The wind and the waves

I didn't want to break up our vacation into different posts but I think I'm going to have to. I'm so busy with... well life right now so better this than nothing....

So first things first... our drive out to California.... We flew my sister in to Tucson to come with us to help with the boys. And it was totally worth it!! Not only did we get to go out a couple times, but she also refereed in the back seat... and... cleaned up puke. We have a baby that gets car sick. We figured out though that as long as he has the air blowing on him he is fine {and no more Carl's Jr. in Quartsize, Arizona}

Can I tell you of the happiness that was going around once we arrived at the hotel. I really don't know who was the happiest to be out of the car after a 9 hour drive. We stayed at the Portofino. After some house keeping issues were taken care of.... {I'll let Eliza elaborate on that one} it was a pretty good place. There was a bunkbed and a pull out couch on one side, with doors that slid closed, and then a king bed on the other. It was nice to have some separation, and be able to put the boys to bed and not have to go ourselves.

After getting our things in we walked down to the open mall to find a restaurant. We walked around. And James walked thought the fountain, {yup you read that right.} Then we went out to dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory. We just got all the appetizers which was great and we found out that Tommy likes calamari.... I don't think he knew what he was eating... And of course there was cheese cake!!

The next day we took it easy and went to the beach. James was so excited to actually see it, and to touch it.... he was in heaven. I told him to go and feel the water and it he liked it he could put his bathing suit on and get wet. The wave had better ideas and James ended up in the water fully clothed. So rather than have clothing and a suit full of sand he just played in the water with his shorts on.

Eliza tried to help Tommy and Tim find sand crabs but there were non to be found.

Now Tommy does NOT like to get his face wet. So you can imagine the screams that came from Tommy when Steve picked him up and turned him upside down and let the waves get the top of his hair wet. Well again... the waves snuck up on them and neither saw it coming. Steve was holding Tommy upside down and here came the wave... Tommy's whole head ended up in the wave! I felt bad but it really was the funniest thing!!! And I think Tommy was to shocked to cry. instead he focused his energy on trying to spit the salt water and sand out of his mouth.

Tim loved to play in the sand and run away from the waves. He liked covering my feet in the hole that we dug. And having Eliza dig with him.

James just could not get enough of the ocean. He played in the waves and jumped around. It was so fun to watch. He like to squish it between his toes and watch the water wash it away.

But like all good things it had to end. And in every ending tears can be shed. And there was. Not because we were leaving...the boys were happy to go because they were tired and hungry. The tears feel because, in the words of James...."But mom... There is sand EVERYWHERE!! It's all over me and I don't like it" Then Tommy chimmed in... "It's all over me too! It won't come off"

Oh, the joys of the beach!

{I'm hoping that it won't take me 2 more weeks to get us to Disneyland... check back soon}

We're back!

I bet you all have been wondering where I've been. I'm so glad that I've been so missed!! We got back from our trip to Disney Land this evening. We made it safe and sound and only had the threaten the boys a dozen {or two} times that we would strap them to the top of car if they didn't stop torturing each other. I'll fill you all in after I down load my pictures, find my tooth brush, and put the bungee cords away....{hey, I don't make empty threats}

It was my first.

On Saturday was my first track meet as a coach. It was a lot of fun but pretty much everything that could go wrong did. I know there many that want to know what happen so I'll tell you.

We told the kids that the bus was going to leave the school at 7:00am. There we are bright and early on a Saturday morning ready to go to Douglas for a track meet... and there was no bus!!! Yup you read that right, no bus. So there are 5 coaches and 50 kids that are standing pretty much all perplexed as to why there was no bus. After many calls {a little swearing... not from me} and some yelling, we were able to get a bus... two and a half hours later!!! Come to find out that the bus request was put in but the secretary never followed through... boy, oh boy, I would hate to be her come Monday morning!

We finally get a bus, we round up the kids and get them on and off we go. I need to back up a couple years.... when I was running, both in Nevada and in Utah, when we got on the bus we could sit where ever we wanted on the bus. If I was sitting with a boy it really didn't matter. We all had a good time and there really wasn't any worry. Well here.... The boys sit in the back, and the girls up front. There is a coach in the back with the boys 3 in the middle and one up front. {when we take more kids we'll take 2 buses} I was sitting in the middle with a couple other coaches... all I have to say is WOW!!! The things that come out of the mouths of those boys is unbelievable!! I mean really... if there parents could hear what they say....

Anyway, back to the day. We finally get to the meet, an hour late!! We miss the coaches meeting so pretty much we are running around trying to get the kids to where they were suppose to be. We ended up missing 3 events. And because we were late we pretty much got off the bus and the kids jumped into events... literally! The girls got off the bus and put there shoes on and ran over to the high jump. And we had another who jumped right on to the track to do the hurdles. And then... took second over all!

We had a kid DQ'ed because he was wearing a wrist band. {I guess they covered that in the coaches meeting that we missed} I almost had an aneurysm when my fasted guy miler wasn't in the race... they ended up running two heats. {another thing we missed}

On the way home we had a girl that had a panic attack...or something like that. {She tends to be a bit exaturated} But that sure did add a bit of excitement to the evening. Oh, and by the way, teen age boys stink after track meets!

Over all though the kids did really well. One of our throwers {a sophomore} threw the discus 172.58 feet!! That beat the state record! It was amazing to watch him throw! And in the end, even with missing some events {that we would have definitely placed in} Both boys and girls came in 4th!!!

Before this I was happy, I really was. But I wasn't passionate about anything. I am about this. I love being out on the track. I love getting to know these kids and watching them grow. This is definitely something that I want to keep doing for a long time. And when I go back to school it's to get a bachelor's degree so I can teach, ultimately so I can coach, that is where my passion lies.

Kinder-Steps Dropout

It's official... I pulled James out of school.

Let me start at the beginning... For a while now James has not been wanting to go to school. And the other day we were sitting down just talking and he turned to me and said, "Mom, I really don't like school." We talked about it more and came to the point that he wanted to learn at home. I told him that he wouldn't see his teacher or his school friends any more, and he was ok with that. We talked that being at home didn't mean watching TV or playing all day, he would still have to do some school work and work really hard on his reading. He said ok. {I wanted to salvage some of the love of learning that he had when he started school} So on Thursday, I went and pulled him out of school.

I had really mixed feelings about it. I know I want to homeschool. But the pressure of society to make you think that you have no idea what your own child needs is strong. I think we so many just follow the crowd because it's easier. And the idea of having 6 hours free is very appealing. But I don't think my child would get the education that I want him to have. This will be a learning thing for me too, and I'm kinda scared, but excited too. James has been really interested in Galileo lately, and now we get to explore that.

We have officially entered into the realm of homeschooling....

The best part was that night when he said his prayers he said he was thankful not to go back to school. I don't know that I will ever truly know what happen to make him want to come home now, but I know I made the right choice for him.

He said what??

On Saturday, {after a really long day!!!} we decided to go out to Texas Roadhouse. The boys were really excited because we were going to "Texas" and they got really excited when we showed them the peanuts and how to shell them. {Fortunately there are no nut allergies in our family} We had to constantly remind Tim to NOT eat the peanut shells off the floor. We got our table and then our food and the boys did really good! They were really polite and well mannered.

The manager walked up to see if everything was alright... it was.... and then as she was walking away she flashed a smile at Tim and he pipes up and says "Hot-Diggity-Dog"

I mean really!!!