Apology to Jake

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I've had writer's block really bad for a few months. I don't know why, but I sat down to write a happy birthday post for Jake, and I just couldn't. So my sweet boy didn't get his birthday love letter. I have one amazing kid. I'm posting a few pictures from Jake's life. The cute baby pictures were taken before I went digital, so I don't have any earlier ones.

I love my boy, and I get excited watching him grow into the person he's supposed to become.

My wonderful hubby shared this with me, and I tried to post it several times to facebook, only to have it freeze up. I hope this works.

That Makes it All Better & The First Day of School

Let me see if I can set the scene for you. I was driving close to Old Town--that street that runs right in front of Big Lots & See's Candy--the one that's two lanes, but on a very narrow street. I'm in the right hand lane, when unexpectedly, I see something red in the corner of my eye. I turn my head to see a little red Nissan (?) sneaking up on my right side in the turning lane that DOESN'T EXIST--which the driver realizes abruptly as he nearly rear ends the car in front of me. I start cursing him nine kinds of idiot, my kids are joining in from the back seat. Suddenly, the driver side window slides down, and a very good looking Italian man, blows me a kiss in that pointer, tall one and thumb, three finger kiss that only a southern European man can pull off and not appear gay. I am woman enough to admit that this little gesture sure set me back on my heels. And, after I'd let him in, the light turned green and we drove away, I realized that makes it all better. I laughed so hard at my 30-something woman self. . .


My favorite commercial of all time is the one for Office Depot. The music starts "It's the most wonderful time of the year. . ." and you see a dad with an ecstatic smile on his face dancing down the aisle with several sullen kids stomping behind him--it cracks me up every time.

It was Porter's first day of school ever, and he was a champ. He walked into his classroom, sat down at his desk and was ready. Of course the rest of the class was sitting on the carpet for carpet time. . . Paul cried, I didn't. But when I came home all by myself for the first time in I don't know how long, I just about lost it.
































Jake's in forth grade and is an old hat at this entire first day of school thing--he even has the same teachers as last year, but he still said he was nervous for this year. I just wanted to hold them both and reassure them that it's going to be okay. School is important, but it's the learning you do in life that turns out to be the most important.

We've moved on to the second book in the Olympiad series. The Sea of Monsters--it is a fantastic book for 4th + graders. Lots of action and monsters and Percy Jackson is a great hero--as is his best friend Annabeth. These are great books.

Summer's Coming to a Close. . .

I'm really sad right now. I switched out my memory card on my camera en route to Sea World, and entrusted the card to my hubby. He put it (I thought) in his pocket when he dropped us off. That card had all of our photos from our grand summer adventure. We washed those pants (with the card supposedly in it) and I thought all those wonderful pictures were gone. Here's the irony though: I found that card in my car, put it into my pocket to take it upstairs to the computer--forgot about it--and my hubby washed those shorts. So I really did end up losing all those great pictures--and it's all Paul's fault!

Here's a little travelogue. The first full weekend in August we went to Flaming Gorge for a family reunion. We drove the entire way. We left Wednesday afternoon, stayed in Mesquite Wednesday night, and headed for Provo Thursday morning. (Note: if you ever stay in Mesquite, stay at the Casablanca--great rooms, very cheap prices, and it was much nicer than any of the other hotels in Mesquite.) We drove around Provo for a little while. I wanted to show my kids BYU, but we didn't get much of a chance. We did the Provo recreation center and their fabulous water slides. We stayed in Salt Lake City that night at a friends apartment--2 blocks up from temple square. We walked down and walked around temple square for a little while. The area has changed so much from when I went to school at BYU 15 years (?!)ago.


From there we headed to Flaming Gorge for camping with the family. We (San Diegans) were very worried about the heat, but we ended up having nearly perfect weather for the time we were there (aside from rain Saturday night, and really cool breezes when the sun went down). The site my sister picked ended up being perfect. It fit all the families that wanted to camp and then some. It had a great pavilion for cooking and eating together--and boy did we Morris's do that! It was so fun to see cousins that I haven't seen in ages. My uncles kids are absolutely prolific! I don't think one of his 6 kids has under 5 kids. I feel sorry for my parents--they got gypped in the grandkid department--but what we lack in quantity, we make up in personality!

