goodnight

i'm SO glad tomorrow is friday.

it's been a wild work week -
lots of deadlines, long days and late nights.
i. am. tired.

like the von trapp children, i should be heading to bed
{you remember the song they sing in the sound of music}




so why the reference?
well the music has been in my head all week because
last weekend i saw the play at the north park birch theater
{finn, auntie jen, my coworker and some others}

it was a night of firsts for finn and me.
it was the first time we had been to this gorgeous restored theater.
{it was built in 1928, small and tucked away in the cute neighborhood of north park}.
we had dinner before the show and it was our first time eating here,
it was the first time we had ever seen the sound of music on stage!

the show started at 8pm {late for a child with an 8pm bedtime}
finn managed to stay awake and alert for the entire show and i think
it was only because he knew the story and every song so well.
we've been watching it together as a family for years.
{it helped that the cast was spectacular too}

we all walked out of the theater with huge smiles on our face
and humming the music that will forever be etched into our memories.
my swedish coworker told me its tradition in her country for
families to watch the movie every christmas eve.
it's just as loved there as it is here.

so long, farewell friends. i need to say goodnight.

~ i hope you have a wonderful weekend and i hope to post again soon.
there is lots to share - babies on the way, memorial weekend visitors,
and my two gerblets performed at their first talent show today.
stay tuned.

fashion friday: floppy hats

summer is just around the corner folks,
which means this girl will spending even
more time outside which means i need to
stock up on sunscreen and a pair or two of
big sunglasses, and maybe a new floppy hat.

my sis shot me a text the other day that said
i want a floppy hat.  i had just seen dozens of cute ones
at target the day before that literally stopped me in my tracks,
so i shared this with her and encouraged her to get one.
{with her oval face and long hair, she'll look glamorous in one}

floppy hats have been around for years - worn by old hollywood's past and present...

bridget bardot

blake lively

jennifer lopez

sophia lauren

 and regular sun-lovin' girls can wear them too:

the quintessential california girl

so go ahead and pull out your big floppy hats ladies.
your skin will thank you and you will look fab wearing it.

enjoy your 3 day weekend!
i hope it's filled with some SuN and a little FuN!

{sending my sweet m-i-l happy birthday wishes today}

spring piano recital, may 2013

this week is flying by and before any more time passes,
i wanted to be do a short entry on finn's recent piano recital.

in october of this year, i think it will be 2 years since he started playing.
gosh, it seems like just yesterday he was learning what numbers his fingers
were and where middle c was.  now he knows what a sharp and flat are,
what forte and allegro means, and how to use the damper pedal
{now if only he could reach it better}

when asked about piano, finn will say he likes it,
but is always quick to share that it's not his passion.
i think he likes it because it's a creative outlet for him,
and it helps that there was something on nova science now
discussing research that shows how playing a musical instrument
helps with math. since finn wants to be a scientist, that was enough.

scoutie has been patiently waiting to start lessons and
we agreed he will start up this fall - just before he enters first grade.
he's ready.

patiently awaiting his turn

no major incidents to report this recital.
finn {and mom} remembered his sheet music,
i had my camera and phone charged and ready to go,
and i even arrived early.

i can't say the same for my other half.
he was playing street hockey with our canadian neighbor
and some guys {his new weekend thing}. he showed up 5 minutes
before finn played and didn't smell like a hockey player either. whew!
{i was worried he might not have time to go home and shower}

fashion friday: the great gatsby wardrobe

so the great gatsby opened last weekend,
and i'm anxious to see it.

i read the book years ago and it wasn't memorable to me,
but i was young and maybe not old enough to appreciate it?

i must re-read it again as an adult to see if i experience it differently.

this movie is directed by baz luhrmann.
he is known for his vivid over-the-top theatrics.
some love him, others don't. personally, i enjoy all the dazzle and
find his movies beautiful and entertaining.

and back to the reason for this post - the cast's wardrobe.  

