it turns out that . . .

- our computer woes were worse than we thought.
- after only 2 years, we need a new hard drive.
- we should have bought the extended warranty.
- when we are in a difficult situation and are cursing the stars, God looks down at us and says "here you go"
- we were owed some money from the i.r.s. and it showed up in our mailbox at the right time
- not everyone is against us
- we will be without a computer for 5-7 business days
- i have to think fast
- the "karate kid movie" is worth seeing . . .TWICE!
- you'll want to go eat chinese food after you see it.
- you can't scrapbook without your pictures.
- the laundry will get done this week
- i'll finish reading my book sooner than i thought.
- i love "eat, pray, love" and am so glad that i chose to read it at this moment
- "being still and doing nothing are two completely different things"
- disneyland was not that crowded on the day that "world of color" opened to the public
- our first week of summer was not that boring, even without a computer
- i can live without the new iPhone . . . for now
- getting hit in the head with a softball requires 6 stitches and lots of aspirin (don't worry bobby's ok, just a little embarrassed)
- that won't stop him from playing on friday.
- he is more hard headed than i thought (pun intended)
- that working hard and studying results in excellent grades and first honors - woohoo!!

hope everything thing is turning out OK for you.

please send help

having terrible computer issues that are driving me crazy.  mainly that it is running V.....E.....R.....R....Y slow.  it started a few weeks ago when half of my iPhoto library went missing.  you can imagine the panic, fear and anger that i felt at opening the program expecting to see my pictures and seeing nothing!  after a desperate search, i found the originals still on my hard drive and was able to save them to an external hard drive where they will be safe and sound for a while.

but since then, the computer has not been the same.  it's running slow, keyboard is acting weird (i wish you could see how long it is taking to type up this little post.) and things are not where they should be.  so she is going into the repair shop on saturday.  well at least the genius bar, hopefully it will be a quick fix.  and while i'm there i'll pick up a laptop, an iPad and reserve the new iPhone. right, honey?

today is the last full day of school for the boys.  and tomorrow is the last day for sofia and the boys.  then let the summer begin.  do we have plans?  yes and no.  i will have to wait until the computer is in working order to share our plans with you.  i can't link pictures or websites right now.

for now, trying to enjoy these last few moments of peace and tranquility before it is kids 24-7.  maybe it's a good thing that the computer is not working so i can be busy doing other things.

hope you are well.  wish us luck with the computer.  i will update soon.

five on friday

happy friday everyone.  there are just 3 fridays left before school gets out, and that includes today.  but here's what's happening on this friday.

1. baseball - tomorrow is the last game of the season. in the end, the trojans did awesome.  i think their record was 13 - 7.  not bad.  this season has definitely been a learning experience for all of us.  moving up to farm is far different from t-ball.  more serious, more competitive, more stressful and more exciting. andrew is progressing.  his swing looks amazing and he's paying attention on the field. he's interested in baseball more than ever.  i'm hoping he doesn't forget it all by next year. i learned how to keep score, it's more complicated than it sounds.   and there were some tense moments with other teams.  it usually had to do with pitch counts and 13 yr old umpires.  i'm really happy that andrew doesn't feel the tension, but it's something i really don't like.  i'll miss it sort of.  but i'll be happy to not have practice and getting our weekends back.  GO trojans!

2.  swim class - sofia started swim class on monday.  she really didn't want to get in the water on monday and who could blame her?  it was freezing.  but it was more of a control thing with her.  she fought me the whole way and then wouldn't change into her swimsuit.  the teacher was such a help and got her into the water.  but after that she loved it.  we are in class with my friend kim and her daughter bailey and a little girl from class last year.  i love watching sofia jump into the water and kick, paddle and roll her way across the pool all by herself.  she's a natural.  and she has the cutest swim suits from target.   this will be a fun summmer.


3. food blogging - i am considering starting a new venture.  i take so many pictures of food and i love food so much and i want to share some recipes and i just want to talk about food all the time.  but before i dive in, i am doing some research and drooling over some food blogs that are out there.  here are my two favorites in terms of look and content: sophistimom and oh joy eats.  but the more i surf the web the more inspiration i find.  just trying to figure out my voice and then i can get started.

4.  mad men - oh my word!  we started watching this show a few months ago and we can't get enough.  i love everything about it.  except that bobby and i always argue about feeling sorry for/hating don draper.  we have been watching episodes on dvd and on demand.  looking forward to the season 4 premiere in june.  i am going to work on some 1960's cocktails to get us in the mood.

