A Picture a Day

Shoes, Glorious Shoes!

2010-09-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ever since Erin has had friends come over to play (I truly detest the term "playdate!"), I've for some reason really enjoyed looking at their little shoes lined up together. (OK, so these days, the shoes aren't that little, but I digress...) I can't even begin to explain why. They usually just look so, well, happy, especially at the beginning of the school year when they're clean and new! I wish they could tell stories about all the fun things they've done with their owners... the playtime, school time, girl drama, all of it. Today, Erin had two friends come home with her after school, and when I saw their shoes all lined up on the stairs, I just had to capture them. If only these shoes could talk!

A New Beginning, and New Chuckles

2010-09-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

TGIF! When we came downstairs, we were greeted with a stunning sunrise through the tree tops. I love mornings like this, when it's just cloudy enough to make the sunrise interesting. (Or, heck! When there is a sunrise, instead of being socked in by fog.) Anyway, I ran to get my camera, jumped outside, and snapped away trying to catch it's beauty.

After my early morning shutter-bugging, I started dealing with our normal morning breakfast routine, and Jim made his morning oatmeal. I've mentioned this in other posts as well, but our pets get to share in the oatmeal leftovers each morning. Molly gets to lick out the bowl, and Mia gets to enjoy the spoon. This has caused Mia to become quite the begging kitty (she's worse than the dog!), and she'll sit quietly by the table, hoping to get a piece of something yummy. Breakfast remains her favorite meal of the day though, and she puts on quite a show for us while she licks that little spoon clean!

And So It Begins...

2010-09-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

Day Two of school means that the year has officially begun, and the first homework starts coming home. Like most kids, Erin's not too fond of it, but I have to give her credit - she's gotten much better in the past year about doing it and getting it over with. Today, for example, she had to write a 5-paragraph essay about one of her favorite memories from the summer, and she attacked it like nobody's business. When she was finished, she proudly stood up by the table and read it to me, even making sure to make eye contact with her audience while she read. I have to admit, I was quite proud of what she'd written, as well as her dedication in getting it done. I can only hope that the rest of the year's assignments go this smoothly.

Leaving a Legacy (con't)

2010-09-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Back in June, I posted about the project that Erin's school did in allowing students to create tiles to be affixed to the walls of the school. Erin was very excited to be there during the year that they did it, and couldn't wait to see the new tiles up on the wall. Yesterday was the big PTA event at school (the day the kids found out who their teachers would be), and we thrilled to see that the new tiles had been put up! It took us a while, but we found Erin's tile, right in the middle of the group. It's great to know that it will be there long after she's moved on to her next schools (which will be next year! Yikes!).

Today, though, was even more exciting... The first day of school! For Erin, this is a big year. She's in fifth grade, so it's her last year in elementary school. Oddly enough, we woke up this morning to, of all things, rain. I couldn't believe it. That's so completely out of character for this time of year here! But it didn't stop Erin from putting on her new clothes (and she even got to wear her new school sweatshirt that we weren't expecting to break out until much later), and we walked to school with umbrellas. My grandmother used to say that rain on a big event was good luck. I'll stick to that thinking, because I think this is going to be a GREAT year!!!

Beach Erosion

2010-08-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

For much of the summer, Erin and I have gone down to Salt Creek Beach on Tuesdays and Fridays to meet our friends and have some fun. Today marked what will most likely be our last regular visit of the summer, as next week we'll be away and the week after that, school starts. So we packed up the car this morning and headed down. The first thing we noticed, as we went up over the hill right near our house, was that the ocean area was shrouded in fog. Bummer. But who cares? Even an overcast day at the beach is better than a day at home. When we got there, we schlepped down to the beach (it's a long, downhill walk), to find that the beach was, well, small. It's usually a good distance between the water and the sitting areas (even in high tide), but today, that wasn't the case. The high surf that we've been experiencing this week has definitely taken its toll on the beaches. There was a short beach to sit on, and then a 3-4 foot drop (literally!) down to where the water was. And seeing as it was high tide, we had a few times when the waves splashed against that wall o' sand and up and over it. Interesting... It was odd to look down the beach and see that wall stretch as far as the eye could see. This picture isn't the greatest, but you can definitely get the idea.

Of course, the girls certainly didn't mind the inconvenience of having to climb up a cliff face to get back to their towels. They spent much of the time building "steps" in it to make it easier, and doing other things that we couldn't quite see from our perch up above. But in this pic, you can see how much lower they were down there than we were up top! They were STANDING UP! Yikes!

Call to Order

2010-08-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

Looking around, it's obvious that the new school year is almost upon us. There are back-to-school sales going on everywhere, and kids are starting to get that moping look they get when they know the fun and games is about to end. Another way to tell is that the PTA organizations start gearing up for the new year as well. Today was the first PTA executive board meeting of the new year at Erin's school. Our new (and awesome!) president pounded the gavel to officially get the year underway, and many of the committee chairs had a chance to give their updates or (like me, for the yearbook) get things approved. It was great to get together with this wonderful group of parents and hear some of the exciting things that that are planned for this year at the school!

Bubble Power

2010-08-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

I've been a long-time wearer (and lover) of contact lenses, going back to when I was in high school. I much prefer wearing them to my glasses, especially when it's really sunny out and I need sunglasses. For the last few months, I've been having a problem with my left eye, so I've been wearing my glasses more and more, but with our vacation fast approaching (5 days!), I wanted to make sure I'm able to comfortably wear my beloved contacts. Yesterday, I called my optometrist's office and asked what they recommend these days for cleaning soft lenses, seeing as I've done the same thing for as long as I can remember. The assistant told me that they recommend something called Clear Care, and told me to come by and get a box. As soon as I saw it, it brought back memories of Aosept, which I'd used for years. Well, I read the instructions (including some pretty bold and red warnings about not getting the solution in your eyes before it's had time to neutralize - point taken!), and gave it a whirl last night. WOW! This morning, it was like the lenses were brand new. I successfully and comfortably wore them all day, taking them out just now to take a picture of them bubbling away in their case. Clear Care, where have you been all my life?

The Quest

2010-08-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

I'm originally from the east coast, from the Philadelphia area. What that means is that I can drive in snow, I believe football games should be played when it's cold outside, and I know that soft pretzels taste best when you've bought them from a guy on the side of the road. It also means that I grew up eating really good bagels. My family are such bagel fans that even now, my father regularly drives 45 minutes to stock up on what my parents consider to be the best bagels in their area, storing them in the freezer so he doesn't have to schlep out there too often. (For anyone in that area who's interested, their place of choice is Fill A Bagel in Jenkintown.) Now, that's dedication to a good bagel. When we moved back out to California last year, my quest to find a decent bagel commenced. Notice I didn't say a good bagel. After the first few I'd tried, I would have been perfectly happy settling on "decent." Thankfully, the search only took a few months (and more than a few really icky bagels), and I finally found OC Bagels. They're as close as I can come to the perfect bagel out here. They have a nice skin on them, but the inside isn't cake-like. It's bagel-like. It's delicious! Like my father, I tend to stock up, taking advantage of the specials they run on Mondays. But there's nothing better than a nice, fresh, and GOOD bagel to start your day!!!

Shock and Awe

2010-08-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again... Time to assess what in Erin's drawers and closet still fit (ha! wishful thinking!) and what needs to be replaced or purchased anew for the upcoming school year's wardrobe. Erin has always been rather opinionated when it comes to her clothes, and I wasn't expecting this year to be any different. I have to say, she has a great sense of style, and I love most of what she picks out. In the jeans department, though, I knew we were going to have to replace a lot of what she has, as towards the end of last year, they were getting kind of short. Jeans are tough to buy for Erin. She's at that stage where pants that fit her in the hips are usually swimming around her waist, but we've usually had good luck at Children's Place, so we went there first. Erin has a pair of skinny jeans from there, in a size 10, that we bought a few months ago that still fit, so I grabbed a pair in that size and we happily dashed to the changing room to try them on. They were too tight! Poor Erin's belly was squished like no fashion maven would like. Could it be that my baby is needs a size 12? Yikes. I went out and got a pair, and they actually fit her perfectly. Hmmm... How did this happen? It seems like just yesterday I was shopping at the back of that store, where the adorable little bootie outfits are, in sizes that end with an M for months, and now she's almost outgrown the store! This will not do. I have to find a way to slow down time! Any ideas on how to do that would be greatly appreciated!

