Week of June 5

Another few days of activities a go-go around the house.

This week started with the usual Scout night on Monday night. The next night Kevin received two awards from school, a Brookhurst Service award, and a Most Improved in History award. When I asked him what he did to get the service award, I got a shrug and a nasally "I don kno..." - the typical Kevin response to everything nowadays. Not even an official teenager yet, but he sure has the vocabulary of one. But he still let me hug him, so he's not completely lost.

He also had his spring band concert the following night. Here is the picture of him and his friend Thomas. I guess you could call them best friends, but I don't think the boys are all into that "we are sooo BFF" stuff like the girls are.

And for the fourth night of activities in a row, tonight I took the boys to ride the new Toy Story Mania ride at DCA. It's not open for a couple more weeks, but we got some cast member preview passes. Totally awesome ride - it is similar to the Buzz Lightyear ride where you shoot for points from your car, but way better.

I made the boys stop for another group photo in the park. I figure I better take what I can a) while there are some pretty spots left before they start demolishing and re-habbing things, and b) while the boys will still actually stand still next to each other and smile. It's getting harder and harder anymore - this is like one of three that I took - somebody always has to make a goofy face, or puts bunny ears behind their brother's head.

We met up with my friend Margo and her family in Bug's Land. Her two girls latched on to me and made me go on two rides with them. Which was fine, except the boys decided that these little squirty blasts of water were pretty darn fun to play in. Which was also fine, but I wasn't there to tell them to stop before they got completely drenched (deliberately) in about 2 minutes.

OK... poll time: Who do you think will get sick first???

May 31

Yesterday we went to the annual BPPD Open House. The only thing the boys remembered from last year were the helicopter and really fast police car rides. Since Jacob is a major helicopter freak, we had to go again.

We came at the very end of the Open House, so we were one of the last to take pictures and peek inside. The boys insisted that I take a picture of the helicopter as it was taking off. They were jealous of my sunglasses since it kicked up lots of dirt and dust.
The SWAT team must have remembered Matt from last year since all he wanted to do was touch the guns. He went straight to the table again this year.They even let the boys try on a gas mask, helmet, and an empty, but still very heavy, flak jacket.
Since we didn't do the tour last year, I made the boys go this year. Just like mom said, there was a picture of grandpa in the lobby (sorry for the glare). I think that is the scariest picture I have ever seen of him. We got to walk into the booking area, the jail, and see the shooting range underneath the building. Ground-breaking for the new police dept. building starts next week, so time is ticking for this plaque with his name on it.

May 17

Another busy few weeks in the ol' household.... can't seem to catch a minute to breathe, much less post.... but here goes.

Matt's Wolves Cub Scout group has done all the requirements for their rank, so now comes the fun stuff. We have gone bowling, to the planetarium, made crafts for Mothers Day, and have a trip planned to the BP Police Dept. Open House. Here's a mug shot of the group at the bowling alley - had a blast bowling at 9am on a Sunday morning!

Jacob finished his fifth grade state report on WA. He had lots of help from Auntie Karen who gathered postcards, pictures, pins, pens, t-shirts, and ash from Mt St. Helens for his project.

On Sat, May 10, we gathered at the LA Coliseum for the Revlon Run/Walk for Cancer. Cindy, Karen, Tracy, Alanna and I walked with 60,000 of our best friends through the most lovely part of town. Gary, Curtis, Sammy, Michael, David, Sheryln, and Auntie Pookie came out to cheer us on. They planted themselves along the fence until the walk started. Notice which group they stood beside... I'm sure the guys picked that out special spot for the entertainment value.

At the end of the walk, an hour and 13min later, we walked into the coliseum via the athletes entrance.

A view just before we entered the field and to the finish line:

Just after the finish line, we posed for a group shot with the flame in the background.

Peg and Rick Damalak originally invited us out to the walk, and we met up with them in the stands.

More walk pictures: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0EbNWLVszYsWGf

Other things on the calendar this last couple weeks: Open House at Brookhurst and Dysinger, board meetings, Cub Scout meetings, Kevin learned how to use radios at a mothers day event, along with a few service hours painting curbs, and the Boy Scouts treated us mothers to a dinner.

April 26

Aaah yes, the time of year when the "To Do" list includes lots of chaperoning the kids to their various events, schedule conflicts, and working on school projects.

KEVIN'S HAPPENINGS:
Kevin's stuff is all with Boy Scouts, and it is way uncool to have mom anywhere around except when needed for me to drop off or pick him up. He had a car wash last week, and BSA Camporee this weekend, but I have no photos since again, it would be uncool.

MATT'S HAPPENINGS:
Here Matt and his friend Cameron show their pinewood creations at the Cub Scout Space Derby. Mom got to do a lot of sanding, direction-reading, painting flames, and leading Matt in a round of "lets find that little grommet that dropped on the floor".

He also had a 2nd-3rd grade concert at school that nicely got me out of a band board meeting.

REBEL SHOW
Sam participated in the school's talent show this year, his talent being solving the Rubiks Cube. The theme was Star Wars, so he really wanted this Jedi robe to wear. He found directions on the internet (today's version of McCalls or Butterick) and I tried my hand at the first thing I've ever sewn since my 7th grade home ec. project... This is just another way that I am becoming my mother, but I would much rather paint a pig. (Note to kids: your grandmother could sew up a storm, but when she tried to paint a plaster pig one time, it was really bad. So we let her sew, and we stuck to painting).


JACOB SINGS AGAIN...
The school district once again had an upper grade concert at Knott's Berry Farm. Jacob thought if he didn't tell me about it, or conveniently left his papers at school, that I wouldn't know about it. If I didn't know about it, then I wouldn't take him, and then he wouldn't have to sing. He hasn't quite figured out that mom knows a lot more than she lets on. This concert also conveniently got me out of a parent meeting, but unconveniently didn't let me work with Tracy on headdress that same night.

He is also working on a school project on Washington State. Aunt Karen nicely sent him some items she picked up from her new home state. Jacob wanted to know how she got that ash from Mt. St. Helens into the little plastic container.

MOM'S HAPPENINGS:

Tracy once again had an entry in the Headdress Ball, which this year was more geared toward the dress instead of the headpiece. The theme was movie magic, and her entry was "Moulin Rouge". The corset got lots of rave reviews around the room.

We had issues with the stability of the heart, but it was rather pretty. It also didn't stop all the old men in the room from taking many pictures of Allison, the mannequin. The event was at the Beverly Hills Hotel, so afterwards we had drinks in the famous Polo Lounge. Grandma and Grandpa would have been proud of Cindy and me.

April 11

Just some snapshots taken over the last few weeks of our life....

KEVIN and his (best) friend Thomas at Vans Skate Park. They open up the park on Sunday nights for bike riding.
JACOB out in the front yard - don't know which kid took this shot, but I kinda like it. The kids also discovered the video button on my camera, so when I figure out how to upload video to the blog, I will post one. Of course, that means also I gotta screen them for the birds and all. Kevin didn't think I would actually save the videos!MATTHEW with his friends from Cub Scouts.. we took a hike to the park and had a picnic / treasure hunt / bike races.
I went to Orlando last week for work, and on the last afternoon I was there, took a walk through Animal Kingdom with 60,000 of my closest friends. The next night I took the boys out for the evening at DCA, with only 20,000 of our closest friends. I go to the parks maybe twice a year, and I happen to go twice during spring break - what am I thinking?!?

Here's a pic of the boys under the Golden Gate Bridge...and a shot of Paradise Pier at dusk