MiltyLand

8th Grade Graduation

2009-06-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sean graduated from 8th Grade last Thursday. I. Can't. Even. Say (or type). The. Words. Without. Getting. Choked. Up.! Sean has become a very respectable young man before my very eyes. I couldn't be prouder of him. Best of luck in High School, Sean! We know that great things are ahead for you!

Okay, Sean is....let's say "vertically challenged". But, COME ON!!! Did he have to walk in with one of the tallest kids in the class!!?? You could hear the chuckles from the audience, but Sean took it all in stride with a smile on his face.

Where's Sean? Can you spot Sean in this picture? We had a hard time finding him, too! Look dead center in the photo & you can spot some red hair.

Sean & some of his friends. This little cute thing came running up & hugged Sean. Of course being the nosy mom, I said, "Excuse me, what was your name again? You look so pretty, can I get a picture of you & Sean?" This is Marissa. You might not be able to tell, but Sean's face turned as red as his hair.

Yep, that's a Kindle that he's holding. J-lo are you jealous? I sure am!!!

The weekend after was filled with 8th grade picnics, parties, three soccer games, and the start of High School Soccer Camp. Yes, Monday he went to his first High School activity! I wasn't allowed to take pictures at the camp. BUT...there's two more weeks of camp & I just may have to hide out in my car and snap a few photos. Love you, Sean!!!

Cherry Pickin'

2009-06-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Terri & Mike invited us to go Cherry Picking at a local orchard. It was only a 20 minute drive and we actually didn't have any plans, so off we went. Chris opted to stay at home & waved good-bye to us with the remote control in his hand as we headed out the door.

This is what we arrived to....

Trees BURSTING with cherries!!! I'm a California suburb girl, and I don't get out much, so the sight of these cherries were amazing to me. I walked around for ten minutes before picking a single cherry because they were too pretty to remove from the tree. I got over it & rushed to catch up with the boys. The kids really got into it. They'd pick a cherry and put it in the bucket. And then they'd pick a cherry and eat it. We ate so many cherries, we were feeling a little queasy at the end.

Terri, Brian & Mike

Sean was reaching for a dark cluster. The darker the cherry, the sweeter it is. Did I mention that I don't really like cherries. Cherry pie? Pass. Cherry cobbler? Pass. Don't get me wrong, I ate quite a few cherries on Sunday. They're better than the cherries at the grocery store, but they're nothing that I crave.

Terri & Sean (notice the cherry in his mouth)

Brian had a bucket, Sean had a bucket, & I had a bucket. Are you doing the math? Yep, I spent $25 on 9 pounds of cherries. Did I mention that I really don't enjoy cherries? Oh well, we did eat A LOT of cherries in the orchard. Once we were home, we gave several zip lock bags to friends & neighbors. We had a great time and when the peaches are ready, we plan on going back. Peaches? Yes!! I like those!

I Heart Faces - Silhouettes

2009-05-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Did you fall over? I know, it's been quite awhile since I've updated. But I saw this week's contest at I Heart Faces and I had to enter it. Check out all the other cool "Silhouettes" at

In keeping things real...I have to admit that I took this photo in silhouette completely by accident! This is from our trip to Hawaii (the Big Island). Hands down, this was the best vacation ever!!!

Spring Break Wrap-up

2009-04-13T16:50:00.001-07:00

Where did Spring Break go? It was over so fast (& we had 2 weeks off)! We didn't do anything spectacular, but we had a good time hanging out, running errands, being together, and all with NO HOMEWORK at the end of the day! I did have to work a few days, so maybe that's why it didn't feel like a "break".

Here's some of the things that we did......

We went to the movies.

We went kayaking. You can stop laughing now. Yes, I kayaked. It wasn't graceful, but I did it! I'm actually the proud owner of my very own kayak (thanks to a very generous Christmas present from Chris' parents - Thanks Chuck & Toni!)

Even Ginger got in on the act. She took turns riding with everyone, but she only laid down when she was on my kayak. Little does she know that out of the four of us, I'm the most likely one to fall in. Since that day, Toni bought Ginger her own doggy life-vest.

Brian went to the dentist for a filling, Sean got a hair cut, and then we met Aunt Terri at Chi Chi's for lunch.

We took a turn at bowling. Brian won all three games, Sean came in second and all I can say is "thank goodness for bumpers"!

