the sound of music: a swedish tradition

a few years back, my coworker mentioned that many swedes

have a tradition of watching the sound of music on christmas eve.

oh how i loved hearing that...as it's one of my favorites!

i grew up watching this movie at least once a year and it's

become one of our family's favorite musicals too.

{mama mia and dreamgirls didn't make the cut}. 

eating chili, tracking santa and new pjs are our only real traditions

on christmas eve, so i thought why not add this one to our list.  

poor scoutie said he couldn't remember the movie {for shame}.
he's been learning to play do re mi on the piano and remembered
the song came from this movie which made him really excited.
 

c made a roaring fire in our fireplace {it's been in the 40s/50s at night},

and we settled down with a tub of popcorn on the couch and enjoyed

watching the von trapp family and all the beautiful music.
{i made a note to pull out the songbook which i've had for years}

we all were transfixed on the movie.

finn seemed mesmerized by edelweiss, and i'd like to think it was not only
because the children and the captain sing it so beautifully, but because i often sang
to him at bedtime when he was small. he loved that song...requested it often.
he no longer asks for bedtime songs {just a back rub or a massage}, but scout will
ask for an occasional song...and that night, he requested my favorite things.

after the movie, we sat and talked about this time in history and how scary it must
have been for all those people in the countries who were occupied by germany.

we talked about what freedom is, what it's worth and the risks people take for it.
that even today, people are fleeing their homelands to find sanctuary from dictators,

wars, etc. how lucky we are to have been born in a country where we have so much
freedom. 

as i went to bed, i thought about how five years ago, our entire family wouldn't have been
able to have that conversation, and how wonderful it is to have kids a bit older.
with age and maturity, they have a deeper understanding of concepts and ideas.
oh it's a beautiful thing to see this develop in my children.

the swedes have a wonderful tradition in watching the sound of music on christmas eve,

we'll be watching christopher plummer and julie andrews for years to come as well.

if you want to enjoy a little edelweiss, click here for the movie version of the captain
singing and his children accompanying him.  

~ i have to share that finn didn't enjoy our traditional chili dinner this year.
he begged for sushi early that afternoon and since i was going out to pick up some

staple food items, i picked up sashimi and california rolls for him.  he was in heaven.

the joy of a new life

word can not express the joy of new life.
- herman hesse


i received a very happy announcement last night.
my dear friend charlotte's baby boy arrived!
my heart couldn't be happier for her and her husband shawn.

we were just together on sunday for several hours.  we talked and
walked to get a coffee and wondered when he'd make his arrival.
he came a week early and well, JOY is the perfect word to express
his arrival.

meet aidan oliver lantz, born 12/22,

char and shawn won't ever forget this christmas,
the year they received their best present ever.

millions

like so many, i'm a sucker for a good holiday movie.

i grew up the 1960s clay-animation rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
the original miracle on 34th street, home alone and countless others.
i've introduced my boys to  all of them and together we've all grown to
love a few newer films.  one of my favorites is millions.

it's not a traditional film by any means.

it's british, with actors you've probably haven't seen or heard of before.

{something i enjoyed}.   

i'd go into detail about the story, but i fear i won't be able to do it justice.

i will just say it's refreshing....unsually clever, witty, and best of all heartwarming.

one of it's secrets is the casting.  alex etel plays 9 year old damian, and WOW,

he's one of the best child actors i've seen in a long while.

he will steal your heart. 

if you haven't discovered the gem of a movie, it's time:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366777/

~ c and i discovered this film back in 2004...the year finn was born.
we watch it every year around christmas and it never grows old.  

this year, our boys are about the sames ages as the two brothers in the film,

which made it even more fun...especially since scout was old enough to watch

and understand.  he was completely enthralled as he watched damian find millions,
and then try to do good with it...despite the obstacles that stood in his way.    

christmas lists 2015

just before our trip to baja, i asked the boys to put their
christmas list together so i could sent to santa.
scout had his to me within the hour. 

scout's list:
- bayern munich keeper gloves
- legos star wars AT-TE
- legos republic AV-7 anti-vehicle cannon
- beyonders (book set)
- spirit animals (book set)
- soccer goal
- a poster of thomas muller, his favorite soccer player

easy enough. 

finn, on the otherhand, said he didn't really have a list.
he continued saying what he wants can't be bought. 
{i really started to like where this was going}
he said his wish lists includes a visit to spaceX, jpl ,
spending a day with elon musk and/or robert zubrin.

mmm, i thought and then grinned. i can't do all that, BUT
i do have a semi-private tour set up for him at jpl this spring {2016}.
he is going to be in heaven!

i asked him to come up with a small list of items that are tangible...
that he could open on christmas morning, otherwise, he'll get random
things he might not like at all.  he gave me a small list that afternoon.

finn's list:
- quantum (strategy game)
- elon musk's autobiography
- the case for mars by robert zubrin
- how we'll live on mars book by stephan petranek
- a gift card to his favorite sushi restaurant
- cell phone {this was a joke} he knows he can't have one yet...
{it's not going to be too much longer though...since starting middle school and
joined the surf club, we've had a few times when we all needed to connect and couldn't}

so that's what's on the gerber boys' christmas lists this year.
though it's more challenging than the preschool days of thomas the tank trains and pixar cars,
their personalities and character traits show through more with their 'wish list'.

as for the big kids in the house.  mr. gerber hasn't shared a single thing.  
he doesn't 'need' anything he'll say {few of us do}.  perhaps, santa will find him something
tennis or surf related that he might enjoy.

our BIG present to each other this year is a new master shower. 
it's 40+ years old and desperately needs a facelift so we moved on to this project. 
the demo is underway and hopefully in the next 4-6 weeks,
we'll have a new bathroom.

i'm so excited! i'm seeing blue mosaic tile in my dreams
{we won't be doing every wall though....too $$}

i'll share before and after down the road.

