a ride in an antique

i didn't want to forget posting about the boys and i riding in this
1912 buick model 35 last weekend.  isn't she a beauty??





















it came about in such a random way. 

this past sunday morning, the sun was shining and i was ready to run,
so i loaded up the car with the little boys and their bikes,
and we headed to mission bay park for a little exercise.

while the boys rode their bikes on the wide sidewalks, i ran.
the days of scoutie and i staying together are over.
he is already MUCH faster than me at my normal pace.

(he's a pro now as he's been riding a 2 wheeler w/out training wheels
since 3 yrs and 2 months). it's crazy to see.  i get a kick out of
watching people's faces as they watch him pedal by. *grin*

at our turnaround spot, i noticed a parking lot full of antique cars.
there was some kind of meeting of vintage car owners and i was
so intrigued by them, i took the boys over to see them up close.

while there, we met the SWEETEST retired couple who owned one
of these beauties. we chatted and ralph (the owner) answered finn's 101
questions about the car. the next thing we knew, the owners asked us if
we'd like a ride! "SURE" i replied.

so the little guys jumped up front with ralph and i rode in the seat
directly behind them. we drove around the park a bit and came back
It was such a treat to ride in a car that will will be 100 next year. 

i'm so bummed i didn't get a photo.
since i was running i didn't have anything on me - not even my cell phone.
i'm hoping someday there will be another opportunity.

on a positive note, we did just over 3 miles.  it was a little long for scoutie,
but with a few short rests, he made it back to the car.
you can believe he slept like a log that afternoon.

every little boys dream

a few weeks ago i came a cross a copy of the movie little rascals
on sale so i picked it up for the boys (and a little for me too)
i hadn't seen themovie, but i grew up watching the original series
and loved it!  this one was cute but not nearly as good to me.

the boys on the otherhand, went nuts over it! 
their favorite part is the go-kart race towards the end.
finn was also fasinated with the boys' clubhouse.
i mean what kid doesn't want a clubhouse, treehouse or fort?

his mind must have been racing all weekend,
because he came home from school on monday with a few
sketches of his future clubhouse in his hand.
he had it all drawn out (i'm a little bummed i can't find it)

he asked what woods he could build his treehouse in. 
we explained we don't have wood close by,
or even a backyard to build in right now for that matter.

christopher assured him that when we move into our next home,
we will have a backyard, and even if it didn't have a tree, he
would build him something.  and he would build something.

the very next day finn came home with this:

what is it?
just like in the little rascals movie, finn wrote up an oath that all
the kids must take when they join his club (which is yet to be named).
the cheating refers to the movie and because there were two 'cheaters'
during the go-kart race. finn won't have ANY of that!

i asked if GIRLS would be allowed in and he said "of course"
followed by "there will be half boys and half girls."

i think i was as excited as finn because i took him to
our neighborhood library last week and we checked out every book we
could find on treehouses and play structures. we even even having a half dozen
or so more being transferred from other libraries around town to our local branch.

i can't wait to look through them all and dream along with my boys.

i found these treehouses on google and like so much i had to share:.

this is similar to what my father built for
us kids. our 'fort' had a ladder directly
underneath to climb up. it even had a hatch door!

mai tais with my friend

i had such a great time with my desert dwelling friend connie this past weekend!
she was here for just a short time before she jumped on a train and headed to
los angeles to join her hubby who was there on business.

she could have flown directly to los angeles to spend 2 evenings with him,
but instead she chose to make a detour to san diego for a night so we could
get some girl time together. i feel so special.
the trip wasn't easy for her because she had to leave her 2 year old daughter
at home (her longest trip so far), BUT she realized she needed some time away.
she survived and she told me today, her sweet paige did as well. *cheer*

the evening she arrived we went to my new favorite restaurant and
were given a great window table. (i remembered to make reservations ahead of time)
a coworker suggested i try their famous mai tai drinks the next time
i was there, so we both ordered one and WOWZA!!! 
they are famous for a reason...

we spent hours there just talking and catching up.
we covered it all - our recent favorite books, the early days of our friendships
and how we met taking a college history class together in tucson, our trip to nyc
(and getting stuck in an elevator), marriage, and being mothers. 