We colored eggs at Dobbins house. She has a family tradition of dying eggs with flowers, onion skins, and tissue paper. The photo is blurry, but you can see the flower imprint. It's really a cool process. If I was more with it, I would have documented the process step by step. But.....I'll save it for next year.

We made cupcakes. Guess who licked the spoon after?

I was surprised that the boys still wanted to make sugar cookies. Most of the time, they cut out two shapes and then sneak away. This year they cut out two batches of cookie dough.

Easter celebration at my house. This is my nephew with the boys, coloring eggs.

Brian, can you breathe?

My nephews (J & R). If you're going on an egg hunt, you HAVE to wear bunny ears!

I guess we were busier than I thought. Happy Spring!

Birthday Club Girls

2009-03-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the famous Birthday Club Girls. We've been meeting every month (or every two months) for I believe over 13 years now. I started attending the dinners just after Sean was born. It started out as my mom's friends meeting for dinner every month and then the daughters started going and a tradition was born. Over the years we've seen each other go through ups & downs, engagements, marriages, babies, kids, family troubles and the passing of loved ones. These are the women I would call in a crisis and I know for a fact that they would swoop in, take charge, bring food and laughter and make everything all-right. We may not talk to each other every week, but we know that in a few weeks we'll be getting together for some laughs.

Last night we got together at Sisley's for some March cheer. Everyone wore some type of black clothing to mourn the passing of my "30's"!!

From the left: Jen P., Terri, Becky, Me, J-Lo, Bonnie P., Bonnie B., Phyllis
Front Row: Toni, Dobbin (not pictured - Krysty - we'll catch you next time)

Here's the scoop on each one:

Jen P. - She's expecting her FOURTH BOY in June! As expected, her life is crazy! We're afraid to ask if she's going to keep going until she get a girl. Can't wait to meet baby K in June.

Terri - The BEST sister in the world! She makes my day brighter just by hearing her voice.

Becky - Brand new mom to the cutest baby with the biggest cheeks (Sofia)! She's the "Queen" of her blog and for a sleep deprived woman she looks fabulous! I'm jealous that she looks this good after giving birth a couple of months ago.

J-Lo - Some of you might recognize her. She's Almost Famous. Yes, and she is that gorgeous in real life! Jen is also one of the craziest girls I know. Just when I think she can no longer shock me with her antics, she goes ahead & surpasses anything I've ever heard come out of her mouth. Last night this quote made me spit my drink out..."Stephan from Top Chef kinda makes my pee-pee tingle - in a good way"!

Bonnie P. - When you retire, you're life is supposed to slow down, right? Not according to Bonnie. She's the busiest person I know. She's also one of those people you meet and you feel like you've known them your entire life. She's fun, caring and has lived the most romantic love story that I've ever heard. It should be made into a Lifetime movie!

Bonnie B. - (a.k.a. Buckets - I don't even know why, but some people call her Buckets). She's J-lo & Becky's mom. Bonnie has traveled so much and has taken so many cruises, it's hard to keep track. She throws the best showers and cookie swaps and is a great hostess. Bonnie gave my mom a flowering tree when she had her heart surgery eight years ago. It's planted in my backyard and it's known as "the Grandma tree". Every year when it blooms, I think of my mom and Bonnie's family and I'm thankful that my mom made it through her surgery.

Phyllis - I've known Phyllis since I was 10 years old. She's old friends with my mom and I worked my very first job with Phyllis' mom, LaVerne. Phyllis is a hoot! She's always up for a card game, or a trip to Vegas. The best is playing Bingo with Phyllis. She can watch six bingo sheets, carry on a conversation, rip open pull tabs, and eat a sandwich all at the same time. She's amazing!

Toni - Toni is also a long time friend of my parents. She is one of the nicest people I know. She never seems to stress about anything and she has a peaceful, "zen-like" quality to her. She makes beautiful scrapbooks and can make gorgeous things out of junk (picture frames, furniture, etc.).

Dobbin - You can't help but fall in love with Dobbin. She is a positive, bubbly person that has an infectious laugh. She not afraid of anything and is always the life of the party! She doesn't sweat the small stuff and I wish that I could be more like her!

I'm honored to know each and every one of these ladies. We all have different personalities, but a common goal of trying to enjoy life while doing the best we can at holding it all together. Thanks, again girls for a fabulous dinner! See you next month.