~ i'm so far behind on blog posts.  i'm not sure where to even begin,
or if i should back post? there's so much i want to record: halloween, our anniversary
weekend away, scout's first year of competitive soccer, finn's newfound love of sushi,
what middle school means for our family and my new book group.  to my faithful
readers, don't abandon me.  i haven't given up on this blog yet....it's just harder to post.
evenings are busier with older kids - more activities and more homework.
{mommies of little ones....enjoy their napping days. you'll miss them so much
in a few years}

cutest elves on the block

my sister-in-law shared this ADORABLE photo of my nephews
with me last week and it truly made my day.  i've always been a sucker
for cute pajamas, and these elf pjs are so cute.
{and even cuter worn by these two darling boys}

i could hardly believe jamison (the littlest elf on the left}
wasn't afraid of santa. a year ago he was in tears meeting him, but not this year.
oh how they grow up so fast.

~ i haven't taken my boys to see mr. c since scout was about 5.
actually, the guy in the red suit isn't talked about much in our home.
at ages 8 and 11, the less he's mentioned, the better.

it's all about keeping the magic alive...

off the grid: mexico

i've been off the grid (literally some days) as the boys and i headed
south of the border for 8 days to soak in the sunshine and each other
during the thanksgiving holiday.

we found great airfares on volaris, and flew out of mexico {tijuana} to cabo.
we rented a car, and left cabo as soon as we could and headed to a small village/town
where there was a hotel directly on the beach called the surf colony.  we stayed here
a week and spent every day in the 83 degree water.  what a treat for a so cal family used
to 70 degree water at the warmest.  no wetsuit was needed...just sunscreen! we also stayed
the last 2 nights, we went into todos santos, a larger ex pat/artist town for a little more
urban experience.  we visited the mission, the hotel California and explored new beaches.



highlights:
- surfing every day
- lots and lots of mexican food {c couldn't get enough of enchiladas con mole}
- lengthy and competitive 'ocho loco' card games
- meeting a family from solana beach (scout even had a sleepover with their kids at their villa)
- shopping at the local 'super mini' for groceries for breakfast and snacks
- the boys fishing in the ocean and finn catching a 30 lb dorado
- spanish lessons for mom and the boys
- scout purchasing a futbol (soccer ball) and playing at a local field
- driving into cabo to watch spectre in english {with spanish subtitles}
- releasing olive ridley turtles on the beach at sunset
- lots of yummy drinks all vacation long {i need to run another half to burn the calories i consumed}
- reading - lots and lots of  it (we read 5 books between all of us)

the trip allowed us to have much needed family time - just the 4 of us - to soak each other in.
with busy lives, it was so nice to slow down and just spend hours in play and conversation,
and to do it in a place that we love so much was a beautiful thing.

i'm excited to go through the photos (and video),  as i  haven't seen anything but a few i snapped on
my phone. c uploaded them all to our home server and i hope to get on tonight and pull some into this post.

in the meantime, here are some photos from google of our casual hotel right on the beach.
(it was a really rough week for me. hehe)

 

mexico vacay: 2015

the boys and i spent thanksgiving week at the very southern tip of baja, mexico,
specifically in a tiny tiny beach town called los cerritos and then in a
slightly larger artist town called todos santos.

we had never been all the way down south and when i found a great deal

on volaris, the mexican airlines flying out of tijuana, i couldn't resist.

we made sure our passports were current, pesos were in our pockets,
and surfboards (2) packed well in a board bag. the trip was easy in every way...
parking, the flights, hotel, even grocery shopping. {we shopped at a local mercado
for all our staples, and we we stopped at roadside stands for fresh fruit every few days}.

the purpose of the trip was to relax as a family and that's what we did.  

days were spent reading, surfing, eating, drinking, hanging out with a 

family we met who lives just 20 minutes north of san diego
{scout actually had a sleepover at their condo with their 3 boys}.

the toughest decision of the day way was where to go for dinner.
mexican food won out every night, and most restaurants were happy to
whip up a hamburger for scout when we let him depart from mexican food.
{it used to be pizza and pasta...now it's hamburgers}.

it begins....tijuana airport

boys piano recital: 2015

the boys were anxiously anticipating their fall recital,
as it was intended to be a spring recital and got postponed
after their teacher, was pulled into a local show
{he plays the piano and is an orchestral conductor for a number
of theaters throughout san diego}. 

since the music studio is super tiny, i offered up our home
again as our home has space to host about 20 comfortably in our
living room.

we rented white chairs, dusted my 20+ year old piano off and
watched 13 kids play their recital pieces and a few of
the students even sang which added a whole level of fun.
the oldest of the vocalists was about 16 and she sang adelaide's lament from
guys and dolls. 

she was wonderfully talented.  she had the vocal range and even got
into character when she performed. c grinned at me from across the
room as he knows the song well and that the music carries fond memories for me.

the boys performed two pieces. i'm sharing just the one for each boy here on my
blog as the songs are pretty long.  they played very well and thoroughly
enjoyed themselves.  here's my little, at 8 years old, performing in his 2nd recital:

and next up was finn, our 11 year old.
i believe this is was his 5th recital. 

