The Johnson Family Blog

3 squared...or 7 + 2

2010-05-12T23:37:00.000-07:00

This is our family tradition...one of many.
We sing happy birthday then at the end of "happy birthday to you..." we all sing "how old are you?"
The answer is ALWAYS supposed to be your age minus 2 then you sing that age + 2. So Caleb's was SUPPOSED to be "7 + 2"
This year he sang "3 squared"....I know long story and it's not even funny but it's tradition and he created quite the uproar by changing it. The smarty. Really though it was fine and we all were very impressed with his math skilz :-)

From The Johnson Family Blog

The birthday boy...he reminded me all day it was his birthday.

"Mom, can you make me a smiley pancake..it's my birthday!"
"Mom, can you take me to gamestop? It's my birthday!"
Mom, do we REALLY have to do school today? It's my birthday!"

Cake Time!

From The Johnson Family Blog

Opening presents...who wouldn't like a jar full of money?

From The Johnson Family Blog

We gave Caleb the choice this year between a big party or science camp. He chose Science camp! I am so proud of him and the boy he is becoming. God has been so good to us. He is always surprising us with his sensitivity and care for others. Not long ago, as I was driving in the car, the radio tuned to 600 am, a commercial came on talking about the honor of serving in the armed forces. There was rolling music and it was quite beautiful. I looked back and Caleb was crying, tears rolling down his cheeks. He told me "Mom, that commercial just made my heart feel something about how those soldiers take care of our country. I can't believe they do that." I was blown away to say the least and it made my heart stir to see the Lord's obvious tug on his heart to care about people. What a blessing!

Tonight we ate pizza and root beer and played outside together while the sun started to set. I love this time of year!

Almost 5

2010-04-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

My darling little girl will be five tomorrow. Our little firecracker.
I was reminded today that she will grow up fast and, before I know it, will be out of my house and married with her own kids. Tear, tear.
Excuse me while I go hug her.

Soon I will be posting about her lovely and lively Ice cream Party.
Stay tuned for fab photos by Kristen!

CUPCAKE LOVE

2010-03-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

This past week I was in crazy event planner land. I was event planner for a concert, a black tie auction gala, and had to make goodies for two events. Here is a little peek at the cupcakes I made for a friend who hosted a bridal shower.
Hopefully more pics of the other events are to come in the next few weeks, if I have the time that is!

From blog photos

RANDOM IN THE HOUSE

2010-03-02T14:42:00.001-08:00

This will be a blog of random things that have been going on in the Johnson house these past few weeks.

We have been in the midst of sickness in the Johnson house these past few weeks. It seems the kids just pass a flu bug from one to another. I would love if it would pick up and get the heck out of this house!
Caleb is home from school today and Lizzie is feeling better.
I am not going to try and update everything that has been going on in detail but a few things worth telling have happened in the past few weeks.

Jim and I got away for a few nights to downtown San Diego! I got to indulge in a much needed break from homelife and spend some relaxing time with Jim. He sent me to the Hotel SPa for a great message and relaxing afternoon on our last day. My first message ever and worth every penny! We stayed at the U.S. Grant Hotel and the Hyatt. A little bit of luxury in our own back yard. It was just perfect.

I was able to give Caleb's class a cute Valentines day party. and Mrs. Crites told me last week that a couple kids have come up to her and said it was the best class party they have ever had. Makes my heart happy to know I made it fun for the kids and that they were made to feel special. Oh the LOVE!

Lizzie is loving Ballet and despite her talkative nature and inability to stand still and hold a position for more than 3 seconds she is doing splendidly in her classes...at least that is what I keep telling myself (and her) :-)

I am currently working on planning some events for the spring and summer and working towards a future event planning company. It is very slow going, anything done right usually is, but I am making small steps towards improving my skills and refining my ideas. It is exciting stuff!

Caleb is doing good in school though we are struggling a bit with how to encourage his creativity in writing but not do the work for him. How do teachers do it!!!??? I have hit a bit of a wall this week as I try to figure this out. I think we both wanted to kill eachother after our fable writing excercise! Thankfully with homeschooling you have some flexibility so we took a break from the writing for a day so I could calm down :-) How do you explain to an 8 year old the concept of teaching a lesson/moral through a story? read, read, READ! That has been my savior. Learn through example.
Yesterday we returned to it and Caleb and I worked through it perfectly and had a great time bouncing ideas off one another.

Today I am catching up on laundry and trying to remember to drink lots of water and eat lots of veggies...bathing suit season is fast approaching and...well...it ain't pretty!

FEATURED!

2010-02-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

I was featured on TODAY"S CREATIVE BLOG! SO Exciting!

Here is the link if you want to check it out!
http://todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/just-peeping-around-and-found-once-upon.html

LIFE...IT JUST GETS IN THE WAY

2010-01-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

It just gets in the way of blogging, you know? I have really not had the energy lately to blog as you can clearly tell. These days I am finding that by the time I have finished with schooling and all of the other things required of a housewife all I want to do is get into bed! Sleep and rest is more important right now. I only feel a little guilty though :-). More and more I am seeing how much time is required of me to dedicate to this homeschooling thing to do it right. And it is downright TIRING!
There are times it seems that I will have no social or creative life ever again...or at least for the next 10 years or so when my kids are in high school and I will get a little bit of a break.
January has been filled with a few fun family happenings but I can't remember most of them and my camera is hiding so I can't sift through the photos to jog my memory. Here is what I CAN remember.
I took the kids ice skating for the first time, Lizzie started Ballet classes at New West Ballet School, We suprised the kids with a trip to Disneyland this past friday, and I was able to help oragnaize the annual banquet for the San Diego Police department Chaplains association and a wedding at church. And did I mention I'm growing out my hair? My husband is excited to get a new wife. It has been a full month!
Today we sit at home, waiting for the third in a series of storms to hit the west coast, while Caleb works on poetry memorization: "Little Lamb" and reaidng about the Vikings. Maybe I'll get to the dishes, menu planning and laundry, maybe not. Wish my coffee pot luck...it will be busy working overtime today!

NEW ADDITIONS TO OLD TRADITIONS

2009-12-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas we take the kids to go check out the best Christmas lights around. We have no problem spending hours out in the car playing some Christmas music and looking at millions of beautiful and obnoxious Christmas lights.
This year I changed it up a bit to make the time more special for the kids, more of an event. I bought them new robes and then after they opened them up we told them there was a surprise but they had to get into the PJ's and robes and shoes. Then they had to get into the car. All I heard was shrieking and laughter.
"Mom, you're silly. I think you made a mistake...we don't wear our pajama's in the car!" and more laughter and jumping around.
"Tonight you do!" I said

We took them, and ourselves, because we came up with such a great idea:-), through the Starbucks drive-thru for hot cocoa and coffee and proceeded to look at some AMAZING lights.

All ready to go

Hot cocoa is good when I get to drink it in the car in my Pajamas!

The beautiful, but obnoxious, christmas lights

Ahhhh...this is why I have on my pajamas!

CHRISTMAS MISH MASH

2009-12-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

I feel horrible I have not blogged during this entire Christmas season. Between planning weddings and being sick on and off for over a month it has been a challenge.
There have been many blog worthy moments though.
I am attaching the photos to my last post.
So off we go for a brief, but thoroughly enjoyable, blog update!

We got our Christmas tree!
I just love how I bundled the kids up to make it look like we get a really cold Christmas here, but then you see Jim is in short sleeves.

I got together with my great girlfriends and we made teacher gifts that really kinda rocked. I wish i took more pictures of the enormous amounts of boxes and ribbons and such but I was way to busy for that.
We ate dinner then pulled out the glue gun and all other goodies to make our 92 gifts!
Stay tuned for the link to my friend Kristen's blog as I think she is planning on blogging some much nicer photos of the gifts.
We made hot cocoa mix with marshmallows, BBQ spice rub for the men teachers, soup mix, and cookie mix along with some of the cookies the mix makes. I had such a great time doing this and had even more fun spending the time with good friends (while saving money!).

Caleb had his Christmas Choir concert for TCA. He is in his 3rd year singing in the choir and really loves it. His cousin is in another choir age group so at the concerts all of the Aunts, Uncles grandparents and cousins in the family see one another. I notice a real appreciation for all things musical in him. This makes mommy especially happy.I can't wait to see how he grows in this way. I was blown away by the TCA High School Choir. Some of the best high school singing I have ever heard.

CHRISTMAS IS HERE

2009-12-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas is here! I am really loving this season right now. We have already been to Christmas at DIsneyland, a few Christmas choir concerts(Caleb was in his schools choir for the 2nd year) and "Christmas on the Prado" (NOT December Nights!).
We had our annual family Stocking night after the Prado.

Today I am getting ready to host a family recipe exchange at my home that takes place every year in lieu of all of the cousins in the family giving one another Christmas gifts. I am making an appetizer of marinaded mozzerella, tomatoe, and calabrese salame skewers, a yull log cake, and some chocolate macaroons. Oh, and maybe we'll have some Champagne also :-)
Tings are busy in my kitchen right now!