WOW - stunning! i love everything i've seen so far.   

there's just something about the clothing of the roaring 20s.

here's a sampling of images i found on google:

~ i predict lots of halloween costumes and parties featured
around this movie and their fabulous wardrobe this fall!

jury duty

i spent the last 3 days at san diego's superior court
with 50 'colorful' characters. the cartoon above
wasn't too far off from what i was thinking about
some of 'em. :)

i received a jury duty summons a few weeks ago
and when i learned my boss was travelling during that time,
i figured it was probably the best time for me to serve.

lots of people groan about jury duty,
but i'm idealistic in that i think it's important.
the waiting around can be horrible if you aren't prepared,
but i was prepared {had my laptop and a book}.

because my experience with our judicial system is minimal,
i was actually a little excited. i hadn't received a jury summons since
finn was a toddler. that was my only experience and i didn't even
get to see a courtroom.

this time, i got assigned to a courtroom, met the judge, the attorneys
and went through the entire voir dire process.
when i learned it was a criminal case, i was interested in being a juror,
but when i learned the trial was anticipated to go for 2 weeks,
i was relieved i wasn't picked after all.
my company only allows 3 paid days for jury duty.
{with c just doing consulting, i need to work}

anyway, it was a great learning experience overall.
i told my s-i-l i learned more about our judicial system in the last
3 days than i did my entire high school career.

tomorrow i'm back to my regular routine,
but before i turn in, i wanted to journal that boys and i finished reading
the swiss family robinson tonight.  they enjoyed it so much that i told
them we could watch disney's movie version this friday night.
they are excited. {i've never seen it either so i'm looking forward to it too}

reading the book reminded me that i used to LOVE playing in the
treehouse  that is in the disney world theme park.
i enjoyed it as much as the rides.

i just peeked online and it's still there!!! {i can hardly believe it}
i'd love to take finn and scout sometime.  i wonder if disneyland has one?
los angeles is a little easier to get to than orlando.

mother's day 2013

via

happy mother's day!

what a wonderful thing to have one day a year dedicated to us moms.
i love mother's day and not just because i get sweet cards and lovin' from my boys,
i also love it because it causes me to reflect on my mother and all she did and continues
to do for me. {i don't do that enough}.

this day also makes me think about my role as a mom,
and how my life has changed since i became one.

everything changed for me once i became a mother.

the lens in which i saw the world was profoundly different than the
lens i was looking through before i became a mom.
the things that mattered to me before suddenly became trivial.
i was responsible for another human being {beyond myself}.
i was changed forever.

there was no way around it....no going back.

i started caring more deeply about my health, the world, politics, education,
how i spent my free time, my relationships, my career, and the future.  

everything changed and everything mattered more.
{i imagine most father's feel the same}.

so today, as i think about my mother,
i remember the good, the bad and the ugly - like the time she dumped my
bowl of soup on my lap for being a mouthy teenager. she did it. {i deserved it}.
i think about how much she sacrificed for me, and how much she taught me
through her 'sayings'. you know those things moms always say.
here are a few i remember:

"rise and shine" {mom never allowed me to sleep past 10am - EVER!  she'd come into my bedroom, open the shades/blinds and say you aren't going to waste the day away. if i resisted, she'd come back in.  she made sure i didn't waste my day away.  to this day, i credit my mum for my being a morning person}

"nothing good happens after midnight" {my curfew was midnight....no matter what age i was.  as long as i lived in my parent's home, that was the rule.  i had to move out to get around it, or sleep over at a girlfriends who had a later curfew}. *grin*  

"you'll never know what type of car to buy, until you drive a few"{mom's way of reminding me not to get serious about any one boy in high school. she wanted me to date a lot, have a social life with girlfriends, and just well, be a kid. she'd say you have your  entire adult life for a serious relationship. she was right.

"wait until your father gets home" {mom wasn't the disciplinarian in our home so she'd use the threat of us answering to my father to keep get us back in line}.   

"be a good friend and pick good friends" {she encouraged me to think about my friendships - shared values, interests, trustworthiness, etc.  i didn't always get it right, but along the way, i learned something and have made true lifelong friends.}

"shut the door. this isn't a barn" {with a house full of kids running in and out and living in the south where air-conditioning is a necessity, we heard this often}

these are just a few of her ''momisms' that came to mind, but there are LOTS more.
and can you believe as a mom, i am creating my own now.  {just ask my boys}

~  how did i spend my mother's day?
it was rather quiet.  c treated me to breakfast at my favorite little cafe,
the little guys presented me with homemade gifts. 
c gave me a giftcard for a mani/pedi {a welcome gift as i am in desperate need for one}
oh and i almost forgot.  i enjoyed our pool for the FIRST time.
the boys go in all the time but now that the water temperature is 78,
it's doable for mom.

little lightning bugs

pysl spring 2013 soccer season is officially over,

which means i said goodbye to my little 'lightning bugs' this past sunday.

oh how i'm going to miss them!

i actually didn't see scoutie play as much as i was hoping

because he was with the 5 year olds, our 'A' team, and most
games, i coached our 4 year olds, our 'B' team.  it seemed to work
better this way as scout tended to be a little more dramatic
when mom was on the field. he did much better with coach chris.    

