tidbits on tuesday

The past month seems to have flown by faster than usual.  We survived day light savings (brutal to lose that hour of sleep) but oh so nice to have the sun stick around a bit longer in the evening.

The kids made leprechaun traps but that tricky dicky eluded us again this year. 

We took a road trip up north to watch our cousin Tyler light up the court in UC Davis' final home basketball game of the year.

Davis is a cool town, we'll definitely have to head back up there...Go Aggies!

 

 

The kids are working hard in school and doing great!  Syd got a fabulous report card and Logan is getting to be a pro at writing those ABC's

 



Nathan celebrated his 36th birthday and will hopefully stop telling the kids "mom's older than him" quite so much.  He got a shiny new basketball and a t-shirt that he picked out all by himself. 

Hands off ladies...I saw him first!

 

Sydney's brownie scout troop has been hard at working selling girl scout cookies this past month...Syd sold over a 100 boxes (and mom only ate a handful of them)  She also had her pinewood derby and although she didn't have the fastest car...she may have had the best time in between races.

 

Mom surprised the kids with a play date at chuck-e-cheese.  Doesn't matter what kind of mood they're in before hand...chuck-e-cheese is bound to put a smile on their faces!  I hope its a long while before they out grow it!

of course hitting the jackpot always helps ;-)

With spring break right around the corner and a trip to Disney world on the horizon - April has the potential to be a pretty great month!

The City by the Bay...

One of the great perks of living where I do is access to one of the worlds greatest cities!  But sadly, we don't make it up to San Francisco nearly as often as we'd like to. So last weekend, we decided to take a very mini-vacation, load the kids in the car, and drive up to the City by the Bay.

First things first...we stopped in Redwood City to hit the Lobster Shack!  In a word...divine!

 

After lunch it was straight up to Golden Gate Park for some climbing time...

 

 

and carousal time...

 

 

and just good ol' hanging around time!

 

We went to out hotel...an old classic on Nob Hill. 

Had a mini spa in our room and practiced jumping on the bed.

 

 

We had a yummy dinner and delicious dessert after

 

 

The next day was full of cable car rides

 

And all the joys of the Ferry Building!

 

 

All in all a pretty great way to make a few memories!

 



 

Great to be 8

We spent the first weekend of February celebrating my daughters birthday.  I'm a big believer that your birthday celebration should extend beyond the actual day!

When I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday she was quick to answer...BOWLING!

When we were in Utah for holiday she went bowling for the first time with cousins and rocked her a three digit score. 

She has been itching to give it another go ever since!

So we invited a few friends and headed down to the BOWLMOR for some family fun!

Syd again showed her prowess on the neon lanes.  Striking fear into the hearts of pins everywhere.  And besting her mom...scoring 8 points higher than I did.

It was a great way to spend a birthday!

 

 

Especially when finished off with ice cream!

 



Happy Birthday Sweet Syd!

just a day at the beach

The kids had an extra day off of school after MLK. 

So say you're a mom, its January, and you want to have a fun day with the kids...where do you go?

If you're in Cali...you hit the beach!

 

First we drove up to the Tide Pools in Half Moon Bay to explore the creepy crawling critters

 

 

Then on to Montara Beach to build some castles and chase the waves.

 

 

I've lived in SLC, Boston, Colorado, Chicago, and Cali...I"ve loved each of these places for different reasons but anyway you stack them, its tough to beat beach weather in January ;-)

Q & A

Many of us have heard the saying that the average 4 year old asks at least 400 questions every day. 

I have a very curious 4 1/2 year old and an inquisitive 7 year old.  400 doesn't cover it!

The other night we were driving home from grandma's house in the snow so the drive took a little longer than usual.  With no drop down screen in the back seat to occupy their time, my kids began asking questions. 

Lots of them. 

The randomness of them made me laugh, so I started to jot them down...