Model Citizen

2010-08-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Last night, Erin and another Girl Scout from her troop, Eliana, had the privilege of going to our town's City Council meeting to present the council with some supermarket gift cards that they'd earned for local Marine families that the city sponsors. The girls had earned the cards over the holidays, when they worked with a local Cadette troop manning the gift wrap booth at the mall,(wow... those were some crazy days! LOL!) but this was the first chance we'd had to get them into the right hands. Instead of having the adults address the Council, we decided to let the girls do it themselves. Eliana said why they were there, and then Erin said how they'd earned the cards. They were nervous, but did a fabulous job! After they did their speech, Councilman Ming came down to collect the cards, and was kind enough to pose for pictures with the girls. As we were leaving, Erin said that she was very proud to be able to do the things she's been doing as a Girl Scout. And I'm so proud of her!

Erin Behind the Lens

2010-08-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to not have to help me unpack and put away the groceries this morning, Erin grabbed my camera and started shooting away at the pets. It really amazes me how good she is with my big honkin' 20D, and she doesn't shoot in Auto mode, either! She knows to check her shutter speed (the camera's usually on shutter priority - if it's too dark or light and she can't fix it herself she asks me for help with other settings), and even knows when it would be better to focus manually. Smart kid! Considering I didn't know that stuff until this year, she's light years ahead of me. Anyway, once again I was thrilled to see her results - nice and clear and good pictures to boot! Way to go, Erin!!! So without further ado, here are her shots!

First up is Mia, hamming it up as always by climbing into the empty grocery bag.

Next is Molly, looking like her regular, sweet self. Anyone out there remember when her nose used to be black?

And finally, one more of our Mia. And yes, I swear that it's all Erin! I didn't even crop it!

The Sweet Sound of... Sound

2010-08-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Most of the people who know me know that I'm a geek. And I'm married to a geek. Sure, we hide it well to the outside world, but come into our home once, and you can see it immediately. There are "toys" everywhere. Black boxes with buttons and lights that do who-knows-what. The best example of this is in our living room, where it takes five remotes to make the TV and all its little friends work. The piece de resistance, though, is the PC that runs all of the audio processing for the TV. In layman's terms, it's makes the sound from our TV (which only comes out of two speakers in the front of the room, by the way) kick butt. It's software that Jim's company has been working on, and I'm actually quite proud of it (when I can figure out how to make it work). Anyway, the whole thing's been running off one of the oldest PCs in existence... until today! Today we upgraded that PC to a new one, which will mean that the room will be quieter (the fan on the old one was LOUD!) and that the fish screensaver on the PC will no longer swim in herky-jerky motions. Oh, and it'll sound fantastic. But that's also due to this bugger, the top-of-the-line sound card that Jim uses. (Jim thought I should make a contest with a prize to whoever could identify what it was without me saying it. Isn't he funny?)

Mmmm...

2010-08-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Not much smells better than fresh baked bread! My friend September introduced me to bread-baking when we lived in New Jersey, and since then, we've purchased very little of it from stores. (My one exception is sourdough... I just don't have the patience for it.) I've made lots of different types, including sandwich breads, pizza dough, even challah. Lately my two favorites are these Italian or French recipes. I make the full recipe, but bake them into four mini-loaves; each one is the perfect size for one dinner. I keep them frozen until I need them, and then defrost them and warm them up in the oven. Just like fresh-baked! The last few times I've made it, I've done the Italian, and this afternoon, Erin asked me to do the French instead. Now the question is simply if all four loaves will still be intact by the time Jim gets home...

She Really Did It!

2010-08-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

Today we make a long-awaited visit back to Sea World in San Diego. (Long-awaited for Erin, anyway. She's been asking and asking and asking about going back since, well, since the last time we went!) Amazingly, we made it there this morning with absolutely no traffic. We spent our first half hour getting completely soaked on the Shipwreck Rapids ride, and then enjoyed the Blue Horizons dolphin show. (No pictures from that today as Erin insisted we sit in the aptly-named "soak zone." And yes, we got SOAKED!) It was a fabulous, fun, and sunny day! Towards the end, Erin went on a feed-the-animals kick, feeding the sea lions, flamingos, and yes, the bat rays. That last one shocked me. For one thing, the last time she was near the rays, she refused to touch them. But for another, they eat squid. Erin hates squid. Not in the "I won't eat that" way, but she doesn't even like to touch the stuff. So the fact that she willingly touched both the raw squid AND the rays in the same year was amazing. And she loved it... would have bought a second tray of squid if I'd let her. Will wonders never cease!?!

Surfer Girl

2010-08-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that when we first moved here, Erin was greatly intimidated by the ocean. Granted, the extent of her ocean experience was in the Caribbean waters, which are warm and calm, rather than the SoCal Pacific, which is just the opposite. But in the middle of last summer, she declared that she wanted a boogie board, and she set out with a determination to learn to use it. Looking at her this summer, it's hard to believe that this is the same kid. She now sails over the waves and rides them in like a pro. This summer (at least when we've been home) we've been going to the beach a few times a week with some of our friends, and today was one of those days. The girls were in the water for almost 3 straight hours, and, as usual, had a great time!

Oink Oink!

2010-08-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today we had plans to have lunch with some friends, and the kids decided that the perfect place to go would be Farrell's. We waited patiently for our table (it's incredible how popular this place is!) and enjoyed our meal. When it was time for dessert, the girls decided to order the infamous Pig's Tough. For those of you who did not grow up with Farrell's, the Pig's Trough is basically a double-sized banana split. Those who are able to finish it are "rewarded" by having their accomplishment announced to the entire restaurant and ordered to stand on their chairs and oink like pigs, before being given ribbons to commemorate the event. Sounds like fun, no? Well, our girls didn't let us down! They dug into the thing like there was no tomorrow, and after a break or two, managed to finish it off. If only they'd eat their veggies with such gusto!

Getting Ready!

2010-08-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

For a few weeks now, Erin's been chomping at the bit to go shopping for school supplies, and she was thrilled when I heard this morning from a teacher-friend at her school that the supply lists were posted. She insisted that our first stop this morning be the school so she could make a copy of the list, and then we could hit the stores. It's incredible how long these lists were (I don't remember needing all this stuff when I was in 5th grade, and I'm not even sure we needed a binder then, let alone a 3-INCH one!), but we actually managed to get most of it in one stop this afternoon. What a stash! I'm glad we still have a few weeks to enjoy before she has to lug all this to school! That'll give us time to get everything else she'll need, including clothes, shoes, yada-yada-yada. Yikes.

And of course, as I was setting up the shot, Mia just had to get in on the action. Some things never change!

Long Time... No Post

2010-08-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

Wow... It has definitely been a long time since I posted a Picture of the Day. That's what a summer vacation full of travel and houseguests can do, I guess. My mother actually emailed me last night to ask about it. How embarrassing. So I'm going to try to be better about taking and posting my pictures each day, starting with today!

Today, Erin and I visited the San Diego Natural History Museum for the first time. I had been warned that it is a smaller museum (we're used to the museum in New York, which is the gold standard), but it was quite a fantastic place to visit! Erin loved the floor that was devoted to dinosaurs and fossils, and especially liked this activity, where she had to put the picture blocks in the correct order, and then was rewarded by the computer narrating the entire story for her, one picture set at a time. It was very unique, and she got each set right!