At the end of the week we host our small group Christmas party so I have been busy planning for that as well as planning another wedding at church for a couple who will be getting married the day before the groom heads to Iraq.
Yes, it is a bit crazy in our home but there is a wonderful peace and loveliness also as we celebrate Christ coming to us as a vulnerable little child. In the midst of it all God has given me quietness inside while the current swirls around me. So I am thankful. Hopefully I can put up some pictures on this post soon! Keep checking back.

SAME STORY, DIFFERENT DAY

2009-11-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some miscellaneous happenings that have been going on over the past 2 months..yes..I am way behind. Same story, different day :-)
I have about a million parties and events I am planning right now so the blog has been on the back burner for some time. I am also going to update my party blog with some fun pictures.

Crazy hair day at The Classical Academy

Lizzie being a mama's helper. She LOVES folding for me...I think I'll hire her!

Soccer at TCA. Caleb did a lot better this year and really loved playing. Now if Only I loved going to the practices :-).

Halloween and Harvest Party! My little Glenda the good witch and Caleb as what else, A Star Wars character, Darth Vader. My kids kinda went "dark" on the costumes this year.

FAMILY PHOTOS 2009 LA JOLLA

2009-10-27T11:25:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my friend Kristen (www.kristenbons.com) for taking our family photos this year.
We went down south to La Jolla for the shoot. After celebrating 10 years of marriage this past Summer we thought it would be nice to have our photos taken at the place where we spent most of our time when we were dating and engaged.
We had a great time as we tried to get the kids and Lizzie especially to look at the camera. If any one knows a good trick please tell! I think she is worried about missing out on something so she is always looking around. :-)

WHERE OH WHERE HAVE I BEEN ANYWAY?

2009-09-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

I am alive and so is the family! Since homeschooling started 5 weeks ago it has been a challenge to do much of anything. The last few weeks have gone well.
Here are the highlights:

Kayaking with our small group in Mission Beach.

From blog photos

Girls night out with all the girl cousins to the Gaslamp and Extraordinary Desserts (none of them had been before!) Where I proceeded to dance until 2 a.m. and realized that trying to be 21 does not make you 21.

From blog photos

Day trip to La Jolla to show Kristen around The Cove (She had never been before!)in preparation for our family photo shoot next week. Which has me so excited I could scream.

From blog photos

The making of a surprise "over the Hill" cake for my Aunt Margie's 60th birthday. The cake took 4 days to make and about 15 minutes to eat. Same story for the making of the cake and cupcake tower for my nephew Timmy's 2nd birthday cowboy party.

From blog photos

The first week of fall and I am inspired to get the house all dolled up for the season despite the 100 degree temperatures here in what Caleb now refers to as "the desert".
From blog photos

Now, Shall I keep up with the blogging so I don't fall behind again?
We all have dreams.

"3RD GRADER IN THE HOUSE"

2009-09-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

This is what I hear daily now when Caleb comes home from school. I am so behind in blogging (that's the life of a homeschool mom). We started School 3 weeks ago and it is go fabulously! Caleb loves his teacher Mrs. Crites and exclaimed upon entering his classroom for the first time "cool, there's microscopes...thsat must be because I'm older now."
After I prod him, he usually tells me about his day but only after he chimes in with "just give me a minute mom...I just got done ...jeez."

Classic.

Here is my mammoth 3rd grader. A full 3 inches taller than his classmates. I wonder where that came from? Thank God he likes basketball because I have a feeling he is going to be asked to play all throughout his schooling.
Unfortunately he lost his glasses the day before school started so here he is minus his "boy genius" look as he calls it.

THE LAST HURRAH...AGAIN.

2009-08-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend our family engaged in our annual "last hurrah" week before school starts. We try to fill it with fun family outings and good food.
On Wednesday we went Kayaking with our church family in La Jolla. It was such a blast. Lizzie spent the night with my in-laws so we stayed late into the night eating and chatting on the beach with friends. It was such a beautiful night.

Then Friday I made a nice breakfast for the kids and we went school supply shopping (Caleb LOVES this) and got his desk all set up for the new year.

Saturday we spent the entire day at La Jolla again. We hung out at the beach, ate a nice lunch and built sand castles. Then we changed clothes and headed over to my favorite grocery store IN THE WORLD, Bristol Farms, and bought a picnic to eat on the grass at the cove. We walked and talked and looked at seals and climbed the cliffs a bit before heading to Mt Soledad and grabbing some yummy coffee for on the way home. It was a much more mellow "last hurrah" than in past years but perfect for now. It gave the kids time to play with us and relax and hopefully make some good memories together...that is when they weren't arguing. Which is a whole different blog post by the way. School starts tomorrow! #rd grade here we come...and I DO mean "WE".

Sorry in advance for the blur on some of the pics...didn't realize it until after I had taken some. I know...annoying!

Lizzie and her perfectly even castle...just like her.

Caleb and his Volcano mountain/meteor. I love how creative they are!

PARTY PLANNING

2009-08-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

I have always considered myself a bit of a renaissance woman. I like to dabble in a lot of things; Decorating, cake making, cooking, blogging, planning weddings and parties. I have always been this way. As a child I was always looking for the next thing or big idea to try and carry out in my own back yard. I bombarded my father on many occasions with my ideas and he would say "kid...I think there's something there." The problem with being this way is you never really learn to finish things and you never really get extremely good at any one thing. Well, I don't anyway, especially considering I never finished college. That thought tends to stay with me when I try new things.
I think I am good at most of what I do but would not consider my talents or hobbies accomplished or refined enough to market to the public as a business. A few days ago, as we enjoyed a nice dinner date, my husband disagreed with me. He said "Rachel, you have always been very good at one thing in particular. Event planning...you should do that. Well, on a small scale of course...you still have to home school after all."
Like I said,it is hard to focus your talents in on one thing and feel confident enough to take the steps needed to go ahead with your ideas when you tend to dabble in so many areas of interest. So, I appreciated this blunt statement from him. It was just the confirmation I needed. He is telling the truth after all. Everything else I do, although it is fun in the beginning, tends to cause me stress and then excitement turns to "ugg...why did I take this on?" Yes, you heard it from me first. I get joy out of a well cooked meal or a cake made with painstaking detail, but it does not excite me and give me inspiration for the next thing like I feel when I plan a party for my family or friends or head up an event for our church. It is where I feel at home and where I feel my talents shine brightest for God's glory. So, after thought and discussion, with my darling husband, I will focus here. I have started with a blog of ideas that are floating around in my head, and computer. I am always saving pictures, articles and entertaining ideas for future use when I see something on the Internet(when I ever thought I would use them I don't know, but they're there!) Over time I plan on implementing these ideas into my own parties, and hopefully others', as I get requests, and then blogging them. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the blog and get inspiration and some fun ideas for your next party.

CLICK HERE Once upon a party Blog

FAMILY TOGETHERNESS

2009-08-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

I just love my family. Something I really appreciate about Jim's side of the family is we all celebrate every birthday together for the most part. All 30 of us get together for cake, ice cream, and lots of kids running around playing together. I just love it! Here are some pictures of Rosalie's luau themed birthday party at Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Mike's house, as well as some pics of us out at Moonlight Beach. Last Sunday we joined Tom, Kris, Timmy and Tom's brother Mike (in from out of town) for the free summer concert series and some good old fashion hole digging in the sand, and football playing on the beach.

PARTY TIME!

MOONLIGHT BEACH

SEVEN MINUS ONE

2009-08-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

These are my breakfast Club girls...all but Debbie who could not join us this evening. This photo is courtesy of Kristen's new lens!
What a blessing these ladies are to me! During the school year we meet once a month for breakfast to chat, pray and hang out like girls. They are such an encouragement to me. This last year Michele joined us. Thursday night we met for a little girls night out at Vinz Wine Bar in Escondido to chat before Kristen took off for two weeks with her family to Colorado. One of the encouraging things about starting homeschooling again in 2 weeks is that I have our Breakfast Club to look forward to.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

2009-08-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Did I mention we had a flood? Sorry about the lack of blogging but that's what happens when your house floods. Everything but the necessary goes right out the window! Such is the case with us here in the Johnson house. Our tile and carpet was completed yesterday after a week of living in... well...you know where :-)
So, we are back in the land of the put together, almost. Today was my nephew Timmy's 2nd birthday party which had me working on the cake of the century amidst all the chaos. Why is it when you tell people (contractors) "I need you done on Friday because i have a cake to put together" they think you mean the following Thursday? Live and learn. The weekend has turned out extremely tiring but has left me with a smile. New floors, a few hours out for some chat time with my girls to Vinz, and a great party (complete with gunny sac races!) with all 40 or so members of our family...it's enough to leave you with a smile. Tomorrow we head to Moonlight Beach to hear some great music and hang with Tom, Kris, and Timmy. More on the party and cake later, that is if I can find my camera under the pile of clothes, books, and little girl hair clips strewn about my room.
Sorry for the lack of pictures...you understand.