we joked about getting older - how 10 years ago, we would have been downtown
at a noisy bar or club unable to hear each ourselves, much less each other,
and how nice it is to be done with that phase of our life. been there, done that.
now we're completely content with just good food and good conversation.

we talked about our next visit and we are shooting for summer -
her coming back to san diego with her sweet girls and staying for several days.
oh how i miss her.  i was thinking of anne of green gables and how she called
her girlfriend her "bosom buddies".  that's what connie is to me. 
now i must get back to go the on-line driving school.
i still have lots more reading and a few quizzes to take.
(i got a ticket a few weekends ago for not coming to a complete stop)
$250 later, plus the fees for the school, i won't be doing that again *ouch*

~ nanny search is in full swing now, as well as my parents 50th anniversary party
(late may in florida). there's still so much to do but it's coming together!!

looking for a summer sitter

i realize we are only a handful of days into spring
but summer is just around the corner, and until days ago,
i hadn't given childcare a single thought!

i was thinking about spring break which begins next week for finn,
and was at the ymca this past saturday to sign him up for a week long camp
while his school is closed.

while i was there, i noticed lots of balloons and a dozen 20-somethings wearing camp shirts.
i come to find out it was 'early registration' for summer camps.
already i thought.....*sheesh*!!!

i grabbed a registration packed and flipped through it.
the y is offering SO many fabulous camps - everything from water related camps:
jr. lifeguard, boogie boarding, and surfing to theater, music, reptile, fishing, skateboarding
cooking, skating, ice skating, gymnastics, basketball, science, chemistry, etc.
you name it and there is probably a camp for it.

you can guess which ones finn was interested in - Crazy Chemist and Mad Science.

then i saw the prices for these camps and started doing the math.
camps start at $150/wk and can go up to $250/wk depending on the type of camp.
whew!! i had forgotten how expensive full-time childcare is for two children.
where oh where are year round schools when you need 'em?? *grin*

scoutie's preschool is open year long,
so c and i discussed leaving him there,
and putting finn in various camps all summer,
but i simply couldn't stomach (nor afford) that.

c and i decided to do what we've done the past two years.
we will find a sitter for both boys for the summer months
(and send finn to 2 or 3 camps to break it up a bit)

we'd love another christi,
but we are realists and know what we had with her would be impossible to find again.
our needs are different now, so we talked about what was most important.
here tis: he or she MUST be reliable, active, and have a car.

our worse fear is to have someone who sits on the couch and/or the computer all day.
we want someone who likes adventure and is willing to engage and get the boys out and about.
christopher said "i'd be happy if she took the boys to the beach every day all summer long".
he would too.

SO, the search is on.

i am working on the job description to post, but have two leads already from parents. 
when i chatted briefly with one of the potential sitters, the first question she asked was
"can i take the boys to the beach alot?"

i laughed outloud remembering c's comment.
i told her yes, we'd EXPECT her to take the boys at the beach and often. *grin*
i couldn't help think if c would have been part of the conversation,
he probably would have offered this girl the position then and there.

so as i settle into spring,
my mind will be fast forwarding to summer until i find a summer sitter for the boys. 
there will be more to come on this subject.

i need to go tidy up the guest room before i get some zzzzs.
my friend connie is flying in from tucson tomorrow sans her girls.
we haven't seen her other since our desert trip last year.
i'm excited to see her!

art from the heart

friday night was explorer elementary's art from the heart event.
this is THE biggest fundraiser of the year for the school and one not to be missed!

this year, the event was held at the bahia hotel with dancing/drinks/food,
and was packed with parents and teachers from the school.
the (silent) auction tables were packed with contributions from businesses all over san diego,
as well as from generous explorer parents. the walls were also lined with pieces of art for the
live aution where art pieces created by each classroom of explorer were auctioned off.
a typical piece will go anywhere from $1,000 to upwards of $3,000. 

this year, the parent's of room 3 (finn's classroom) went in together to bid on the class art piece.
we figured this was a great way to make money for the school, without having one parent take
on a huge financial burden. as for the lucky recipient, it was unanimous - i twould go to their teacher.

the art piece was a white wood window with short poems the students had written transferred onto it.
(i'm not sure how this was done - i need to ask the parent who led this effort)
along with the window was a hardcover leather photo album with professional photos
of each child in the class. the photo album was gorgeous!! 

