Junior Carlsbad racers

Thomas with his finisher's medal - yay Thomas!!

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This morning our kids participated in the Junior Carlsbad running races. The event is extremely well-organized and a world class, family friendly event. It was honored recently when named the “Youth Event of the Year” at Running USA 2011: The Industry Conference. It's really that good. And we're so fortunate to have this awesome event in our hometown. They truly make it a fun, fun, fun event for everyone!

The event is really a 2-day, weekend event.  The (12 years and younger) kids race on Saturday and the adults race on Sunday.  The kids all run in their own age brackets: Meredith ran in her 4 year old division (1/4 mile) and Thomas ran in his 6 year old division (1/2 mile). Each found friends in their respective divisions to run with. I knew there was no way I'd run alongside Thomas but I thought I would run just ahead of Meredith outside the race route. No way. She wore her game face today and tackled that race like no other 4 year old. I think we have a natural runner in her -- and she absolutely loved it. Both kids had fantastic races and really enjoyed the pre-race festivities, the race today and the post-race festivities afterwards. They loved seeing friends, classmates and even our neighbors.  Uncle Earl came up to watch their races and they always love seeing him.  He asked the announcer to say Meredith's name when she crossed the finish line -- that was pretty cool (thanks, Earl!).  I love that these kids have embraced this sport and enjoy it as much as I do.

happy finishers ~ Meredith before the race w/pals Maya and Coral

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 this little girl can run fast, but she'll still wave at adoring fans

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 Thomas nearing the finish ~ timing tags for kids 5 and older (this is serious stuff!)

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 very happy with her race as she walks thru the finisher's chute



soccer girl

L- "puppy tails" game: M was the last one w/a tail so all the kids were chasing her

Watching Meredith run around on the field yesterday one would never guess that just hours earlier she had been seasick during a whale watching tour.  I thought about having her skip this class and make it up another week, but I knew there was no way she'd go for that.  She had been very excited about this soccer session to begin and was even more excited about soccer than whale watching.  She had a a fantastic time and can't wait to play again next week. 

whale watching

the whale watch gang

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This morning we joined some friends for a whale watching tour.  Last year I took Thomas on a tour out of Dana Point and it was an incredible experience.  I knew we'd go again this year and I knew Meredith would be coming with us.  When I found a groupon deal for whale watching out of San Diego, I knew we had to go and invite some friends to join us.

Today's tour was completely the opposite of last year's tour.  The weather was overcast and there was a storm approaching.  Swells were high which caused our boat to rock back and forth like crazy.  Near our turnaround spot the tour guide heard there were whales up ahead and since we hadn't seen any yet, she continued moving forward.  The tour ended up being a 4 hour tour with the first 2.5 hours heading out and the last 1.5 heading back to land.  We rocked and rolled on the boat for 2.5 hours.  There are no words to describe how crazy this was.  So many people were sick on this boat, including 4 of the 6 people in our little party.  The (excellent) crew handed out trash bags.  People threw up over the side of the boat.  It was like a horror flick.  And when we got to the whales the boat slowed for about 20 minutes and we rocked even more.  Crazy. 

Aside from all the seasickness we either experienced ourselves, heard, or otherwise witnessed, it was a very successful whale watching tour.  The guide estimated 400 dolphins, 8 whales, a dozen sea lions, blue herons, pelicans, other various birds and a stingray.  The whales were courting, rolling around, and one even jumped.  Anytime you see an animal of this size in its own habitat it is pretty amazing.  I hope next year enough time will have passed that the kids will want to go out on another tour.  I know Thomas will, but I'm not so sure about Meredith. 

   

one of several dolphin pods

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dolphins right under our boat

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whale tale

Discovery Lake

All three kids and I enjoyed a walk around Discovery Lake this afternoon.  It's a short 3/4 mile easy walk with lots of birds, labeled trees, views of the lake, etc.  We only made one loop today because they wanted to hang out on this dock and spend lots of time at the playground.  Greta had a great time, too.  We'll have to go back again soon to feed the ducks and birds, maybe fish from the dock and ride our bikes around the lake.