4TH OF JULY WEEKEND

2009-07-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

What a fun 4th of July weekend we had. 4th of July was celebrated by going to a family BBQ where the kids swam with all the cousins and we had some good New York steak. Then we headed over to the Bons for another bbq with , some fun games and even better laughs. Don't ask.
After eating and playing we all headed to Grape Day Park for fireworks and more fun!

Our little patriot with her hand over her heart "Mom, why does my hand go on my tummy?"
A show of the creativity in our husbands...Elizabeth, Sophia and Lizzie hanging off the hoop.
Sitting for prayer before eating and singing of the national anthem.

Our in laws gave us thier firepit so we roasted some marshmallows and went on a late night swim with the kids before bed. Summer nights are so great.

The next day I had the Bons kids over for some swimming while their mom was shooting a photo session.

Busy weekend but what a wonderful one! This is why I L-O-V-E summer time. BBQ's, swimming, firepits, and friends around all the time.

JUST A NOTE TO MYSELF: Blog more often so blogs are shorter...this one took a lot out of me!

THE REST OF THE STORY...JUNE 25-27

2009-07-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday of our trip was spent biking around the Monterrey Peninsula, walking through the historical buildings in Monterrey (Did you know this is where our states first cnstitution was signed? Really amazing history to see here.) We spent some time just hanging on our balcony with coffee and listening to live classic rock in the outdoor bar right below our room. Nothing like a little Tom Petty on a summer night! We ended the evening with some take out brought to our room from Bubba Gump. We were to tired from all the walking we did during the day to go out.

Friday was our anniversary. We decided to drive through Big Sur and have lunch at a cafe we had read about in a magazine, Cafe Kevah. You go here for the cliff bar, the view from it and the amazing burgers. There were only about 20 seats at the bar so we hung out for a few minutes and a few opened up and we grabbed them. In my opinion this is a must see place. The view was just breathtaking. Not to mention the birds sitting on the tops of the trees in front of you. If you put french fries on the edge of the bar they fly over and grab them.

After our long drive we went to Fishermans warf and got on a 65 foot sailboat for a sunset sail with some wine and cheese. Just beautiful.

After our sail we headed back to the hotel, sat out on the back patio and had coffee next to the firepits.
The next day was my birthday. We did some shopping on Cannery Row, had breakfast and then headed back to Escondido. After a very long drive home we were met with our kids smiling faces saying "Mommy! Daddy! I missed you!" There is nothing better!

SO MUCH TO SEE...JUNE 24

2009-06-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

The Monterrey Bay Aqaurium,the 17 mile drive, Pebble Beach, the Lone Cyprus, Fishermans Warf, Wine tasting...yeah we packed it in!

ANNIVERSARY TRIP TO MONTEREY BAY...JUNE 23

2009-06-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

We are back from our 5 day trip up the 1 and 101 to Monterrey. What an amazing time we had celebrating 10 years of marriage! Our trip up the coast started at around 10:30 am ( a few hours late due to forgetting car insurance cards for our rental car and saying goodbye to the kids) we took the coast through Malibu and then went a bit inland to hit Solvang, one more reason we were late. This was worth it though as we had never seen it or the surrounding areas. We really enjoyed our short hour and a half stop there. We ate a phenomenal lunch and of course ate some yummy pastry before getting back on the road.

Our trip ended at about 9:30 pm. It took us about 2 hours just to get through Big Sur. Unfortunately, our first experience with this area came at night time and in the dark so we didn't see much of anything on the way up. But we made up for it later.
Our first, foggy view of the beauty of Big Sur...right before the sun went down.

We arrived at our hotel in Monterrey on Cannery Row at around 9:30 pm. Here are some shots of the hotel. We were near everything and only took the car out when we wanted to go for scenic drives. We were very spoiled by our hotel. We had big plush robes and slippers waiting for us, Starbucks coffee in the room, a fireplace and an abundance of huge, plush, white towels. Not to mention the concierge doing anything we asked of her. It was all amazing.

This was waiting for us when we arrived; Chocolate covered strawberries, wine and wine tasting gift cards...Jim grabbed a strawberry before I could take a photo...oops :-)

ALMOST GONE

2009-06-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning we take off for Monterrey Bay and Big Sur. We are so excited! Here are the most important things we are taking with us on our road trip.
See ya in a week!

FATHER'S DAY

2009-06-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

Fathers Day started like this.

Since I never make the coffee in the morning (Jim usually makes it a leaves a mug on my nightstand before he takes off for work :-) and it was Father's Day I tried my hand at it so Jim could have a cup before taking off for sound ministry at church. The verdict was good! Later in the day Jim, our brother-in-law Tom and my father-in-law Paul rented a sailboat and spent the whole day sailing in San Diego. They came back tired and tan! If I can get my hands on a pick I'll post one but I think they all left their camera's at home. While they were sailing Lizzie, Caleb and Timmy played in this amazing felt playhouse my mother in law sewed. It goes over a card table and then the kids go underneath. It is the cutest thing I have seen in a long while.

All in all it was a wonderful day with family.

TILE THIS, TILE THAT

2009-06-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

The house looks almost exactly like the photo in my last flood post but now we have newly drywalled, textured, and painted walls and ceilings and the plastic is gone. After coming home from Disneyland and finding that the paint on the walls was the wrong sheen (I said flat enamel NOT semi gloss!) I kindly asked the painters to redo it. So 2 days later we have all of the painting finished and I am now tasked with the job of choosing tile for our bathrooms, entry way, hallway, and kitchen floors. I thought this would be an easy task but after my discussion with the project manager in charge of our house I am completely overwhelmed. I asked him for guidelines as I look so I could know what is most important to consider when looking and choosing the tile. Here are his guidelines.

Material: porcelain, NOT travertine. I love the stuff personally but he said in 10 years every home that has it is going to look dated. Go figure!
edge cut: beveled and not straight
size: Do they make it in a few sizes, 14-17 inches
what is my eye drawn to: are you kidding me? That's why God invented interior designers!
color: does it match the paint and the carpet sample (thanks Bons for the carpet idea!)we are putting in the house.
Price:$3-$3.50 sq ft
If you can, see a sample of this flooring put together in a showroom.
At this point the PM stopped talking because he could see I was hyperventilating.

SO, this weekend when I should be preparing for my 10 year anniversary trip I will be looking for flooring and praying to the designer Gods for inspiration. Work should start as soon as we get back from our trip. That is if I can make a decision before then.
God help me.

SURPRISE! WE'RE GOING TO DISNEYLAND!

2009-06-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Monday we made use of our season passes to Disneyland for the last time. We woke the kids up and told them "Guess where we are going today? Disneyland!"

Here is what they looked like in the car on the way there

There were some firsts with this trip.

Lizzie got to meet her favorite princesses (after we stood in line for an hour!) Now I can say we did and and never do it again. She loved it and was so cute talking to each one of them like they were real. Here is what I heard.

"You have hair like me...does your mommy put pretties (hair clips) in it too?"

"Cinderella, you are my favorite princess"

and again about the hair clips "my mommy put these in and they are pink like you!"

Caleb bought his first thing at Disneyland with his own money...another Light saber..what else?

The only thing we heard from Liz on the way there was "Can we go on Star Tours?"
So we did!

Lizzie drove her Autopia Car by herself (with me stitting next to her) for the first time. It was pretty funny. A 4 year old's idea of driving is turning the steering wheel all the way to the right then all the way to the left, and fast! All I heard was "Oh no! The other way...Oh no! Not that way! Mom, this is NOT FUN" I was laughing so hard!

Caleb drove his car by himself for the first time and his comment afterwards was "that Pedal was heavy!"

Unfortunately the park was incredibly crowded (NEVER go in the middle of June!). We were so worn out, as Caleb demonstrated.

Lizzie set a new record for falling asleep in the car an the way home. She was zonked out before we got on the freeway :-)

LOVELY

2009-06-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Enough said. I think this is going to take longer than a week.

WE MADE IT!

2009-06-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

One year of homeschooling accomplished! I must say that I have never felt so proud and so defeated all at the same time! While this year did go well in so many ways it was also a very trying experience for our family. As we say goodbye to TCA and look forward to Caleb starting a new school next year (Lord willing) I have mixed feelings. This past year and a half was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. I close the year feeling a sense of accomplishment and failure. Accomplishment for the ways Caleb grew and that I, and Jim had something to do with that. That we got through it as a family despite the intensity of emotions everyday. But that feeling of Failure comes when I realize that I just couldn't quite "cut it." I know this feeling of failure may be all in my own head and not a reality but, all the same, it is there in some way. I have a new respect and admiration for families that choose to home school and for the families who never wanted to choose it but are now in that position for one reason or another. It is both difficult and rewarding. Here are some things I learned this year:

-I had to learn how to really understand my son. Who he is and what makes him "tick". I had to pay attention to how he responded in different learning situations and then change things to make it better.
-I had to learn to see Caleb for who he is and who I am so our family could have some peace living with one another...peace did not always happen, but I was aware of it :-)!
-I learned to have empathy for homeschooling families. There is constant fielding of questions and having to defend your decision not to send your child to a school outside the home.
-I learned that God is good, and there can be peace, even in the "life sucks" moments that made up so many days.
-I learned that a little enthusiasm goes a long, long way!
-I learned that I need my husband and he needs me. I can't do it alone and God did not intend me to. We are a family and we all need one another.