so how much did room 3's wooden window and photo album go for you might ask?
$1,600 was what our class collected. *woo hoo*
this bidding for piece was all discussed an decided on the day before.  

a genuine auctioneer was hired to entertain and encourage the bidding which made it even
better than last year's event. i think the highest bid of the evening was for (2) parking spaces
at the school - each went for $5,000.

i have to mention that my sweet hubby gave up those two parking spots that
belonged the the facilities department.  parking at the school is tough, but he never
imagined they would be bid that high. it was SO exciting to watch.

before the live auction began, the director of the school, thanked the parents for
coming out and gave a heartfelt speech about her love for explorer. she never had
children of her own, and it's clear to all her heart and soul go into explorer.

she closed with a quote from david brookes of npr -
     "the reality of education is that people learn from people they love".

i left the extremely thankful i was able to participate in the event, and
thankful finn attends a school full of people he loves, and people who love him.

~ if i can get a photo of the room 3's art piece i will post here.
i unfortunately didn't bring my camera.  i was off-duty this night from photo duty
so i could simply socialize and enjoy the evening.

compromise

compromise, if not the spice of life, is its solidity.
it's what makes nations great and marriages happy.
- phyillis mcginley

for those who have been married for any length of time,
you know that happy marriages require compromising.

compromises come in all types, shapes and sizes,
and over the years i've found that most of my compromises
with my hubby stem around design and home decor.

if you happen to be married to a spouse that studied design
and/or makes his or her living in some type of design-related field,
you know exactly what i'm talking about.

these folks want to be included in most every decision about aesthetics
(down to the flatwear and glasswear)
sometimes, it can be a good thing and even fun to shop together.
other times, it can be exhausting.

an example:
the comforter on our bed is literally falling apart.
c and i picked out a few years ago and love it.
we've tried finding a replacement with no success,
so it's time to retire it and find something new.

since i enjoy internet research (and shopping),
i spent several hours over a few weekends weeks ago looking for a duvet.
i must have found 20 that i thought might work.
i even created a list with links to their individual website.

of all of the choices i sent, c liked this one best:


donna karen weekender duvet set
bed, bath and beyond

























i like this duvet, i really do
it's simple, feels relaxing, and makes me think of springtime
BUT
it doesn't match the orange ikea curtains we have hanging in our bedroom,
and it would be nice if we didn't have to replace them.

this duvet from cb2 was one of my favorites and it doesn't require
replacing our curtains because it matches the shade of orange in our curtains perfectly.

isn't it pretty and fun?!   i thought so too.

my other half likes it but tells me it's "too feminine"!
since it's already been months now, and i'd like to have a duvet by year's end,
it appears i am going to have to compromise and go with the striped duvet.

with this compromise on my end, comes a task on his end -
hanging new curtains to match this new bedding.

~ Happy News Alert:
i just learned christi and tyler will be in town this
wednesday having their engagement pictures taken.
the boys and i are excited we get to see them!
it's been SO long.

happy st patrick's day

were you wearing green today?

i love holidays (even small ones) so i was sure our
clan was dressed in green for work and school this morning.
scoutie was extra cute, sporting green converse kicks.
i couldn't resist them (having a girl would be dangerous for me).

before my day truly began, i drove around the corner to our
neighborhood donut shop and picked up a dozen donuts
as a sweet surprise for the boys' teachers.

i bought up the shoppe's last glazed donuts with green sprinkles.
and when i got home, scoutie insisted on having one for breakfast.
finn chose to eat lucky charms instead, because this is a cereal
i never buy.  i made an exception for st. patty's day.

i filled the boys' lunchboxes with as much green food as i could
find around the house - granny smith apples, snap peas, grapes, broccoli,
and i even remembered to pull out the shamrock cutter for their sandwhiches.
so cute!! (finn tells me that evening i could have painted his sandwhich with
green food coloring. he painted a rainbow on a piece of bread earlier
in the week with his class). mmm, maybe next year...