~ the same evening, after the boys were in bed, i picked up the sheet music to
finn's piece, and found myself struggling a bit with the timing.
his music is getting more complicated every year and i'm guessing in two years,
we will be at the same skill level. it's so exciting!

he knows what I need

"no, i don't think i will kiss you, although you need kissing. badly.
that's what wrong with you. you should be kissed and often,
and by someone who knows how"
- margaret mitchell, gone with the wind




oh how i love this quote and this movie.

when c and i were newlyweds, i had him sit and watch the entire
movie, so he'd understand why i loved it so much.
i have a thing for epic movies.

when it was over, he told me i was a bit like scarlett
{my mom said that to me years ago when i was a teenager}.
i wasn't sure my mom meant it as a compliment at the time, but i knew
c meant it that way. i think he liked my feisty attitude and my independence.

one day after a fight or something, he left a postcard with this photo on the seat
of my car.  on the back he wrote "you should be kissed and often, and by someone
who knows how".

when i confronted him, i held it up and responded using the same word's scarlett used to rhett
when he told her that. if you know the movie, you know her response.  she says "and i suppose
you're the proper person"?  christopher smiled and said yes.

he was then, and he still is. 

my best friend

i am so lucky to be married to my best friend,
and today, on our anniversary, i wanted to take a few minutes
to express my gratitude and my love for the man who chose me
and who i chose to share my life with.

i am grateful to be sharing my life with my love and my best friend.
.

fall festivities

oh how i love this time of year.
cooler weather means more cuddling, bonfires, yummy flavored coffees,
sweaters, easier running weather, and cute long pjs for the boys.

this year, it also means a camping trip for the scoutmaster.

last night he joined all of explorer's 3rd graders {just 2 classes}
and camped overnight in julian. many volunteers were needed and
when i learned that his bestie's dad was going and that scout wanted
to sleep in their tent, i decided to stay behind this trip and enjoy another
field trip after the new year. i still do one a year with each of the boys.

here he is yesterday morning packing everything in the car:

 
 



while little brother was off hiking and eating smores with his friends,
big brother wanted to watch a 'scary' movie.  he knows better to ask to
see a gory movies, but when we showed him the trailer to the six sense,
a movie we would allow, he was interested.

we explained it was a little creepy, but mostly it was interesting with a twist and
wouldn't give him nightmares. he loved it and had no idea the child psychologist was
dead {who did the first time they saw it!}.  c and i loved watching it again too.
it had been years.

as finn rushed off to brush his teeth after the movie, c and i sat there for a minute and
said how wonderful it was to watch a movie like this with finn. two years ago, we wouldn't
have been able to, but now, at 11 1/2, he's mature enough to handle it. 

a wise friend told me once that she think backs to the years her children were younger,
but she never lives in that place long because if she were to live there, she'll miss the now.
she told me every phase of our children's growth is beautiful and every phase goes too fast. 
if we aren't living in the moment, and seeing them now, we will miss something.

i took that to heart and as a mother, i try to relish every day of my boys' childhood.
the teenage years are still ahead and there may be days ahead when that is harder to do,
i'm not there yet. for now, i just savor them....their beauty, their energy and passion for
learning and all their goodness.

i'm looking forward to having my little home tonight and then trick or treating tomorrow.
we have spencer's family joining us for dinner and then trick or treating.
the kids can hardly wait.  first things first, soccer game and surf club in the morning.
{all before noon}. 

despite having purchased very cool alien costumes for the boys and myself a few months ago,
scout insisted on going as german soccer player, thomas muller. 
to appease him momma, he did agree to put it on and take a photo with us,
but i can forget about him wearing it.

he is obsessed with muller and ALL things german.
he has the german flag as his screensaver on this computer,
he has asked us to download software so he can learn german,
wants to visit germany {and see a soccer game while there}, and
i have no doubt he will want to live in the muller uniform
after halloween. c and i will likely let him for a while too. *smile*

here he is with his bestie who is just as obsessed with soccer
{but barcelona's messi is his player of choice}

muller and messi

dawn patrol

for the last few weeks, minus the weekend the boys were in minnesota
for a family wedding, i've been dropping finn off early at the beach to
meet up with his surf team while c plays tennis.