So this is just a bit of what I learned this year. I am sure I could keep going. Caleb ended his year with his last E.S. appointment,a wave and then I did what any good mom would do after completing such a task. I took them out for frozen yogurt.

THE FLOOD CLUB

2009-06-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

After hearing countless stories from my girlfriends about flood accidents in their homes, and secretly thinking "I would NEVER let that happen!" Our family has become not so pleased members of this not so exclusive club. Friday night I heard Caleb scream "MOM, THERE"S WATER, WATER, WATER!!!!!!!!!" I left the warm dry comfort of my bed to hear rain int he house. After stopping in my tracks to look outside and see if it was actually raining, and seeing it was not, I ran into our master bath to see a toilet overflowing and water coming out of the bathroom into the master bedroom. Since Jim is in the process of replacing all of our baseboards the water had seeped through the walls and had created a waterfall off of our staircase and into the downstairs, creating 2-3 inches of water on the hardwood floors. So the last week of school this is what we are dealing with. No floors, no celings, no walls. After 4days of fans and dihumidifiers in our house (we had 12!) to take care of mold and moisture, thankfully, our insurance is taking care of things and contractors are comnig out today to survey the damage and talk about replacing bathrooms, flooring and walls. I think we have paid our dues...here is proof.

SUMMER DELICIOUSNESS

2009-05-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing about summer! Fruit! Have any of you ever tried that fruit stand at the mall? I know, I know, what's a fruit stand doing at the mall right? Try it! This is some of the best summer fruit and vegitables out there, and all grown locally. Vista Farms grows all of the fruit and vegi's and when you go, ask to taste everything you are interested in. Here is some of what I bought today.

BUSY WEEKEND

2009-05-26T15:29:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was a full one for us. On Thursday I took the kids for a small shopping trip in Carlsbad which turned into "lets head over to our favorite spot on the beach for some quick fun!"

This was followed by haircuts.

Friday we took Caleb and his friends Luke and Bryson to Chuckee Cheese for some fun to celebrate his birthday.

After this we joined the Bons at my alma Mater Calvin Christian High School for their Spring Musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." I always enjoy seeing it and seeing old friends, especially my old music teacher Ms. Vicki Van Essen. It was a long but wonderful day.

CARLSBAD BEACH DAY

2009-05-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

Jim and I took the kids to the beach this past weekend for the first trip of the summer. I woke up migraine free and since this is rare lately and a welcome relief we thought we should take advantage of me feeling good and get out and have some fun. We found a few places in Carlsbad we really like so we thought "Hey, lets get it together and go!" We played volleyball like our old college selves, and can I say my body was sore today because of it! The kids played in the water and sand for a few hours, while I worked on my tan a bit. Lizzie still doesn't quite like the ocean so Jim had to come out of the water each time she needed her bucket filled up so she could make her sandcastle. It was such a relaxing day and now we can't wait for the week to end so we can be done with school and go all the time!

PROGRESSIVE DINNER

2009-05-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

Our breakfast club had our first progressive dinner, minus Michele and Esther and their men. We started out at my house with appetizers, Sangria and salad. We then moved to Kristen's house for main course prepared by the Bons and Oevermans. Can I say "yummo"!? Bacon wrapped fillet and bread and zucchini and my favorite part...mashed potato bar!!! woohoo!!! We then rolled ourselves over to the Vazquez house for dessert and coffee because we had not eaten enough yet. 4 desserts later...yeah, you read that right. When Debbie does it she does it big...and with chocolate! We had a lot of laughs and so much fun talking. Remind me, though, to eat something before the sangria next time!

2 bottles dry pinot gregio
1 liter ginger ale
4 tablespoons brandy
4 tablespoons peach schnapps
orange slices
mango slices
chill fruit brandy and schnapps 3 hours and then add chilled wine and ginger ale

FUN AT OUR HOUSE KICKED THINGS OFF

MASHED POTATO BAR

BIRTHDAY PARTY

2009-05-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Caleb's 8th birthday party at our house. Everyone in the family was able to come which made for a packed but fun house. Caleb got surrounded by Star Wars gifts and some great books.

"HAPPY BIRTDAY...8 YOU ARE!"

2009-05-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Our little 10 lb 8 oz boy turned 8! Wow! Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday I was recovering from the loveliness that is pushing out a 10 lb baby. He turned out perfect despite the hugeness. Now, we are marveling at his height! He has grown so tall this year and standing next to his fellow 2nd graders looks about 3 inches taller! We wonder at what age he will stop growing. This past year he grew in so many ways. He grew in his love for all things Star Wars, books about science and learned to swim on his own. After a water scare when he was 3, this was a big victory in our house. He became more interested in drawing and art and writing stories. He will write a story about almost anything and present it to us. He started to be able to fill out the sermon outline at church for the first time on his own. Of course, it is a joy to see our son being drawn to God's word and the sermons Pastor Ted preaches.
Caleb, we are so proud of you and all that you have learned and become this past year. May you remember how much we love you and how much your heavenly Father loves you. We pray that as you grow older you marvel at the life, gifts and beauty He has given purely out of His love for you. We love you son!

BREAKFAST OUT WITH MOM AND LIZZIE...MY OWN HOT CHOCOLATE AND AN ICE CREAM SUNDAE FOR BREAKFAST!

CANVAS ART

2009-05-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

For a while now I have needed some artwork for my kitchen/family room area. Today we fixed that! I bought canvas at the art supply store, with some saved gift cards. I got tempura paint colors in black, red, yellow, brown, green and white, because you can make most other colors with those. I mixed the colors to match my kitchen family room area; browns, greens, blacks, reds, and creams in earth tones. I had the kids paint the canvas all one color first. I then had them put aluminum foil strips all over the canvas and paint over them with a sponge. I could have left them like that because they looked so cool after this step but the kids wanted to do more. I then peeled away the strips and had them splatter paint in another color. After the splattering (which they used forks for) they took a brush and did long brush strokes down the whole canvas. Then they chose 3 other colors to splatter on top of that. after that I told them to pick a color for their hand print on the bottom corner. The only rules I gave them were that they had to listen to directions and could not use the color they had just used for the next thing...this made for everything looking layered. I think they turned out fantastic and we had so much fun with this project!
The cleanup was quite a sight but thankfully it is washable acrylic paint so everything came off the kids feet and legs, and faces, beautifully!

The finished product!

NEVER THE SAME PLACE TWICE

2009-05-11T11:21:00.001-07:00

Jim and I have started a new tradition in which we never go the same place twice for our monthly date out. We started this after a discussion about how when you get married and havv kids young you miss a bit of that "go out and have fun" period of your life that most young adults get to experience. We got married in college at ages 20 and 21, still lived at home until the day we got married, and had kids so early that while most of our friends were going out on the weekends and staying out late we were at home breastfeeding in pajamas all day (Rachel) and trying to get some sleep after working 3 jobs in one day(Jim). So this year we decided to take a bit of our "youth" back and step out of our "Olive Garden" box. Not that we don't love Olive Garden! We just needed to mix it up a bit.

Our first date was Jimmy Love's in the gaslamp quarter downtown. Good food, loud music, expensive drinks and a WHOLE lot of fun!! Unfortunately, things started getting going at 10 pm...and we had to leave at 10:30 to get home in time for our babysitter. Next time we will leave more time because we could definately have stayed another two hours and listened and danced to the 80's cover band.

Second date was Extraordinary Desserts in Little Italy. I have been a few times but Jim never. I got the most delicious Chavel blue cheese and grilled bread plate and coffee. Jim got a coconut chocolate mountain and coffee. This date was more low key but every couple needs those times too, don't they? Sitting and talking for a few hours, sipping coffee. Jim was blown away by all of the choices and the great atmosphere.

Next time...who knows! Any suggestions?

NEW LIFE SPRING TEA

2009-05-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

New Life PCA Tea Party table pictures. Unfortunately, I do not have one of the girls at the table...I think Kristen got that one! Thank you Marsha, Helen (grandma), Kathryn, Kristen, and Susan for being gracious guests at my table this year! If you notice I changed the green flowers in the centerpieces to blue delphinium to match the tea set my mother in law let me borrow for the occasion.

SHE MAKES ANYBODY LOOK GOOD!