High School???!!!

2009-03-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

I went to the High School Orientation meeting last night and I just sat there stunned and overwhelmed. I even got a little teary-eyed (for those of you who know me in real life - this is not surprising). Another mom asked me if I was okay and told me to "get a grip" (in a nice way) and then she started getting teary-eyed!

How can it be that this little red head will be starting 9th grade in the Fall? Where did the time go? Does he plan on attending UC or State? What is his career path? We were told, "two years of a language is required, but three years is recommended, which means you'd better put in for that third year." WHAT?? It seemed like yesterday he just learned to tie his shoes!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned to Chris that there was going to be a High School Orientation meeting that we needed to go to. His reply, "Why do we need to go? Who's going to be in High School?" At least I'm not the only one in denial.

Happy Birthday, Terri!!!!

2009-03-16T20:15:00.001-07:00

Today is a special day!!! Not only is it St. Patrick's Day, but......

It's My Sister's Birthday!!!!

Terri is one of my most favorite people in the world! Even if we weren't sisters, I'd like to think that we'd still be friends. She's one of those people that NEVER lets you down and ALWAYS knows the right thing to say. Whenever I'm having a bad day (week or month) all I have to do is give Terri a call and she gets me laughing. I always feel better just hearing her voice. AND...nobody knows you the way your siblings do. That one person has known you for your entire life, experienced the same things growing up, and is privy to actions and humiliating moments that your parents, or spouses will never know about!!!

Just to tell you what a nice sister she is....when I graduated from high school, Terri paid my way to Hawaii. Air-fare and condo accommodations for two weeks!!! There were seven people on the trip so it wasn't like she needed me to keep her company. Think about it...I was 18, Terri was 21. What 21 year old girl will save for an entire year to take her bratty (& I was) sister to Hawaii??!!! Did I mention at the time that she had two jobs? Yep, styling hair Tuesday through Saturday and working at the local Hallmark store on Sunday & Mondays.

That's the kind of person she is!

At the time, I just thought, "Oh My God - Bitchin - Like Totally" ( it WAS the 80's), NOW....as an adult, I realize how much she had to save up for and give up to give me that opportunity. Come to think of it...I really owe her one. We had a fabulous trip and memories to last a lifetime! I'll have to dig out the old photos to share.
Terri is also my biggest cheerleader. Whatever new venture I try, she's always tells me that I'd be great at it. Even when I'm convinced that my boys will be in therapy one day, she always tell me that I'm the best mom ever.

Terri is certainly a giver and she has tons of friends. She has been with us through life's ups & downs. And through it all, she was there lending a hand, lending an ear, sending a Hallmark card, and making us laugh! Terri has never asked for anything in return and only thinks of doing for others. Terri is a true friend to all that know her, but I'm the lucky one that gets to call her my sister.

I love you, Terri & Happy Birthday!!! May all of your birthday wishes come true!

Vegas, Baby!

2009-03-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

Chris whisked me away to Las Vegas for the weekend! Okay, it's been planned for months, but we were so excited to get away without the boys for an adult weekend! Thanks, Grandma Toni & Grandpa Chuck for watching the boys! We had a fabulous time!
We stayed at the New York, New York Casino. This is a picture of it (through the car windshield as we drove down the strip. We were in bumper to bumper traffic for 30 minutes, but as soon as I wanted to take a photo of our hotel, traffic sped up and this is the shot I got.

This is our hotel room. For $30 more a night, you can upgrade to a deluxe suite. We decided to go for it. This hotel room was bigger than our 1 bedroom condo we lived in when we first got married. It took 28 steps from the bed to the bathroom (yes, I counted). And I only tripped on the seat at the end of the bed four times before I committed it to memory that it was there.

Did I mention that the suite had a bathtub jacuzzi? This was the view from our room. We've never had a view of the strip before (it doesn't take much to make me happy). Friday night we gambled a bit, ate a late dinner and had some fruity drinks. We even got carded!! I thought it was because I just had a facial last week and my skin was looking luminous. Chris said it was because we're such dorks and we still don't know how to order drinks from the bar without acting like we're doing something that we shouldn't be doing. Whatever!! The bartender did look at our I.D.'s laughed and said, "OOOPS, Sorry"! I was totally stoked, though.

