Summer Days - 2007

One ridiculously hot day this month we hung out at Elena's. Us Moms retreated to the shade w/ ice cold drinks, feet up and mumbled conversation with lots of giggling - heat does that to me! I can't even form full & complete sentences on days like this. I don't even think I moved a muscle in the 7 hours we were there. The entire time the kids ran around the pool.
Crazy kids!Belly Flops -
and
Cannonball
contests -
Winner!

Summer Days - 2007

Summer Days:
~ in a swimsuit, wet, all day
~ finding time to save a butterfly

A special day

The evening before Father's Day, Kaitlin & her Poppa were Altar Servers together. Kaitlin literally got to Church immediately after seeing the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" with Breana & their Uncle Jesse (a gift for his birthday in May.) She went from the movie theatre to Church just in time for 5:00 Mass.

Still feeling self-conscious of having my camera out, I quickly took these last 2 shots while waiting for Kaitlin after Mass. These shots don't express how beautiful our Church is nor can they express how thrilled & proud my Dad was to serve at the Altar with his Granddaughter either!

Picture of Kaitlin & Poppa by Breana.

Morning quality time spent together

I have never been to the dump before and would have been find spending my life with that on my resume. However, when Dan set aside an hour in his morning to go, I went with him - not to experience the dump but to spend that hour with him. We drove up Highway 1 along the coast on a beautiful sunny morning. You'd think we were going out to breakfast or a sweet outing. Not that this dump is a "dump" - it is complete opposite of 'an unattractive place where rubbish is deposited'. I was surprised at how organized it was. We were even offered assistance in dumping our 'rubbish'!

Trash Art

Now my camera was on a weird exposure - my outdoor sunny shots have been coming out with a hint of blue lately - gotta work on that. Looking past that, look at these piles! I've been to thrift stores and garage sales that have been the complete opposite - full of trash worthy junk mixed in piles & boxes with toxic grossness. (The kind where your hands are immediately sterilized!) This place didn't even smell like how I prepared myself that it would.It was too bright for the picture to turn out but while this was my view on one side of the vanagon, the beautiful pacific ocean was on the other side - it was so close, you can taste it...no breakfast but it was a "sweet outting' with my husband!

Father's Day - BEGIN style

We planned our gathering for Father's Day just a few days before. It was happenstance. Dan was given a bottle of 1964 French wine from a friend who just returned from a trip to France along with an incredible 'slab' of filet mignon. The 4 of us would have had to feast for a whole week so we called the troops over. The 'beauty' just kept on unfolding; a dear friend of Dan's parents, Ted, was going to be in town for the day so we included him in our gathering of gluttony of food, wine & laughter. The sun was out, the air a tad cool but perfectly calmed the heat from the previous days thus making sitting outside enjoyable.

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Then the piece de resistance was a surprise visit from Dan's Mother! She came into town with Ted! It was the piece that made the whole day complete - with my Parents, my younger sister, Tisha, & her family with all 3 of Dan's sisters & their families and a dear family friend...how else should he spend his Father's Day?!

Now this gathering originally started small; my Parents and Dan's sisters & their families. Luck went our way when just the evening before Tisha & her families' plans changed for the afternoon - Dan, felt like a lucky man.
The meat was delicately moist - BBQ'd to perfection, the food was yummy, the wine was incredible - so full & smooth - the garden in full bloom and showing off its best for all - conversation filled the air and all were happy.


Another friend of Dan's Dad, Jacob, made sure a bottle of his reserve Chadonnay made the journey from Sonoma with Ted, too. We were thrilled to just have Ted spend the afternoon with us - little did we know that he was going to deliver such prescious gifts to us; a day with Dan's Mom and a bottle of Jacob's wine!
To really make his Father's Day complete, Dan, of course, made sure that Tiger joined our hearty feast!

Remembering a wonderful Dad on Father's Day

The Bridge Builder

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To chasm, vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near.
"You are wasting strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day;
You never again must pass this way;
You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide
Why build you the bridge at the eventide?"

The builder lifted his old gray head:
"Good friend, in the path I have come." he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pit-fall be,
He, too, must cross in the dwilight dim;
Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.

-Will Allen Drumgoole
(Tennesse poet 1860 - 1934)

A week long birthday celebration

Breana wanted to see "Shrek III" for her birthday. Kaitlin was still not feeling well and Dan was at work so Breana & I set out just the two of us. For a short period of time, it literally was just the two of us! Just before the movie was to start 4 other people came into the theatre. We had to giggle because 2 of them sat directly behind us and the other 2 sat 2 rows ahead of us - with all the space in the theatre...!!!
The birthday celebration continues!

11 on the 11th!