2009-05-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Tooting the horn for my Friend Kristen Bons. She recently took my daughter Lizzie's 4th birthday pictures and when I showed up we realized I was wearing the same color so she had me sit in with Lizzie on a few shots. I must say every photo is wonderful and really captures the spirit of who Lizzie is....busy, full of expression, and ready to laugh. Thanks Kristen!
Please Excuse all of the photos but I just couldn't choose which ones to put up!

FLOWER POWER

2009-05-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Because I have been accused of not blogging enough in the recent past, today I thought...hmmm, what am I doing today that is blog worthy? Well the answer is certainly not very exciting but it is what it is and will have to do I guess!

Anyone who knows me well knows I love a beautiful table setting. This is one area I don't mind splurging on (when the money is available that is!) Linens, plates, glassware, and flowers are something I get lost in. I just love to make a table look beautiful. It is ironic, I guess, that I only recieved one place setting of my china from my wedding registry and 10 years later I am still working on getting nice dishes. The glassware I have, and it is starting to creep into every nook and cranny of my kitchen cupboards. Our church spring tea is this weekend and crazy me agreed to set two tables. Here is a bit of what my guests will see on Saturday.

BEFORE

AFTER

"I HAVE 46 EXPRESSIONS, CUTE AS PIE AND AS TOUGH AS LEATHER"

2009-05-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?
And if you didn't catch it...that blog title was a reference from my favorite movie of all time...the first winning guess gets a coffee on me from Starbucks...even out of towners...gift card time!

SUNDAY CEREAL NIGHT

2009-05-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here are the two little rugrats during our weekly Sunday cereal night. Every Sunday night for dinner we have cereal. For them it makes Sundays special... "A WHOLE box of Captain Crunch?!" For mom it means a "rest" from making dinner. Now who wouldn't like that?

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL

2009-04-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 4! Wow! I feel like I just brought her home from the hospital, that little 7 lb bundle of energy and black hair. Lizzie has always had personality but boy it did show in those first few months and we knew we were in for a busy ride with her along. And we were right! She keeps us on our toes and keeps us laughing with her Lizzie-isms.

"Mommy can I have a tortita?" (tortilla)
"Sing Jesus loves me...it's nice"
"But my mouth is not sleepy!" (convincing us she needs a snack before bedtime)
"we go to church to color about God"

This year was the birth of the princess party in our house. I think this is a right of passage for every mother of a girl. Am I right? Jim and I walked through the toy store with her to get an idea of what to get her as a gift. What do you think she wanted? Dolls? Pretend makeup? (insert a girly toy here) Nope! She wanted tinker toys and legos! That's right! Our girl is a mini engineer in the making! On any day at our house you can find her taking apart the play kitchen in her room (yes, she actually unscrewed and took off all of the doors with her own little hands), putting together a large puzzle or playing with Calebs legos.

We invited all the girls in the family for a delicious brunch (made by yours truly),cake and coffee. The girls decorated their own crowns, got princess tattoos and played for a long while together after opening gifts. Now that the cousins are growing up they are playing together more and starting to form friendships. It is so neat to see. Family is such a blessing.
On the day of Lizzie's birthday we took a drive to Carlsbad. We walked to the beach with a cup of coffee, Jim and I sat on my sweater and watched the kids run around collecting rocks at sunset. It was one of those glorious days I will remember. A day when you see the preciousness of your children and the beauty that we have been given to enjoy. Happy Birthday baby girl. You are our gift.

Is it party time yet?

The homemade princess castle cake that took 2 days!

Precious children

The birthday girl...all ready to party!

Decorating crowns with the cousins

MY SON ROCKS!

2009-04-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

Check out his latest art work for his report on killer whales he just completed.

IT'S A CANNED FROSTING KIND OF DAY

2009-04-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need the help..ya know? I pride myself on always making homemade frosting and cake but for Lizzie's 4th birthday this year I am using....CANNED FROSTING! After trying a new filling recipe and failing miserably I had my dear hubby go out last night and pick up some canned frosting for me. Cake details and party pictures will be up after the princess party tomorrow!

Easter

2009-04-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

He is Risen! Easter was spent at church in the morning with all the kids dressed in their Easter best. Then we headed to have easter "brunch" or lunch with Jim's family as is our tradition. We followed that with an easter egg hunt and baskets at the house.

TCA ART SHOW

2009-04-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last week Caleb got to show off his art along with other TCA art students at their annual "Spring into art" event. Caleb had two paintings in the show. Oue family went for dinner and all sorts of fun activities. We are so excited about how well he is doing in school and so thankful that he enjoys painting and all kinds of art. He was so proud of his work and we are so proud of him!

DINNER

2009-03-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Lizzie tonight at dinner as she looks at her salad.
"Mommy, I don't like to eat plants. I am a girl...I don't eat plants"

LIZZIE'S FIRST TRIP TO SEA WORLD

2009-03-17T13:56:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to Sea World for a TCA field trip and Lizzie's first trip there. It was a great deal. We all got to go and it was a fraction of the cost of normal admission. First off, I would like to ask if there is someone out there who can teach my daughter to smile normal when I take pictures and say "smile!"
anyone, anyone?
We had a great time and Lizzie loved it. My only complaint was walking out of shamu and deciding to walk along the water, after watching the whole show in the "high and dry area" ...let's just say Shamu decided to have some fun with us. You catch my drift?

Getting ready for the dolphin show

Shamu

"WOW...that was just great!" I never knew Lizzie could open her mouth this big.

star fish "I think they are kinda slimy, but can I take it home?"

"we like beer...just not on a field trip"

.

OUR COMMUNICATOR

2009-02-24T10:08:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Caleb attended an awards ceremony at his school that they have every year called the Communicator Awards. Our E.S. nominated him for the award and a few weeks later we got a card telling us he got Communicator of the year! We were so proud of him and it was a great reassurance that he is doing well and thriving at his school. This award was given to honor his ability to get his ideas across in speaking and writing. The Escondido city attorney was there as a guest speaker, and the kids in every grade who got the award were given special treats afterwards. We went to the mall later and Caleb got to pick out a HUGE lollipop at the candy store. quite hilarious.

BIG BEAR....part 3

2009-02-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Our last full day in Big bear was spent hanging out at Snow Summit and playing in a ton of snow over at the the Discovery Center in Big Bear. It was nature at it's best and the kids, and adults, indulged in some great snowball fights and snowman making. Lizzie was a bit to small for the deep snow playing in the woods so she and I hung out in the ankel deep snow where she made a cute little snowman.

BIG BEAR.....part 2

2009-02-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

Our First day was spent driving up to Big Bear and digging the snow out of the driveway to fit the Bons car in. Jim started and eventually the Bons showed up and Ruben helped.
After getting unpacked we started in on putting all the food away. I am proud to say we ate out only one time, on our first night in town, at the local Italian Family restaurant, Paolis. The rest of the time Kristen and I took turns making meals with food we brought up.
Eventually we got all snow geared up and let the kids loose outside to play in the snow (which was coming down hard!All ready to play in the snow!
A little Wii playing to end the day never hurt!

BIG BEAR.....part 1

2009-02-17T12:46:00.001-08:00

This past weekend and presidents day we spent hanging with our friends the Bons in Big Bear. We were worried there would be no snow. Our worries were put to rest at around 3000 feet up the mountain when the kids started screaming "SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!" We actually had to tell Lizzie what it was but Caleb knew! We were able to use a cabin that belongs to Jim's Aunt and Uncle and is right on Big Bear Lake and down the street from the village and Snow Summit. We brought up most of our food, eating out only the first night there at the local Italian Restaurant. Great Pizza!!! All of our days were spent sledding on a closed street less than a few minutes walk from the cabin. During the inside down time the kids mostly played Wii (or pretended to play..Lizzie :-) I am very thankful we don't have to get all budled up like that every day. It took a good 30 minutes for all of us to get our snow gear on every morning before sledding or even going into town. We had 1 and a half good clear days and the others were snow blizzard conditions. I told Jim that this would be our last trip until we get a bigger car. Our Kia was crammed with bags and jackets and, well, everything! The kids had such a great time and the adults had a good time too I think! Here is a picture until I get the others uploaded

SMALL GROUP PREP

2009-01-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

Every other Saturday our family atends a small group that has been meeting for about 8 years now. We switch off bringing different dishes for our potluck and this week we were on for fruit and/or chips...we brought both because who doesn't like tortilla chips with Tortilla soup?! Lizzie helped me put together a yummy fruit salad with the first strawberries I could find this week that were good. Of course every time I looked away Liz would steal a grape. I had to get the camera.

GOODBYE MR. PRESIDENT...INNAUGURATION 2009

2009-01-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you.

POINT LOMA TIDEPOOLS

2009-01-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

We spent MLK day at the point Loma tidepools with the Bons and Vazquez kids. We were just a hop skip away from Jim's office! It was just beautiful there. Caleb got soaked by the end of the afternoon. Lizzie and I hung out on a cliff far away from the "scary" water. After an hour or so she wanted to go play near the rocks and water and see the other kids. It really is amazing that we have such beauty so close to us.