We returned home Sunday. We stayed in Mesquite again, but this time at the Virgin Rivers Motel--skip it if you can! We took a little detour and went to stay with my friend Diana and her family. Her husband is stationed at 29 Palms. Paul was there about 15 years ago, and nothing is the same he says. Her husband took us over to Joshua Tree National Park and to an area called Hidden Valley--Porter said we should take some veggies so we could dip them. We climbed rocks for a hour or so and returned home for dinner. The weather was actually quite comfortable--hot, but dry. We had so much fun while we were there, it was difficult to leave. The Hidden Valley area looked like the set of an old Western movie--everything was so perfect.

When we returned, we hung out with my cousin and her family. This included a trip to Legoland, and several trips to the beach. Diana and her family came down for their last hurrah before school started for them, and we did Sea World with them. I also got a call from my college friend Kirstin and they were in town--and we did Sea World with them as well. Wooh! It was a crazy week, but sure fun.

















We did the Cabrillo Monument open house this past Tuesday. It is one of 2 days where they allow people to go all the way to the top of the lighthouse and look out. Its absolutely one of the best things to do in all of San Diego. (The next open day is November 15, 2009 btw). It was really windy on top of the tower as you can see from Jake and Porter's windblown look. . .



They have volunteers in full costume--Captain Israel and his wife, and they tell the story of the lighthouse. Porter has since been asking all sorts of questions, like how people in the old times got around, how they turned on the lights, and how they got water. I think that is a successful tour, if it got my 5 year old thinking about how tough it was in the "old days."


I got a great shot of a Coast Guard helicopter with (unbeknownst to me, a great shot of the Hotel Del).



















This was a long post, but a quick highlight of our summer activities. I just wanted to give some praise where it is due. Our Nintendo Wii broke shortly after Christmas this past year--and I tried all sorts of things to get it running. I finally broke down, and called Nintendo--Not only was I able to talk to a human person very quickly (no voicemail hell), I found out that our warranty had expired December 2 of 2008. But, for $85 which they discounted down to $50, I could send in our unit, have it fixed, and it would restart our warranty. I was told 10-14 working days. I got it back in less than a week, and we are up and running again. That kind of customer service is rare, and I didn't mind the $50--we didn't have to purchase a new one!

Anyway--it's time to get back in the pool. It's too darn hot right now--muggy as all get out. The pool is the only place to be--if you can't be in an air conditioned office.

Memorial Day Weekend photos

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Here's some great pictures from our Memorial Day camping trip out in the desert. James and Mary Ellen got a great RV a few months ago, so they had a great place to stay. Their po' relatives (us) brought a an air mattress and sleeping bags. Unfortunately, it was too windy to put the tent up, and in a strange twist of fate, James and Mary Ellen got ALL the kids in the RV, while Paul and I slept in relative peace in the back of James' truck. The only problem with that scenario was that our wonderful air mattress didn't hold air. I laid there most of the night, listening to the wind whip around the truck, and the air mattress slowly leaking air. I could feel myself ever so slowly get closer and closer to the ground. I was so sleepy the next day, but not too sleepy for some great pictures.

A Very Busy Fourth of July

My husband decided not to do our annual trip north to his hometown, Redding, this year. So for the first time since Jake was a baby, we were in town for the best 4th of July celebrations. In the morning, we had the annual Boy Scout breakfast fundraiser--my Dad does his famous sourdough waffles every year. Let me mention that he has had the starter culture for these waffles since my parents took their honeymoon in San Francisco in 1969. I don't know how he did it, but he persuaded a famous chef to give him a bit of his start--and he taught my Dad how to maintain it--which he has for going on 40 years! I read an interesting articles in the Journal of Food Science (yes there is one!) that sourdough cultures have 100s of organisms that make them up. They have a unique blend of yeasts and bacteria that give them their distinct flavors. There is a specific lactobacillis (sanfranciscan) that is unique to cultures in the San Francisco area. I'm sure that several other organisms have been added over the years and the several places my parents have lived, and now my Dad's start culture is completely unique. It makes waffles exactly the way I like them--sourdough tart, crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. They are more substantial than other waffles--I'm raxing whapsodic. . .

