My Blog

12-26-11

Happy Birthday Scott!

While Scott was dreaming the morning away...he got to sleep in...the boys were running around outside playing with their new nerf guns! They had a blast! But they couldn't wait for Scott to get up and play with them. They decided they'd be a team and gang up on him! Three against one was much better odds in their favor...smart kids! ;)  Later we had lunch and played with their iPods...we finally got those darn things up and running. After much torture on our part...we figured out that a credit card was needed for them to have their own iTunes account. Well, that wasn't going to happen! So they are all on my iTunes account now, so every time they want to download a "free" app, I have to input my password. I don't mind doing it at all...but I sure wish there was a way for them to get their own password without a credit card from iTunes. What a hassle!  Now we are making a birthday cake for dinner tonight to celebrate Scott's birthday...this place smells so good. He picked an Angel food cake. We decided to make them in ice cream cone's and then decorate them so everyone can have an ice cream cone cake with strawberries and ice cream. I hope they turn out. So below are some pictures of the boys playing this morning with their nerf guns...they had a blast! It was fun to watch them.

12-25-11

Merry Christmas!

Today was definitely a Christmas to remember. I had been up since 3:25am preparing for the day. I am always up early, but today was going to be a memorable day for many reasons. While my two guys were snuggled in their beds, I was making the dinner for that night, setting the table for 5, doing laundry and yes, even re organizing the linen cupboard. Why I added that to the list of chores to complete I will never know, but it suddenly became a item that had to get done. Sometimes I think of the craziest things that have to be completed at 4am. Anyway, it got done! At around 7am, I was hoping someone would wake up so we could open presents...I could hardly wait to see what Santa brought us. But that was not in the cards...at least not for a few more hours. Finally at 9am, the boys were up...by 10am they were dressed and ready to go. I could hardly stand it. I was handing out the gifts to everyone from under the tree before they even sat down. Tyler made out like a bandit. I told him he must have been a very good boy this year! Santa was very good to him! He has lots of toys to share with all his buddies! Scott made out too. I am not sure what his favorite gift was...but he was a pretty happy camper yesterday. I love my ear muffs. I was walking around with them on all day...I finally have warm ears. I also got a pretty bracelet from my mom and dad with a turtle on it that matches a necklace Scott got me in Hawaii on our honeymoon many years ago, so that was really cool. The reason he picked the turtle is because it meant a long healthy life. So far so good!  And I got a new wireless printer that I can use to print from my computer, iPad, iTouch, laptop...all of them! YEAH!! I can't wait to set it up.  After we opened all our gifts, we charged out of the house to go pick up the boys. So we got to have two Christmas'. We didn't get home till almost 6:30pm though...so it was a pretty long day for us in the car. Once we got home, we unloaded a few more gifts from the boys case manager...and of course they wanted to open their presents.  So we did.  I think they had a blast. Lots of ewes and ahs. Then the boys started unloading the trailer of all their stuff they brought down with them for the week while I got dinner on the table. Our Christmas dinner was spaghetti...boy did they love that. I was a little nervous because it was not your typical Christmas dinner, but they dug right in and gobbled it down. I have to admit, it was scrumptious! But, I could eat spaghetti anytime and for any meal! I love spaghetti!  And they all did too! So that was good! Then we all played in the living room...and boy did we play. Raymond and Tyler did Lego's most of  night and then Jacob and Tyler went back and forth on his computer and then Jacob wanted to get is iTouch working so we downloaded an iTunes account for him on a laptop that he is going to use till we can get him his own computer. Scott was working on his Kindle Fire and trying to get the PlayStation 3 going for Jacob in between the download of iTunes and playing on Tyler's computer. Then of course Otto wanted to be in the middle of all the action, so he was on the floor with Tyler, then Raymond, then Jacob, then over by Scott. He  roamed a lot. Everyone got along so well. It was just a great family night. Lots of action, talking, conversations going on here and there. And we played some of our favorite songs on my iTunes account over my computer...so it also got a little loud...but we had so much fun. Everyone likes some of the same songs...we all liked Taio Cruz' Dynamite song...and we like it LOUD! We also played a few Adele songs...Jacob thought it was funny that Scott sang along to her songs...but it was funny to watch Jacob  watch Scott. I was chuckling. Now...it's 10pm...time for lights out. I expect to be asleep within minutes...it has been a fun, but exhausting day. I can hardly wait for tomorrow...its Scott's birthday!  The boys are going to help me bake a cake for him!  This should be interesting! :)

12-23-11

Getting the rooms ready!

This is probably one of my favorite parts...getting their rooms ready for the move. Today I finished the bedrooms.  Tyler and Raymond are going to share a room and Jacob gets his own room. They are all very excited it worked out this way...so am I! Now I just have to get the rest of the house in order. That is the hard part! ;)

Tyler and Raymond's room

Jacob's room - I even made the valance for the curtains to match the bedspread!

12-21-11

The last day of school...this year anyway!

Tyler was so excited to wake up this morning!  Today was a fun day at school. It was "party city!" The Christmas Program was from 9-10:30am, then recess till 11am. Then a gift exchange till lunch. After lunch it was recess again. After lunch it was a party in the classroom...and then early release!  What a day!  As soon as he got in the car, he asked if he could stay up late tonight and sleep in tomorrow!  LOL!  Well, since Dad and I have a party tonight, yes, I said, you can stay up late and sleep in late, no problem! I am too! :)

Christmas Program - 5th grade singing "I'll be home for Christmas" & "Little St. Nick"

Christmas Program - 5th grade singing "Twelve Days of Christmas" with the whole school

Tyler at home with Otto in front of the Christmas Tree (we just finished putting it up)

12-19-11

A Christmas Party at Work!