Getting soaked in the ocean...regretting not bringing an extra change of clothes

"I am not to sure about this mom"

Much happier!

Kristen getting caught in the rising tide

Caleb and Luke..."we are a towel buritto"

SORE

2009-01-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

This past week I started working out again. I had really slacked off since Caleb went back to school. This past week I just felt the urge to do it. I think it is the realization with this weird heat lately that summer and swimsuits are just around the corner. And to tell the truth I need it for my own sanity as I homeschool. That hour during the day to myself has already really helped me with my stress level. I took the kids to the kids club and worked out a few times this week and Saturday. Saturday I worked out with a trainer which I am going to be doing a few more times to figure out the best way for me to work out, and how hard to push myself. I like things simple...treadmill, a 5 pound weight, you know, simple. But that sometimes means you don't work as hard. So Saturday I met the trainer in the gym and she proceeded to kick my "you know what." Let me just say that this morning I had to miss church because I can barely walk. Jim told me to keep my legs moving so lactic acid doesn't stay built up in my muscles. I never knew my husband was a doctor. I guess he learned some lessons from high school football :-). I really don't see how it possible to move anything right now. So should I get back on the horse tomorrow or wait a few more days? I am thinking get back on the horse. I am slwly learning that I am never going to be able to maintain any kind of good weight without this, especially since I really like food! So here it goes!

FORTS

2009-01-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

My kids make one (or 2!) of these every day right now. What is it with balanket forts and kids? I remember making these all the time when I was a kid. I never wore a backpack though. I wonder if the kids are planning on running away. :-)

Tirimisu Cake

2009-01-12T15:38:00.000-08:00

New Recipe!
http://inrachelskitchen.blogspot.com/

Happy New year and what is a fractional part of a whole?

2009-01-02T17:37:00.001-08:00

Happy New year! We have started back to school this week and are inching our way through our first weeks worth of work. Caleb starts fractions this week and I am a bit overwhelmed by that...2nd grade seems to early for that to me but I guess that is why I have teacher support through the school :-) He is doing well and seems to be getting into a nice swing with his work every day which is a relief. Now I can say "Caleb go get started on your morning work" and he knows what to start with and how to set his timer for when he can be finished. This has made my mornings a bit more easy as I am not having to stand over him all the time making sure everything is right. Tomorrow he starts his new set of Friday classes. He will be taking gymnastics/yoga, computers, spanish, and choir. Only 5 more months to summer vacation!

Our Christmas

2008-12-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was just great. We had all the traditional family activities and food. I hosted our Christmas Eve breakfast again this year and made lots and lots of yummy food. I will post recipes when I can on my food blog. A delicious breakfast casserole from my friend Kathryn, orange slices and mixed fruit, bacon, old fashioned hashbrowns (made by Jim because I always burn them) croissants with pear plum jam from my friend Debbie (thanks! It was so good!) and my two day yummy cinnamon rolls called clone of a cinnabon.

Lizzie and Caleb both got one gift this year from us and their stockings. An attempt to reign in the "me me me" syndrom and reign in the budgetl. Lizzie got a wonderful Kitchen from Grandma and Grandpa Johnson which she plays with daily and brings me her food creations from.
Today it was banana hamburgers and cookie tea :-) They were delicious.

Caleb got his make your own light saber kit From us and Star wars action figures from Grandma Phelps on Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve at our family celebration at my In laws house he got a bunch of great toys from and Grandma and grandpa Johnson.

It was a wonderful holiday season and we are so grateful for all of the great gifts recieved by so many friends and family. The house looks very bare now with all of the decorations put away but they will be back again next year.

SNOW IN SAN DIEGO

2008-12-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

Check out this picture of Cuyamaca...the mountains behind San Diego. Escondido saw some snow ont he mountains behind it today also, but not enough yet to warrant a picture. Check back in February.

CHRISTMAS PROJECTS

2008-12-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

I have been looking for ways to keep the kids busy during Christmas break. My mother-in-law gave me some great ideas (she's a preschool teacher) so this past week we put them to use!

Q tip snow flakes
put the glue on, let it dry clear then peel away the foil and tie on a ribbon to hang

Martha Stewart Christmas village

Christmas Rings Advent Calender. Pull off a ring every day and paste on the paper natvity "character". Caleb gets to pracice his reading doing this too!

And of course I needed a project so this year I have framed all of our past Christmas pictures/cards and displayed them around the family room/kitchen. It is nice to remember those years gone by.

Our Christmas Card this year

TREE TRIMMING

2008-12-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Sunday night we made a fire in the fireplace, popped popcorn and made hot chocolate for our tree trimming. This year I let the kids put the ornaments on themselves. They are all clustered together but it was fun for them. I went back later and spread them out a bit more and added some gold balls.

My little reindeer and our finished tree

BREAKFAST CLUB GIRLS

2008-12-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

Friday morning I went to spend time with my breakfat club girls and give out the gifts I made for them. They are called greatitude wraps and have pockets inside for notecards, address book, labels, stamps and a pen. I think they were a hit!

PRADO AND STOCKING NIGHT

2008-12-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

Our annual Christmas on the Prado (DEcember Nights) in Balboa Park and Stocking night at my In-law's house (Norwegian tradition)

TCA CHOIR CONCERT

2008-12-09T12:39:00.000-08:00

Here is Caleb with his choir teacher Mrs. McCormick. The Concert was held at our church and I was in charge of coordinating the thing as the church's events coordinator. There were about 400 people that attended and 100 choir students in the K-12. It was fantastic and Caleb did so great singing his songs.

Caleb and Mrs. McCormick

HALF WAY THROUGH

2008-12-08T17:20:00.001-08:00

We made it half way through the school year. I can't believe it! Caleb is starting to learn cursive right now and has learned how to write 5 kinds poems and a paragraph. He has also learned about the solar system and completed a project on his own showing all the planets...they were even in the right order! He is still having trouble working through problems with multiple directions but I think that will come. Or at least I hope so! We meet tomorrow with our E.S. to go over this last packet, then 1 week of school and Christmas break! We get 3 weeks off!!!!!! I hope I remeber how to do this when we come back.
Here are some of his poems.
HAIKU...

5 W'S POEM (Who, what, when, where, why)

After I destress from my meeting tomorrow I will post about the fun activities that filled up last week. There were 5 I think!

Ahhh... Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

What a great morning this has been so far. We woke up to rain falling on our window and cozy blankets over us... don't you just love mornings like that? Especially when you can sleep in? We don't have to be anywhere until 3pm, so we are watching the parade and sitting by our firelpace. My hubby even brought me home some flowers when I sent him off to "brave the stores with the other men, whose wives forgot something," as he put it. God is good and I am thankful for the beauty that today is and that He has allowed me to see it.

DISNEYLAND 2008

2008-11-24T15:37:00.001-08:00

Our annual Christmas-time Disneyland trip commenced this past Saturday and was everything we have come to expect from it... Jim and I even got on a few rides without the kids!

SOCCER BOY

2008-11-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

Caleb had his final soccer game for the year at the Classical Academy. This year he got to play with his friend from our small group, Gwen, and his cousin, Maggie. As we watched the game I was pleasantly surprised to see that the kids knew what they were doing and were actually kicking the ball in the right direction! They did great, and Caleb even made a save when he got his chance at goalie, and then, thinking he had done his job, promptly set the ball back down on the ground and celebrated, allowing another kid to kick it into the goal :-) ! Oops! At least the game ended in a tie, 1-1... gotta love second-graders and organized sports.

Fall in Esco

2008-11-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Anybody seen fall? It must be around here somewhere. Today was 91 degrees, and I am thinking about selling my winter sweaters on eBay. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler... 76 degrees. Maybe I'll get out the snow boots.

My friend the photographer

2008-11-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

I wonder who took these gorgeous pictures? Kristen Bons! A few weeks back she spent an hour or so taking our annual family photos, specifically for Christmas cards. It felt a little wrong doing Christmas pictures in 90 degree weather the week of Halloween, but I like to do things early. We took them at Jim's Aunt and Uncle's house, and we have never been more pleased with how our pictures turned out.

Here are some of them... I am going to save the family one for our cards, so if you want to see it, e-mail me your address so we can greet you at Christmas!

The "shut in"

2008-11-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

So, we are coming up on 4 months of homeschooling. Someone want to come over for coffee? I need to talk about something other than kids and math... and maybe cry a bit :-) I never realized that doing this meant I would lose all communication with the outside world. Maybe I just haven't found my mojo yet. If one of you has it, give it back!

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

2008-11-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, yesterday I looked down and found the diamond in my engagement ring was gone. I had to look a few times to make sure it really was gone. I couldn't believe it, and well... let's just say the tears flowed. I had done loads of laundry and dishes all day as well as other chores, and I was certain it was gone for good. I assumed it was down some drain already.