After breakfast was done (I was stuffed to the gills) we hurried to a birthday party for a friend's son. My friend Martha is from Mexico City, and she is a fantastic cook. She had a friend from Japan come make California rolls for the party in addition to the Mexican food Martha made. I love having such international friends--good eats from everywhere! Martha's homemade beans are some of the best I've ever tasted! The kids had a blast at the party--they played so hard they were sweating buckets. From there it was off to pick up my sister and her best friend and her best friend's hubby and to the pool in my complex. We swam for a few hours, then, back over to my mom's for dinner with family and friends. Dinner was a 2 fully-loaded table potluck feast.

When the sun went down, we walked down to the OB pier to watch the fireworks. It was the 30th anniversary this year. I remember when they first started doing 4th of July fireworks in OB, they were very small. Somewhere between that first year, and more recent history, a very interesting tradition sprung up. The famous, OB Marshmallow Melee! Now, generally people wait until the fireworks are over before unleashing, but this year, I was getting pelted almost from the start (it really sucks being a wide target!). Once the fireworks were over, it was ON! I haven't giggled so hard in a really long time. I was getting pelted left and right, but I was also pelting complete strangers. This is such lighthearted harmless fun--so OB in so many ways, I couldn't help but thinking that I absolutely love my neighborhood. Next year, we will join the Surfriders Foundation for the cleanup--there were marshmallows EVERYWHERE.









Some Evil Genius found these marshmallows that were fist size--and I must say, they actually sting a little when you get hit with them, but, not too bad. My sister and I definitely appreciated the thought put into these, and we'd really like to know where to get some for next year! Notice how marked up her shirt is in the picture--that's not a design, that's marshmallow dust!


























My son Porter kept finding the most gorgeous 20 somethings to play with. At first he started targeting a pretty girl with marshmallows and she laughingly was playing along. Then her very cute boyfriend got involved. It was so funny because they were taking it so easy on him, but, he'd wind up and throw the marshmallow at them with all he had. What he lacked in accuracy, he made up for in ferocity! They tossed marshmallows and wrestled for about 20 minutes. Next, he picked one of the cutest surfers on the beach. My sister definitely wanted in on the wrestling match!

The pictures don't do justice. It was such a fun night. Porter was so exhausted that he fell asleep in the tub as I was washing his hair. It was a little awkward pulling him out, he's getting so big now. But we got him all tucked in. I don't know if we'll be doing the Redding trip over the 4th anymore. . .







On a separate note, Jake, Porter and I are reading The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan. Jake likes it a lot so far--and he's even reading ahead of us--which is unusual for Jake. I struggle getting him to read--he really liked the Tales of Drippingfang Forest, but we haven't found anything that has really captured his imagination enough to read completely on his own. He's also liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid--he likes that blend of text and pictures. They definitely need more of these.

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Okay, another Smilebox post, but the reason I haven't been updating regularly is just that I've been so gosh darn busy! We had a great day at closing ceremonies. They do a great job every year for this, jumpy thing, dunktank, great food and good friends. The kids had a blast--I didn't see them just about the entire time, they were playing so hard! It was a glorious sunny day, and everyone had a great time.

On another note, I'm reading Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels. LOVE them! I'm anxiously waiting for my sister or brother to hook a sista up with books 6-9. I can't wait! The only problem is, I only have 3 left to finish the series (at least as many as she's written so far). I know I'm going to hate finishing the last one. My sister lent me the TrueBlood HBO series which was terrific too. I got my husband hooked on those--he's even wondering if we couldn't get HBO so we can watch season 2. I think we'll wait til my sister springs for season 2 on DVD so we can barrow them again.

Porter's first five years

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I can't believe my baby is five years old. I sure love this kid!

Hello from Disneyland!

Sheesh! It's been over a month since I've last posted. I know, too long.

Where to start? I've now hit my--what I'm calling my eternal birthday--because I've officially stopped counting. My sister convinced me to do Disneyland for the big day, and it was, bar none, my favorite birthday ever!