On Saturday, I got a massage (thanks, Terri & Mike). It was FAB-U-LOUS!!! Probably one of the best massages that I've ever had. Chris played poker in the Poker Room at the MGM. We met up for lunch, saw a movie, did some shopping, and then stopped at the Bellagio so that I could check out their atrium.

The atrium at the Bellagio is spectacular. They change it for every season (or holiday). A few tulips were blooming, but by next week, the place will be a blast of color! Below is a picture of a tulip bed that was in full bloom and it's one of my favorites.

We had a fancy dinner on Saturday night. I should have taken pictures (especially of the dessert), but I didn't want to look like more of a dork than I already am. I shouldn't have really cared because Vegas is full of some crazies. It's great people watching, which is one of my favorite things to do. We gambled some more, drank some more, and went to bed entirely too late! Thanks, Chris for a terrific weekend! Let's not wait too long before we go away again!

Snow!

2009-03-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

No! Not here in California, but in North Carolina. My sister-in-law emailed these pictures last week when they got 6 inches of snow!! They moved to North Carolina 4 years ago and all three of them (Charlie, Bambi & Paige) are California natives. Boy, were they surprised to wake up to this much snow in their front yard.

This is my niece, Paige. She's Chris' brothers' daughter. Isn't she gorgeous? She's 11 years old and I know that her parents want her to stay this way FOREVER! We don't get to see her very much, but her family does make the trek back to California twice a year (summer & Christmas). Every time I see her, it seems like she's grown 12 inches and she just gets prettier & prettier. She's the whole package..smart, athletic, funny & outgoing. Watch out, Charlie! You're going to have to scare a lot of boys away!

AYSO State Semi-Finals

2009-03-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, we spent the day in Bakersfield for the AYSO League Team State Semi-Finals (yep, it's a mouthful). We were up at 4:00 am and hit the road by 5. Brian's team had to arrive at the field by 7:00 am to check-in and be ready to play for their 8:00 game. Did I mention that this was just the first of three games that they had to play this day? It was a great day weather wise. Not too hot and not too cold. In fact, it was a little overcast and we all got our faces sunburned.

If you're into soccer, you should check out the soccer fields in Bakersfield. I know, your thinking Bakersfield? But seriously, the complex has 25 soccer fields!!! It's HUGE! Games are played from 8 am until 4 pm non-stop. Somehow, it all works out smoothly with games, traffic, parking, food stands, and restrooms. I'm not really into soccer besides that I like watching my boys play. After the eight years that my boys have been playing, I still don't know all the rules (like "off-sides"), but I was impressed with the fields in Bakersfield and in awe of the family and community support that all of these children have.

The team was a little nervous starting out. This is the big-time in AYSO standards. Brian played hard and was always where he should be. He plays mid-fielder, which means he's trying to move the ball forward to the strikers to make a goal, but when the other team has the ball, he has to run back and support the defenders. In short, the kid is constantly running back & forth. He has asthma, so I'm always a little anxious when he plays. He did great, but the team lost all three games. Oh well, everyone had a great day absorbed in soccer!

This is what he looked liked after the third game when I said, "Brian, turn this way and smile!". I got the death look. You'd think that the kid had been running all day or something. I always think it's hysterical when parents yell, "Run faster! First to the ball! Get your head in the game!" 99% of the parents on the side-lines (me included) couldn't run for 5 minutes, let alone for an hour and 10 minutes! I understand this and I try to just yell things like "good job and "way to hustle", but I just wanted a cute picture of him smiling. Whatever!

But he always has a smile for Grandma! This was taken after the third game (and 3 losses). Grandma Toni congratulated him on playing his best and he gave her a smile. Congratulations Brian on a great season! Now we only have practice two days a week instead of four. Yippeee!!!

I Heart Faces

2009-02-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

This week's theme is "Black & White". Click on over to I Heart Faces and check out all of the cool black & white photos.

How Cute Is My Blog?

2009-02-20T10:10:00.000-08:00

I know that there's still a week left in February, but I wanted to change the wallpaper on my blog and the next holiday is a BIG one!

March is a special month in my family. One, my family is Irish. Two, my birthday is in March. And three, my sister's birthday is also in March AND on St. Patrick's Day!!! Lots of reasons to celebrate! (Sidenote: doesn't Sean look like Terri?)