'dawn patrol' is surf lingo and refers to getting up extremely early, often before
sunrise {dawn} to catch some waves.  this is the ideal time to surf because the
wind isn't up yet and crowds are thin.

finn on dawn patrol this morning.

finn oliver, age 11

getting up at dawn isn't easy but look what he was rewarded with...
a beautiful sunrise!

as c and i were discussing handing finn's foamboard down to scout
tonight and getting him something new now that he's in middle school,
i couldn't stop thinking about how cool it is that he's part of a school
surf club!

though i grew up in florida, a peninsula surrounded by water,
i lived inland. *sniff* surf teams didn't exist in my middle or high school. 
there were surfers, but they had to surf on their own on the weekends.
what an amazing opportunity for our boys to be so close to the ocean and
to be on a surf club during their school years.

i must share that yesterday, finn was surfing with the director of his middle
school. basically that's the principal of his school {HTH uses a different word}.
mr. e is a 40-something father of two teenage sons, an avid surfer and he
lives right here in pacific beach.  when the surf  coach can't make it to practice
{like yesterday}, the director fills in.  how COOL is this! 

finn thinks so too. 

ping pong play

about a year ago, we purchased a giant slab of oak that we had custom
cut for our kitchen/banquet table. almost immediately after, it's a friend
gave the boys a net, paddles and balls, and it's been used FAR more
for play than a place to eat our meals.

sure we will use it when we have friends over for dinner, if i have a girl's
night, or if the family is playing a board game, but ping pong is what it's used for most.
it's almost become a daily thing and we play whenever the mood strikes us,
or whenever we grow tired of scout's pleas for us to play with him...
rather for him to beat us.

despite my having grown up with a ping pong table, my skills are lacking.
i am improving and i can rally pretty well, but c is the reigning champ in the
house and scout master is close behind. scout is determined to beat him.
finn and i like to play for 'fun' whereas the other two like to play to win.

about a month ago, my company held their 3rd annual ping pong tournament.
it was started a few years back by one of our young engineers, and has become an
event that both our employees and our clients look forward to every year.

since c and i were both at the event this year {c was playing and i was taking photos},
we brought finn and scout along. while finn enjoyed dang brother's wood-fired pizzas
baked in a cool vintage yellow firetruck, scout was more interested in the ping pong tournament.
he watched intently, and when a table wasn't being used, he got out there and played with his dad.

some of our engineers saw him play and the leader of the group invited him to play in
next year's tournament which made his entire night.  though he still can't reach the net,
he is convinced he'll grow a lot over the next year and be ready for this all adult tourney.
he said "i probably won't win, but i'll beat some of the adults. 
i have no doubt of this.

friends, if you visit our home, be prepared to play a game or two of ping pong. *wink*




 
 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

little lantz: arriving in december

i've been meaning to post forever that charlotte,
one of my dearest girlfriends is expecting a baby boy in december!!
when she shared the happy news, i literally couldn't stop smiling for hours.
{it was early and was glad she gave the ok to share with mr. gerber}

charlotte and I met years ago when we worked at the same architectural firm.
we go way back....pre-kids and before she was even married.  with the exception
of c, she was the first person i told when i got pregnant with finn.

i had always hoped she and her hubby would become parents someday,
and now the day is almost here.  they will be awesome!
the boys are i are so looking forward to loving on their little guy.

here she is with her cute belly and cool airstream in the background.



paddle for clean water: 2015

one of my favorite events of the year took place a few sundays ago
surfrider's paddle for clean water event.  as always, it was a wonderful!

unfortunately, scoutie didn't join us this year because he had a soccer game.
we gave him the choice of what he wanted to participate in, and he chose soccer.
{no surprise}. we dropped him off at his bestie's home early that morning
so he could catch a ride and the big boys and i headed to ocean beach.

it was a perfect day....maybe the best weather i've seen in the 15 years i've
been doing the paddle.

the clouds burned away so the sun was shining and the waves were glassy
{which means there smooth and there was little wind}.
the boys grabbed their boards and did some surfing while i walked around the
event tents and chatted with friends who do the paddle every year too.

oh  and i almost forgot the most important thing,
the water was so warm this year {~75 degrees}!  no one needed a wetsuit.
this is a treat for us southern california folks.

~ because finn is so light and his board is very buoyant,
he passed c and i both up during the paddle. he was a sweetie and
waited for mom and dad at the very end of the pier. 
from here, we all paddled into shore together,
with c catching a wave in and finn and i riding on our bellies.

looking forward to next year's paddle already.
{i love this tradition we've created as a family}
i just hope my little gerber can join us next year.
oh how we missed him!

jay and lauren

my dear and old {but not that old} high school friend
jay tied the knot with a really sweet girl lauren this summer.
i met her last year and well, i haven't seen jay happier.
wishing these newlyweds love, health, happiness!

inspirational sunday

after seeing the martian a few weekends with the family and two
of his best buddies, finn declared it was his new favorite movie,
and that it was even better than interstellar, his previous favorite movie.

personally i disagree.

i enjoyed the martian movie and the book even more,
but as a woman and mother, i appreciated the love element throughout interstellar...
that a parent's love for their child can transcend space and time.

the martian is strictly about a person's fight for survival and is a testament
to being resourceful...that if you have these two things, you will survive anything.
i didn't connect with watney on an personal level when I saw this movie.
viewers don't learn much about him at all in the book or the movie.
that's ok for some but interstellar is my pick. 

regardless, both movies are worth watching.
 
finn must have been feeling inspired after the martian movie,
and possibly feeling a little frustrated because he couldn't go on his
computer last sunday {we all 'unplugged' for the day}.
i found him sitting at the kitchen counter designing a rocket.

he must have sat there almost 3 hours....doing more thinking than drawing.
he seemed to be enjoying the process.  i couldn't resist snapping two photos on my phone.
finn was quick to tell me he wasn't done designing and that he was going to label every
part of the rocket.

