowds.  Their was a giant cruise ship in port and the kids were totally fascinated by how big it was.  We got some salt water taffy and cookies on the pier and bought a few t-shirts and headed back to the car.  We then headed over to Lombard Street.  We drove down it and then through the city before heading back to my grandma's house.

The next day we stayed around my grandma's.  I hemmed some pants for her and we talked and talked.  I love hearing all her stories and histories and anecdotes.  I think we stayed up past eleven every night talking.

  She has all sorts of stories about my dad and his childhood that are new each time I visit.  She has a lot of family history gathered and knows a lot about her ancestors.  I love visiting her and love taking the kids there.

  California at this time or year is so lush and green and I always wonder why I don't live there.  The kids played with toys I played with when I was small.  They were reluctant to wander around the backyard too much with the garter snake back there. 

 They played dominoes and found an old ping pong set and made up games.  Sophie loves Grandma Penny and snuggled her and played with all the dolls and stuffed animals she could find.  

We had to head home on Thursday and drove through snow in the Sierra Nevada's.  The whole drive home is one long day in the car.  We were all happy to see Nate and be in our own beds, but all want to go back soon.