Wacky Wednesday

Last night I met Linda and the girls (and Chris) for dinner at so not exciting Red Robin - the one picture is of Linda trying to 'hang out' but her hubby Chris took the pix too slow. They were all pretty tired from a weekend full of SHOPPING and chocolate bingeing (i would have thought the 'e' would be removed, but I saw it published in a magazine so the spelling must be correct!)

Today was 5th grade trip to the A's game, Mike got to go to that one lucky dog - but he desperately needed daddy/daughter time. Ian went on a 1st grade Train field trip, they didn't need me to drive either so I was shut out. I just took Lucas to therapy - it's killing me - I need to get him potty trained!!! I have 2 1/2 weeks until summer camp for him and he has to be toilet trained, so not working - I can't even bribe him - he doesn't get it. I think it's the whole speech delay thing, he doesn't get that I'm saying, "pee in the toilet and you can go to chuck e cheese!!!" no cause and effect reasoning!!! arughh!

Tonight was a little easier - Tball game and taco bar potluck - potlucks have been our main deal these last few weeks - 2 or 3 a week - I'm starting to go a little crazy from eating at the baseball field! Two more weeks......but yikes, it will be no more baseball but no more school!!!!

Memorial Day

It sure was "memorable". We did our annual bike to church for the Memorial Day Breakfast. The kids did great and we pulled little Lucas in the Burley that I bought 10 years ago used! It has gotten a ton of mileage on it!


We hung out during the day and it was relatively relaxing, more so than many other holidays. We went to our friends - The Ritter's for dinner it was a really nice bbq. There were about 10 other families - we had the most kids with 4, and surprisingly Lucas was the youngest kid there - but there was a large brood!

The night couldn't end without some drama though - Ian (with much angst and almost with mom losing her finger) finally lost his first tooth. He kept screaming and crying that it hurt and I kept telling him it had to come out, it was perpendicular to his gums when he pushed with his tongue! He lost his first bottom tooth, and I think tonight we're gonna try for #2!

(okay, someone tell me how to fix my pictures on this mac! what's with the sideways pictures!)

Blog photo

Tyler's Homecoming & Date night

Tyler came home on Friday and it was so nice to see her, she ran off the bus so fast I didn't even get her picture off the bus! I gave her a little disposable camera - she said she kissed a Banana Slug, I hope she took that picture! I'll get those developed one day - I have stack of those cameras!

It's good to have her home - she had a great time with all her friends - she got to bunk with most of her closest friends: Mary Alex, Julia, Paige, Ella, Sophia and Katie Rose- I think a couple more.... I love those girls! It's so nice because they are all genuninely nice girls, I know in other grades some girls can be catty or already starting the girl fights, but these girls aren't like that - I'm crossing my fingers it stays that way in middle school!

Saturday was busy - I got up early and did the mini tri training - the swim was really hard again for me, the lake is so cold it triggers my asthma - so I have to slow down and swim on my back. It is amazing because I can swim in the pool no problem, but in the lake I'm super slow, hopefully with more practice my lungs will adjust.

Saturday night we went to my beloved Giant's Baseball game. I love going to the ball game. Mike's friend has season tickets with 6th row seat we get to get every once in a while, it is by far one of my favorite dates. It was cold and they lost but it was so fun - Go Giants!!

Oh, and in the bottom of the 8th - Matt Morris threw the pitch and hit Torreabla, and it cleared the dugouts - Mike was so cute he said, "We're gonna be on TV!" so I took the pix, we watched the news - since there wasn't any real slugging they only did a short 3 second blurb, so alas, no TV time for us!

It's off to church!

Achoo!

It's really nice to live where we do, EXCEPT during allergy season!! I've been miserable lately - my son Ian and I have it the worst in the house - it's so hard to feel so tired and yucky all the time. We had a pretty busy week, here's my recap

Monday - Tyler off to camp, Chandler game
Tuesday - Pack Meeting
Wednesday - Ian game
Thursday - Meal Prep Group
Friday - Tyler home - rest!

I actually also went to the mall today with Linda and the babies - it was nice, there wasn't anything we "had" to buy so it was nice to just look and try on whatever. I also swam this morning - 1500 meters - I'm getting nervous about the Tri - but I'm sure I'll push through, I may be last, but I'll finish! I ran today too for 25 mins so that was good. I'm going to do 2 Sprint triathlons this month and I signed up for the Nike Half Marathon in October. There are a few other people in our ward that also do events so it's great to have buddies!

Tonight after meal prep group (we make meals to freeze and make later) we went to Chili's for appetizers, it was supposed to be dessert, but the Queso and chips and Southwest Egg rolls seemed yummier! It was fun - it was me, Linda, CeCe & Tamara - she is new to our ward and we're so glad she is here, now if Linda only moved to our side of town she would've been in our ward!! Atleast she is close enough!