The hotel had a party for the kids...and Santa was the hit of the show! Santa is always the hit of the show! He is so good with the kids! There was kid food ~ which they love, chicken nuggets, pizza, french fries, ketchup, cookies ~ I swear, a parent must plan the menu, they know how to do this up right! They had games for them to play and art work to make...it was a great night ~ but it was Santa who the kids came to see!

12-18-11

We're getting ready for the boys arrival!

We've updated the window on the family car! :)

12-17-11 pm

Christmas with family!

Last night we had dinner and Christmas with our family.  OMG, it was so much fun. We ate so much...it was so good! The kids were so excited...they couldn't wait to open their gifts from Nana and Paca. The adults could not eat fast enough for them. The house was so beautiful when we walked in, but boy was it a mess after we opened all our gifts. It looked like someone has robbed the place...wrapping paper everywhere, toys sprawled all over the place, dirty dishes on tables and counters. I think a good time was had by all!

12-17-11 afternoon

Christmas Lunch @ Michaels!

Today was a great day! We celebrated Christmas with all the foster families and it was so much fun. They had a great time.  Below is our first family picture together...the boys case manager, now the family photographer, did a great job! I was thrilled at how well the day turned out. I think Christmas is going to be really fun this year! :)

Earlier in the day...the boys had a picture with Santa...this one made me chuckle. Naughty, naughty!

12-17-11am

A busy morning!

Tyler and I got up very early this morning for an orthodontist appointment in Watsonville at 8am. OMG....we were so tired. But we had so much to get ready for today...we were so excited. Tyler got the best news of all when he got to the orthodontist...his braces come off on his birthday...March 10th!  He only had to wear them for a year...almost to the day. Then he will get retainers. We made the appointments today for the next 4 months. I can't believe how much his teeth have changed over the past year...they are beautiful! Things have certainly changed since I was a kid...I had braces for years and a head gear...man, he did not have to wear any of those things...not even rubber bands. He is one lucky dude! Anyway, then we raced home, and got dressed for our big day. Tyler was very excited about meeting Jacob and Raymond for the first time! He is very happy about having, not one, but two brothers! That's my big guy...he has one big heart...enough love for everyone!

12-16-11

Finals are over!

OMG...I am done done done! I made it...another semester bites the dust! Halleluiah! I am officially on school vacation until January 31st, 2012. Man it feels so good. I have already cleaned out all my notebooks and folders...put my books in the bookshelves and emptied my backpack. I am FREE!! After I walked out of my last class today, I went to TJ Maxx and got a new sweat suit with my birthday gift card I had left over...spent my last dime! :)  It was fun actually. Now I have to wait to see what grades I got...but I am not too worried...I think I did pretty good this semester.  It just seemed to take forever! Tomorrow I get to sleep in until 6am...instead of having to get up at 3am to studying....yahoo! ;)

12-11-11

It was such a good day!

We met the boys! It just seemed to go so well. They came right over and asked us lots of questions about our family book, who is who, what we were doing, told us where they'd like to go, what they like to do, showed us their toys, their family pictures, their rock collection and then took Scott to the park. They are great kids! I can't wait for Tyler to meet them...I think they are going to have a lot of fun together. Then Raymond gave me their pictures! They are so sweet. So, here are the boys...all three of them together, in age order (11, 10, and 9)!

Jacob                                        Tyler                                       Raymond

Next week we are all going to a Christmas party...and we get to see Santa! This was really a great weekend!  I think Christmas is going to be really good this year!

12-10-11

I was so anxious...

Today was the day....we met the grandparents of the two boys we will be fostering. Scott, Tyler and I drove to our destination, about 2 hours away...we were full of so many emotions. We were anxious, nervous, excited, but mainly we wanted them to know their grandsons would be taken care of everyday! We finally arrived...found the place...and there they were...all smiles. I was so relieved. They were as nice as could be. I could tell they were so proud of their boys and all they want is the best for them...and a place where they will be safe and able to grow up and just be kids! So, this part of the introductions was a great match...now we just have to meet the boys. That part is tomorrow. Scott is so excited...he got a list of questions the boys have...he can't wait to answer them. :)  So it was a great day!

12-7-11

Last day of classes!

I have been praying for this day to arrive all semester...I can't believe it's finally here!  Thank you, thank you, thank you. I made it. There were days that I didn't think I would...trust me! Now, just one more week...finals. I have 3 finals...they will kill me, I just know it. But once they are done...I am finished, well, for a month anyway! I am counting the seconds!

12-3-11

CPR

I had to get recertified in CPR today. It was such a fun class. There were so many great people in the class. I met many couples getting recertified too because they were foster parents and a few people were in teen programs. Wow, I was so impressed with their commitment. I would think that to be such a hard job. There was one guy who absolutely loved his job...the glow on his face told the story when he talked about the kids he helped. He had definitely found his calling in life. Those kids, whoever they may be, are definitely lucky to have him in their life. It was an absolutely fun day. The CPR instructor was great too...I couldn't believe how fast the class went by. Before I knew it, she said OK...you're free to go.  Your cards will be mailed to you in about  3 weeks. This time our certification is good for 2 years! Yippee!