Eventually, Erin got hungry, and we headed down to the cafe to get some lunch. While we were waiting for her hotdog, I figured I'd play around with the camera, and wound up getting this fantastic shot of Erin's eye! When I got home and looked at it on the computer, I couldn't believe how clear it came out! Take a look at her gorgeous lashes! And it's so clear you can even see the outline of her contact lens. Wow!

The Fairy Ring

2010-07-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a glorious day for us on our trip. In the morning, we visited Winterthur, the country estate built by Henry Francis DuPont to be a museum. The 175-room house (!) and 1,000 acres of land surrounding is makes it the largest of the DuPont estates, and it really is quite a site to be seen. We first enjoyed a family-focused tour of the 5th floor, which included rooms decorated in the Federal style and one that was completely lined with 18th-century Chinese wallpaper. It was fascinating to hear our tour guide talk about what it was like for DuPont's two daughters to grow up in this enormous museum of a house. After the inside tour, we walked around the grounds some, with our goal being the recently-added Enchanted Woods, which was set up to be a children's garden. One of the areas was a circle of what looked like toadstools. The sign next to it warned visitors, "Never, ever step inside a fairy ring." Erin not only stepped inside the ring, but sat on one of the toadstools, and immediately, the ring filled with a cool mist. It was incredible - cool, refreshing, and totally magical. Certainly not something that will be forgotten any time soon.

Little Visitors

2010-07-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

My parents have done a lovely job of decorating the outside of their house, and one of the areas that I just adore is the collection of bird feeders hanging near the deck in the back of the house. They have four of them: two for hummingbirds, one "sock" feeder, and one more regular type. Sitting at the kitchen table, it's wonderful to watch the birds come and get their fill of seeds (when the mourning doves don't scare the rest of them away). Last night, I was able to creep out onto the deck (no easy feat, seeing as I had to open and close both the slider and the screen door to get out there) and got some shots of a Goldfinch that was enjoying an upside-down snack at the sock feeder. I'm hoping to get more shots of him and his friends in the sunshine before we leave, but for now, this will do!

Reunited!

2010-07-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a joyful reunion, as I picked up my beloved (and recently lost) Kindle at the Philadelphia airport. Even though I was pretty sure that the one they had was mine (I mean, how much of a coincidence would it have been if there had been two Kindles left on my flight?), I still almost held my breath as Dad and I drove to the airport this morning. When I asked at the ticket counter about it, as I'd been instructed to do, they smiled and handed my precious electronic travel partner back to me. I hugged it all the way home. And I'm fairly certain I'll never repeat THAT mistake again!

So Lonely

2010-07-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

I am usually a very organized person, and it's very rare for me to lose something, especially something important. So when I couldn't find my Kindle yesterday morning, it was very strange. I looked everywhere (and my parents' house isn't really that big - there were a limited number of places it could have been hiding), and then started to despair. The last time I knew for a fact that I'd had it was on the plane from Newark to Philadelphia on Wednesday morning. Rut-roh. I immediately went into "oh crap" mode. I filled out a form online with the airline, but didn't really think anything would come of it. Then Dad and I decided to go to the airport and talk to the lost baggage office to see if, by chance, someone had found it. The woman in the office, Suzette, was incredibly helpful and nice. She made a few calls, and the people on the other end checked in a few safes. Finally, she spoke to someone who said that yes, a Kindle had been found on the Newark inbound flight on Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, it's currently locked in the office of a woman who won't be back until Monday. But I'm thinking it it's probably mine, so we'll be going back on Monday, hopefully to reunite me with my electronic friend. In the mean time, though, its charger remains alone, so alone. Hopefully not for long!

That's Hot

2010-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

We seem to have a problem. We seem not to be able to visit my parents when we're not doomed to experience extremes in the weather in one direction or another. In December, we froze our bippies off (when we left to return to the airport, it was a chill-inspiring 14 degrees). Erin and I arrived here this morning for what is destined to be an incredible two-week visit, only to encounter record temps in the other direction. Hmmm... Thankfully, the house is nicely air conditioned, and we have plenty of indoors activities to choose from (including just enjoying each other's company!). And daily visits to the community pool are also in the forecast. Now we just have to hope that we don't all melt!

Almost Time!

2010-07-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

It seems like we've been counting down forever (since February!), but tomorrow is the day that Erin and I leave to spend two weeks with my parents in Pennsylvania! I don't like being away from Jim that long (and I'm really not looking forward to my reunion with my two least favorite friends, Heat and Humidity), but I am really looking forward to spending that much time with Mom and Dad. We're planning to see a lot of relatives that I haven't seen in a very long time, some of which Erin's never met at all (!), and I'm even going to get to go to one of my Dad's camera club meetings (woo-hoo!), but what I'm looking forward to most is all the laughter that I know this trip will include. So anyway, after all this waiting, the packing fun has begun. My father taught me very well when it comes to packing, and although Jim laughs at me almost every time we have to do it, it's something that he knows to leave to me to make sure that everything both fits and doesn't get overly wrinkled. Today we started with Erin's things (which are traveling in her very own pink suitcase!). As if the color of the luggage didn't give it away, you can definitely tell she's a girl - just look at all those SHOES!

Inactivity at Its Best

2010-07-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

This week's 2Peas photography challenge theme was "activity." I actually took a picture today that is a great demonstration of the exact opposite of that. This is probably Mia's all-time favorite perch. When the shutters are open, she will literally lay on top of this chair, staring out the window (or curled up in a snooze) for hours. She loves that she can see out the front walk, and it's a nice spot to catch a little warm sunshine (after the fog burns off, that is). Ah... It's a cat's life!

Here It Comes...

2010-07-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

June Gloom is still sticking around, although it does seem to be burning off a little earlier each day. Tonight, though, we saw it once again rolling over the hill at the end of our street again, like a blanket coming in to cover us all. I actually love when it does this. One of these days, I'll grab Erin's Flip video camera and take some video of it. You can literally see it gliding over the hill. It's quite something to see! Jim likes to call it "nature's air conditioning," and if that's not a positive spin on our nightly cocoon of coolness, I don't know what is!

June Gloom - In July

2010-07-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

I was not naive enough to expect a miraculous and instant end to the so-called "June Goom" just because we turned the calendar to July, but this morning's fog was particularly thick. Looking out our bedroom window this morning, we could barely make out the houses across the street behind our house. The good news is that it burned off before noon today, and we're now enjoying sunny skies and warm breezes. Now THAT feels like summer!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2010-06-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

The last few days have truly been something of a blur, and I've fallen a bit behind in doing my daily pictures. Let's see... What's been happening?

Wednesday was the last day of school. Technically, it was only a half day, as the kids got out a little before noon. To celebrate, Erin and I went to Farrell's with some friends for lunch and (of course!) ice cream! The girls were so excited to be ending their respective grades (Erin and Lauren ended 4th, Katie ended 2nd), and our waitress announced it to the entire restaurant, only adding to their giddiness.

On Thursday, Erin's Girl Scout troop had their final awards ceremony of the year, followed by a pool party. Erin was so excited to get her hard-earned awards, including her Junior Aide award!

On Thursday night, Jim's sister Ann arrived for a visit from Toronto, and yesterday (Friday) we decided to go down to Sea World for the day. What a fantastic time! We saw the Pets Rule show, finally saw the Shamu "Believe" show (which was awesome!), and rode both of the water rides, getting completely soaked in the process. It was all such fun! Erin was especially happy to have someone go on the Journey to Atlantis flume ride with her (Jim wasn't too keen on that one - LOL!), and I'm sure if we'd had the time, she and Ann would have ridden it over and over again.