First, my dearest friend, after declining to accompany us, offered us the use of her mini-van--that was the best way to go! We had Looney Toones playing in the DVD player all the way up, and my kids, and my silly sister laughed the entire way up. When we got there, my sister jumps out to exchange vouchers for tickets, and by the time the rest of us parked and got to the front of the park, had put my mother in a wheelchair. My Mom's having problems with hip pointers and nerve pain that cause her feet to feel like they're on fire. So, for $12 additional to the free admission, we got to skip nearly all the lines for the rides. We managed to do all the major rides twice! We had a fantastic day. I kept telling my sister "I love the way your evil little mind works," every time we shaved off an hour wait. My poor mom had to suck up the pride, and put up with both me and Paul grunting as we pushed her up the slight inclines that don't seem too bad on foot, but when pushing a loaded wheel chair was akin to Mount Everest! I'll admit to a little dramatizing here, but it was too funny listening to my Mom swear she was going on a diet on Monday. We had lots of good laughs at her expense. My boys were absolute troopers. Porter got to go on all the rides but the Indian Jones ride. I couldn't believe he did Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain--no problem. Jake, we practically had to drag onto the ride. It scared him the last time. It wasn't too bad for him this time, but he took some convincing.

My brother and sister-in-law that live in Perris came for a little while, but their 7 mo. old daughter Bella scratched her eye as they were loading her in her car seat, and son, Jackson, was not feeling well. They came anyway, and it was so good to see them for my special day. I did get pictures of my sister and my mom, unfortunately, I can't post them. I got the funniest picture of them while we were on Autopia. I caught my sister just as she realized she was about to rear end us, which is forbidden on the ride. Her look of surprise is hilarious, but it also makes her look like she's got more chins than China. So I'm not posting it. I should also mention that she has one of me that is just as bad--it's not so much the number of chins, but the girth of said chins that makes the picture cringe-worthy. We're not publishing these pictures and calling it professional courtesy.

I'll put a plug in for my new favorite shoes here--I got Fitflops at Nordstrom's Rack, and, I was the only one at the end of the day who did not have sore feet. Also, as advertised, my rear was sore the next day because they give your glutes and hamstrings an extra work out. I love these shoes! They are completely worth the $40 I paid.

I'm reading a hilarious book right now. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett. I'm absolutely belly laughing while reading it. It's about and angel and a demon who are trying to prevent Armageddon because they rather like earth and mankind. I bet the writers laughed out loud while they were writing it. It is full of dry British humor and I love it!

Jake Moments

So, the other night, I'm heading upstairs to put some laundry away. Jake is just getting out of the shower; and as I'm walking up the stairs I hear him making his usual sound effects. He's incredibly good at making light saber noises, and can mimic that odd light saber on light saber noise from the movies. So I round the corner, and this is what I see. . .

He says, "Mom, I'm Toga Jedi Ninja."

Boys. . .

Opening Day and a Day Spent in the Hospital

It's been quite an eventful few days for me. Saturday was opening day for the boys baseball and t-ball season. We got the uniforms just before the ceremonies began.

Porter was so excited to have his first uniform of his very own. He's been wearing Jake's old uniforms for forever, so having his own is fantastic. His team is the "Grasshoppers." We've struggled to find things that actually fit. The belts are all ridiculously too big, so we didn't get one, as are the green socks. His wonderful coach bought the entire team long sleeve jerseys for underneath the uniform, but it reaches Porter's knees. It was too hot on Saturday (imagine me saying that in March!), but I'm sure it will come in handy in the future!

Jake got on the same team he was on last year--with the same coach! Coach Paul apologized and said he hoped it was okay--okay? The Redwings nearly took first last year. Plus, we didn't need to buy much. Jake was excited to have a bunch of friends he knew on his team again. We did run out right after opening ceremonies and before Jake's first game, to buy him the "athletic supporter" he was told to buy. Jake was so excited about this--he's actually been asking to wear it to school!

Jake played against his cousin Tyler and a friend Skyler for his first game. Jake's team won by a single point--it was a very close and exciting game. Coach Paul is such an easy going guy, he really does a great job with the boys. It has been really fun watching Jake progress.