Jim came home, and, after hugging me, said "Well, let's sit down and pray and maybe miraculously the Lord will... " He turned his head, looked down and the diamond was sitting on the floor next to him. The Lord answered before we even had a chance to ask Him for what we wanted. Some might say coincidence but we know better, don't we?

Presidential election 2008

2008-11-04T19:15:00.000-08:00

A short conversation with Caleb today as we wathched Fox News:

"Mom, McCain has more states so we are winning!!!"

"Um, no Caleb. Let me explain..."

"It is good that God takes care of us mom, otherwise we could be more scared if McCain didn't win."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Halloween

2008-11-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

There was a Star Wars jedi and a Minnie Mouse in our house on Friday night! They were so cute and so excited to dress up in these costumes. I ended up making Caleb's brown cape after he got sad that his costume did not come with one. Off to Joann's I went for fabric.

Halloween night we headed to Jim's parents' house for our annual Halloween party. It was a blast as always with jack o' lanterns, pumpkin cobbler, and party games like pin the nose on the pumpkin, hammering golf tees into small pumpkins, bobbing for apples, pass the pumpkin, and of course trick or treating with Aunt Kris, Uncle Tom, and baby Timmy, who dressed up as Popeye (Kris made his adorable costume complete with a fake can of spinach). This was by far the most fun we have had at Halloween in a long time. The kids are just at that age where everything is exciting and fun. I love it!

FOOD BLOG

2008-11-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

I decided to give my favorite recipes a place of their own...

InRachelsKitchen.blogspot.com

Send me your favorite recipes... I would love to try them and blog them... giving you credit of course!

Pumpkin carving

2008-10-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year... it was windy and a bit cooler today. Sweet relief! Last night we had our annual pumpkin carving night. The kids drew faces on the pumpkins and, Jim cut them out. The kids were not too hot on the idea of sticking their hands in the "pumpkin goo" as we called it and cleaning them out, but after Mom and Dad did this they were very excited to pick out all the seeds so we could roast them... Yummo!

I could eat this all day

2008-10-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have been cooking a bit more lately trying to find the perfect recipe in some different categories. It is slow going trying recipes out and of course eating the goods before starting over...maybe this is why my jeans are a bit too tight lately?
Anyway, here are some favorites that have been husband, kid and small group tested!

ITALIAN SOUP

NOTES
I quadrupled this recipe for our small group of 14 adults and had some left over
I let this simmer for a few hours and it was fine. This is a perfect winter soup...A no fail "company" recipe.
Next time I will try it with turkey to reduce the fat.

1 pound Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can white Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes. Serves 6

BIG FAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES...LIKE YOU GET AT THE BAKERY These cookies are a bit tricky at first but are so worth it!!!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time for BIG cookies and spoonfuls for regular size cookies onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart for large cookies.

Bake for 17-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. These cookies should be taken out of the oven before they look done so they stay chewy and soft. Depending on your oven you may need more time to cook these. I used the full 20 minutes in my oven at home on a baking stone.

Spooky Pokeno Night

2008-10-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday I joined my mother in law, and all the other women on Jim's side of the family at my sister in law Kris' house for pokeno night. Kris loves halloween and has such talant when it comes to decorating for this holiday. We had good food, good drink (infused with dry ice which smoked as you drank) and of course a lot of laughter. Congrats to Jenn who took home the pot of money! I lost a whole dollar in pennies. I made up for it by eating extra pumpkin chocolate chip bread.

A little this...a little that

2008-10-16T14:57:00.001-07:00

Not much to post about...just some random stuff that has brought me a smile this week.
A little gift from my mother in law to grace my fridge...I have loved this magnet for some time...don't you?

Easy Chicken Couscous
A new recipe I tried this week. Moraccan Chicken, so easy and soooooo yummy even my kids said.."I like the chicken mom!" This is not normal in our house as my kids just don't like sauces on anything.

ingredients
1/4 c. flour
4 tbsp. water

1 lb. chicken breasts (boneless)
6 tbsp. olive oil
1 bunch scallions or 1/2 onion, chopped (you can onit this but it adds to the flavor)

9 tbsp. cooking sherry or apple juice (any juice will work great but these are the best)
4 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp honey

1 1/2 c. cous cous (prepare according to box directions (not unlike minute rice)

cut up 3-4 chicken breasts into bit size pieces and cook it up in a deep rimmed skillet in olive oil and chopped scallions or 1/2 an onion.
Remove Chicken/onion from Skillet and let drain oil off a bit.
In same deep skillet add juice, soy sauce, sugar, honey, bring to a boil then turn to simmer and add flour and water mixture to thicken the sauce. Add CHicken and simmer for a few minutes to bring it all together....pour chicken over couscous.

And of course my cute kids...

Disneyland surprise

2008-10-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Some time ago Jim and I decided to make use of our Disneyland annual passes this week, but by Thursday night I was too tired. Between homeschooling and Lizzie's accident I was just too worn out for the Magic Kingdom, so Thursday night Jim and I sat Caleb down for a "serious" talk.

Jim: "Caleb, we're going to have to do something tomorrow. We're not sure if you're going to like it or not, but it has to be done."

Caleb (with a very worried look on his face): "What, Dad?"

Jim: "Well, I have to take you somewhere tomorrow. For the whole day you won't be able to play at home. We'll be gone all day."

Caleb (even more worried) "WHY?!?!?!"

Jim: "Well, we have to go to Disneyland."

Caleb: "Oh Dad, you're joking me!"

Jim: "No, I'm not. We are going to Disneyland tomorrow!"

Caleb started yelling and screaming, and, well, you get the idea. So Dad and Caleb had a very full day at Disneyland enjoying rides and Mickey Mouse pumpkins. I hear they got back home at 2:30 a.m.

Lizzie and I did what every girl should do on a day off... shop! We went to the Carlsbad outlet mall (formerly Carlsbad Company Stores), walked on the Oceanside Pier, and ate lunch at Ruby's Diner. A great day for all!

Taken right after we told him

My son: crazy driver on Autopia

Stitches out... Priceless!

2008-10-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

3 trips to the E.R.: $300

4 Happy Meals, 2 Panera soup meals, 1 trip to In-N-Out, and ice cream to make Lizzie feel better after surgery: $50

Gas in the car for 8 trips to San Diego to see the doctor: $85

Seeing my daughter's healed, smiling face again: PRICELESS!

And no, we didn't use MasterCard.

First baking of the season

2008-10-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a good snickerdoodle? This first batch went to work with Jim for all the guys to enjoy. Tomorrow, I'll make some for the Fam!

So that's how you put on shin guards

2008-10-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

Caleb started soccer this week at the Classical Academy. I love that he gets to be involved in so many activities through the school (that I don't have to pay for!). He even gets to play soccer with his cousins, who pick him up every Tuesday and bring him home. Maybe sometime I'll go watch practice, but for now it is nice to have the time with Lizzie at home. I am embarrassed to say that since he has never been in soccer before I didn't really know how to put on his shin guards. I'll just say we figured it out after talking to dad.

Accident

2008-09-30T10:53:00.001-07:00

Saturday night our little Lizzie got into quite an accident. At our small group during dinner she came in covered in blood. All I could do was yell "Jim! BLOOD!" I couldn't handle it. Apparently she got hit by a child on a swing when she went to retrieve a toy under the swing set. This has actually been one of my fears for a long time. She was a trooper and never really screamed or shouted. She just cried quietly. We rushed her to the E.R. at Palomar and were there for a few hours. She needed to be sedated for the repair so the doctor sent us to Children's hospital. She was put under conscious sedation, and a plastic surgeon repaired her lip. We made it home around 2:30 a.m.

The next day her lip looked like it was opening up, so we e-mailed some digital photos to the plastic surgeon. When he saw them he told us to come right in to have her lip re-stiched. After waiting 2 1/2 hours we finally got into the operating room and she got her I.V. and had the repair done... this time with plastic, undissolvable stitches (the first set were dissolvable stitches). The doctor said it is rare for them to come out the way they did, and he has only seen that maybe 10 times in 20 years. Lizzie was just so good the whole time, and this is what sticks out in my mind. Every nurse or doctor told us they couldn't believe how good she was, and they could tell there was something different about our family. We told them there were people praying for us, and that was helping we thought. Liz was obedient and kind and as any 3-year-old would be, skeptical of all the nurses doing things to her. I continually had to reassure her that there would be no more "owies". She told the nurse the 2nd time we were there, pointing to her hand where the I.V. had been, "I don't need medicine... we have medicine at home." She remembered and was scared. That was the hardest part for me... seeing her in pain. Jim and I waited in a waiting room until the repair was done, and then they had us stay with her until the sedation wore off. We headed home at about 7:30 p.m. We got home, put the kids to bed, and were about to settle into bed and unwind... when the power went out. And the hits just keep on coming! Several hours later the power came back on.