5. italy - really need i say more.  i saw "letters to juliet" with my mom and sister on wednesday.  cute movie and the scenery was worth the price.  they visit sienna and tour tuscany.  one of the characters goes to livorno for a wine auction.  that was a town very close to where we stayed.  ahhhhh.  i wish we could go back this summer.  but that's not happening.  maybe in a year or two we can go back with the kids.  not sure they would enjoy it as much as we did but i would still love to take them. for now i will look at our pictures and remember the great time we had.

have a great weekend, wherever you are.

cloudy with a chance of relaxing

it's been the weirdest weather the last few days.  super windy then hot, then overcast and today RAIN!  i love that i still get to wear my cozy boots and sweaters but it's taking a toll on my mood.  i need some consistency, don't we all?!  the wind was crazy at andrew's baseball game last week.  and then yesterday sofia had her first swim class in way too cold weather, poor thing.  for sea world last week i packed shorts and t-shirts for jordan and i think he wore the one pair of pants he had all week.  yesterday the boys went to school in shorts and short sleeved polos and i had to run jackets to school because it was so cold. ugh.

this weekend bobby and i took a quick trip to ventura.  bob and d gave me a gift certificate to this place

right on the beach.  i knew i wanted to go right after all of these crazy weeks at school but before school gets out.  we left after andrew's baseball game (which they won, go trojans), and got there in time for our in-room massages.  i have to say it was one of the best massages i have ever gotten.

i sat out by the beach and read while bobby got his.  then we met up to go to dinner at the shoals restaurant.  we had brought a bottle of wine to save on the cost of the bottle at dinner and had it in our room before dinner.  it turns out someone ordered us a bottle of wine to have with dinner.  well we had that too.  needless to say we were very happy we were not driving home after that.  and the dessert was an amazing vanilla ice cream with bananas and almonds, a reef cookie, and a birthday candle, yummy!!

our view at dinner

the next morning we hung out by the beach

and then went to ventura for some antique shopping and lunch.  this is what i was drooling over.

this is bobby checking out how much money he could make on his star wars figures.

then it was lunchtime

we even stopped at the mission.

and i had to snap a picture of this place.

we decided not to go to the strawberry festival.  too many people and not enough time to get our money or tummy's worth.  but we stopped at a roadside stand for some outstanding strawberries to share.

and for the ride home  . . .a flaky chocolate croissant

love these moments where we get to sneak away, even if it's just for a short time.  it refuels me and makes me love him even more . . .if that's possible.

hope your weekend was relaxing and you are enjoying some sunshine.

five on friday

1. so happy to have jord home from his week long trip to sea world.  he left on monday with his classmates and teachers and came home yesterday, looking tan and happy.  what i love the most is that he told me that he made a goal for himself on monday to try EVERYTHING.  i seriously wanted to cry when i heard this.  he is usually timid and has no problem saying "no" to something, no matter how much he is encouraged.  but on his own he decided to make the most of the trip and try everything that was asked.  and he told me he did.  he went on the rides, touched a shark, fed a manta ray and dolphin and ate the lens of a squid.  wow!  i am so proud of him.

2. celebrated heritage day today in andrew's class.  he brought in some pictures, a pinata and a recording that my dad did from his show.  we had an international feast for lunch.  we brought pan dulce or pink cookie as the kids call it and made pizza.  i know, what does pizza have to do with his heritage, nothing really.  other than the fact that's it part of our friday night tradition and he loves it.  then we had the kids break open the pinata. fun.

3.  went to happy hour at starbucks with my sister.  50% off frappuccinos 3-5 pm until sunday, can't pass that up.

4.  bobby starts his softball games tonight.  good luck to los doyers.

5. bobby and i are heading to ventura this weekend for some r&r.  we're staying at the cliff house thanks to bob and d.  we are getting massages, going to dinner, hanging out by the beach, going antique shopping and maybe even to the strawberry festival in oxnard.  it looks to be a perfect weekend.

in just one year

he celebrated a monkey birthday

and played t-ball on the buckeyes

and ate many pancakes

and looks good after a haircut (maybe not during)

and went rafting for the first time

and learned to eat with chopsticks

and ate a giant turkey leg

and spent time with mom

and spent time with dad

and embraced his heritage ; )

and started 2nd grade

and was a goofball

and was a lego bro for halloween

and learned to love reading, or at least really like reading

and beat everyone we know at wii resort

and learned to love skiing, really love

and was a goofball

and had his first reconciliation

and went on indiana jones for the first time

and moved up to farm baseball on the trojans

and uses these verbs/adjectives to describe himself

and knows all about tropical oceans

and made his first communion

and celebrated

and turned 8

and was a goofball.

i love you! happy 8th birthday to our monkey boy.

longing for normal

"normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. let me hold you while i may, for it may not always be so."

mary jean iron

it's almost over. 
gala - done
teacher appreciation luncheon - done
mother and daughter tea - done
eco festival - done
andrew's first communion - tomorrow
mother's day - sunday
andrew's 8th birthday - monday

i think i can handle the next few days.  although today took a lot out of me.  i was at school from 8am, setting up breakfast and putting together our class booth, until 7pm when we took everything down, shopped at the flower mart and bought some books at the book fair. 

but now i long for a normal day with no meetings, no shopping (yes, i just said "no shopping"), no to-do lists that are a mile long.

well it is a mile long but soooooo different from what has been on it the past four weeks:
-laundry (that is in permanent ink on my to-do list)
-clean out the refrigerator
-clean out my closet
-mop
-try the deli that everyone keeps talking about
-sign up for the cooking class i got as a birthday gift
-start my week in the life album
-clean out the garage - again
-get a manicure with my sister
-get a case for my iPhone
-put all my pictures on an external hard drive so my computer can run at normal speed again.
-get to the gym because my hands are hurting again
-do some furniture shopping for our room and sofia's room
-enjoy some peace and quiet

it feels like forever since i've had a "normal" day.  but i am so looking forward to it.