12-1-11

What a day!

I encountered the nicest person today. She was truly a godsend! I called St. Louise Hospital to get some information on Type 1 Diabetes for a personal project I am working on. I received a call back from a nice lady who invited me to the hospital to teach me what she knew about Diabetes. The nice lady turned out to be Sister Rachela.  She spent 2 hours with me teaching me exactly what Type 1 Diabetes was, how is affects the body, gave me many handouts, a food pyramid, meals, exchanges, what to look for in hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, how to estimate portion sizes, how to read food labels, gave me a carb counting food list, snack ideas equal to 15 grams (which is 1 carb), goals for blood sugar control, sick day guidelines for diabetics, and lots of websites for me to check out too.  I just can't tell you how genuinely helpful Sister Rachela was. There was no hidden agenda, she truly wanted to help me. When I left, she gave me her office and cell phone numbers for future help. I telling you, I met an angel today!

11-28-11

Registered for school...

I had been waiting for today to arrive for weeks.  Finally, it was here.  I was up at 6am getting ready for the day just to make sure I was online at 8am to register. And like always, the school system was overloaded and we were all kicked off until 8:30am. Man, that is so depressing. You don't know what is going on from your computer and you keep trying to get online...only to be kicked off with a message saying to try again. It is so frustrating, but you keep trying. Then in between all that, I had to get Tyler to school by 8:10am. So I had to quit the computer task for a few minutes.  We walked out to the car, got everything loaded only to find out I had a dead battery. OMG...I was on overload....totally stressed. I needed a time out. After I counted to 10, I called Tyler's aid. She came by the house to pick up Tyler to take him to school on her way. Thank goodness for small miracles. After he was on his way, I came back into the house at around 8:25am...it took me a few more minutes to get back online, but finally got on the school website and got my classes.  This time I got all of them.  After this semester, I am taking an easy load. This past semester was one of the hardest and longest semesters of my life...12 units...this time I registered for 7 units.  12 units just about killed me.

11-24-11

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday Mom!

So, in 1942, following the US entering the war, the mobilization of war efforts were quick and effective with car makers and other manufacturers changing to production of weapons of war. The war also created a new breed of movies with war themes, and one of the most popular songs of all time "White Christmas" from Bing Crosby first appeared in the movie "Holiday Inn". The US sentiment towards Japanese following Pearl Harbor showed itself when 120,000 people of Japanese descent were sent internment camps. In late 1941 and early 1942 the war in the pacific was not going well with America losing Guam, Hong Kong, Wake, Singapore and the Philippines, but in late 1942 the US started to turn round the war with major offences at Midway and The Coral Sea. And meanwhile the allied forces in Europe invaded North Africa in November.

How Much things cost in 1942:
Average Cost of new house $3,770.00
Average wages per year $1,880.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 15 cents
Average Cost for house rent $35.00 per month
Bottle Coca Cola 5 cents
Average Price for a new car $920.00  

So there you have it, our history lesson today thanks to Mom's birthday!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Too! Gobble Gobble!

11-23-11

I look like the Godfather!

Today started out to be a great day. Tyler had off from school, so he came to my class with me at Gavilan. I brought my laptop so he could play games while I listened to the lecture in my management class. Then we went to the post office to mail our family book to the case manager in Napa. After that we went out to lunch before my dentist appointment. Then Scott met us at the dentist so he could sit with Tyler while I had my tooth pulled. The plan was for me to get my tooth pulled, then Scott had an appointment to get his crown finished and I'd take Tyler home and we'd all meet for dinner. Well, that was the plan. Let's just say only Scott and Tyler ate dinner last night.

Everything went fine until it was my turn. Above is the tooth I got pulled out...man did that hurt. Instant head ache. The pain lasted for hours. This is a picture of the back side.  It looks pretty nasty. Now I have a missing tooth. I have to wear a bridge for awhile then have an implant done down the road. I am not in any hurry. My smile is pretty nasty when I don't have the bridge in my mouth...I could pass for the godfather! ;)

11-20-11

Happy Birthday Dad B!

Today is Scott's Dad's birthday...I forgot which one...but it's 80 something. I was thinking about that the other day...80. Holy Toledo. That seems, well, like a lot to me. Then I started wondering what they did 80 years ago, so I did some digging. Dick and Jane books were published in 1931; young people danced to big bands; several commissions were set up to regulate Wall Street, the banking industry and other business enterprises; The Social Security Act of 1935; The Wagner Act of 1935; Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO); Presidents were H. Hoover and F. Roosevelt; Mount Rushmore Memorial was completed; The Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building and The Rockefeller Center were all completed in the 1930's; stamp collecting was a popular hobby; Monopoly was introduced by the Parker Brothers; horse racing and baseball were also popular. Radio reached its zenith popularity by this decade. 80% of the population owed radios sets. Pluto was discovered. So, there is our history lesson for today. Thank Dad for all the great info you learned today...see what one birthday can teach us!  Happy Birthday Dad!

11-19-11

A Day All Over Town...