Portland friends

We had some really great neighbors in Portland.  Oh, we had our share of crazies on the street and in the neighborhood, but we were also fortunate to have some really great ones, too.  One family in particular we always love to see again and again.  Maybe because our kids get along so great?  Maybe because we experienced those same early years as parents together?  Maybe because Mike can talk all night long about pop culture, movies, etc. to someone who'll actually remember this stuff and speak intelligently about it?  Maybe because I adored having a neighbor who'd bake on a whim and always share?  Whatever it is, we love them and we were happy to see them today while they are vacationing down here.  Several hours at Legoland and a satisfying dinner afterwards made for a great visit!

heart

Meredith made this little heart cone/container for her friend, Lily.  I didn't think much of it when she first told me about it (this girl makes a lot of stuff), but upon closer inspection I was blown away by what she had done.  I asked her to tell me about it and how she made it.  First she started with a small heart (the one attached to the cone).  She drew more (concentric) hearts within the first one and colored them.  She then cut the heart out and glued it onto this small strip of paper that she had painted using fingernail polish.  She then glued it together to form a cone and glued some strips to it to make a hanger.  Next, she added some "loop de loops" above and belove the heart and wrote to/from inside the heart to her friend.  Can you see how small this whole thing is, esp. the writing inside the cone!?  Incredible.  I can't bear to part with this little piece.  I've already quietly put it away...

new closet of clothes

We love hand-me-downs!  A friend recently cleaned out her 6 year old daughter's closet and we were the lucky recipient of all the pre-loved clothes.  Meredith absolutely adores this girl so to have her clothes (esp. the items she has seen the girl wear) makes them extra special.  Our friend gave us so much stuff that Meredith's closet is now easily doubled and her own daughter must have absolutely nothing.  Seriously!  The clothes are girly and cute and Meredith absolutely loves them all.   

cocoons

These little guys are hard at work!  They've already started making their cocoons (all the white stuff) to enter the chrysalis stage.  So fun to watch!  Meredith took them to school today along with a poster of photos we took.  Thomas will do the same tomorrow.  Then we have to let them go back into nature.  Hopefully they'll adjust well and continue on with their life cycle just fine.  Several friends have come by to look and/or take a few home with them.  Unlike other butterflies that stay in one spot, these move away from their food source to find a place for their cocoon so it shouldn't be an issue for our friends to watch these at their own houses, too.  Nature is so amazing!

LPGA at La Costa Resort

Meredith enjoying lunch at this gorgeous resort

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Michelle Wie (psst. we and her parents heard her swear when she missed one.) ~ M is eyeing the bag of clubs with the Hello Kitty golf head cover

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This week is the LPGA Kia Classic at the local La Costa Resort & Spa.  We took the kids and went a few years ago to watch the women play.  I'm not much of a golfer but I do enjoy watching these ladies play live. Beautiful weather today, too, so a friend and I met there for lunch and to watch the women practice.  Meredith loves to practice with her own clubs in the backyard so I look for these opportunities to show the kids where their current interests could take them someday.  It was an awesome way to spend an easy afternoon!

hungry caterpillars

This afternoon the kids wanted to color in the driveway so we headed outdoors for a little bit.  Not even 5 minutes into their activity one of them noticed a caterpillar... then another... and another.  Then I noticed one on the garage door and two on the side of the house.  They kids caught all these and put them in their bug catcher to observe.  A few minutes later another one crawled across the driveway.  As Thomas was catching that one, he spotted one in the grass.  We began to get suspicious and started looking carefully around the front of the house.  We spotted another 10 on the underside of the porch (the ceiling) and under the roof eaves.  Crazy!  Upon further investigation, we found where they were all coming from: the tree in the front yard.  There must be thousands of them in varying stages on that tree.  It was a little creepy to find the first 10 but now seeing all these in the tree is quite a different feeling.  We got the ladder out so we could get a better view.  It's amazing.  The neighbor kids came out and collected some for themselves to observe at home, too.  Within a few weeks, we could have thousands of these Mourning Cloak Butterflies flying around our house!
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typical branch; the wind is blowing some of the caterpillars off

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younger ones, maybe babies?

breakfast with daddy

The kids love to go out to eat and breakfast with their daddy is certainly a special treat.  This morning Mike took them to one of their favorite breakfast joints where they loaded up on french toast with strawberries, bacon, sausage, and orange juice.  Thomas topped his breakfast off with syrup and a jelly spread.  Crazy, but sweet, kids! 