inspiration can be found in so many things: people, religion, hobbies,
nature, books, etc. as far back as i can remember, finn's biggest inspirations right now
come from designing and problem solving...whether's it's robots, submarines, planes,
and now rockets and space related vehicles.

i've said it since he was 5 years old, it's not a stretch at all to picture our firstborn working
as an engineer someday, just like his uncle todd. {after working with engineers for 12 years,
no complaints by me...engineers hold a special place in my heart}. architects too.

i told c if finn could be a grown up tomorrow, i think he would be thrilled and would
hope to find himself working at JPL or NASA. he's be as happy as a lark.

while he dreams of being big, i dream of having a 'pause' button so i can just sit
and watch him a little bit longer....to enjoy the 11 year old boy who inspires me every day.

scout's soccer season: riptide 2015

our weekends are spent at various soccer fields in and around san diego county.
with scout playing competitive soccer, it's part of the 'life'.  i'll admit, it was much
more time than i was anticipating but scout has learned more than he ever learned
playing 3 years of rec soccer. 

the only reason i agreed to his trying out for competitive was HE wanted.
we never mentioned it or pushed it. he saw signs posted in our community and
his buddy played competitive {and is the bset soccer player he knows that isn't
a professional} so we let him.

he's learned about 10 fancy soccer moves, all named after professionals players.
his favorites being the cruyff and the maradona.  he wishes he
could do the scissor kick and practices often, but he isn't close to perfecting that
one anytime soon. *grin*.

we have a grandpa of one of the players who comes to almost every game and
takes photos. he loves doing it and us parents get to sit and actually watch the
entire games without being behind a lens. it's wonderful. 

here's our little riptide player, scout benjamin (#7) in action:

 
 



 
 
 
 
 

 

 

~ fortunately, getting scout to his soccer practices hasn't been to hard.
his team practices at a grassy field right across the street from the HTH campus

where both he and finn go to school. while scout practices, finn does his homework,
and c runs conference calls.

over the past few weeks, c's gotten a break as I've asked him to just drop scout off
and I'd pick him up.  i go directly from work and run a few miles while scout practices.
to get my booty moving, I signed up for the surfer's point half marathon in november.

it's been over 2 years since i've ran 13 miles so i'm a bit nervous.  my hope is this 
40 something body holds up to it.   

mars madness

on my drive into the office today, i switched on public radio.
i felt like I'd been living under a rock the last few months.
i usually tune in at least once a week to get international news,
but i hadn't listened to anything...nada.

i've been spending my commutes listening to back to back audiobooks
for the past 2 months. listening because I'm spending evenings reading
my own books.  the book group is serious, so it's not acceptable for me to
show up to our dinners/meetings without having reading our book.

since we just met last week and i haven't started our next book,
it was time to find out what was going on in the world.
i tuned in and the first thing i heard was the discovery of water
on mars! i thought of finn immediately and was looking forward
to discussing with him over dinner tonight.

then i remembered finn checks NASA's website, along with spaceX
and another space exploration site every morning before school. 
i'm sure he already knew about water on mars, and that thought made
me smile. i don't think there's anything new c or i can tell him on the subject.
he's always a step ahead.

he's a kid with a passion for all things space and space exploration,
he's also a kid who is counting down the days to see the martian.
it comes to theaters this friday!!

it's rare all 4 of us go to the movies together
{i think the last one was the secret life of walter mitty},
but this is one movie we are making an effort to see as a family,
and one we've all been looking forward to for a long time.
i'm hoping it's even half as good as the book.

finn read the book in 2 days after he received it for christmas last year.
i read it a few months later with my book group, then c read it, finn recently re-read it,
and we've challenged scout to read our 'edited' version {bad words removed} before
we see the movie. he's got 1/4 of it left.

scout tells me he is enjoying it and can explain the overall concepts
from each chapter, but admits that alot of the technical stuff goes over
his head.  {i can relate as half of it went over my head too}.
the mechanical engineer in my book group was the only one
i think actually understood all of it. {smarty pants} *grin*

so saturday is the big day...the boys and i are off to the
movies after soccer and are all pretty excited!

today's google doodle made me smile.
it pays homage to the evidence of water on Mars.

i hope you had a wonderful day!

~ i fear i'll never catch up on my blog. there's so much i want to capture.
this past week/weekend, finn joined his school's surf team, i served as a
juror {my first time} on a criminal case, and the family participated in surfrider's
annual paddle for clean water event. scout didn't participate in it {he refused to
miss his soccer game}. soccer and his riptide team are his obsessions right now.