Actually, my mom went into labor with me during my sister's third birthday party. It was on a Saturday, a few days before her "real" birthday. Right in the middle of the party, my parents had to leave for the hospital. Tons of people at the house, presents still had to be open, and the candles still needed to be blown out on the cake. It was a good thing that my mom left when she did, because I was born a half hour later. Family & friends stayed and kept the party going, but I guess my sister was still a little upset. It took a few years for her to forgive me for ruining her party, but now she's my best friend! Every year we celebrate our birthdays together and every year we have shamrocks on our cake (or leprechauns, or rainbows & pots of gold).

Anyway, March is also a month of lots of rain, but towards the end of the month you can start to feel spring in the air. I'm so looking forward to Spring! Happy March (next week)!

Did You Watch It?

2009-02-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it. I'm a reality TV junkie. I've been trying to limit my TV viewing, but there's just one show (okay maybe a few) that I just can't give up. I love The Amazing Race! The new season started last night and I actually watched it "live" (as in not waiting for Tivo to record it so we can fast forward through the commercials).

If I wasn't such a big chicken, I'd send in an audition video. I love that these couples get to travel to places that they normally never would have AND THEN they get to do these amazing tasks that the average traveler would never think of doing. Last night, the teams traveled to Switzerland, bungy jumped off a dam, and then had to carry 200 lbs of cheese down a mountain. If you traveled to Switzerland, would you get to do that?

I love this show so much that my husband gave me the Travelocity Gnome two years ago as a one of my Christmas presents. Yep, this little guy sits in my front room by the window. I walk by him every morning and he just makes me smile. This picture was take during Christmas. I don't change his hat for every holiday, just during Christmas.

If you haven't had a chance to watch an episode, I highly recommend it.

Silly BOY!

2009-02-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

This is my SON, Sean. I entered this photo in the weekly contest at I Heart Faces. This week's theme is "Silly". Click on over and check out all of the "Silly" photos. They're sure to make you smile!

This photo was taken about three years ago. My mom was fed up with doing her hair everyday and was into her "wig phase". Sean looked at my mom and said, "Grandma, your hair looks longer and poofier than yesterday". She said, "Oh, it's just my new wig" and then proceeded to whip it off her head and throw it in the air! The boys thought that this was the funniest and coolest thing ever. I guess they never knew anyone that actually wore a wig, let alone someone that would whip it off in a mili-second.

Sean asked to try it on. I took one look at him and thought, "oh my God! He looks like my sister"! I had to get a picture. This is what a girl of mine would look like. The picture is silly, but just thinking about the look on my boys face when their Grandma took off her "hair" makes me smile.

And, YES! I did ask Sean for his permission before I posted this.

My First Award!

2009-02-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

My friend, J-lo at Almost Famous, bestowed this award to me. Jen was the person that inspired me to start my own blog. She was having such a good time with it, I just had to jump on board. Thanks, J-lo!

Here are the rules:

1. You must link back to the person you received the award from.

2. You have to nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!

I'm new to blogger land, although I have been known to lurk on a few pages for the past few months. I really don't follow a lot of blogs, except the ones that I have listed on my blog roll. Some of these folks have already received the award, but I'm going to give them the same award anyway, just for fun.

The "When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade" award goes to:

** Chris at Miltyslot because he's my biggest cheerleader! He supports me in whatever I want to do; no exceptions whatsoever. Now, I'd like to say that I'm the inspiration for his blog. When I started my blog, Chris had lots of ideas ("Kath, you should do this..., or "make your blog look like that"). I so nicely (okay, harshly) suggested that he start his own blog and do whatever he wanted on it! Thus, Miltyslot was born with its first and only entry. Thanks, hon' for putting up with me for 18 years!

** Life with Kaishon - because she seems like such a nice, loving person and mother. I don't know a whole lot about her, but the kids on her pages looks SO HAPPY! She also got me hooked on the I Heart Faces site. It's a website for all levels of photographers to enter their favorite face photos. It's a lot of fun to look at all the creative beautiful photos. Check it out.

