Picture of the Day

Tonight I had a hard time choosing the picture of the day for my Facebook project. I ultimately picked the one above, but the ones below were the runner up's.

"Full Mouth"
"Fresh Fish"
"New Endeavor"

10 year olds - The sleepover

Note to self: Limit the number of 10 year olds allowed in the house at one time.


JUST kidding, sort of.


The big boy turns 10 today. For his party, he chose to invite friends from school and the dojo for a super sleepover this past weekend. The boys came to swim, play games at the park, and make a lot of noise in the gym. My favorite part of the whole process was watching the birthday boy interact with all of his friends. He had such a fun time. Hubby was a total trooper, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, making chili dip and entertaining kids. Luckily, the boys were very well behaved and did their best to follow my rules (which I promptly stated when they all arrived... of course. You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but... you know)
So glad that a few friends from the dojo and the "club" came too. What a wonderful weekend we had. And it is only getting better for this week. The boys are all fishing, while baby and I make brownies to share at the dojo. Tonight, family will come to eat and blow out candles (baby LOVES to sing Happy Birthday!) So I will post more pictures in a few days. Here are a few from the super sleepover. Enjoy.

The Old Car Next Door

There is an old car next door. The boys that live next door are always fixing it up. I simply can't appreciate its value because to me it is just an old car. But for those who like classic automobiles, it is a working Thunderbird that has a rebuilt engine. I'm not sure of all the specifics (and I know know if I would remember even if told) but I can say that it became my photo subject today. I tried to get pictures of the boys playing basketball first, but the car was a bit more cooperative in the posing department.

Here are a few favorites for those who can appreciate it.

The Tournament

The boys had their second jits tournament yesterday. What a great way to spend time together. As a mom, I was way too nervous to do it again, but it was a good learning experience for the boys.
Just a couple of shots before the competition started. I think I need a similar sign to the one of the scorekeepers' table. Can you imagine hanging something like that on the bedroom door or on my desk in my classroom?!

Del Mar Fair

I guess it's called the "San Diego County Fair" now, but I just love going to the Fair. On June 28, 1999, a very pregnant me and hubby were at the Fair looking to buy a hot tub. I remember feeling very sick, so hubby couldn't finish wheeling and dealing. I grabbed a plate of cheese covered Aussie chips to go and we went home. I continued to feel ill and thought it was because of all the lovely greasy food from the Fair. Turns out, between the walking, the eating, and the outrageous prices of the Jacuzzis, I went into labor and had #1 the next day. Since then, we've taken the family to the Fair during the month of June every year.

This year's trip was just as fun, filled with delicious foods fried to perfection, carnival games that really no one can win, and thrilling rides that only cost a few yellow tickets (which cost 75 cents each) All in all, we walked away with great memories, sore feet, and indigestion.

When asking the boys, they thought the highlight was a show called Swifty Swine Races - pig racing for an Oreo cookie. One pig could swim. All I could think about during the show was how people actually make money off stuff like that. It's all good, it was fun.

My highlight was watching the kids scream for "their pig" during the races. And, the Aussie chips...yum.

Sunday Dinner

Sundays are dedicated to Hubby's family for dinner. Tonight, the boys' cousins from Texas were there to help us kick off the week. Despite having a photo shoot in Escondido this morning with a lovely family, I got my favorite picture of the day at dinner tonight. Just wanted to share my favorite shot of the day.

56 days of Summer!

A friend and I are playing a game this summer. We counted that, if we stay true to the 'vacation' mentality, there are exactly 56 days of pure freedom before the first administrative meeting that we have to attend for the new school year. Therefore, we are posting one picture to represent everyday of summer vacation. It sounds easy - take my camera where I go and take pictures of everything I do. I'm really looking forward to all the exposure I'll get to my 50D (no pun intended... well, sort of)
I suspect that most of my shots will be of the kids at places like, oh, the dojo. Here is one of the kids practicing "Passing the Guard" They enjoy this drill because everyone gets a chance to participate and you get to keep playing if you can pass the guard. Sensei tells them it is a game, but they are reinforcing the skills they will need to learn. My boys always laugh because they get to roll all over the ground with their friends. Tell me...what boy doesn't like to play rough and tumble all over the mat?
This picture doesn't count for the 56 because it was taken a week ago, but I though I would share anyway. If you would like to see the pictures from the summer, check out my facebook album. I'll try my hardest to update FB images daily!

Time to compete!

The boys have a jiu Jitsu tournament that they have been training for at the dojo. Sensei has the boys conditioning and practicing techniques to help them do well for the competition later this month. I feel very anxious for the boys. It is always scary to me that I am allowing my children to grapple on the ground with other kids, basically I'm condoning ground fighting. Hubby does bring up a good point which is boys should know how to fight. He also says that martial arts, any kind, helps to build confidence. I believe that too, but more importantly, the boys have friends at there and enjoy going. That's good enough for me.

I am worried that the boys will get hurt because at the tournament, they are up against kids that are from other places. At our dojo, Sensei stresses the need to practice technique and not to hurt the other person. But at this tournament, the kids will have every intention of hurting, strong arming, trapping, beating up my boys.

It is a good thing that I am absolutely confident that they are well prepared and can take care of themselves. I guess it's true that a little boy should know how to fight. I hope that I'm strong enough to do this a third time with baby when the time comes.

The Bride To Be

I love weddings. The diversity of the ceremonies, the variety of venues, the dress the bride wears... I love it all. This summer, Hubby and I will be witnessing several friends reciting their vows, and I can't wait. I just love weddings.

Recently, I got to spend time with a dear friend's sister who is getting hitched. The shower was at TP's house... the perfect place to laugh and play. Blue and black decorations and attire were theme, with the bride to be wearing a scndalously short, strapless summer dress. Champagne, chicken wings, and a group of ladies = some great memories. No details needed, let's just say that TP's living room was covered with TP from wanna be designers.

Park fun with a leash

I let the baby drag the dog around at the park. Funny to see them try to lead each other around. They are are the perfect pint sized pair. I don't know if it was baby walking the dog, or the dog walking baby, but it sure made a great picture.