Now onto my adventure at the hospital. I was home playing with my son, niece and Porter's "shock brother," Chase on Monday morning. My sis-in-law had picked up my niece when my Grandpa calls and asks, "Are you busy?" Well, I've still got the 2 boys, but, something about the way he was asking made me say "Of course not. What's up?" Well, his heartbeat is doing that funny thing again, and he thinks he should probably head to the hospital. I agree! The last time this happened, my husband took him at about 3 in the morning, and they had to "reboot" him. Stop and restart his heart with paddles. I called Diana to come get the boys, she was there in a few minutes. (I'm so glad I have friends and family I can call and just ask to come get them!) At 11:30, I went to get Grandpa--visions of those paddles floating through my mind! When I got to his house, I loaded him up and we headed off. I let him off at the front entrance then went to park. I called my hubby to let him know where I was, and headed in to find Grandpa. Surprisingly, he wasn't admitted right away. I guess if he's there under his own power, even with heart problems, he doesn't get to the front of the line. We waited for about 10-15 minutes then got called back. The admitting nurse was cute. She saw the Grandpa was 90 and still sharp and active, and she asked if she could set him up with her mother--I told her my Grandma would probably have something to say about that! She turned around and said "I forgot you were there!" His heart rate was hovering around 160 bpm which is what I shoot for when I'm doing heavy cardio, so they got him a bed. The doctor diagnosed atrial fibrillation which isn't as serious as ventral fibrillation, but still pretty scary. They slowed his heart rate down with medication, but they were worried about blood clotting. So they've given him anti clotting medication which he'll have to take for the rest of his life.

We were pretty much done by 2:30, and that's where this gets frustrating. So, all we need is a check out consult with a nurse. The duty nurse called her, and she came down and started in on walkers, and driving, then started noticing that Grandpa doesn't have a walker and is still pretty independent. She goes out to yell at the duty nurse for having her give the wrong consult, at which point I intervene and say he needs an exit consult because he has to have the anti-clotting injection for the next week. She's supposed to tell us how it's done. She storms off saying something about getting the right paperwork, and we never see her again. The duty nurse goes back and does more paper work for us, and an hour later, he comes back. So it's now close to four, Diana had said she would pick up Jake if she hadn't heard from me--which was a good thing because they block cell phone reception in there--so I'm not too worried about my kids--but we should have been able to leave at least an hour ago, and it's frustrating to watch how ineptly handled this all seems to be. Thank heavens I brought a book--I finished a 400+ page novel in the time it took to calm down my Grandpa's heart rate and administer a single dose of cumadin.

Thankfully, my Mother showed up. When Paul couldn't reach me on my cell phone, he started calling the entire family. Mom figured out where I was, if not why I was there, and she came to relieve me. It was really only a matter of waiting for the medicine to be made up by the pharmacy, and to actually checkout. I was going to wait because I was worried something would get missed if I didn't stay. Mom reassured me, and I went and got my kids, picked up my husband and dinner, and spent the rest of the evening waiting for my mother to get back at my Granparent's house with my worried Grandmother. I think my Grandad will be okay, but I was sure not happy with how long everything took!

Ready for Sunday!

I realized Sunday morning that I hadn't taken my kids' picture in a while, so I got the camera out and shot a few before we left for church. We were all ready to go. Church starts at 9:00. It was 8:50--which would mean we would make it in time (notice is used the word "would"). My husband announced he had to use the bathroom right as we were heading down to the car. 20 minutes later. . .we nearly missed Sacrament. What is it with husbands? They are nearly as bad as kids!

On Thursday last week, I was cutting Porter's fingernails. He was squirming, and shrieking at me that it HURT! and I suddenly had a flashback. I was about the same age, and wiggling my fingers and screaming at my Mother, and I realized I had come full circle. My Mother was never one for the dramatic "When you have kids, I hope you have one just like you!" she was too dignified for that; but I'm sure she thought it. Yes, my friends, any sin you committed as a child, you can be sure, will come back to haunt you. I'm just REALLY glad I don't have a girl. . .