Tread on This

2010-06-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

A month or so ago, as I pulling out of the garage, Jim bent down and looked at my front tires with a look of concern on his face. I hadn't noticed it before (duh, I'm a woman!), but they were really worn. Very surprising, seeing as my car at the time had less than 9,000 miles on it. Hmmm... Well, things like that tend not to get better, and this weekend, we got my little hot hatch new tires. Now, that might seem like a silly thing to take a picture of, but it's so nice to look at those front tires now and not see the wear markers!

No More Pencils, No More Books

2010-06-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Around here, school starts relatively early (right after Labor Day), but goes really late. It's the price we pay for having a full week off for Thanksgiving and two full weeks off around the winter holidays. Erin's last day of school is actually this Wednesday (and they get out at 11:50am that day), but today was the last day that she had to schlep her backpack to school. It came home weighing about a ton, and I'm almost afraid to open it and see what's in there. But I do know this... We're both very excited about the summer being so close that we can just about taste it!

Lap It Up

2010-06-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today was the last Friday assembly of the school year at Erin's school, and I stuck around to see what would happen. One of the topics covered was the awards for this year's Running Club. Each of the kids that participated was wearing their bibs, showing off the number of laps run on one side, and the "medals" (stickers) earned on the other. Erin was very proud of herself, earning a gold medal sticker for running 45 laps in the five weeks of the event. When I got a close look at her bib, I loved seeing the words of encouragement that the coordinators had written on it. What a fantastic idea to motivate the kids to get moving!

Remote Farm

2010-06-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

I've heard quite a few people saying that remote controls are just too confusing. Ha! They should try to get OUR living room set-up to work! We literally have five, yes, FIVE! remote controls that make the various black boxes do what they're supposed to do. From left to right, #1 controls the BluRay/DVD player; #2 is for the TV, but is usually only used to switch components; #3 is the all-holy DirecTV remote; #4 controls the PC that runs the audio software (written by Jim!) that controls the (duh) audio, and is used to control the system's volume; and last but not least, #5 is for the AppleTV. Wow... I guess this is what happens when you marry an audio-geek. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I want to watch something in the living room and I can actually make it all work right. But most of the time, when left to my own devices, I'm perfectly happy watching in our bedroom, which thankfully runs on just one remote. Oy!

Erin's Turn Behind the Lens

2010-06-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

As I've been working on my photography skills this year, Erin has been working on hers. She loves using my camera, and enjoys taking it out and practicing shooting anything that will sit still for her. Today, she asked if she could use the camera with one of my macro filters on it while we took Molly for a walk, and went to town on our neighbors' roses. When we got back inside and looked at the pictures, I was floored! The kid has it!

Meet Dave

2010-06-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Erin (and all the other 4th graders at her school) put together self-sustaining aquariums in jars as one of their projects for the school's Open House. In each pickle jar was a plant, a snail, gravel and a guppy. Joy. We brought Erin's home, and she promptly named the guppy Larry. Larry lived in her room, eating something that would grow on the plant. Or not. Because yesterday, Erin couldn't find Larry swimming around in his jar, and I found his tiny form floating at the bottom of the tank. Erin was quite sad at losing her newest pet, so Jim (being the great Dad that he is!) said the she could get a new betta to replace him. We'd had a betta before, in New Jersey, and I have to say - for a pet, it required very little attention. So last night, off to PetSmart we went, and came home with Dave, who is now living quite happily on Erin's dresser in the spot formerly inhabited by Larry's jar. Welcome to the family, Dave! We hope you like it here!

Making a Splash

2010-06-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a furlough day for Erin at school, and we decided to make our first trip to Sea World in San Diego. Oh, what a wonderful day! We hadn't been to a Sea World park since we visited the one in Orlando when Erin was just 4 years old, but the one here totally lived up to our expectations! We saw their new show, Blue Horizons, which was spectacular, as well as the Pets Rule show, which was such fun and left us wondering just how they train the dogs and cats (and pigs!) to do those things. We checked out the shark and penguin exhibits, and rode on the Wild Arctic ride. Erin (somehow) convinced me to ride on the Journey to Atlantis flume ride, where we got a little wet. We met up with a few of Erin's friends for lunch, and all went on the Shipwreck Rapids ride together - where we got drenched! (So glad we thought to bring a change of clothes!) It really was an incredible day, and we can't wait to go back! This is just one of our pictures, of a pilot whale in the Blue Horizons show. The rest of the day's pics are posted here, if you'd like to take a peek!

Make Me!

2010-06-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, when we had lunch with my wonderful friend Michelle, she gave me a wonderful gift bag, including a box of Williams Sonoma sugar cookie mix. All week, the box has been sitting on the counter (my plan was to make them tomorrow, after our supply of Toll House cookies from earlier in the week was gone), but this morning I came down to find a not-so-subtle hint on the stove.

Cute.

So, this afternoon, Erin and I set out to make the cookies. The directions were easy enough: Take enough butter to fill a bathtub, cream it, add the mix, add two eggs, and bake. Erin was on decoration duty, and did a fantastic job with the sprinkles that Michelle had thoughtful included in our goody bag. They already looked good enough to eat, and they hadn't been baked yet!

I will admit, though, these babies took a L-O-N-G time to bake. The box said 12-13 minutes. I took them out after 18, and they were just starting to get brown around the edges. Obviously, I had to try one to make sure they were done enough (it was a sacrifice, but one I felt I had to make for the good of my family). I'm pleased to report that they were simply scrumptious. Jim and Erin will conduct their taste tests after dinner, but I'm confident that they'll agree with me. Thanks, Michelle!!!

Leaving a Legacy

2010-06-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

One of the first thing I noticed about Erin's school the first time I saw it was the obviously student-made tiles that are affixed to the wall out front. They're wonderful, and I've spent some time looking at them. They were created by students over 10 years ago, and we've all wondered if the school would ever repeat the activity. A few weeks ago, it was announced that the school would have a tile "fun-raiser" again, and hundreds of students jumped at the chance to leave their mark on their elementary school. Tonight was the night, and Erin couldn't wait to go. She decided on what she wanted to paint, and as soon as we got there, she got down to business.

As the tiles were completed, they were put on display while they dried before being taken off to be kiln-fired. It was such fun to see the works of art created by our wonderful students and families!

After creating their masterpieces, Erin and her friends Becca and Kaela looked at the tiles that had been made the last time this was done, finding names of teachers that are still at the school today. We all can't wait to see where the new tiles will be placed!

Areas of Dense Fog

2010-06-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

When we first moved to Orange County last year, we really didn't know what to expect, other than abundant sunshine. So you can imagine our surprise when toward the end of May and all through June, we woke up to cloudy skies every, single day. We soon learned that it's called "Gray May" and "June Gloom" around here, and it happens when the marine layer of fog moves onshore each night and sticks around for most of the following morning. Yes, folks, it's actually fog, not drizzly clouds. Definitely takes some getting used to, but by the end of June, these gray mornings end and we're back to the sunny, warm weather that this area is known for. In the mean time, though, when the forecast calls for "areas of dense fog," we know that they're really talking about here. Right HERE. (BTW... If you look closely, you can see that there's actually a hill at the end of our street. Really! There is!)

Really...?

2010-06-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

I can't help but think that it completely defeats the purpose of washing clothes when Mia insists on christening them when they're fresh out of the dryer. In a way, I can't blame her. My lovely, white pants were still warm from their tumble dry, but still...

Reunion

2010-06-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I got an email from a friend I haven't seen in quite a few years saying she'd be in San Diego this weekend for a race, and could we maybe get together? I was thrilled. Michelle and I had worked together eons ago - I was in the New Jersey office and she worked at the company's headquarters in Charlotte, NC - but have managed to stay friends since I left the company in 2002. In 2004 and 2005 we saw each other at professional conferences, but since then, our communication has mainly been through email and Facebook. Well, today was the day for us to see each other again! Jim, Erin, and I drove down to San Diego this morning, and picked up Michelle at her hotel. We drove to Del Mar for lunch at the Waterfall Terrace restaurant at the L'Auberge Del Mar hotel, and then to Dog Beach for a visit to a special park there. It was such a fantastic afternoon! It certainly didn't feel like we hadn't seen each other in five years (although last time she saw Erin, Erin was not even four years old yet!). I hope we can manage another visit soon!