Always looking for more group ideas so if you have a good one that you love please let me know (it's tough being enrichment counselor!)

I'm looking forward to getting my girl tomorrow, too much testosterone in the house for me.....

Another Day Another....

Today was kinda nice - I had to work at the club, but after when I picked up the kiddos Chandler got to go to is buddy Hunter's house and with Tyler away at camp I took Ian & Lucas to the park. It was really cute and I wish I had my camera - Ian is 6 and Lucas is 3 and Ian was a great sport because Lucas kept bossin' him around telling him when to go down slides, up slides, run around blah blah blah, and he didn't mind. It was just so beautiful a day too - and we didn't have piano, or baseball or dance or scouts, although we did have Pack Meeting this evening.

I still don't get the whole 11 year old scout thing, they stay in primary but they don't go to cubs, but they don't get to go to YM....??? With 3 boys I'll figure it out eventually - and where to put all those mom pins?? I need my own shirt or something to keep them all on!

Now Girl Scouts I get, I still have my daughter's troop that I've led since Daisy Scouts - we have 21 girls - not sure how many will stay next year as they move to middle school, but we'll see. Plus our girls also have Activity Days/YW, it's always double duty for girls!!!

Tomorrow is late day, we don't go to school until 9:30 wahoo! I have to run tomorrow though, I skipped Tri-training on Monday and I think I'll be paying for it! The first race is June 2nd!

Off on the Red Bus

Well today is a first for our family - Tyler is off for the week to Outdoor Ed...it's amazing how the kids grow so fast. We didn't get to do an outdoor camp when we were in 5th grade, altho' I'm not sure we'd want to go with too many people in Barnard White! Hmmm.

Tyler is so grown up, I don't know what I'd do without her all week. Even though she is at dance all the time she is always so great. She is smart and has such great friends! I hope she stays humble and sweet and that people see the good in her. I'm sure she has that mischieveous side - especially with her BFF's the Twins - but we're lucky they are in our ward!

Toes Toes Toes

My friend Michelle is having her 4th baby... actually right now probably!!! It's really Monday night, but last Friday my friends CeCe, Kim & I took her out to get pedicures! We had so much fun we definitely cannot wait until childbirth to do it again! (mine are the ones with the cute flowers!)

Back tracking

The other night was Back to school night - and I couldn't find those darn pictures, I think I've got 'em. Here's Ian & Mrs. Simpelo. Chandler & Mrs. Elliott. Tyler & Sophia & Mr. Maloney

Motley Crew

Who are all these hooligans??? This is actually of the kids last Sunday when we had Linda's family over for dinner - we got together again tonight too because we celebrated Bowen's birthday - we always get together for birthdays and with 10 kids & 4 adults it means a whole lot of celebratin'.

I finally found where my pictures were hiding, if I can just find it again later that will be the clincher! It was a nice weekend - I did my mini Triatholon practice - it was tough - the water was so cold!!! But I think in 2 weeks when I have to do the real one I will be okay. I thought I was actually going to drown during the swim portion - my coach gave me a wetsuit to try and it constricted my chest so hard I couldn't breathe, I swam on my back the whole way! But I had great friends that stayed with me just in case. So I'll try the Lake on another day...

1700

It was supposed to be 1700 meters not 1600!!! Yikes! When I got to the pool - did I forget to mention I signed up for Tri-Training? a few of my friends were there, but it was tough to swim after 2 weeks of carb-overload in Italy. There were only 5 of us there, so our coach got in and she said to practice "bumping", so I thought, okay - Bumper Swimming! I took it literally so she made me go with her, it was so hilarous! I was toatlly ramming her into the side lanes, cutting in front of her, we were both laughing so hard I thought we were going to drown!

We had Open House at the school today - Mike got home early from his business trip to the city (SF) which is only 45 mins away, but he stayed over night for 2 nights - but man it is tough going to 3 classrooms in an hour! Chandler's was the hardest, his class had a checklist for the kids to do with their parents, a whopping 29 items to look at!!! It's so funny to go to the different grades.

First Ian's 1st grade class, with all the cutesy artsy stuff hanging on the walls, ceiling, every surface is artwork. They have butterflies and pictures of the kids and STUFF everywhere. Then 2nd grade - I gave the preview - but they too are stacked to the Hilt, this teacher is known for writing, the kids have a Writer's Workshop, they published 3 books too that the kids wrote (one book with a short story from each kid, the other two are individual stories by the kids, their pick and a class pick) So Cool, but with that 29 item list we had to move......