a little run and a little fun

tomorrow is st. patrick's day and i wanted to be sure i posted a bit
of my pre st. patty's day activities before the real day came.
(finn built another leprechaun trap as a homework assignment
and i'll share in my next post. it's pretty creative)

i can cross one more thing off my promise me list.
this past saturday, finn, auntie jen and i were up bright and early
and dressed in green to run san diego's annual st. patrick's day run.

the race was just 2 miles (my short runs are even more than this),
but i was running this one with my newly 7 year old and i figured it
was plenty for him.

my hope was finn could run it all without stopping, but that that didn't quite happen.
regardless, we all enjoyed ourselves and finn felt accomplished.
we will certainly be doing this again next year!

after the race, c and i headed to the desert to attend the
BNP Parabis tennis tournament in indian wells, ca.

after racking my brain trying to come up with a creative and
unique christmas gift for my hubby, i decided tickets to a
professional tournament would be the perfect gift, and it really was.
my baby loves tennis!

the deal was c could take anyone - his brother, a buddy, coworker, etc. 
he insisted on taking lil' old me, so in early january, i made arrangements
with auntie jen to watch the boys for a night so we could make it a short getaway.

c got to see all the top players of today: andy roddick, rafael nadel,
roger federer, john isner, the bryan brothers, james blake, etc.
when i wasn't taking cover in the little shade i could find, i was in the stadium under
my big brimmed hat and glasses and drinking as much as i could to stay hydrated.
(i did get to see my favorite female player, kim clijsters)

****************************************

and i almost forgot!!
when c and i arrived at our hotel, the indian wells resort,
we were told we were being upgraded to the presidential suite!!
apparently they ran out of regular rooms. (lucky us)
now this stuff never happens to me/us so we were so happy.

so let me share a little about this hotel.
it was founded in 1957 by lucille ball and desi arnaz as a place to
get away from it all when they needed a retreat from hollywood. 

we were told our suite was luci and desi's retreat -
it was separate from the other hotel rooms and we had to enter
the upstairs through a private elevator that required a key! *pinch me*

the decor throughout the hotel and in the rooms, was old school luxurious.
the decor was extremely ornate and all the fixtures were heavy brass!
i had to call my mum to tell her all about it because i knew she would surely appreciate it. 
she got a kick out of it.  there were pixs of old hollywood stars at the very hotel which also
had it's own golf course out the backdoor.  pasts guests included robert wagner, natalie wood,
bob hope, arnold palmer, and others.

though the tennis tournament was c's highlight,
i think the our hotel suite was mine.

don't forget to wear green on thursday!!

spanish singers

for months, i've been wanting to record finn singing a
song he learned in his 'sing and speak' spanish class.

it's a simple song, titled rojo cafe, that teaches kids the colors in espanol.
we listen to the cd and sing along in the car and around the house too.
so much in fact, the entire family knows all the words to this song.

tonight just before bed, i asked finn if he would sing the rojo cafe
for me and he agreed.  little brother decided to join him and then
they got a serious case of the GIGGLES!

i don't know about you, but this gal is SO ready for the weekend!!

our lil' painter

my laptop's hardware started to fail last week and i've been without a
proper functioning computer for 3 days now.  FINALLY today,
i was given a new loaner laptop from our IT department while my
computer goes to the repair shop.  now i'm back in business. 

there are lots of exciting things going on both at home and at work
that i wanted to be sure to record.  on the business front, there will be an
exciting announcement about our company that will go public on april 4th.

on the homefront, finn has been taking tennis lessons on wednesday and saturdays,
and christopher is now coaching the boys varsity tennis team at high tech high.

i will be honest, when he first mentioned coaching, i thought 'are you kidding'?
our lives are already so busy and you are adding one more thing to your plate -
something with a committment of several months? then he told me the games will only
be midweek in the afternoons, and that he'd be home by 6pm every night for dinner.

with that information, i fully encouraged him to do it.
i know how much he loves the school, the students and the game of tennis.
(plus the exercise keeps my man in shape - what wife would complain about that?) *grin*

i am also making progress with my promise me list which is exciting.

i made a new dish i can add to my list and recipe binder - veggie lasagna.
i've made it before but not one that was packed with carrots, zuchini, and spinach.
i had the best helper too. finn did all the grating and assembling of the layers.
(note to self: include the boys in cooking more and keep it FuN!