Substituion

2010-06-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

This morning, I went on a baking frenzy. I baked Toll House cookies (much to the absolute delight of both Jim and Erin), and then, when Jim informed me that his stash in the freezer was almost depleted, decided to make him muffins as well. The first rule of cooking, as everyone knows, is that you should measure out all of your ingredients first. That's one lesson that I totally admit to not always adhering to. So, it was only after the batter was nicely mixed together and I was ready to add the blueberries that I realized I didn't have enough blueberries. Oops. Thankfully, I had some raspberries in the freezer, and used some of those as well. It made for an interesting and colorful looking mixture. I only hope they taste as good as they look!

Taming the Nemesis

2010-06-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Back in early March, I posted about my battle with the scale and my renewed journey with Weight Watchers. I'm still at it, and am thrilled to report that I'm making progress! A few weeks ago, I got my 16 week award/charm, and last week, I hit my first 10% goal, receiving a key chain! I'm really proud of myself for sticking with this, and although I don't lose a lot (or lose, period) every single week, I'm relearning the skills and habits to live a healthier life. Plus, it's nice to be able to fit back into some of my smaller clothes. I still have a ways to go, but I'm feeling optimistic that I'll hit that goal!

Now, no POTD-taking experience in this house is ever easy, and today's was certainly no exception. As much as Miss Puss hates to be the focus of my lens (ha... pun very much intended!), today she seemed aggravated that she wasn't my main subject, and insisted on getting in the way as much as possible. There's no satisfying her, is there? But honestly, laying on my subject doesn't earn her any brownie points. Do you know how hard it is to clone cat hair off this placemat?

Busy, Busy!

2010-06-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

During Erin's Girl Scout meeting this afternoon, I found myself looking at the back of her vest, which displays the "fun patches" from activities that the troop has done this year. I was amazed at how many of them there are, just from this one year! They've done everything from gardening to tours of restaurants and radio stations, and participated in events like our town's holiday parade (boy, what a stormy, wet day that was!) and the Council's annual International Food Fair (we represented the Bahamas). Each of these patches represents a fun-filled experience that Erin has been able to attend, and each carries with it memories that I hope will be with her for a long time. I can't wait to see what the vest looks like at the end of next year. Wow!

The Joys of Diagnosis

2010-06-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

For the last few days, I've felt really lousy. At first, last week, I thought it was allergies, but then it migrated to my chest, I started losing my voice, and I developed a horrible cough that likes to come out at night. I'm in a self-imposed exile to the guest room, and still manage to keep Jim awake. Finally, I went to the doctor this morning and got the diagnosis I was expecting: a(nother) sinus infection. Ugh. But the upside is that I now have the drugs that will hopefully have me feeling better really soon and sleeping some at night, both of which will be quite welcome! Bring on the relief!

Cuddly Prop

2010-06-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

We've definitely been enjoying our new iPad, and most evenings find us playfully arguing over who can use it next. The only problem is that the case hasn't arrived yet, and frankly, it's awkward to type on it when it's flat on one's lap. I have found a practical and useful solution, though! The cat! She loves to curl up on my lap when I'm in the living room, so I just put her to use and have her prop up the iPad. Most of the time, she's asleep enough that I doubt she even notices. Good kitty!

Getting Close to Nature

2010-05-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Whenever I struggle to find inspiration for my POTD, I grab my camera and macro filter and wander outside. There's always something out there that I haven't photographed before that catches my attention. Today was one of those days. I started in my yard and then wandered down the street to a neighbor's house as well. You never know what you'll find!

Looking at this first one, it's no wonder my allergies have been driving me nuts!

Big Brother, Little Brother

2010-05-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, being incredibly lazy, we decided to order a pizza for dinner. It's a good thing we did, because when it was delivered, we noticed a box had been left by our front door (which we obviously rarely use). It was our new iPad! It had arrived much quicker than we'd thought, and we spent the majority of last night setting it up and then fighting for user rights. I have to say, it's way cool! Just like its little brother, but bigger! No doubt, this will be one well-used toy in our house.

Happy Birthday, Molly!

2010-05-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today, our sweet Molly turned 4 years old! She, I'm sure, has no idea at all what the big deal was, but we sang to her this morning (leading her to bark like a crazy dog), and for dinner tonight, Jim grilled her her very own steak to be mixed in with her food. That just about drove her crazy, waiting for it, but no doubt she thought it was worth it once she was eating it. The eating certainly didn't take long (we're talking seconds here!), but her bowl was totally licked clean. So happy birthday, Molly-girl! Stay sweet!

Hello, Little Fella!

2010-05-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Erin didn't have school today (it was one of our school board's imposed furlough days), and Jim took the day off (yippee!), so we headed down to the San Diego Zoo this afternoon for a few hours. As usual, it was a fantastic visit. I still have over 100 pictures to go through, but seeing as it's late, I figured I'd post just one as my POTD for today. This flower caught my eye from across the path, and I thought it was just gorgeous. I knew there was something in the middle of it, but thought it was a seed of some kind. It wasn't until I got home, though, and looked at it, that I noticed it was actually an insect. Surprise! Anyway, I'll edit the rest of my pics tomorrow, and may use some of them in tomorrow's post.

Afternoon at Sea

2010-05-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, Erin's Girl Scout troop took a year-end trip... whale watching! We met at a local restaurant for an early dinner, and then headed to the dock to catch the boat for a 5-7pm trip. The skies were kind of cloudy (making it extra challenging for my lousy zoom lens, unfortunately), and the whales were nowhere to be seen, but we were treated to a great sight - an enormous pod of common dolphins that surrounded our boat and stayed with us for around 15 minutes. It was truly incredible to experience! They were all around us, even swimming and jumping just inches from our fast-moving boat. Absolutely amazing!

Backyard Beauties

2010-05-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Although today started out as a typical "gray May" day, by early afternoon the sun had come out and it turned into a beautiful afternoon! I grabbed my camera and my macro filters and decided to explore the back yard to see what was new. (My yard's the size of a postage stamp, but you never know... new things pop up all the time!) Here are a few of my finds.

This flowering bush is so vibrant and pretty, and I loved seeing the new buds with the full blooms in the background.

These lilies make me smile whenever I see them.

These flowers are actually tiny little things that bloom in clusters. Each flower is probably less than an inch across.

Here too, tiny little flowers that bloom in a cluster. In this picture, you can even see the spider webs between the petals.

Riding the Waves

2010-05-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

For the last few days, the waves in this area have been quite impressive. Over the weekend, in fact, they were around 8-10'! This morning was my first chance to check them out on my morning walk. They weren't quite that big anymore, but they were still coming in one right after the other, to the delight, no doubt, of the dozens of surfers that were hanging out in the water, waiting for the perfect ride. Between watching the waves and surfers and just listening to the crashing sounds, I could have easily stayed there for hours.

Doing the Tourist Thing

2010-05-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we drove up to L.A. to play tourist. We started with lunch at Du-Pars in the Farmers Market (make a note: Du-Pars has the best pancakes ever!), and then headed to Hollywood. We spent a little time wandering on the Walk of Fame and checking out some of the hand and footprints in the Grauman's Chinese Theatre forecourt before doing the ultimate tourist thing: taking a tour of celebrity homes. Oy! I have to say, though, it was a thoroughly fun day, and we all had a blast! Here's just some of the pictures I took while we were out.

Erin's a huge Sandra Bullock fan, and was thrilled to find her star.