They always argue over which one gets to sit by daddy when we all go out to eat.  Yet, when they eat out with only their dad they choose to sit together.  Definitely crazy kids. 

special delivery from Grandma!

Happy Birthday, Greta!

a special birthday breakfast treat

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Our sweet girl Greta is 10 years old today!  Seems like just yesterday that we brought home a 30lb (20lbs underweight!), extremely skinny and very filthy puppy from the Humane Society.  The drive from south Salem to Portland was a long one.  She was so nervous and scared.  They hadn't bathed her so she had feces on her and also some blood on her nose from a scuffle with another dog.  We knew she'd become an important part of our family quickly and she did.  She and Bela were the best of friends.  And the kids love her so much, too.  What a lucky dog she is!

days after coming home she was already loving Bela

she used to be so tiny

afternoon sunshine

We love when a cool, gray morning turns into a warm, sunny afternoon.  We had to get ourselves to the park for some playtime, esp. since the weekend weather forecast has rain in it.

Science Fair

participant shirts for the scientist & his dad

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Last year we caught the tail end of the elementary school's Science Fair.  Our family was going through some things at that time and we were unable to participate.  However, we knew we would definitely be a part of the event this year. 

This project was a family group project but Thomas was involved all along the way.  Last weekend Thomas and his dad worked on the project, running tests and getting everything figured out.  With Thomas' help, I put together the presentation board this week. 

This morning we set up the project in the middle school's auditorium for tonight's Science Fair.  Throughout the day classrooms walked through and looked at all the projects.  They did it in waves so all the first grade classrooms were there at the same time, then all the second grade classrooms, etc.  When a student's grade level was walking through, the student had to stay at their project to present their project.  I wasn't there to see how it went but Thomas says it went well.

The Science Fair this evening was held from 6 to 8pm.  Late in the evening the principal spoke and recognized all the participating students.  I was pleased how they made it a positive experience for all the students involved.  Each student received a ribbon, a t-shirt, a certificate and notes about their project.  We love our school! 

the project: How Does A Battery Work?

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recognition for the participating First Graders

T & M

These two have been friends for almost four years.  They are very different personalities but have some similar interests.  It's been fun to watch these two grow up together.  Late this afternoon they had a great time playing at a park near Michael's house, esp. when it came to this hanging slider thing!

M & B

For a good chunk of today (6.5 hours?) we got to have our sweet friend Brian hang out with us.  Thomas was in school for most of that time so it was just myself with the two little ones.  We went to the library for storytime, ate a snack in the library's garden and enjoyed a little computer time playing games.  Later we ate lunch at home, played board games and explored the SUV.  Meredith and Brian play well together and had a great time today!  His mom hopes these two will marry someday.  I like the boy, but I'm not so sure about that one...   

self portrait

Meredith: 
"This is me on a day when you told me it would be cold and to wear "long and long".  The sun is out and I'm hot.  I'm sweating in this picture."

"Long and long" is how we say a long pant and a long sleeve shirt, as opposed to "short and short" or "short and long".  Oh, and the black flecks on her face are her freckles.  She thinks they are multiplying.

T

meeting Uncle Earl for a weekend breakfast

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Easygoing, friendly, intelligent, outgoing, curious, and cute as can be.  No wonder all the kids like playing with Thomas.  Sitting across from him this weekend, I saw and listened to a very mature six year old.  It seems like just yesterday that he was my baby.

laser tag birthday party

Really, there are few things as exciting as playing with guns to a 6 year old.  So today's laser tag birthday party was a huge hit with these young party-goers.  They played games for 2 continuous hours.  It sounds like laser tag has come a long way in the past few years.  The boys were divided into teams, the guns had some weight like the real deal and made some fun sound effects letting them know if they hit their target.  Mike got in a few games, as did most of the parents who were there today.  Unfortunately, Meredith and I are sick and had to sit this fun party out.