i also completed another book, booked a hotel room for c and i,
and have been thinking about the one scary thing i will do this year.
i have an idea, but i need to research it some more... details to come.

and last, i did some fingerpainting (or rather painting) with scoutie.
he prefers paintbrushes over using his fingers, but did give fingerpainting a try.
he is such a little artist - enjoys painting, coloring, drawing and other crafts.



a few surprises

last week i had a few surprises.

first, c's stepdad dave and his lovely wife bonnie visited from minnesota.
it had been years since i had seen dave and i had never met bonnie,
so it was nice getting to know her and their cute dog ralphie.

for dinner one evening we went to the venetian,
a small italian restaurant literally just around the corner from us here in point loma.
i'd been wanting to try it and i'm so glad we did. the food was great.
those were two surprises so far.

the third surprise came while we were waiting for our food to be served.
the little guys were drawing and coloring quietly as us adults gabbed away.
(i think i met my match as d+b are just as talkative as me).

christopher managed to get my attention for a minute and
asked me to look at scout.  i turned to find him concentrating hard
as he sat there with a crayon writing his name out again (and again).
i'm pretty sure my mouth fell open.


created by scout benjamin gerber, jan. 2011























we knew he'd been tracing letters and numbers in his 3 year old preschool class,
but had NO idea he could write his name and that it would be legible!!!
this was very exciting for us and yes, we are very proud parents.

finn exclaimed "wow, that's really good scoutie", and the rest of us agreed.
i don't know much about 3 year olds as i'm not an pre-k teacher and really only
have finn as my measuring stick, but i'm certain finn wasn't writing his name at this age.
i think he was around 5 when his name was semi legible.

later that night, c and i commented to each other that scout's handwriting (at least his name)
might actually be better than finn's handwriting now.
finn is a lefty though, so perhaps this has something to do with it?
regardless, it's no big deal.  finney is improving and he has other special gifts.

i will share that it's taken me some time to get used to scout's new preschool.
it's ginormous and i don't know many of the teachers like i did at our previous
neighborhood preschool.  we had been with the other school since finn was 2,
so it's understandable my transition wasn't as easy as it was for scoutie.

what's important is scout is excelling and happy here.
he adores his teachers and his friends and every morning he asks,
is it a family day or school day?
when i respond a school day,
he yells i LOVE school days!!

that sentence is exactly what this mommy needs to hear before she heads to work.
if only we were all that excited about going to work

family and friends:  don't be surprised to find a birthday or thank you card signed
by scoutie himself in the future. *wink*

diet coke

soda is liquid satan. it is the devil.
it is garbage. there is nothing in soda that should
be put in your body. drink water instead!

- skinny bitch, 2011 daily calendar

image: google

ain't this the truth??!!
when i read it in my coworker's daily calendar a few weeks ago,
i HAD to save it because i do love diet coke, and i know i shouldn't.
i don't have one every day, but even twice a week is more than enough.
it's garbage i shouldn't be putting in my body. 

i posted the saying at my desk at work, to remind me to stay clear of it when
i start craving it.  i even stopped carrying cash/change to work so it's not easy
to run to the drink machine in the kitchen.  it's working!!
(i must remind tina to never loan me change if i ask) *grin*

it's late and i'm just getting in from a girl's birthday dinner at tao,
a fabulous little mom and pop type restaurant just around the corner from the
birthday girl's (charlotte) home.  i ate WAY too much food tonight and was out
WAY too late for a work night.

it was worth it, and i have my sweet sis to thank for the opportunity to even go out
since c was travelling for work. thanks auntie jen!! xo

an apple a day

image: google

almost every weekday for the past 2 years,
i've packed a granny smith apple in finn's lunchbox.

i've tried others: red delicious, braeburn, gala, or rome apples,
and finn will eat them, but he loves granny smiths.
they are his absolute favorite!
the rest of us prefer any of the red varieties,
(except when when it comes to apple pie - i always prefer grannys)

overall, finn is a pretty healthy kid.
he somehow managed to evade that nasty flu bug
the rest of the family caught just after christmas. 

i want to believe these little green grannies have
something to do with that. i just wonder how much longer
he can eat these apples until he grows tired of them. *grin*