The Theatre itself is quite an impressive building.

Some of the details on it are quite interesting. Erin was tickled to point out that I took a picture of a camera. LOL!

Whenever we're here, Erin likes to compare her hand size to Emma Watson's. (Oh, and this is just about the only place in L.A. where you can sit or even lie on the ground and people won't look at you funny.)

This is Simon Cowell's humble abode.

And many people recognize these gates. It's the house that Michael Jackson was renting when he died last year. People still come here every day (and not just those like us, riding in a tourist van!) to peek in and see what they can see. They also leave notes on the gate. I guess maybe they haven't heard that he doesn't live there anymore?

And what tour of Hollywood would be complete without a picture of the famous Hollywood sign? It's the most-photographed sign in the world!

Now the Ears Have It, Too!

2010-05-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

For the last few months, Erin's been talking about getting her ears pierced again. Not again as in we're talking about it again. Again as in she's had it done (twice!) before and for a variety of reasons it hasn't worked out. I figured now that she's 9, she's old enough to take care of them more herself, so I knew I'd cave eventually. Today, Jim had to go into work for a few hours to solve the world's audio problems, so Erin and I have had a day to ourselves. Jokingly, I asked her earlier if she wanted to get her ears pierced, and she surprised me by immediately saying yes. So off we went to do the deed. She was really nervous about it, but managed to get them done. It'll be a surprise for Jim when he gets home, but I'm sure he'll agree with me that they look fantastic!

Dress Alike Day!

2010-05-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

Once each spring, Erin's school has a Dress Alike Day, a day for kids (and sometimes teachers) to come to school dressed in matching outfits. This year, a group of my mom friends and I decided to get matching shirts for our daughters (11 in all!) and have them all come to school wearing them and jean shorts. The four of us that normally work the drop-off valet line also got into the action and did the same thing. We had a great time at drop-off, and got a lot of fantastic comments from both parents and teachers, who loved our coordinated efforts. The school's principal even pointed out both groups of us (calling the girls the "Valettes!") at the school's morning assembly. What fun!

Come Walk in My Shoes

2010-05-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

This morning, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Erin's school's "Come Walk in My Shoes" program. The program is an opportunity for fourth grade students to experience what it's like to live with a variety of disabilities. The children rotated through a series of stations where they could do things like try to get dressed using just one arm, load a lunch try while in a wheelchair, and catch a ball while wearing Vaseline-covered glasses. While the kids obviously had fun at each activity, the purpose of it all was definitely not lost on them, and they all left with a better understanding of what it's like to deal with issues like this during everyday life. Definitely good lessons to learn! Here, Erin is trying to button a shirt using only her left hand.

In this picture, Erin (who's wearing blacked-out goggles) is being led by her "seeing eye dog" Becca through an obstacle course.

And in this picture, Erin is attempting to load a lunch try while wheeling herself around the table.

Backyard Friends

2010-05-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

Last year for Mother's Day, my parents sent me a hummingbird feeder. I've faithfully changed the food twice a week ever since, and our feeder is usually humming (no pun intended) with activity. The last few weeks, though, seem to have brought on a dry spell, and the feeder is almost completely full when I change it. Today, I saw a few of the tiny birds buzzing around the back yard, and decided to hang around out there hoping to capture them. The elusive things avoided the feeder like it was covered with ants, but I did capture this little fella hanging around in one of the nearby trees. I was able to get a few shots of him before he got tired of modeling for me (sound familiar? Must be taking lessons from the cat.) and flew away. I'll keep trying, though!

Whiskers on Kittens

2010-05-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

OK, I couldn't help myself. After yesterday's post, titled Raindrops on Roses, I actually had a couple of people email me jokingly suggesting that my next post would be Whiskers on Kittens. Who am I to deny them a wish like that! The only problem was getting Mia to cooperate with my request for her modeling services. At one point, she got a little fed up and took a swipe at the camera. This was as good as it got, I guess. Oh, and I don't own a copper kettle, bright or otherwise, so don't even suggest it!

Raindrops on Roses

2010-05-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up to what is truly "gray May." The fog was so dense, it was actually drizzling. Lovely. While it's made for a very bad hair day, the heavy mist was definitely good for one thing: it deposited raindrops on our flowers, giving me a subject for my POTD! How nice of Mother Nature to make life easier for me (at least in one way) on a Monday!

Season's Over

2010-05-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the spring soccer tournament, and Erin's team wound up playing two games. Unfortunately, they lost both, so the season for them is over. All in all, though, and even though their team didn't win a lot of their matches, it was a fantastic season for Erin personally. Her skills improved greatly, as her coaches focused on teaching both skills and strategy. Instead of only playing defense, she tried every position the game has to offer, and liked almost all of them. (Her coach yesterday was saying how much she loves knowing that she could put Erin anywhere on the field and know that she'll do well.) But most of all, it was just great to see how much fun Erin had on the field. After all, that's really what it should all be about. So Erin's already looking forward to playing again in the fall, and is asking about summer soccer camps. And I'm just catching my breath after taking and editing over 500 pictures from yesterday's games. Good job, Holland! And great job, Erin!!!

Running Club

2010-05-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

This morning, I picked up a Canon 70-300mm IS USM lens that I'm renting for the weekend (in the hopes of buying one soon to replace my incredibly old and lousy 75-300mm that I've used since before the days of digital cameras). I took it to Running Club at Erin's school to give it a whirl so I'd know what to expect before using it at the soccer tournament tomorrow. Ooh... I really like it! For once, I wasn't left with a bunch of over-soft or out of focus pictures; instead they were so crisp and sharp I was amazed. The biggest bummer will be having to take it back on Monday! But I digress... This was the third week of running club, and when Erin put on her bib, it had already received her first "medal" sticker of the season. She was very proud of it! After today's 9 additional laps, she also earned her silver sticker, which will be waiting for her next week. Way to go, Erin!!!

Girl Scout Tree Grove

2010-05-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Erin's Girl Scout meeting today was held in the local community park, and for part of it, they went into the Girl Scout Tree Grove that's there. The Grove is a lovely section of the park that was set up and maintained entirely by local Girl Scout troops. Erin's troop even planted a jacaranda tree there a few years ago! While the girls were doing their thing (it was their second meeting with the Daisy troop from their school), I wandered around and took some pictures of some of the interesting things there. I think I could get lost in there for a long time!

Key to Her Heart

2010-05-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

Grandmothers have traditionally showered their grandchildren with gifts, and my mother is certainly no exception. Whenever she sees Erin, she always has a gift or two for her, and they're usually quite unique. On one visit, my mom presented Erin with a lovely beaded bracelet with an unusual clasp. It's of a lock and key, and they goes through the lock to fasten it. Erin's worn it quite a few times, and I know each time she puts it on, she thinks of her Grandmom, who truly holds the key to her heart.

Thank You, Neighbor

2010-05-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

One of these days, I'll catch my next door neighbors outside and thank them for planting such beautiful flowers around their house. I'm grateful for them, though. Not only are the beautiful to look at, but they've provided me with countless POTD entries! These dangle over the wall between our houses, and they're just so bright and cheery, I couldn't wait to get a good shot of them!

Red, Red Rose

2010-05-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Each morning, I work the drop-off line at school with a great group of moms, getting kids out of their parents' cars with a cheerful "good morning!" to help start their day off right. This morning, as one of our other friends dropped off her child, she drove around the circle slowly, and handed each of us working the line a red rose and a Starbucks' gift card for Mother's Day. How sweet was that?!? Talk about a great way to start the day... Now I have this gorgeous rose to look at and watch bloom, and something to look forward to on my next visit to Starbucks!

Key and Concentration

2010-05-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

OK, so these pictures have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Nuh-THING.