**Mitzi at The Mandel 5. I know J-lo already honored you with this award, but I thought that you deserved two! When you think that your life is busy and you just can't fit another thing in...read Mitzi's blog! She is Wonder Woman! I don't know how she packs it all in. Just reading about one of her adventurous days makes me tired. Also, I want to be her when I grow up. She takes the most beautiful photos! I don't know what it is, but she seems to capture the child's personality in every photo. If I could take a photo half as good as Mitzi, I would be one happy girl!

**Jason at The Jason Show. For no other reason other than he makes me laugh! He also seems like the sort of person that you could tell your deepest darkest secrets to and he would never judge.

I just have to get my sister to start a blog. Now, she is FUNNY!!!!!! How 'bout it, Ter?

Ketchup Wars

2009-02-08T15:24:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, Chris, Brian & I were at Chili’s for lunch. Brian was in a pouty mood because he doesn’t like Chili’s. It’s not my favorite either, but it was convenient while we were running around doing errands. Well, Brian was sitting there and his mood was getting worse and worse. Chris in an attempt to be funny, aims the ketchup bottle at Brian and says (jokingly), “Dude, snap out of your mood, or I’ll squirt this ketchup all over you”. Brian gives the big eye roll (I have no idea where he learned that one from). Then Chris squeezed the ketchup bottle thinking that just a little dribble would drop on the table and thus making Brian laugh. Have you ever noticed how much pressure is really in a full squeezable bottle of ketchup? Let me tell you…a forceful stream of ketchup blasted Brian in the chest all the way across the table. Chris starts busting up, Brian instantly has tears in his eyes, I (at first) started to laugh until I heard someone say, “That dad just shot ketchup all over his kid!!”, then I was mortified that other people saw! I then tried to clean up Brian (of course he was wearing his favorite WHITE shirt); then I turned on Chris and said, “what the hell is wrong with you!!”. At this point he's laughing so hard that he can’t even speak. I grab Brian’s hand and flee for the car. Once Chris composed himself, he apologized to Brian and said that Brian can get him back at any time with no repercussions. It took Brian a few hours to get over the incident and then he started plotting with his brother as to when would be the best time to get Chris back. Life returned to normal.

Flash forward two weeks, we’re having hamburgers at home and actually eating at the dinner table like a picture perfect family (ha!). Chris had a rough day, a sore throat, and he was in a pissy mood (shocking, I know!). During dinner, Brian raises the bottle of ketchup and looks at me and raises his eyebrows (translation: Can I get Dad back now, or are you going to get mad at me if I do?) I mouthed back to him, “later”. Usually when I say “maybe”, or “later” to my kids, I really have no intention of allowing them to do what they asked. I just don’t want to deal with the situation right then and usually the kids forget and don’t ask again (Yes, I know! My kids will be in therapy when they’re 30!).

Well, “later” to Brian this time was when we were clearing the dishes. He turned from the refrigerator with the ketchup bottle in hand, took aim, and shot Chris with ketchup in the chest.

Brian took one look at Chris’ face and bolted out of the kitchen screaming, “Dad you said I could get you back!” I grabbed my camera, shot a few pictures, looked at Chris’ face and then I bolted out of the kitchen! Chris started laughing and immediately started plotting his revenge.

I have to say that Brian had more ketchup on his shirt than Chris did. So in all fairness, Brian deserves another shot. Next time, make sure that the ketchup bottle is full, okay Bri? And make sure that you have your running shoes on.

Big-Eyed Bri

2009-02-04T16:00:00.001-08:00

I Love Faces

2009-02-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

We're Going to Bakersfield!!!!

2009-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Brian, your soccer team just won the Section Regionals. Where are you going?

"We're Going to Bakersfield"!!!

Yesterday, Brian's soccer team won both of their games. These wins and the win from last week means that they are officially the Region's:

First Place U12 Boys Team!!!!

The boys played in the semi-finals in the pouring rain for their first game and won 4- 1. Then they played in the Championship game two hours later and won 5 -2. I didn't take any pictures because of the rain, but they were great games. Now the boys compete for the Southern California title in February in Bakersfield. After their win, the boys were screaming, "We're Going to Bakersfield!" (to the tune of "we're going to Disneyland!").

Because their coach was unable to be at their 2nd game, all the families got together tonight for a celebration pizza party. With 11 year old boys, there's always an excuse for pizza! The boys were awarded their 1st Place Medals. They were told to be serious (not by me) for the group shot. I prefer wild and crazy!