It was a special treat for Breana. The day she turned 11 the four of us checked-in later in the day, ordered dinner and enjoyed being "waited on". Unfortunately Kaitlin wasn't feeling well so we let her rest with peace & quiet in the bedroom while we enjoyed the parlor. Later in the evening, Dan & Breana went out to soak in the hot tub under the stars. Things we could have done at home but were just extra special when you go out for the evening.
There's no nagging feeling in the back of your head to pick up 'this' or pick up 'that', throw in a load of laundry, clear the dinner dishes or even have the tempation of going off into our own corners.

It was nice to "go away". I like moments when we concentrate on the 4 of us.

Sigh, our little munchy, B B, bianca, magonical, magoostus, magoo...is now 11. Really, where did the time go?

Ah, summer!

While it's not officially summer (Summer Solstice is next week), the girls being out of school is summer enough for me!
We're having lunches outdoors, windows are open, room fans are on and our days are, for the most part, free.
Our garden does not disappoint, thanks to Dan.


Now we're just patiently waiting for the peaches!

"Be the change you want to be in the world"

~Gandhi

"It's our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
~ Albus Dumdledore

Kaitlin's 6th grade Promotion

The last handful of postings are purposely out of order chronologically. I wanted us to remember the last week of HVS to be full of elation, relief & good times.
In her speech, Kaitlin shared a memory from each school year and what she learned from each teacher. She acknowledged the special relationships the students had with each other and how it will be sad to say good-bye. She ended with a quote by Natasha Bedingfield, "Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten."
She performed "Ashokan Farewell" 3-4 times this year. Once for a roomful of special people the night before her Gramps' Memorial, once for the last concert with her violin teacher of 6 years, once in a recital for her new violin teacher and once - yes, Kaitlin, last - for her 6th grade promotion. Oh how different each time was. During the one concert her left arm would not stop shaking and her notes sounded like they were literally weeping. She didn't want to succumb to the emotions from the memory of her Gramps. During her recital she played so sweetly and so reserved, she held back. During this ceremony, however, she allowed herself to feel what this song brings out in her, she let the notes linger in the air and land in our hearts, and she grasped control of her emotions which allowed others to feel along with her - she filled the room last night.

Kaitlin's 6th grade Promotion

Last day of school

They're all real anxious - the anticipation is killing them!
The HV Fire Department obliges...
they so look forward to this!

Sweet friendships

Brigette & Kaitlin have been friends since kindergarten. When they were 5 years old, Brigette taught Kaitlin how to do a front flip on the trampoline. Together they hiked up to the top of Brigette's property at age 7 with a lunch they packed themselves and at age 11 they would ride the horses out to view the sunset. Next year they go off to different schools. It's hard to say good-bye to the thought of not seeing one another on a daily basis.
It is truly hard to say "so long" to special people. We've all been there - you want to stay together - you have great intentions and may even be successful for a short period of time...but you hope for more. As Kaitlin & Breana's Mom I will try my darndest to keep these ties together. Their friends mean a lot to me as well. I have watched these kids grow into incredible human beings who have positive energy, serious study habits and who are thoughtful for those around them. I feel the need to see where they head off to in the years to come!
They gathered as many of the 6th graders as they could to pose with their beloved teacher.

Before me I see an athlete, a surfer, a choral singer traveling to perform in Carnegie Hall this summer, a fashionista with forever a book in her pocket, a concert violinist, a competitive gymnasts, all academias...all dreamers...truly exceptional kids with the world waiting for them to make their marks - their possibilities are endless!

Is it true - they're 12 years old?!

Where did the time go?

Talent Show

My friend & I were in charge of the Talent Show this year. It entailed making sure the acts were age-appropriate & family friendly, singing acts were backed-up by preferably karaoke music, fitting 50 acts & 2 recesses into 3 hours and laughing the entire time. It involved a bit of work from us but it was managable.

Kaitlin was one of the MCs.

She, with her fellow 6th grade girl-friends, sang their own rendition of "So Long Farewell" from 'The Sound of Music'. Kaitlin's line was "I'd like to stay and be held back a grade, yes?" with her teacher responding, "I wish, but no!" :) They ended with, "We know we have to go to seventh grade...so long farewell..." (as they walked off the stage waving good-bye to one another)

Breana sang, "Breakaway" which was quite fitting for one who has chosen to move on to Middle School instead of spending her 6th grade at this school.

"I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly

I'll do what it takes 'till I touch the sky

And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change

and breakaway.

Out of the darkness and into the sun

but I won't forget all the ones that I love

I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change and breakaway.

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I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly

Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye

I gotta take a risk, make a change and breakaway..."

Slipping one memory in...