I am thankful, though, that this injury was not worse and that Lizzie was spared any real health problems. She is doing well today, and will see the plastic surgeon again on Friday. Thanks all for the prayers! We felt them and believe they worked in us to be a witness to the goodness and grace of God even in this situation.

Ewwww!... oh I mean... awwww...

2008-09-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

Today, while cleaning out our outdoor storage closet, I came across the biggest lizard I have ever seen in our yard. After jumping up and down as it scurried about I thought to call Caleb. He has been trying to catch a lizard in our yard for months with no luck. We captured it (while it played dead), and then I had to break the news that we had to let it go because, well, it was gross. No, I didn't say that, but I had to explain to my teary-eyed son that it would be happier in the wild of our suburban landscape. We let it go (it played dead again) and watched it for awhile until it scurried beneath the plants. Please pray that I can be strong against the trappings and puppy dog eyes of my kids (and husband) who want to get one from the pet shop. Again... EWWWWWW!

Lizzie's new room

2008-09-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is the project that has been ongoing... not quite finished yet, but a good start I think! This whole room cost a total of just under $200! All of the furniture was found at thrift stores and on Craig's List (except for the toy chest, thanks to my friend Kristen who donated it!). I painted everything with cranberry red spray paint to match and upholstered the cushioned seat of the toy chest. For the wall art I painted an Ikea frame white, glued red buttons on the edges, and used it to frame a doily that I found at JoAnn's craft store for $1! The bedspread I found at Mervyn's for $19, on sale from $120 (it's white chenille). The pillows and drapes I made with sale fabric. All of the fabric cost about $15 because I had coupons and it was on sale! I trimmed her Target lamp with red pom-pom trim and trimmed a pillow and the valance with this also. I still plan on getting a red quilt for the end of the bed and some frames and boxes for her nightstand as well as hanging some wood letters that spell her name on the wall somewhere. I need some more ideas for the walls, so lay them on me!

1 down, 5 to go

2008-09-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

We completed our first packet! Today we prepare for Caleb to have his 5 week meeting with our E.S. (educational specialist) tomorrow morning. This packet has been really great, and Caleb has learned quite a lot these first 5 weeks of second grade. He is writing complete sentences, reading like a pro, adding 0, 1 and 2s, reading math graphs, and using words I have never heard him use before. We studied the explorers for history, and I was so proud of his work in science also. For science he studied about different types of rocks. On our field trip we saw some volcanic rocks, and someone asked if anyone could name the type of rocks they were. Caleb shot his hand up and said "igneous!" I was so proud of him! It is so nice to have a file box full of empty work folders just waiting for new assignments to fill them. I can't believe we made it! Tomorrow he starts soccer.

Encouragement

2008-09-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I am encouraged today. I know the prayers of my girlfriends and family being sent to the throne on my behalf are the cause of this. I love you guys! What a blessing to be in the body of Christ and to share in true fellowship together.

The longest week EVER!

2008-09-18T12:59:00.001-07:00

Is it friday yet? You ever have a week that just wouldn't end? That is what mine has been like. Between school, houswork and family time it has been a struggle to fit it all in this week...well every week since we started...yet, I have tried.

I am trying particuarly hard to get a handle on homeschooling, Lizzie/mommy time and cleaning my house but it just is not happening. I have been working on the laundry for the whole week and I still have two loads to do today. It has also been a challenge to find activities for Lizzie to be busy with while Caleb and I do school work. I mean you can only paint and play with cookie cutters so much. I don't want to be a homeschool mom who is frazzled and just trying to get by every day. I want to be sure of what I am doing and accomplish things intentionally. Easier said than done. I guess I need to learn to let go of the idea that everything can remain the same in our home even though so much has changed. That is hard though, especially for someone like me who is a planner. Here is an example of me loosing it today while God was "refining" me.

Today Caleb had Mapps testing to see where he is at compared to other kids in his grade/age group. I thought the test would be an hour, I would take him home, we would do our school work, I would try to spend some time with Liz and finish my laundry finally while she napped. I get there and they say..."2-3 hours but it's hard to say how fast he will be...you should stick around." Well let's just say I had to put on my sunglasses inside. I have to say that I was not proud of my reaction to the situation and it reminded me that I have a long way to go in trusting the Lord for provision. I called Jim in tears because I had planned out the day for school work to get done (which is doubled today due to a field trip tomorrow), housework, and Lizzie's nap and now the whole plan is in shambles. I just thought "this is all I need today...I am already trying to get everything done with little success and now here is another crimp in the day to make it harder to accomplish these things." Jim keeps reminding me that we are doing the right thing and that things are going well despite the learning curve, and he doesn't mind that we had pasta every night this week because I didn't have time to plan anything else for dinner or go to the grocery store (actually I did go to the grocery store once this week at 9pm):-)
I know it is a season and the Lord is working in me but I sure wish it was easier sometimes. The only encouragement is knowing that the Lord uses people who are inadequate to accomplish his kingdom, that his grace is sufficient for my need and that I can fail and He still loves me.

Where were you....

2008-09-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

on September 11, 2001? My day started very routinely. I think that was part of what was so tragic about this event. Normal people, going through their everyday routines. I think people started questioning, for the first time since the attacks on Pearl Harbor maybe, the security of thier lives in our country.
I had just awakened after a long night up with Caleb. Jim was already gone to work and Caleb was asleep, so I thought I would turn on the news and see if I could catch some time alone before the day started. I turned on the news and saw the Today Show hosts starting to talk about getting some confusing information about a plane crashing into the world trade center. Then they showed those horrible pictures of the WTC building, smoke pouring out of it. As they spoke I started crying. I was afraid and shaking. I remember starting to pray right then that God would protect us from anything more. As I prayed one of the hosts cried out as another plane flew into the television frame and into the second building and clearly showed us all watching that this was no accident. I think everyone just sat around their televisions for days watching, crying, and in a state of shock. At the Phelps house, where I went every day to hang out with Marsha, we did just that, while Caleb played unaware in his excer-saucer. Didn't it seem like the world stopped moving? It sure felt like everything was in slow motion to me.

Must be laundry day

2008-09-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Where did all the clothes go?

"You give me fever"

2008-09-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Karaoke.

Last night me and 12 other ladies met at Comstock in Escondido to celebrate Michele's birthday and sing some good old fashioned karaoke. I had to have a glass of wine before I could get up there and when I finally did I sang Peggy Lee's "Fever" and "I want you to want me" by Cheaptrick. The hightlight of the night though was the smash hit duo of Sarah and Michele. There was Sarah belting it out nd Michele singing backup..hand motions and all and dancing to "Bright eyes". We grabbed candles off of the tables, held them over our heads and ran down to the front of the stage to encourage them and dance. Oh, I felt like I was 15 again. I felt it today though. My body is just not used to 4 hours of continuous laughter!

I can now cross one item off my "to do before I die" list.

Evolution of Dance

2008-09-05T16:03:00.001-07:00

My new favorite YouTube video... soooooo funny!

RNC

2008-09-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

I am in political heaven. Anyone who knows me knows I am a politics junkie, I am even considering volunteering this election if I can make it work. Jim walks in on me every night watching Fox news and flipping stations to make sure I don't miss anything. I can't wait to see how things progress. Tonight I got to talk to Caleb about democracy. He saw me watching John McCain and said "is that our guy?" and "just make sure he loves God mom" ...so cute, and a great opportunity to talk with him about freedom, voting, and the privilage it is. I never thought I would be the person to discuss this with him, for some reason I thought Jim would be in that role more, probably because my dad was the one who always spoke with me about politics and got me involved in local and state politics as a young child. I guess it fell on me though, so I am going to do my best to help him appreciate his government and learn about the cost it requires.

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away...

2008-09-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

Can you say STAR WARS? Jim set it up on a huge (borrowed) flat screen computer monitor in our living room (since we have no couch in the TV room :-)). The kids sat back with their blankets and watched it for the first time with me, for awhile (I fell asleep), and Jim, for the whole thing. Caleb was so excited, and when I walked in Lizzie, with her cute voice, said "We're watchin Darf Nader!"

Not sad to see you go

2008-09-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am so ready for summer to be over. I want jeans and sweaters and cable knit socks!Labor day was a pretty low key day in our house. We cleaned (I cleaned actually), Jim worked a bit, and we barbecued the best chicken I have eaten in a very long time. It is always those things you throw together at the last minute that taste great huh?

Fresh lemon juice from fresh meyer lemons from my friend Lisa, dill, and 6 cloves of garlic! Oh it was so good!

Working late (again)

2008-08-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

It must be hurricane season because my husband is working late...again. I hate it when he has to stay late but know it is doing something good for all of those military families waiting for a website to work so they can get the help they need. Next week will probably be late night central also unless Gustav decides to fizzle out and become a tropical storm. Maybe Jim should just keep an apartment at the office during august-november. I miss you honey!