The first one, my actual POTD, is fulfilling the Two Peas weekly challenge theme of "keys and locks." Oh, how I wish I still had access to my parents' old house. It was built in 1939 and had incredible old-fashioned keys and keyholes that you could actually see through. When I first saw this week's theme, I started imagining all the great shots I could have gotten in that house. Oh well... Our current house isn't nearly that exciting from a key/lock perspective, so I had to work with what I've got.

This is the "magic key" to my car. It's magic as in just its mere presence in the vicinity of the car can help with all kinds of things such as locking and unlocking, opening the trunk, and even starting the car, without even touching the key at all. If the car's running and you take the key too far from it, the car lets you know it's unhappy with the current arrangement by beeping (just inside, not the horn or anything). Very convenient. However, there is a downside. I don't keep it on my keyring because it makes it too bulky to just toss in my pocket, and I tend to leave it in my pocketbook when I change bags (only realizing my mistake when I try to start the car and can't because, duh, no key). But I'll live with the downside, because the upsides are just so cool! (I know... the simple things in life keep me happy, right?)

Now for my extra pic... I actually took this of Erin yesterday while she was working on her laptop. I don't even think she noticed I took it, she was so focused on whatever she was working on. This last week, since she's been wearing contacts, I've had to get used to what she looks like without glasses all over again! It's been strange... I find myself staring at her, looking at her eyes, and her long, beautiful eyelashes (which get all kinds of in the way when she puts in her contacts, poor thing). In this picture, not only can you see her beautiful lashes, but if you click on it and enlarge it, you can even see her freckles! Ooh, how I love this new lens! (And the kid's not bad, either!)

Coach

2010-05-08T16:24:00.001-07:00

Today was the last game of the regular spring soccer season, and Erin's team not only won (woo-hoo!), but celebrated with an end-of-the-season party. This season has been a great one for Erin, due in no small part to the fantastic coaches she's had. Both girls are seniors in high school and long-time soccer players. It's been really fantastic to see how well they interact with the girls, and how much the girls enjoy learning from them. This springs, we've seen Erin branch out from being just a defender to trying (and, for the most part, enjoying) every position the field has to offer. I can only credit these wonderful coaches for encouraging her to try them and teaching her how to be successful in them. This picture is one of the coaches, Courtney, who I know Erin will miss greatly when the season ends. We can only hope that next year we get coaches half this good! Thank you, Courtney and Sloan!

More Rare Beauty

2010-05-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

My neighbor's rose continues to bloom spectacularly! This is the only flower on the bush for now, but it's so incredibly beautiful that I just had to capture it again. When I used to grow roses (way back when, during our first stint in California, up in Sonoma County), I had a bush with flowers that looked like this and loved it. The contrast between the deep pink outer petals and the yellow bases is just amazing. I even managed to get a good macro shot with my filters! Makes me want to plant more rose bushes!

Buddies

2010-05-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

Erin's Junior Girl Scout troop is working on their Junior Aide award. Part of that includes working with a troop of younger girls and helping them achieve some of their own Girl Scout goals. Today was the first of these meetings, with Erin's troop working with a troop of Kindergarten and first grade Daisies. We met at the local park, and the older girls buddied up with the younger ones and led them through a bridge of silence and flag ceremony, performed skits they'd put together on how to handle some social situations, and taught them songs before all sitting down together for a snack. They also allowed the younger girls to ask them questions about the patches and pins on their uniforms, and I think enjoyed the adoration the younger girls showed toward them. It was so cute to see how great the Juniors were with their little buddies and to watch them walk hand-in-hand where ever they went. I can't wait to see how the next few meetings with the troops go!

The Eyes Have It

2010-05-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, as I'd posted about on my Daily Dose blog a while back, Erin got glasses. Kids todays are so lucky that their optical options are so much, well, cooler than they were when I was a kid. Erin got hot pink Ray Ban frames first, replaced by purple and orange plastic frames last year. But sure enough, the inevitable happened a few months ago... she started asking about contact lenses. Eeks. Now, I was 16 when I got my first pair (and I've been forever grateful to my Grandmom Ethel for buying them for me!), and I wasn't sure how young kids were able to wear them. Yesterday, at her annual eye exam, we asked the doctor about it, and he said that he's putting kids in them these days as young as six (!). As long as the kids can handle getting them in and out, he said they usually do great with them. It certainly wasn't easy getting them in the first time (a woman there helped, and it's never easy having someone else do that to/for you!), and for a while, I don't think anyone thought it would be a go. But Erin spent some time getting them in and out at the store, and again at home last night. This morning, she had very little trouble getting them in. What a trouper! She is incredibly determined to make this work (the woman at the store said Erin just kept saying, "I don't want to wear glasses anymore!"), so I think that's the driving force behind her being so good about it. Wow... My little girl sure is grown up. I'm afraid to think what might be next! (And I don't want any comments here about what actually might BE next! LOL!)

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

2010-05-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ah... the joy of slow cooker cooking! It really is amazing. You put a bunch of ingredients in the pot, turn it on, and hours later, your meal is complete. It's like magic! I don't use my crockpot as much a I probably should, but I have a few meals that have quickly become our favorites. One of them is tonight's yums: Cuban Ropa Vieja. Skirt steak, peppers, onions, tomatoes, good stuff - easy and tasty! This is probably Jim's favorite meal these days (although the spaghetti sauce I've been making might be becoming his close second). Just served over rice, it's incredibly good. So now I just have to wait eight more hours to enjoy it. Well, they say patience is a virtue...

Rare Beauty

2010-05-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

This morning, I went out with my new toys... a set of macro filters for my new lens. These little buggers are hard to get used to and they're certainly not as good as using a real macro lens, but once in a while, I'm able to get a shot that just leaves me saying WOW! I'm thinking this might be one of those shots. Thanks again to my neighbor (who will never see the picture, I'm sure) for growing such a beautiful specimen! (Oh, and if you're curious, here's the filter set I bought.)

View from Above

2010-05-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

This morning, Jim, Erin and I went for a walk down at the beach, on my favorite trail. It was a gorgeous morning, and although we saw fog to the east of us, as we got closer to the coast, it was perfectly clear. Ahhh... Just how I like it! As we came within view of the ocean, I saw a sailboat in the water that looked so pretty! I was just able to get a shot of it before it went behind the rocks.

Further along on the walk, we went up the hill near the Ritz Carlton (Jim had never huffed it up there before), and the view from the top was just spectacular, as always. I especially liked looking down on the water through the wildflowers that are at the top. I seriously wonder if I'll ever cease to be amazed by the beauty of the Pacific!

Battle Scars

2010-05-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

At her soccer game today, Erin once again got to play all of her favorite positions. She was midfield in the first quarter, out the second, and returned after halftime as right forward. A few minutes into the quarter, she rushed at the ball as an opposing player gave it a good, hard kick. It hit Erin square in the temple, also hitting the arm of her glasses, which pushed them up. The nose piece wound up scraping her eyelid right above her left eye. Ouch! I guess we're lucky, as it could definitely have been worse, but it hurt quite a bit, especially at first. She came off the field, put some ice on it, but a few minutes later, let her coaches know she was ready to go back in. If nothing else, it gave me an excuse to take a picture of her beautiful eyes!

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!

2010-04-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Today was the first week of Erin's school's Running Club. It's actually the 10th year that the school has been doing it, and the kids are always very excited to get out there and get running! During each grade's recess, they have 20 minutes to run laps around the soccer field (I think 7 1/2 laps are a mile, but I'm not sure). Loud music blares from the speakers, and there's a line of moms with Sharpie markers there to tick off laps on each kid's bib. At the end of the 4 weeks (well, usually 6 - gee, thanks, strike!), awards will be given to the students in each grade who run the most laps. Erin's off to a great start - she ran 13 laps today! I was on Sharpie duty so I didn't get to take pictures of her in action (this is from the starting line), but in the coming weeks, I'll try to mix up my assignments some so I can get more pictures of her doing her thing.