Brian with his coach. Congratulations, Brian!

Food, Food & More Food

2009-01-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about rainy days, but it always makes me anxious until I go out and stock up my pantry. I was born and raised in California, so I know that we're not going to be snowed in for days, unable to go to the grocery store to feed my family. I, alas, have this compulsive need when it rains to stockpile, bake, and make batches of food.

So, I baked my honey an Angel's Food Cake because it's his favorite and he's had a rough week. He had a piece before I had a chance to take a photo. To me, Angel Food Cake is neither a cake, nor a dessert. It's kind of like eating spongy air. But, to each his own.

Next, I baked Cream Cheese Brownies to take to a Poker Game we're going to tomorrow evening. Now, this is dessert!!

Then I decided to make Spaghetti & Meatballs with homemade sauce and homemade meatballs. Usually, we're in such a hurry, it's jar sauce for us and just add in a few herbs. But the sauce that I made today is the kind of sauce that needs to simmer for 4 hours and needs to be made with lots of love and patience (Are you hearing me familia? Code: love & patience = you'd better eat it and not complain! Asking for seconds will earn you extra points!).

Empty plates make me a happy girl!

My Sick Boy

2009-01-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

Sean woke up this morning at 5:30 with the stomach flu. Yuck! The poor thing just collapsed and passed out on the couch after the last trip to the bathroom. How sweet does he look when he’s sleeping?

As a mom, you hate to see your kids suffer. You rub their back as they stand over the toilet, offer tissues and sips of water, and hold them until the chills subside. Dads on the other hand , kiss their sons good-bye with the collar of their shirt pulled over their mouth and then run out of the house declaring, “I don’t want to get IT!”. In all fairness, Chris handles the situations involving blood.

History & Hope

2009-01-20T15:35:00.001-08:00

Yes, We Did!!!!! This is a new day filled with hope!

Hummingbird

2009-01-19T17:40:00.001-08:00

I have an affection for birds. There. I said it. Now, I don't want to be known as the crazy bird lady (cousin to the crazy cat lady), but I am fascinated by birds. Especially hummingbirds. I often find myself staring out my kitchen window just watching the hummingbirds dart back and forth between the feeders. They literally mesmerize me.

One of my photography goals is to capture "the perfect photo" of a hummingbird. I'm talking about National Geographic photo qualilty. This is not it! But I need to practice and this is one of my practice shots. I'm probably using the wrong lens (hint to Chris - hee hee!).

This picture was not Photoshopped. His head is actually this color of purple! He's a little blurry, but I put it in so that you can see his pretty colors.

One time my family was over for some occasion and my sister, Terri, looked out my kitchen window and screamed "A HUMMER! I LOVE HUMMERS!" Well, my husband spit his drink out (because he has the humor of a 14 year old boy) and now these birds are known around the house as "hummers". Chris giggles every time he hears it. Every. Single. Time.

Honor Society Induction

2009-01-15T19:59:00.001-08:00

Last night was the Induction Ceremony for the National Jr. Honor Society at the boys' school. I'm proud to say that both boys earned good enough grades to meet the qualifications (GPA 3.5 or higher). Now they just have to put in their 8 hours of Community Service. This was Brian's first year as a middle school student and HE DID IT!! How happy does he look?!

Brian posing for pictures with their principal, Mrs. E.

Sean has been in the Honor Society for two & a half years now. Pretty good for a kid that was close to being retained in the 2nd grade.

Grandma Toni came to show her support for the boys. If anyone knows how difficult Middle School can be, it's her. She was an Administrator for several years and has seen and heard it all! Afterward, we celebrated with ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

The Egg Experiment

2009-01-13T20:36:00.001-08:00

Hangin' Out in Sean's Room

2009-01-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

At least there's a book in his hand instead of a video game controller! Woo! Hoo! Actually, Sean's an avid reader and this is his favorite place to read (unless we have the fireplace going). To keep things real...he's also an avid video game player (he's 13 after all). There's just not a game system in his room.

Cookie Recipe

2009-01-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies - Ever! Recipe

After searching and searching, I think I finally found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe – ever! What makes these cookies taste so special? Cream cheese. Yep, these are not for the calorie counters, or the ones watching their fat intake. The cream cheese gives this cookie a smoother texture and a little hint of a “zing” that you can’t quite put your finger on.