6th grade stress

during the boys' second week of school,
they missed 3 days because we they were camping at yosemite.

the trip had been planned with 2 other families for months,
and the particular days were chosen as we wanted to wait until after
the crowds of summer were gone. i should note the families we went
with don't have kids in school yet.

the camping trip deserves it's very own post, and will get one eventually.
in the meantime, i wanted to document how finn felt 'after' the trip.

i found a form  on the table a few nights ago that his science/math teacher,
had given this to her students while he was away camping.
he completed it after he returned to school.



i felt bad for him, but not bad enough to keep me from pulling him out again. 
when we have an opportunity to have an enriching experiences, it's worth it.
we just need to remember to get all the homework before we leave
{he forgot this time...and his parents forgot to remind him}. 

beyond learning that this trip caused him 'stress', c and i had fun reading his responses.
they represent him so well....show his confidence, his loves {reading, space, math, and science},
where he wants to improve (spelling} and what his hopes are {to learn new kinds of math}
i'm sure his teacher, mrs. joy is thrilled to be teaching a kid who loves the subjects she teachers.
{i can hardly wait to meet her}

-  the camping families are all meeting tomorrow night after work to watch a slideshow
that will contain all the photos that were taken during the trip. the schmid family was kind
to take on the project and host.

summer 2015

it's hard to believe summer has come and gone already.
i know two boys who are thrilled to be back in school even though
they said they had an 'awesome' summer.

summer 2015 will be remembered for beach days, taco surf trips with their dad,
pool parties, play dates, lots of soccer, junior lifeguards, a harry potter birthday,
roadtrips, new books {finn discovered issac asimov}, concerts on the green at
kate sessions park and lots of visitors.  here's some photo highlights:



grommet guards: scout

i'm 2 months behind on this blog, but i am determined to get come
back and document some summer highlights. i just come across this a few
days ago when c shared photos and videos he had of the boys on his phone.

i found this one of scout doing some drills with his fellow guards.
here's one of the video clips c got.  scout looks so into it!
{he's in red lifeguard shorts, no hat}

~ i must mention scout was very disappointed with the grommet guards
workouts. he wanted them to be more difficult than they were.  after his big
brother showed him what his group {9-12 yr olds} were doing, he had been
practicing push-ups, planks, swimming laps in our pool and running more.

c encouraged his desire and would have the boys run the loop around our very hilly
neighborhood every morning in preparation.  he was ready to be pushed.  he would
come home every evening and over dinner tell us the jr. grom program was just too
'babyish' for him. c and i reminded him it was probably challenging for many or most
of the other 7 and 8 year olds and that next year, he will get to be with the big kids and
do all those things that finn did {including the pier jump}.

finn's first pier jump: 2015

one of the rituals of finishing junior guards is jumping off the pier.
kids either look forward to it from day one or they fear it.
finn could hardly wait and the day finally arrived.

i wasn't able to be there but c was and he said he didn't hesitate.
as instructed, he held his fins out to his sides, raised them above his head and jumped.
he said was a 'little' bit scary but more exciting!

here he is, the one and only finn oliver:



i was so grateful there was a photographer who was in the water snapping photos of the kids

jumping. these are scans of printed copies but they do the job.  i only wish there was one from

the top of the pier looking down into the water...that would show the distance down these kiddos

jumped {which is quite impressive} 

 

i learned the photographer is there every summer, so next year we'll get scout doing his very first

jump too. he was so quite disappointed the 'grommet' guards {7 and 8 year olds}, weren't allowed
to do the jump.  i tell him to be patience...he'll be up there next year.

mr. gerber just shared this video clip of finn.  he was there!  

oh to be a kid again!

scout's harry potter birthday

a whole month after his actual birthday,
scout's bestie returned home to san diego and
the harry potter party finally took place. 

we kept it casual and inexpensive, adding just a few things to 'theme' it.
i'm a HUGE fan of themes for two reasons:

first, it makes it easy to decorate, it drives the activity(s) for the party,
and gives c direction for his cool cake designs, and second, and most important,
it imprints into my memory, what my boys were into at specific ages.
anything that will help me remember these beautiful childhood days is
a wonderful thing.

so here are some highlights of scout's 8th birthday party.
he invited his bestie spencer and his other close buddies and of course big brother.
the kids came in white shirts and I provided them with cute ties I found an on amazon
and some wands purchased from etsy. 

they were in heaven and looked oh so cute as they had 'wand wars' and ran all
over the backyard throwing out curses and spells.

 

 

 



summer = good things

summer is in full swing and though i have been working most of it,
the boys are having a blast. oh to be a kid again. summer is full of good things!

while finn and scout stay busy with camps, play dates, road trips and
soccer during the week, i'm trying to soak in the summer days on the weekends
with beach days, bike rides, books, birthday parties, outdoor concerts, eating lots
of cherries and watermelon and enjoying visitors.

the boys were both home last week as we didn't have a camp scheduled
and they took a quick trip to phoenix to see grandparents and their cousin anoka
who celebrated her 1st birthday!  i can't believe my niece is a year already.  

anoka gerber

the boys had a wonderful time in the arizona,
and even got to spend a day with auntie heidi, greg and cousin anoka,
while c played golf with his pops and cousin tim.

they arrived home just in time to see auntie jen who flew in to san diego
for a long weekend.  we had a fun filled weekend and i may have a few
photos to commemorate it but i haven't had a chance to see them yet.
auntie leslie and her kiddos were visiting the weekend before
so i need to document our time together as well.

first things first, scout's 'harry potter' themed birthday party is finally
happening {saturday night}.  it seems like a lifetime for our 8 year old
who has been anxiously awaiting the return of his bestie so he could attend.
he's been in europe for 6 weeks!  he's back and the boys are ready to party.

mr. gerber is having conversations with scout-a-rama about what kind of
cake he will make, and i'm on the hunt for a birdcage.  no, i won't have a real bird,
but because owls are a big part of the harry potter stories, i did purchase hedwig
to put on the party table. it would be super cute if i can find a cage for him.
stay tuned!