Today Tyler and I were up at 6am.  He had an orthodontist appointment in Watsonville at 8am...so we had to leave a bit early this morning.  After that was over we drove all the way into San Jose to the mall.  We got some Christmas gifts for our favorite Nana and Gram. We had so much fun. We met a lady at the store who desperately wanted to clean my ring...I guess it looked pretty dirty. So, why not. Then Tyler asked her what the most expensive diamond was in the store. Well that got her going...she thought we were there to buy something really expensive. OMG...how was I going to get out of this one I kept thinking. I just watched them together. Sometimes it is just better to keep my mouth closed! She showed him the "Leo" diamond. She told him all about the cut, the clarity, the color, the weight...like what is a 10 year old going to do with this information? I just kept watching. Tyler was having a wonderful time. He had all kinds of questions. He decided he liked the princess cut better than the round cut, which I have to admit, I was quite partial to myself. :) Then when they were all done talking, she asked him if he was going to bring his dad into the store to buy his mom a Christmas present. Tyler looked at her...with a huge question mark on his face...and said, "What?" She asked again. He said, "I am not sure about that, but I will tell him everything I learned today." She said, "Let me give you my card so you can give it to your dad so when you come back, I can help you find a gift for your mom." Tyler said "OK...that is a good idea." I just smiled. I finally got my clean shiny ring back. We got our gifts...and Tyler also go two teddy bears. Every year this store sells them for the St. Jude children and we usually buy one, but this year we got two.  One for Tyler and one for his Secret Santa at school. Their names are Owen and Oliver. I am not sure which one he is keeping and which one he is giving away, but they are both so cute. Then we went to Target and got some new tennis shoes for him. Holy guacamole that kid is growing right before my eyes. At the beginning of the summer I got him new shoes, they were a size 4, then when school started, he was a 5, today we bought a size 6. After our shopping trip we went to the Mansion. Scott was MOD today, so we had lunch with him. It was a fun day. I didn't want it to end....because now we have to go home and start on HOMEWORK.  ugh!  Only 3 more weeks to go....then a week of finals.  Then FREEDOM!  I am looking forward to FREEDOM!!

11-18-11

A Whole Year....

In a few days it will be a year since we lost Charlie. I think about her often and all the joy she brought to our family. At least now we can smile and laugh at all the funny things she use to do. She was one crazy dog with a huge heart, and loved each of us in her own special way. She was never shy about letting us know how she felt about anything...even the first day we picked up at the SFO airport from Canada! She let us know immediately that she did not like the flight one bit...boy did that girl have a pair of lungs! She told us about the trip all the way back to San Jose. I promised her that day she'd never have to fly again. She loved to play hide and seek, loved to take baths, loved to snuggle, loved tomatoes (actually any food), very curious about anything new in the house, very sweet and gentle with Tyler from the day he came home from the hospital as a baby, slept in his bed most nights (unless she got caught), but most of all ~ Charlie loved Scott.  She was his girl!

11-12-11

Koi Everywhere!

Today we went to the 5th Annual 2011 ANA NorCal Koi Show in downtown San Jose. Koi are Japanese fish that can grow quite large and live for up to 30 years. The are very small when they are born, but grow rather large. They can weigh up to 30 pounds or more. They eat 1% of their body weight daily. So here are some pictures:

Our arrival at the show

Tyler with the first pool of Koi...lots of little Koi

Tyler checking out the Koi artwork

This was the biggest Koi on the lot....30 pounds of slimy flesh!

This was the most "evil" looking Koi according to Tyler...he looked like Darth Maul from Star Wars.

This yellow Koi was my favorite color...very bright! I wondered if she'd glow in the dark?

You can see the size difference...the baby is about a year old, the one in front is about 3 years old.

These were small Koi available for sale from some vendors...$18 each or a gonga deal of 7 for $100!

And finally, my two favorite guys in the world checking out the last pool of Koi.

11-11-11

Glasses for Tyler!

So today, Tyler got his new glasses! He was so excited! He looks so cute!

11-4-11

A Trip to Baskin Robins!

We took Tyler for ice cream today!  He got his favorite cookie dough with chocolate sprinkles 2 scoop treat for getting another 4.0 GPA this quarter at school!  We are really proud of him! He also had perfect attendance and zero tardies!

10-31-11

Happy Halloween!

Everyone got dressed up for Halloween today!  Scott went as an IT Manager (well, he always does - heh heh heh), Tyler was an Aikido Arts dude (just for school - they are not allowed to wear masks or carry weapons) and I went as a black kitty cat (yes, people thought I was a little strange on campus)! I forgot what it was like dressing up ~ I had a lot of fun actually! It was a lot more fun that night though when we took Tyler (dressed up as the Swap Monster) out to trick or treat with so many other kids dressed up. It was so spooky and fascinating to see so many creative costumes and decorations. It was great!  We had a wonderful time...not to mention we got some great candy...ok, we didn't, Tyler did! :)  But he shared! :)

10-09-2011

The science project is complete!

Tyler finished his science project today. We built a house. Then made satellites that circle the earth from a pair of paint brushes. They are suppose to represent the 37,000 satellites in the universe floating around out there.  After Tyler gives his report, one of the satellites will crash into the house we built representing that a satellite could fall from the atmosphere anywhere in the world...maybe even in your backyard.  The funny part is the characters he chose to represent the people in his house and where he put them.  We cut up an egg carton for our furniture...made a big screen TV, a sofa, a computer, some chairs, two beds and some foot tables.  He put mom in bed since I go to bed early at night, he put dad in front of the big screen TV since he likes he big screen TV and he put the son on his computer since Tyler loves his computer.  I was cracking up...funny how the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  He is one funny dude!  I hope he presents it well in class.  We have practiced the presentation a few times...and he has a riddle to end the presentation for the class.  The presentation is called "Lost in Space."  He is a little nervous...but I think he will do a good job.  Here are the aids to the presentation:

The house (note the furniture made out of an egg carton...lol)

The solar system in the universe

Tyler rotating the satellites around the earth (sort of)

10-07-2011

A Frightful Halloween!