On that same note, my Mom and I were talking during choir practice. Z was giving us an update on the choir rehearsal schedule. I guess Stake Conference will be on May 17th this year. And I whispered to my Mom (knowing it would bug her) "Yay, a vacation from church!" She leaned over and whispered back "I've seen that look you have on your face right now on both your children!" It's not my fault my kids look like they're being naughty, even when they are being angels, is it?

25 Random Things About Me

1. I have a terrible genetic disease called packratitis.
2. I played the flute in the 7th and 8th grade.
3. I'm extremely shy.
4. I can act like I'm not shy and fool just about anyone.
5. I left a job I loved for one I hated because I wanted a new challenge.
6. 2008 was the first year I got Christmas cards out since I've been married (1998).
7. I have three stories fermenting in my brain that I hope to write on paper in the near future.
8. I can type 80 wpm if the winds are right, and the sky is clear.
9. My skin is so dry people tell me I need lotion after I shake their hands.
10. I have an MBA. I got it because I wanted my company to pay for it (which they did) not because I actually wanted it. I hate greed.
11. I have a problem with authority of any kind, which has gotten me into trouble.
12. I didn't play much with toys when I was a kid. My parents once got me a "Baby Alive" doll for Christmas, because I begged them, but I never played with it.
13. The more I learn about science, the more obvious the existence of God becomes.
14. I can quote "Princess Bride" from start to finish.
15. I really enjoy figuring out what bugs people and using it against them.
16. I can remember just about anything anyone has ever told me--unless it's important.
17. I can never remember the rules for using its and it's.
18. My Hollywood crush is Russell Crow. I once spent an entire morning hiding out in a back room at work so I could listen to him on the radio. I don't know why, but I've always had a thing for bad boys.
19. My tear ducts are hardwired to my emotions--happy, sad, startled whatever, I cry.
20. I'm extremely embarrassed by 19, which usually makes me cry harder.
21. I'm passive-aggressive which makes me mad, but I won't do anything about it.
22. I once argued with an old roommate that I wasn't argumentative.
23. I believe in Karma.
24. I love my family more than anything, and I count my siblings as my best friends. This can make it hard to develop outside friendships.
25. I'm a reader-whore. I love to read anything, anywhere (including the bathroom), but my favorite stories always involve a little romance.

Two Funny Porter Stories

Say fork 10 times; now spell it three times; now spell it backwards; now say it 10 times. Quick what do you eat your soup with? Jake had heard this joke on TV, and decided to twist it a little and use it on his little brother.


Jake, "Porter, say spoon 10 times; now spell it three times (we had to help with this one a little); now say it again 10 times. Now what do you eat your spaghetti with?"


Porter, "MEATBALLS!"

We laughed so hard! He is such a funny kid!


The next one. . . Well, let's just say Porter is about the quickest undresser I know--especially at inopportune moments. This kid can get down to his skivvies in 2.2 seconds, and worse, he can generally convince the kids around him this is a good idea too. Note the 2 pictures below. One was at the baseball field while we were watching Jake practice with his team, the second, was at Christmas. Both pictures attest to my youngest's fondness for inappropriate nudity.
































On to the story. . .I am hauling laundry downstairs as my husband, who rides his bicycle everyday to work is coming upstairs. I set the basket down to have a conversation with him, and he strips off his sweaty stuff and puts in in the basket as we are catching up on our days. I get the clever idea of pulling out the 2 $5 bills I have in my pocket (having any money is a very rare occurrence for me) and laughingly stuff them into his shorts, in appreciation for the striptease I just had. Paul starts laughing and begins dancing in earnest, at which point, Porter, already stripped to undies, comes to join the show. The really awful thing? He wasn't half bad.

This is the child my mother cursed me with, when she said, "Someday, I hope you have a child just like you." It's called KARMA.

Chance meeting at the library to zoo date!

So I was racing home from Jake's school when I suddenly remembered the library e-mail saying Jake's book was in. We hung a quick left and hurried in to get the book about 10 minutes before closing. As I walked in, I glanced up at a family just leaving. "As I live and breathe it's Annika Criddle!" She looked up, "Nesha? My goodness is that Jake?!" We had attended church together several years (4?) ago when her husband was doing a law clerkship for the Federal DA in San Diego. They stayed about a year, and then moved to NYC. She was back in town for a few days accompanying her husband at a law conference.