junior guard: finn oliver

finn completed his first year of junior guards last week
and it ended better than anyone of us had imagined.
after 4 weeks of swimming, surfing, kayaking and running,
it was time for graduation ceremonies.

c was in san francisco on business, so i worked from home to make
it easier to shuttle the kids to and from camps and so that i could
attend finn's junior guards graduation ceremony. 

i gathered at the lifeguard headquarters in mission bay with dozens of
other parents to learn about what our kids had been up to the last several weeks,
and to watch some kids receive a 'special achievement' award. I should note kids
are divided into three groups, 9-12, 13-15 and 16-17 year olds.

i was only half listening as they went through several group of kids, but when finn's instructor,
mr. gaudet, came to the microphone, i perked up. his first award went to a young girl who
was terrified of the ocean but overcame it.  after she walked off stage, mr. gaudet continued
with "this young man...{that got my attention because it eliminated half the kids in his group
because they were girls}.

scout and i, who were sitting under a palm tree pretty far away, made our way closer to the
stage so we could see and hear better.  mr. guadet went on to say that the young man showed up
and worked hard every day and was determined to improve.  he always asked questions -
very specific ones, about how to do something and after he would do it,
he'd come back out of the water and want a thorough critique". 

mothers know their children well....that's our job...and this description sounded exactly my son.
i said to scout "i think he's talking about finn" and he shrugged his shoulders unsure but watched
more intently.

sure enough. he called finn gerber up on stage.  i watched a huge grin form across his
little face and he was easy to follow as he was wearing his huge JG issued straw hat.
{kids get a choice of a trucker hat or a large brimmed straw hat}. he was presented a medal
for 'Most Improved Junior Guard' in his group.  scout and i cheered for him...
extra loud since dad  wasn't there to join in.

for finn to get this award is a HUGE deal, not because his dream is to be a lifeguard,
but because the odds were against him.  he is small for his age and he isn't a natural athlete.
he'd much rather use his brain over his brawn any day, so pushing his body every day to this
level of workouts was intense for him.  he came home every night sore for 4 weeks, but excited
that he could do a few more push-ups than he had a week earlier. he pushed himself hard and it
was wonderful to see him recognized for it.  i have a feeling he will never forget this day.  



























~ as we were walking to the car after the ceremony,
finn announced he was going to do jr. guards every summer until he turns 16.
he said "as much as i like it, it's not my passion and i don't want to be an intern
with the san diego lifeguards". {it's a paid position}. he told us he's going to work at
the science museum and help with the kids' camps. i smiled and told him that sounds
like the perfect job for him as a teen.

the pianist of willesden lane

c celebrated a birthday last week.

also celebrating was my mum and my oldest sister.

july 10th is a very special day.

 

with all the craziness of summer - visitors,

getaways,  the endless shuttling of the boys and work,

i knew that c could use some r and r.    

 

my sweet friend, also c's chiropractor, came over with her

3 kiddos to watch the boys so we could get an evening together. 

my friend says its a little vacation for them, and it's free babysitting for us,

so it's a win-win. 

 

while they swam, ate pizza and watched one of the

harry potter movies, c and i headed downtown for a quiet dinner.

since there are literally hundreds of restaurants and bars downtown,

i didn't bother with a reservation.  we just walked until we found a place that

caught our eye. i don't even recall the name of the restaurant, but i could lead
you there if you asked me. *wink*

 

we enjoyed a lite dinner and a drink together before walking over to the lyceum theater 

to see the pianist of willesden lane. we hadn't been to a play together in over a
year and after having read a description of the story and the all the glowing reviews,
i knew it would be a great experience.

 

the play was unlike anything we'd ever seen. it was unique in that it

there were just two thing on stage - one actress and a piano. through her music

and her words, mona golabek, a concert pianist, told the story of her mother.

 

her mother was an aspiring pianist, and at age 14, was one of the thousands

of jewish children throughout europe, who was sent by train to england during wwII.
this mass migration was called the kinder transport. the woman's mother was one of
the lucky children who had an opportunity to leave. a more thorough description can
be found here.

 

the play was phenomenal - in both the story told and the music. somehow we had

front row seats in an already small theater so i found myself glued to mona's

hands on the piano. in all my years of taking piano lessons and having some

wonderfully talented teachers, and in seeing musicians perform, i've never seen
anyone so accomplished as this woman at the piano. it sat there in awe...of her talent
and her tragic and beautiful story.   

 

c and i left the theater with tears in our eyes, understanding one piece of history and

it's people we knew nothing about, and a deeper appreciation for music and it's

transformative power.

if this one woman masterpiece comes to your city, don't miss out.
it will be worth every penny you paid and every minute of your time.
simply amazing.

 

 

it's great to be eight





scout benjamin gerber,

today is your 8^th birthday, and i want you to know how much i enjoy being your mom and how much we love having you as our youngest family member. every day is a blessing because i get to watch you grow, learn and explore.  when i look at you today, here are 8 things i see: 

1.   You've matured so much over the last year. 
the changes came so fast – you lost your front baby teeth and the permanent teeth that took their place give you a whole new look….a big kid look. you grew physically a few inches – you are leaner and taller and you grew in other ways too.  you've become more confidant and can now look an adult in the eyes when they speak to you and you to them. {we'd been working on that for some time}. you communicate your feelings more appropriately now when you are upset and this is a BIG change from your younger years.  finn shared with me that he noticed too.  you also help around the house more which is a big help to our family.
 