Tyler is going as a Swamp Monster!  I sure would not want to meet him in a dark alley!

10-05-2011

The room is done!

We finally found a comforter for his bed and got it all put together.  It looks really cute in there now.

09-23-2011

The kid is a brainiac!

I'd like to say he get's it from me and I' m sure Scott would like to say he get's it from him, maybe it's a combination...but somehow we got a brainiac!  Tyler brought home straight A's again!  The first quarter of school is over and he nailed it.  He also wasn't late and didn't miss any school days...that is quite impressive too!  Scott and I are very proud of him.  There's going to be another trip to Baskin Robins in our future!  Scott and I get a single scoop, but Tyler gets a double scoop with all the trimmings!

09-11-2011

Happy Birthday Norma!

We all wish you the greatest day ever! Happy Birthday from all of us!  We love you, Scott, Trish & Tyler (Maggie, Lily & Otto too!)

09-10-2011

What a month!

OK...I know it's been a few weeks since I've posted, but it has been one of those months.  I started school August 31st thinking I had all my classes set...no drama.  Well, nothing was further from the truth.  My little guy got sick on the first day I returned to school...101 fever.  I got a call at school right after the nursing instructor finished stating we could only miss one class or we'd be kicked out of the program for the semester.  OMG...I was in a panic.  I knew what I had to do...I was just having trouble processing the outcome.  So off I had to go, I hurried to get Tyler from school.  We went to the store to get some medicine to break the fever and other meds to make his throat feel better and stop the cough.  I was thankful it was a three day weekend from school so he really had some time to get some rest and get better.  I didn't want him to miss anymore school than he had to either.  It took two solid days of bed rest before he started feeling better but really a good week before he was back to his normal self.  Thank goodness he is better though.  Anyway, once we got home, I was scrambling to find a different schedule of classes.  I had been registered all summer...and most of the classes were full already.  It took me a week of watching classes on the internet open up as students dropped...but I finally have a pretty good schedule now. In fact, this may be one of my better semesters after all.  I really like my instructors and the classes, while somewhat challenging, seem very interesting.  There are a lot of interesting discussions taking place already in my classes, which I like a lot.  So, I ended up with ECON 1 (Prin Macroeconomics - fun class), PSYC 27 (Contemp Leadership - fun class), CSIS 1 (Computer Literacy - easy class, this is my basket weaving class), CSIS 124 (Windows Fundamental - easy class, another basket weaving class), MGMT 104 (Leadership-Human Relations - fun class) and KIN 64 (PE - track - this one is going to kill me).  So I have a full semester...13 units.  It is my first full time semester, so we shall see what happens...last year I did 7 units each semester, but I was kind of bored...but I got straight A's.  I sure hope I can keep that up this time.  However, I have to run...the homework load is quite different...I already have 2 chapters to read in MGMT, 1 to read in ECON, and 2 to read in PSYC.  So my weekend is going to be spent in the library with my books and laptop.

08-17-2011

Tyler's first day back to school!

He's ready to go..."Bye Mom!"  He can't wait to see all his friends and find out what everyone did over the summer.  He has been counting down for the past 15 days...funny kid!

8-6-2011

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today we celebrated my birthday with family.  My mom flew in from Arizona.  She took me to an Italian restaurant that I have been dying to try which was really good.  I had a vegetarian spaghetti dish that was so good!  We were stuffed when we left there.  Later that day, after getting our nails done and doing a little shopping, we met the rest of the family at Scott's parents...wow, I was caught off guard.  My mom and dad gave me an emerald cut necklace and chain, Norma and Ken gave me a $50 gift card to TJ Maxx (I love that store) and a great dinner, my sister in law gave me a CD of Michael Buble' and some bath jel, my cousin in law gave me some honey bath jel, two of my sister's and their families each gave me a gift card to Amazon.com and then Scott  really shocked me. I knew he was getting me a stethoscope for school since I asked for one and needed it...a raspberry one is what I asked for...but what I didn't know is that he also got me a new computer!  Holy guacamole...yes, a new computer!  A dual core...Dell, Optiplex 755!  I was in heaven.  Nor more blue screen...yeah!  My old computer was good, but I would get a blue screen every so often...and it was old...I'd had it for almost 10 years.  It was a  Dell XPS...good, but this one is better, faster! :)  So...I guess having a major birthday wasn't so bad after all.  But like I said before, I'd still rather be turning 30 again...not 50!

7-12-11

Tyler's Room!

We got a new bed skirt and pillows today.  A lady made them...all the planets in the solar system.  Pretty cool!  It looks so cute.

6-24-11

The Kitchen is done!

06-21-11

The Kitchen is almost done!

Scott tiling the floor!

06-08-11

We finally got to go the pool today!

Tyler with his goggles on before jumping in the pool.  He is so funny!

06-06-2011

The Bathroom is done...

Thank goodness...that was a lot of work.  But it looks darn good if I don't say so myself!

06-04-2011

Progress is being made.

Seems to be taking forever...but it is coming along.  White takes so many coats.  Probably two more, then its done...thank goodness!  A small bathroom seems so big when you are painting it.

06-03-2011

Guess how we spent our first day of summer?

Tyler was the photographer!  Good eye...eh!