 {from left bottom: madison, isaac, desmond, joe
anna, scout, lily, trevor and finn
coach angela and coach chris

it was a great season all around.
scoutie understands the game so much more now
{he no longer forgets what goal is his}.

because this is his third season playing,
he was actually one of our top players on the team
which did wonders his his confidence.
he also became a 'better loser',  though we still have some work to do.
as for his competitive spirit, it hasn't waned at all.
this kid gives it his all when he's on the field...he wants to win!

and here he is with his good buddy, finn.

these lil guys attend explorer together
{different kindergarten classes},
and will be back out on the soccer field this fall.

the fall season will very different for them.
since they will be turning 6 this summer,
they will be moving up to he under 8 {U8} league.
they will be the youngest players
playing with 6 and 7 year olds will be ALOT different
than playing with 4 and 5 year olds.

stop me

i came across this image on a coffee mug and laughed out loud
this is SO me!

i've always been high energy girl {just ask my mum},
and since i'm super social, i do a good share of volunteering.
i enjoy it alot, and i know it's good for the boys to see me
put time and effort into things that I care about.

the challenge is with a full-time job, 2 active boys,
a husband and other social commitments,
i have to limit what i do.

it's a struggle for me to find balance and i've long stopped believing
i can ever achieve a perfect balance at home and work.
it's simply not possible.

those moms who i thought might be doing it, aren't.
i asked. they told me it was 'an illusion'.
they struggle too.

so if you hear me talking about volunteering,
STOP ME or question me friends. *wink*

scoutie's soccer season ended this past sunday so my
time coaching is over, so i will have a little more time in my week.
as much as i'm going to miss my little 'lighting bugs',
it feels good to be done.

{i'll be sure to scan our team picture and share here later this week}

~ with my little bit of extra time, i plan on running a little more.
my b-i-l trevor, just completed the st.george ironman on saturday.
that's a 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles bike ride and a half marathon (13.1 mile run).
i'm so proud of him and inspired but not enough to try one myself.
i am considering a half marathon at the end of the year though *wink*

talent show auditions

i started this post two days ago before the boys
tried out for explorer's talent show {their first}.

when i first learned about the tryouts,
i asked finn if he was interested playing the piano as his talent.
he said not really, and i asked why.
his response, "i like it mom, but it's not my PASSION".
{he uses this world alot}

he said he'd prefer to design, build, or do something science related
since these were his "passions". since these things are outside my
comfort zone, and music is what i know and could help with,
i pushed music again.  i reminded him he's been playing for 2 years,
knows lots of fun songs, etc.

still no luck. his heart wasn't in it.

that night i talked to c about it and he said he'd try to come up with an idea
that would allow finn to share his passion in a way that would be entertaining.
i was grateful as i was at a loss.  building a lego robot could take an hour and
finn can talk equally as long {he would only have 2 to 3 minutes max}

a day before tryouts, i came home from work and just as i opened the front door,
finn screamed "don't come in yet, i have a surprise".  i shut the door quickly and
made myself comfortable.  about 5 minutes later i was in the house, sitting in a kitchen
chair and listening to finn and scout do a 'dry run' of their talent show audition.
finn announced he was going to teach me a bit about AIR PRESSURE  and demonstrate it too.

now air pressure doesn't sound exciting for most, but with a bit of humor,
and an air compressor rocket launcher, their little presentation was fantastic!!
it was not just because it was different, but because finn SOLD it completely.
{scoutie mostly stood there looking cute as finn's assistant}

i received an email from his school saying they received 150 applications for the
talent show and were only selecting about 50, so we were crossing our fingers
the boys would be selected, but reassured them it was ok even if they weren't.

i came home late last night from a work event and the boys were
still awake {in bed} and called me to their room.  they told me they got selected
for the show and were so excited they could hardly sleep.  i was SO proud of them
and promised i'd take off work and be there to see them perform.

i'll be sure to get video of the boy's 1st talent show!

and here's a picture of one of the  people that first inspired finn's love of science.
he was about 4 or 5 when he discovered bill nye, the SCIENCE guy. 

~ it's been a beautiful week here in san diego - sunny and high 70s at
the beach and the 80s inland. the water temperature in our pool has
finally hit 70 degrees, but i need it to 80 degrees before i spend any real
time in it. we got a quote for a solar heater last week and are hoping
to get one installed before summer's over so we can enjoy the pool
into the early fall.