Then it is on to 5th grade - plus a male teacher - they have a few art displays - and I mean few - they had their monster Scale Model project we worked on - some books, maps, but overall pretty institutionalized. Very fun night. Now it's off to make some popcorn I've been craving for the last 3 weeks and watch the Tivo'd AI - but I already know who was off'ed last night - really liked the top 3 though so I can't complain......it is my first season of AI so it is exciting!

I'll add pictures later....

I survived

Well I barely survived yesterday's windstorm. I forgot to even mention that I also had to make an airport run in the morning! Got all the kids off with their homework in hand. I will have to show the "project" Tyler had to do...but I can't figure out this stupid Mac computer. I put pictures on, but can't find them.... I need a Mac Genius apparently.


Tyler had to make a "scale model" of her bedroom - literally - it was a monster of a project. More later when I can figure out this computer! I'm off to go swim 1600 meters in the pool!!!

What day is it??

I have been back now for how many days? It seems like I never left. I started to blog at least 4 other times and never was able to send anything out! It has been crazy. So many things to do in the day. My headaches were starting to go away, but I noticed today they were starting to creep back.

And laundry, another creeping thing - it is crazy how it multiplies itself daily. My kids were really cute today - and my hubby didn't have to go into work until late so we cheated and had a very yummy lunch and In & Out Burger - I could feel my cholesterol levels increasing with each yummy bite!

Tomorrow will be a crazy day - not looking forward to it. Baseball game, in charge of the Potluck, so I have to make stuff, plus after school I have scouts - and no husband....Tyler has had a huge project which is due Thursday - she had to make a scale model of her bedroom, it's crazy!!

I need to go back to Italy!!!

The party's over....

Well, all great things must come to an end..... we go home tomorrow, what a great trip! It's time to plan the next one...

This is with the lady in Venice that made the one of a kind handbag I purchased!

Max's family - Irene and Beppe

On Murano Island just after our glass tour....

In the lobby of our new hotel in Venice

Genova

Today we went to Genoa, or as Italians say it Genova - it was our best weather day by far. We wish we could have gone to Cinque Terre but I will have to save that trip for when Mike comes with me.

Louise kept giving MaryLou the description of Genova as a Port City, then she'd say, "Like Oakland" and let me tell you, the first part of our walk, we definitely were walkin' Oaklanesque type streets!! Yikes!

It was a cute college area so tons of cute little fashionable chain smokin' young things running around the streets.


We did the touristy things, we let MaryLou ride a boat tour in the harbour, standing by the waves were enough to set my ongoing vertigo into full swing. I feel like I'm swaying right now just writing about it.

We ate lunch, found Cristofo Colombo's house he may have lived in, maybe not, wasn't born in but was this old building we think they just picked out because it was still standing, threw in a few pictures, put up some papers saying they certified the place, and some sewn garments they must have made 10 years ago to try to "resemble" what they might or might not have worn during Columbus' time!!!!! It was 4 Euro!! The squarefootage was about the size of my master bedroom - ha ha.




In the Duomo there they had a their own rendition of the Last Supper, so if for some reason we don't make it to the one in Milan, since we don't have tickets, we can still say we saw "A" Last Supper!! (sorry forgot to write down the artist)

During the downtime Louise gave me a tutorial on my camera so we kept taking lots of pictures of nothing but just to test the settings!!!

San Giacomo & Cuneo

We had a great weekend. The great thing about coming to Italy is seeing my friend and seeing her so happy. The even better part is seeing her with her family....and that they are Italian is an even better bonus! We got to go to Cuneo where Max grew up. Most tourists get to go to Florence or Rome (good thing I've already been to those!), but we get to go to where the locals eat and sleep. His family has a Mountain house which is in San Giacomo - about 1/2 hour from the triangle, plateau city of Cuneo. It was breathtaking up there, the house is beautiful and the mountains! It is about 45 mins from the French boarder, next time we'll be go into France! We are so lucky to see all of these places off the beaten path....

Here I am with Nonna Irene helping her make authentic Lasagna! No more ricotta or cottage cheese please!

A view of our mountain hike

Downtown Cuneo

Tomorrow we are off to Genoa! Ciao!

Venice

We had such a fabulous time in Venice - it is truly a beautiful city. Unfortunately the first rains of the year came on our first and last days there, but we did get to enjoy a wonderful middle day - the sights were fantastic, Piazza San Marco, the Rialto, Giovanni e Paolo Church, the Canale Grande, beautiful, can't wait to come back with Mike!



We had a really great hotel, Louise & Max had a great idea and recommended that we stay near the train station instead of dragging our luggage through town. We stayed at the Hotel Antiche Figure - our concierge looked like a European Richard Gere, but younger and cuter (just don't tell Mike) - Alessandro helped us find all kinds of great local things to see and eat. He even said MaryLou and I could have a job at the front desk if we wanted to stay in Venice.....