Why does it snow?
Why do people live on the side of mountains?
What does deserted mean?
Where do elves come from?
Why is Sonic fast?
Why doesn't Jesus deliver presents with Santa?
Why is Darth Vader strong?
How do you make R2-D2?
Who was my great great great grandma?
Does Santa like cookies or candy canes more?
How big are squids?

Is heaven in outer space?

How far is the sun?

Do birds get cold in snow?

Why do dogs chase birds?

Can tigers swim?

How does Superman shoot laser from his eyes?

Why is water wet? (one of my favs)

Just to name a few... :D

And yes, (to pat myself on the back) I did have answers to most of the questions.  And the ones I didn't needed only a "why do you think so" response to get them to come up with their own creative ideas.

By the time we were done driving I realized that the drop down screen in our car back home needs to sit the bench a while - Q & A is so much more fun!

"Attaboy Clarence"...Name that Movie!

Our family had a great Christmas Day!  But, as often happens when we come to Utah, (and by often I mean every single time) my kids catch a cold.  So today was spent in PJ's.  Lounging around playing with toys and electronics alike.

And watching TV.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is watching Christmas movies.  Every year, It's a Wonderful Life tops my movies of choice but with young children, our family movie nights revolve around choices like Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman.  I can't wait to introduce my kids to George Bailey and Bedford Falls but if the black and white doesn't throw them, the lack of animation surely will.

So on this day after Christmas, we settle for Shrek Forever After. 

credit: Dreamworks.com

Now one of my greatest, useless, talents is naming movie quotes.  If I've seen it, I can probably quote it to you.  My high school job...working in a movie rental store, so I've seen more than my fair share.  What can I say, I'm an audio/visual learner.  And when it comes to some movies - namely 80's classics - my whole family can recite it for you start to finish!  So I come by it honest.

And despite my pediatrician's warnings that too much TV will rot my children's brains.  I'm convinced that there are powerful lessons that some movies can teach them.  Especially given the fact that they (along with most red blooded American children) will jump at the chance to watch the boob tube.

My niece, a young woman with brains that go beyond her years, is taking a class, "History through Cinema".  They use movies to highlight issues.  For example, they watched Remember the Titans and To Kill a Mockingbird to discuss segregation in America.  Kind of brilliant if you ask me.  Now before you roll your eyes, no, I"m not blind to the unavoidable historical inaccuracies that Hollywood throws into movies.  But if you choose carefully, there are great lessons for my kids to learn...enter Shrek Forever After.

Quick review...A classic tale of our hero, Shrek, who has forgotten the blessings in his life and wishes that instead of changing diapers and wiping noses, he could just go back to how life was before, when he was just a scary ogre. He gets his wish.  But, once aware of the hole his absence has left in the lives of the people he loves, he does everything he can to get his family and his old life back, recognizing that the secret to having it all, is realizing he already did.

credit: IMDB

Ah, savor the Capraesque quality!

No, really!  If you stop and think about it, It's a Wonderful Life has its footprints all over that story line.  If you haven't seen it stop reading, kick yourself, then go rent it tonight!

Far and away my favorite holiday movie of all time, It's a Wonderful Life has lessons for many a phase of life but probably not in the format my kids would appreciate, understand, or sit through at their age.  

credit: IMDB

But getting them to watch Shrek Forever After and its similar lessons, piece of cake!  

Which lessons you ask....

• Underdogs matter
• Your life matters, you can make a difference
• Stop to count your blessings
• In helping others, we help ourselves
• The essence of life is relationships

and perhaps most important of all...

• Perspective changes everything!

Will my children embrace and remember these lessons after watching one movie...probably not.  But like prayers and manners, it plants the seed.  And the more you nurture the seed, the stronger it grows.

Not to mention the fact that I love priceless reminders...the secret to having it all, is realizing I already do!

Quality over Quantity

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was only 272 words long and took just two minutes to deliver.

President Abraham Lincoln wasn't the main speaker in November 1863 at the opening of the Union cemetery at Gettysburg, where he gave his legendary Gettysburg Address. That honor went to Edward Everett, the most famous orator of the time, who spoke for nearly two hours.