Otto just watched.

But progress is being made.

1/3 of the bathroom is done...only 2/3's to go.  I hope I make it!

06-02-2011

Gold Honor Roll!

Holy Toledo...he did it!  A perfect 4.0 for the whole second semester. Tyler is one smart dude!  We are so proud of him!  Quite a few of his 8th grade Circle of Friends also got Honor Roll too...so that was really cool for Tyler to see!  Way to go Chris and Connor!  They are the two tall guys in the Circle of Friends picture below...really great examples for Tyler!  Tyler will definitely miss them at school next year.

Tyler with his classmates at the awards ceremony in the gym at school.

This was right before Tyler's name was called for his award...he was reading "Greek Mythology."

Tyler with his honor roll certificate!

Tyler's best friend, Stephanie, got honor roll too!

05-26-2011

Circle of Friends!

The group of kids in Circle of Friends had their breakfast club party today.  It was a lot of fun for them.  Lots of laughs and eating!  I think they had a great year and did a lot of great things for many other kids. They should all be very proud of themselves!

05-25-2011

The Cake!

Tomorrow is Tyler's Circle of Friends party at school.  We picked up the cake today at the store.  It came out so cute.  They are having a breakfast party at school...everything will be in the shape of circles (cheerios, donuts and the caterpillar cake)!  I am sure they will all have a blast.  These are such a great group of kids.

05-21-2011pm

A new Colt!

We went over to visit with Tyler's horse back riding teacher.  She showed us their new colt.  His name is Maximus.  Boy is he cute.  He has legs like a deer and eyes like a fawn.  He is beautiful...and so graceful.  Tyler was in heaven and got to pet him and his mama, Red Cloud.  They are such beautiful animals.  Both were so gentle with him.

05-21-2011

Dog Days of Hollister

Today we went to Dunne Park to see some of the dogs in Hollister.  There were so many of them.  It was a lot of fun.  The best event we saw was the Monterey County Search and Rescue Dogs.  Tyler was a volunteer to be found by the rescue dogs. He got to hide in a tent and sure enough, they found him.  The funniest thing he said though was that those dogs jumped on him when they found him.  "They were a little rough."  Scott and I roared.  We told him it was like tag, first they were it, then they tagged him, now he was it.  Those dogs were so excited when they found him...and boy did they let their handlers know they did a good job!  It was fun to watch!  Some dogs worked for food, others for toys and some for praise.  There were German Shepherds, Poodles and Golden Retrievers.  I was really surprised by the Poodles.  They were not all fluffy air heads, they were regular looking hard working dogs that did a great job.  It was really fun to watch.  I love to watch dogs that really do and have a job.

05-16-2011

Our Anniversary!

It has been a wonderful 13 years.  Tyler helped me make a surprise cake for our anniversary.  It's a heart shaped German Chocolate cake for Scott.  We had a hard time keeping our fingers out of the icing though!  It was so good!

05-13-2011 afternoon edition

At the Baler Games!

Tyler did a great job!  He did the long jump and the javelin. Connor from Spring Grove, his buddy in Circle of Friends came to cheer him on too.  It was a great day.  Tyler had quite a cheering section this year ~ Mom and Dad, Ms. Liz, Ms. San Millan, Ms. Karen and Connor.

05-13-2011 mid morning edition

Baler games!

Tyler is already to go.  He is so excited.  We will have more pictures later...but he is ready for a good day of fun!

05-13-2011

Happy Birthday Otto!

Tyler sang Happy Birthday to Otto this morning.  He turned 2 today...on Friday, the 13th!

05-06-2011

The Cherry Tree is Growing!

Two pictures, side by side.  The first is this year, the second is last year when we planted it.  It's really growing...so is Tyler!  Wow...4 inches for Tyler in one year!!

05-04-2011

No photos

Thank goodness someone has not only some common sense but also some sense of dignity.  I just couldn't imagine seeing a picture of this man plastered on the front page of every news paper with a bullet hole in his head.  I can't even imagine the questions my 10 year old child would ask me and how I would answer them.

05-03-2011

An ounce of dignity?

I am alarmed at all the fuss over wanting to see a picture of a dead man, especially OBL.  Do we not have any dignity left in our world?  This is really a sad day for all of us...there doesn't seem to be a thread that connects us anymore to being a citizen of the USA.  Really, what has our world come too?  Demanding a picture of a dead terrorist is really disgusting.

05-01-2011 pm

"We've IDed Geronimo," said a disembodied voice

Those were the words received by the president when it was all over, Osama Bin Laden was dead.  I thought I would be delighted to hear those words...something I had waited to hear for a long time, my sons entire life practically.  I remember clearly the day, the hour, the moment our lives were changed forever by this horrible man.  My son was six months old, up for a feeding and I was watching the news. I saw the terror this man brought into our world in a matter of seconds. So when I heard he was dead, I was expecting to rejoice, but somehow it didn't quite happen like that. There is still raw, deep emotions at some level that is very real.  I know this is a day that many of our soldiers have fought and died for, and they deserve all the credit for finally getting this scum off the face of the earth.  But his death does not diminish or satisfy the emotions of so many horrible and violent acts.  I also am having a really difficult time seeing the tail gate parties on the news over his death.  I remember watching the people rejoice when Sadam Husain was captured and thinking how inhumane it was to dance and sing over his capture.  I use to think they were barbaric...are we barbaric too?