2.      You still devour books. 
since the tender age of 4, reading is something you have enjoyed. you get to experience adventure, danger, new places and people and so much more through the books you read. keeping new material on hand is a bit challenging for your dad and me, but we do our best.  we visit the library often and if they don't have what you need, we have books sent over from surrounding libraries to our neighborhood library. you always have a series you are reading, as well as a list of what you want to read next.  this is you scout….an avid reader who prefers books over video games. your favorite series is still harry potter, and it was no surprise you chose it as this year’s birthday theme.  other book series you’ve enjoyed this year are the city of sparks, fablehaven, and the secret series.  though it’s been years since you needed me to read to you, we still read out loud together almost every night.  i’m not sure who enjoys it more…you or me.  regardless, i hope it lasts for many more years.  tonight, we will continue reading king arthur and the knights of the round table. you are enjoying this classic so much!

 

3.     Your favorite food is pizza with pepperoni and bacon.
you love bacon and asked your dad to order a pizza with this combination months ago and now it's your favorite takeout pizza. some of your other favorite foods are crispy chicken, mangos, blueberries, edamame, boiled eggs, ice cream with lots of sprinkles and breakfast burritos from taco surf.  you eat one at least once a week with your dad and brother and sit on a grassy knoll overlooking the pacific ocean.  it’s become a weekly tradition. 

4.      Your friends are important to you. 
since 1^st grade, you’ve had a ‘bestie’ and his name is spencer.  you two share so much in common, and more importantly, you two complement each other.  developing deep friendships takes effort, time and dedication and seeing you practicing it so early in life is a beautiful thing.  you have 2 other great friends and this year you chose to have this small group over for a birthday sleepover. it seems age 8 is the year the parents of your buddies are ok with letting their children have sleepovers. you've been anxiously awaiting as you watch your older brother having lots of sleepovers.

 

5.     You are a competitor. 
whether it’s swimming laps in the pool, scoring goals, beating your brother in a footrace or trying out for jr. guards (JG), you want to do well and you push yourself hard.  when you tried out for grommet guards, your swim test wasn’t timed. even so, you made sure your dad timed you during all your practice swims and on tryout day, you asked the instructor to time you while he was timing your brother. you ended up with a personal record that day and was so proud of yourself.  whether it’s academics, playing the piano, or doing any sport, {soccer, tennis, hiking, rollerskating, biking, tennis, or surfing}, you give it your ALL. 

 

6.      You are sensitive.
when you’ve had your feelings hurt, there’s no hiding how you feel.  you wear your emotions on your sleeve…whether it’s fear, happiness, sadness, anger or excitement.  your dad says you are a lot like you mom in this way. it's true.  when you were younger, you struggled finding appropriate ways to express some of your feelings. you've made such strides this past year.  we celebrate that you are sensitive scoutie, because it means you care deeply. it also reminds the family to be more aware so we can understand and love you better. that's what life is all about anyway...loving people well.

7.    Soccer has become a passion of yours.
you've always enjoyed the game...even at age 4 when mom was 'attempting' to coach your team. it wasn't until last year that something clicked. your motor skills improved, you developed a better understanding of the game, and completely fell in love with it. it was a beautiful thing to watch. you wanted and needed more than recreational soccer and asked if you could tryout for competitive soccer. after lots of thought, your dad and i agreed. you made the riptide U9 team and since joining, you've improved so much from last year.
 

       on the days you don't have practice, you ask your dad or me to take you to a local field so you can practice. we usually take turns.  i love it because it gives me alone time with you...something i don't get much of during the week. i should mention you wear soccer jerseys almost daily, and your germany jersey is your favorite! for whatever reason, germany is your favorite team in the world.  you follow their national team on the sports channel and cheer against the usa whenever they are playing us. it makes game time really fun at the gerber casa. 

 

8.      You love to learn.
early on, your interests seemed to be mostly what finn was interested in. i worried about your being in your brother's shadow or feeling like you were in his shadow. with finn being so vocal and having found his passions young, i badly wanted to see you find your interests and get sense of who you are away from him.  this year, you have found your way and you are soaking up every opportunity to learn about the world.  since i can't take you on trips around the world, we use reading as a way of expanding your world scout.  

those that don't know you well, are sometimes surprised to learn that you are our most studious son. you enjoy every subject at school and want to be challenged in all of them.  when you learn something and feel like you have it down, you are ready for the next challenge...you beg for the next challenge.  before you started kindergarten, you announced to c and me that you were going to complete your kindergarten curriculum on-line as well the 1st grade because ou always want to be full year ahead. you did it, and have done this every summer.  you enjoy online learning so much that you have gotten upset when we ask you to get off the computer. you don't understand why when you are doing something "educational".  {educational or not, you don't need to be on electronics for hours a day}

scout, these are all qualities that i see in you and celebrate every day. you live and love in a BIG way and that big heart of yours inspires others to do the same. happy number 8 sweet blue-eyed boy.

love, mom

~ i almost forgot to share your stats. you are 49" tall and you weigh 49 lbs.

It's gr8 2 b 8! {that was scoutmaster}