Some people prefer a crispy cookie and some of us prefer a chewy cookie. These cookies are crispy on the edges and soft and gooey in the center. It’s the best of both worlds!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies - EVER

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup cream cheese

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 egg yolks

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 + 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 6 ounces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on low speed with an electric mixer. Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix on low until just combined.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add to butter mixture and mix by hand until combined. Portion heaping teaspoonfuls (or use a small ice-cream scoop) onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes. Lightly flatten cookies with finger. Rotate baking sheet and bake an additional 3 minutes.

Editors Note: I tend to make my cookies very big (hey, if you’re going to have a cookie; then HAVE A COOKIE!) I used the Pampered Chef medium scoop and it takes a bit longer to bake (about 14 minutes total).

Don’t skip the step of flattening the cookie half way through the baking time. Yes, it will make a difference.

Also, the original recipe called for brushing the cookie sheets with canola oil before placing the cookies on it. I tried this, but I don’t recommend it. The oil ran off my flat cookie sheets and made a mess of my oven (and the smoke alarm went off). I just use parchment paper, or a Sil-pat and they turn out just fine.

Soccer

2009-01-11T13:57:00.000-08:00

OOPS! I didn't post yesterday because we had a full day. Brian's soccer team played their first game in the area finals yesterday. His team won 4-1. WOOO! HOOO! He also had his team party yesterday where the boys were awarded with their trophies, pins and medals.

Here's Brian with his trophy. The soccer ball spins, which all the boys thought was very cool.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies - EVER!

2009-01-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Recipe will be posted this weekend!

Again?

2009-01-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

They're already sick of my blog.

Science Project

2009-01-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

Every Friday, Sean has a "10% Science Project" due. The kids have to come up with experiments (or reports) demonstrating the different standards of science (i.e. gravity, motion, chemical reaction, etc.). The kids can do anything they want: videos, posters, reports, models- it's all up to them. And you guessed it, it's worth 10% of their grade. For the most part, he's had fun doing these projects (except when it's 8:00 pm on Thursday night and he has no idea what to do). Thank God for the Internet (and Steve Spengler - Internet science dude).

This week he's demonstrating the chemical reaction vinegar has on an egg. The vinegar is supposed to "eat away" the hard shell so that all that's left is the thin membrane of the egg (kinda like a balloon). He plans on presenting the photos of the process and then bringing in the membrane to class. So, if I was asked to take photos of this experiment, I was going to use it on my blog (two birds with one stone).

Oh! I forgot. First, you have to "blow out" the inside of the egg.

This was harder than it seemed (and pretty gross).

The egg had to be submerged in the vinegar, but it kept floating. So, ingenious mother that I am...I let him use my French coffee press. Worked great. I'll let you know how it all turns out. It's supposed to take a few days.

Ginger Puppy

2009-01-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Actually, she' 14 years old and just really tiny.

Mourning Doves

2009-01-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

I found two Mourning Doves sitting on a post in my backyard. I snapped a few pictures before they flew away. This pair of doves have been visiting my backyard a couple times a week for the past year. At least, I think it's the same pair.

Helping Dad

2009-01-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

This is my older son, Sean. He's a good model - sometimes. Usually he's the one in the picture making faces, looking at everything but the camera, and displaying "rabbit ears" behind somebody's head. He was deeply concentrating on stripping the paint off of this antique slot machine, so he didn't know that I was taking his picture.

This is my hubby, Chris. Sean & Chris have been working on this slot machine for a few days now. What you see next to them is the "guts" of the slot machine. It's now working and pays off the correct amounts. Now they just have to paint the outside and remember how to put it all back together. Sean wanted to get back to work, so he humored me and posed for the photo.

My Favorite Model

2009-01-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

This is my son Brian. He's my favorite model - WHEN he's in a good mood. If he's not "feeling it", then all photos are a lost cause. Today, he was in "model mode" and he let me snap away.

I love those freckles!

365 Photo Challenge

2009-01-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

I've decided to try the "365 Photo Challenge"....taking at least one picture each day of 2009. In theory, I'll figure out how to work my camera and get over my technology fears in one swoop. Anyone else up for the challenge?

Happy New Year! This photo was taken at my in-laws house on New Years Day. They have beautiful oak trees around that are as old as time. A New Year and a new day!