05-01-2011

An Indian Flea Market

Tyler and I found an Indian Flea Market in San Juan Bautista that looked like a lot of fun.  They had so much stuff to sale...lots of jewelry, rugs, t-shirts, musical instruments made from hand out of wood, spears, skulls, purses, and food.  They were suppose to have some Indian Fire Dancers and we waited for what seemed like hours for them, but it was just too hot to wait any longer.  After we looked through all of there items for sale, we high tailed it out of there...we were sweating to death.  The flea market was in a dirt area with no shade and it seemed like it was 100 degrees outside.  Below is a picture of Tyler in front of the first ever mobile homes...a tee pee. :) (That saying was on a t-shirt we saw at the flea market ~ pretty funny!)

04-30-2011

A Day In The Sky!

Our annual outing to Watsonville...another great event this year.  Every year A Day In The Sky is sponsored by many vendors for kids with special needs.  It is a day they get to see clowns, airplanes, jump in jump houses, eat cotton candy and pop corn, and they have a huge BBQ with all the fixings.  We saw some people we met last year, which was very nice!  It was a wonderful day...and a warm one too!  We actually had to wear sun screen!  Summer is definitely on the way! :)

04-24-2011

Happy Birthday Maggie!

My puppy is 13 today!  Scott gave me Maggie for my birthday just after we got married...she has been my shadow ever since.  We bonded instantly!  Everyone loves Maggie Poo!

04-23-2011

Another 4.0 GPA

We took Tyler out for ice cream to celebrate another perfect report card from school.  He got straight A's for the second time this year ~ we are very proud of him!

04-17-2011

Robot Games

OMG...we had such a blast today!  We piled in the car and picked up Tyler's friend Stephanie, then headed out to San Mateo.  They had the RogoGames at the fairgrounds.  We saw so many robots from all over the world.  This event is huge.  You can see all the stats at http://www.robogames.net for the past few years.  Scott and I really had a good time.  It was like robot boxing...different weight classes and man, once the ring was closed, boy did those robots cut loose.  I can't tell you how loud those machines of steel can get and how far they can throw sparks as well as each other.  It was a blast to see flames spewing out of 200 pounds of metal.  Each trying to engulf another robot or egg the other one into combat, then tossing it over the edge of the rail only to come back doing kart wheels of excitement to the middle of the arena because he just won his event .  There were so many really exciting robots, but my favorite was "Sewer Snake."  That robot didn't just compete, that robot put on a show for everyone!  We cheered, stomped our feet and clapped for more...it was one of the best events I've been to in a very long time!  I can hardly wait till next year! :)

04-02-2011

Back to San Francisco!

We went back to San Francisco for a day trip to Chili Pies and the Randall Museum again to show Scott our fascinating find.  The museum was a blast.  This time we got to see a Rose Snake eat a mouse and a Harris Hawk fly down to its trainer.  Once on the trainers hand, it ate a mouse too.  That part was pretty gross, but still fascinating to watch.  We also saw the most beautiful barn owl that must have been sleeping while we were there yesterday.  He was gorgeous!  However, Chili Pies was such a disappointment. I had read that had the best chili apple pie in the west. Well, if that was the best, I really feel sorry for who ever has the worst. That was the most horrific pie I have ever tasted in my life. We also had the regular apple pie, that was good and so was the vegetable pot pie and chicken pot pie, but the place is way over priced!  We spent a small fortune for lunch.  Well, like they say, you should try everything once....we did....we tried Chili Pies once.  We will probably never go back there again!  But I would definitely recommend the Randall Museum!!

Harris Hawk

04-01-2011

A trip to San Francisco!

Tyler and I did a field trip to the Randall Museum in San Francisco today.  It was a lot of fun!  We saw some really cool animals, including a beautiful Great Horned Owl and a very alert Harris Hawk.

03-31-2011

It was 82 degrees today!

Everything is blooming!

Our cherry tree is flowering!

Otto begging to be let out of the backyard!

Lily peeking out of the hole in the fence!

03-27-2011

Camera Shots

My guys posed for me so I could turn in my photo assignment tomorrow at school.  It was fun!

Establishing shot

Long shot

Mid shot

Close-up

Extreme Close-up

One shot (dirty)

One shot (clean)

Low angle

High angle

03-25-2011

We have two house guests!

Tyler brought two house guests home for a few days from school.  They are not allowed in the house, but have been perfectly well mannered house guests out in the sun room!  They will be staying for about 5 days.  Tyler has been very protective of them...see the notes below.  (He is so funny!!)

They are meal worms!

03-17-2011

The Science Project is complete!

We finally got to finish the science project....and the results were a little different than we had anticipated.  We guessed the square would melt first and the cylinder would be last, but we got the circle and the rectangle backwards.  But it was fun and I think Tyler enjoyed the steps of science project.  We both learned quite a bit.

And the winner was the...drum roll please....SQUARE!

03-13-2011

A family party!

We celebrated the cousins birthdays tonight...Jack turned 5 and Tyler turned 10.  It was a fun celebration.

03-12-2011

Tyler gets his braces!

03-11-2011

My bulbs are growing!

I planted the bulbs in February...and they are growing nicely!  I can't wait for them to bloom...they will be tall and have purple flowers! :)

03-10-2011

Happy Birthday to Tyler!

My baby is 10 years old today.  The beginning of the double digits!

His name on the school billboard...he was so excited!