I didn't know her that well while she was here, we only really started chatting right before she moved away, but our conversations had a profound effect on me. I don't know if I've ever met a woman more powerful in her motherhood, and I don't say that lightly. I aspire to that.

Anyway, I invited myself and Porter along on her zoo trip, and we happily met up the next day. We have a membership there, but I really don't get there often enough, so it was a nice opportunity to renew our friendship, and see a place I love.

This is Isaac Criddle, he and Jake were in nursery and Sunbeams together. I didn't bring Jake because we was in school. I really should have just taken him out early that day, because we had a great day at the zoo.

My ham child Porter posed for some great pictures. He loves being able to freely climb on things and not get in trouble, like he does at home. Annika commented that she's been to a lot of amazing zoos, but San Diego is truly the best zoo in the US. The animals and their enclosures are amazing, but I think people don't really appreciate the horticulture of the place.

I'm kicking myself because I didn't bring my telephoto lens with me. While we were walking down (Tiger Trail?) Porter had run up ahead. The golden leaf tree visible at the top left corner of the picture was raining down golden leaves, and Porter was dancing in them. It was so beautiful it was almost surreal.

This whole experience made me wish I had more time to keep in touch with old friends. I wish I was a better friend to the ones I have locally. Shoot, I feel a resolution coming on!!!!

Free Tuesday!

I love living in San Diego. Yes, it's mid January and the temperature is hovering near 80F. My kids don't really fathom snow and ice, let alone rain. We're spoiled an we know it. We have some really beautiful parks here that we can go to year round. The biggest and best is Balboa Park. It's right next door to the zoo, and has some pretty great museums, and, they have free Tuesdays. http://www.balboapark.org/calendar/detail.php?EventID=370 Last Tuesday it was the Natural History Museum, the Reuben H. Fleet Center and the Model Railroad Museum. A friend of mine and I took our kids to the RHFC and train museum. They have science toys in the RHFC and upstairs is a "Kid City" where kids can play grocery store and a lot of other things.

As we were walking back to the car, the weather was perfect, there were children running around the fountain, and I was just struck by how great we have it.

Happy New Year!

I know, I know, it is a little past New Year, but I'm seriously just catching my breath. Whew, what a holiday season. Christmas was fantastic, I still have my kids shouts of excitement at their presents ringing in my ears. Jake got a new BMX bike, a Nintendo DS and a set of scriptures; Porter got a lot of really cool Star Wars gear including the Captain Rex helmet he's been asking for since August, and the Clone Wars AT-TE he really wanted.
















The hits? Well, the Nintendo DS has been fantastic. Porter loves the Leapster Clone Wars game we got him. That darn AT-TE I wanted to throw out nearly from the get go--it has cool "articulated" legs for different "poses." Those same articulated legs break off under the minutest of pressure, causing a great deal of frustration for Porter, and his mom & dad.
Anyway, it's a cool toy, but it is very frustrating!

We had some wonderful guests for Christmas, Tommy, Katrina and their little addition;

































and my girlfriend Roni and her cutie Koji. My brother is playing peak-a-boo with him here. He was so cute--we got several giggles and belly laughs from this game. I really loved having all my friends and family around for Christmas day. My brother the chef cooked the ham and roast "beast" for Christmas dinner, and it was fantastic. We also swooped in to see Paul's brother and sister-in-law for the afternoon. I was really struck by how blessed we are to have so much family in the area, and that we need to take more advantage of that. Tom and Paul told stories and memories of their Dad, who passed before I met Paul, so the kids don't even know him. It was great hearing their stories. I now know that Jake comes by his pickiness genetically. Tom said he remembers Grandpa Z picking up Tim (the 3rd oldest) and shoving food in his mouth when he refused to eat (not gently either). I do swear there are times we feel like this too!



















We had some great quiet moments that day too. I love this shot with Rachael and baby Bella, my little bother Joel's latest addition and the "other" girl in the family.


We are so blessed!