03-09-2011

4.0 GPA

Today was our scheduled parent/teacher conference.  Tyler's teacher only had wonderful things to say...he is advanced in Math and Reading...and he got straight A's this time!  He has a 4.0 GPA...wow!!  We are so proud of him!

03-05-2011

Tyler's Birthday Party!

Tyler had a blast with his friends from school.  They jumped in a Jump Castle, played scoop the cotton balls, drop the clothes pins and cremated a Scobby Do piñata full of candy.  It was a fun day!

02-26-2011

OMG...it's snowing!

The weather forecaster said no snow for Hollister, we are too low.  Well, guess what..............IT'S SNOWING!!!

02-21-2011

Spring is on it's way!

At least I hope it is.  I planted lots of flowers yesterday in the garden.  It is shaping up around here!!

02-20-2011

One handsome dude!

We are just hanging out listening to my iTunes.

02-19-2011

A trip to Stanford Medical Center...

Today was such a cool day...we all had fun.  Tyler is part of a research project for kids with Autism.  He got to have a brain scan today.  While he was very excited when it was all over (it lasted about 2 hours), he said it was very loud.

Arriving at the Lucas Center at Stanford.  Tyler is all smiles...and a little nervous.

Tyler waves from the MRI area.

Tyler getting all hooked up for his scan.

Tyler getting fitted for the head straps on the MRI machine.

He is all hooked up, ready to go.

In he goes...for the next few hours.

Image #1 (from the top of the head)

Image #2 (from the side)

Image #3 (from the front)

02-14-2011

Happy Valentines Day!

My sweetie brought home a prime rib dinner with all the trimmings!  Even chocolate covered strawberries with one red rose!  Do I have a romantic guy or what?!?!? 

02-06-2011PM

Green Bay Packers are No. 1 !!!

What a game!  Aaron Rodgers was incredible.

02-06-2011

Super Bowl Sunday!

Go Green Bay!!

The first half of the game was so good...2 interceptions by Green Bay...with touch downs.  Man that was so exciting!

The half time show stinks.  The Black Eyed Peas are bad, really awful.  I sure hope the second half of the game is better than the half time show. 

The commercials are good...Bud has some great ones!  I love the wild west one...too funny!

01-30-2011

A heavy duty yucky cold...

We have not completed the science experiment yet.  Tyler has been sick since Thursday with a horrible cold.  It started with a sore throat and cough.  Then it was just a cough.  Now it is a horrible hacking cough with a super runny nose.  He looks like Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer right now.  I think we've emptied two boxes and gone through a bottle of cough syrup.  I have a feeling he will be home from school tomorrow too.  Poor little guy...it stinks being sick!

01-25-2011

A Science Experiment...

Tyler is preparing for his 4th grade science experiment.  He is testing to see if different shapes of ice cubes melt at the same rate when volume and temperature are the same.  Today he measured 1/2 C of water into 4 containers, a square, a rectangle, a circle and a cylinder.  They are now in the freezer.  This weekend he will do the work...the actual experiment.  What do you think his results will be?  Does it really matter what shape the ice cubes are if the volume and temperature are the same? Hmmmm....

01-17-2011

The carpet is removed....thank goodness!

Scott is taking out the carpet in the hallway and master bedroom.  Our house is 56 years old, and I think the carpet is that old too.  It is so bad.  We had a nice surprise...under that awful carpet is wood linoleum.  We have red oak wood to put down on the floors...and hopefully that will get done this year...but until then, at least we have something better than stained carpet!

The carpet is gone from the hallway!

Scott pulling up the carpet out of the master bedroom!

01-16-2011

Happy Birthday Dad!

The big 70...wow!  A big happy birthday to you!

01-14-2011

Awards Assembly!

Today at Tyler's school, awards were given out to the students who excelled in four areas: Perfect Attendance, Perfect 600 on the STAR Test, Summer Reading Program and Honor Roll.  It was such a great day!

Tyler gets 'perfect attendance' recognition with several class mates

Tyler's best friend, Stephanie makes 'Bronze Honor Roll'

Tyler with his 'Silver Honor Roll' certificate standing with his 4th grade class mates

01-09-2011

Such a sad day...

I just couldn't believe the news today...Arizona Congresswoman Giffords shot, a Federal Judge and 9 year old killed among 4 others.  My heart aches for their families.  I just can't believe the hatefulness of this crime.  I have been glued to the news, trying to figure out why this happened.  So far, all I have figured out is that there are some really good people, hero's actually, and there are some really troubled people in this world.

01-06-2011

A good day...

I got Tyler's report card in the mail today...two A+'s, one A and one B+.  He made Honor Roll too.  Plus no absences or tardies!  We are so proud of him.  He is one smart dude.  His grade point average is higher than mine, that little turkey.  He has a 3.75 GPA, mine is 3.66.  I guess I have some catching up to do!  Along with his report card, we got an invitation to attend an Assembly at school next week.  They will be handing out awards to kids who did well the first semester.  We are so excited to be able to go and let Tyler know how proud we are of his hard work and determination.  Yes, I am one proud mom!

01-02-2011

Stomach flu...

OMG...I was so sick.  It has been 35 hours since I've eaten anything and I think I am completely detoxed.  The worst part were the cramps in my tummy, man that was awful.

01-02-2011

The Banished List...

OMG...this is so funny, there is a list of words that are banished for 2011.  The list:

Sedona                Tyler's Poem            Blog 2008                Blog 2009                Blog 2010                Blog 2011               Blog 2012             email me