Strolling Harborside

2010-04-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

This morning's walk took us on a new adventure. We decided to head down to Dana Point Harbor and walk around the island. It's definitely not as strenuous a walk as we usually do, but it was fun to mix it up a bit. It was actually a beautiful morning, and it was really pleasant to stroll along the rows and rows of boats that are docked there.

We also strolled along the channel that's blocked off by the jetty. It was tempting to walk out onto the jetty and get a good view of the ocean, but I'm really glad we didn't, because the waves were crashing onto it, and the spray would have been freezing!

Sunshine in a Vase

2010-04-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when I felt like I was just runningrunningrunning with barely a chance to catch my breath! Before I knew it, it was time to pick up Erin from school. So I grabbed my camera and took it with me, hoping to find my POTD mojo there. As soon as I saw this beautiful sunflower, I knew it would be it! It's on the desk of the school's wonderful office manager and I don't think anyone could pass the bright bunch of flowers and not smile. I know I can't!

Addiction?

2010-04-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

First, a short update. The strike's over! The teachers' union and the district reached a tentative agreement after midnight last night, and everyone went back to school this morning. Woo-hoo!

Now, onto the business of the day. This week's theme for the photography challenge is "Favorites," so I thought I'd share one of my favorite gadgets - EVER. Now, I'm a gadget girl (and married to a gadget boy), and we love our electronic toys. But this is really one my all-time faves. When I first got it (just about a year ago, now), I wasn't sure I'd like it. It was bigger than my Blackberry Pearl, and didn't fit as well in my pocket. It took some getting used to. But once I started playing with it, finding useful (and now hard to live without) apps, and using its features, I quickly realized that this little gadget is amazing. Since then, I've come to rely on it for everything from instant access to email from just about anywhere to keeping my shopping lists organized and handy. What will they think of next????

Gray Morning

2010-04-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

The teachers' strike continues, and Erin is still home with me. Today, we designed a day around "lessons" for her, beginning with P.E. in the morning. We drove down to my favorite trail at the beach and walked for almost 4 miles. It was incredibly foggy on the way there (at one point, Erin piped up from the backseat and said, "Mommy, this really isn't safe to drive in!"), but once we got there it wasn't bad. Heavy fog-clouds, but at least we could see where we were walking! It was lovely to see the hills covered in the yellow wildflowers that are all over the place right about now - in the sunshine, they're blinding, but even today, you can tell how bright they usually are.

Normally, in the distance, you'd be able to see the ocean. Today, though, it was all a gray blur. You can also see how foggy it was from the top of the hill at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Yikes! Hopefully tomorrow will be a little more sunny out! Well, even with the clouds and fog, it was a fantastic walk!

Intense

2010-04-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me how intense Mia can be sometimes. She can be lounging around, half asleep, but if something catches her eye, she's up and at attention in no time flat. But it's also fascinating to watch her watch something outside, to see how long she'll follow it with her eyes, and how quickly she can dart around to keep it in her sight. I imagine if she were an outside cat, she'd be a pretty good hunter. But we'll never know. We'll just have to be happy watching her stalk her prey from behind glass.

Cooking Mama

2010-04-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

Erin has always enjoyed helping me in the kitchen. As she gets older, though, she's able to do more and more, and really BE a help! This morning, we started cooking a crockpot recipe for dinner tonight (Meat-Lover's Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce, if you're interested), and Erin was right there with me, helping ready the onions and sausage, and later the beef. She then opened all the cans of tomatoes, and stirred everything together, before turning on the crockpot to work its magic. I love that she's taking an interest in cooking this early, and look forward to spending lots of time with her in the kitchen as she gets older. And I can't wait for dinner tonight. It's going to be really delicious!!!

Rose Bud Day 6, Birthday Wishes, and More

2010-04-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm very late in posting my POTD today. What a day it was! First though, I wanted to thank all of you for your wonderful, supportive words about our teachers' strike. I had shared the link to yesterday's post with our teachers, and they told me today that seeing your words meant a great deal to them. Unfortunately, the talks have broken down for the night, and at this point, although they're scheduled to resume tomorrow, the union president isn't hopeful and the strike is expected to extend into next week. Not the news we wanted...

In the meantime, we had much sunnier, warmer weather today, and the effect on my little rose bud was incredible! It's now fully open, and no doubt on its quick and unfortunate decline. Hard to believe this is the same flower I shot yesterday! There are plenty more buds on the bush, though, so we'll be seeing lots more buds in the coming weeks and months (although I may take a break from shooting them for a while - LOL!).

Also today, I was the "victim" of my very first surprise party! I'd had plans to meet a friend for lunch today for my birthday, and because of the strike we decided to take our daughters with us. Imagine my surprise when we walked into Farrell's and I found 20 people there to celebrate with us! I was beyond shocked, and can't believe how wonderful and generous my friends were to make this birthday so special!

Of Strikes and Buds...

2010-04-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

Today is a very odd and strange day around here. After months of trying to work out the details of their contract and being treated in a most disrespectful way but our district's Board of Trustees, our wonderful teachers began a strike this morning. We knew it was coming and had time to prepare (as much as you can prepare for something like this), but that didn't make it any easier for anyone. This morning, Erin (who did not go to school) and I stopped by to give the teachers our support and see if they needed anything. They were very upbeat, appreciative of the support they've been receiving from parents and students, and more than happy to pose for my POTD in front of the sign of the school where they all wish they were teaching today. Our teachers are phenomenal, and we can't wait to all be back in the classroom!!!

And, of course, I'm still tracking the progress of my little rose bud friend. Next time I start to take a series of pictures of a flower, someone PLEASE remind me to pick on that's easier to access! Now that it's getting bigger, it's harder to get a good shot of it. Pretty soon, I worry that its weight will having it hanging upside-down. But I'm still at it!

Rose Bud - Day 4

2010-04-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

My little rose bud seems to have closed up a bit since yesterday. Could be the Wizard-of-Oz type winds we've been having, or the rain, or the colder temperatures. I don't blame it. If I were left out in that weather, I'd be wrapping myself up for warmth too! For those who've asked, the roses on this bush start out with a little pink on them, but when they're fully opened, they're pretty much all white. So pretty! And yes, they smell divine!

Rose Bud - Day 3

2010-04-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

My pretty little bud is taking its time opening. Today doesn't look much different than yesterday, but I did manage to get a shot with less distracting stuff in the background. It's not easy to do that... Where the bush is, I have to climb in a flower bed and practically contort myself to get at this baby from a good angle. It's worth it though! Today, in fact, you can even see some of the texture on the bottom petal (although you may have to click on the picture to open it larger to see it).

Rose Bud - Day 2

2010-04-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

I promised myself that I wouldn't miss this one, so I'm going to be capturing this beauty for a few days as it opens to its full splendor! I got it from a slightly different angle today, and as you can see in the background, there are plenty more buds coming up too! The bush will be covered with blooms pretty soon!

A New Start

2010-04-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

Looking outside this morning, I noticed that our white rose bush had a few blooms on it. I padded outside, camera in hand, to see what there was to be seen. The fully open blooms were lovely, but this bud was just crying out to me to take its picture. Who am I to deny a flower it's first wish? It's another bud that I'll try to keep my eye on, and hopefully capture it in various stages of opening.

Erin the... Midfielder?

2010-04-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

Since Erin's been playing soccer, her position of choice has been defense. It doesn't matter if it's left, right, or mid, that's where she's like to be. It's why I gave her the nickname Erin the Defender. This season, she's branched out into goalie, but she really doesn't like it as much, and has pretty much decided to break it to her coaches this week that she doesn't want to play it anymore. At today's game, though, she asked her coach to let her play midfield, and in the 4th quarter, she gave this new role a try. She loved it! She ran around a lot more than she does on defense, but also got to get involved with the ball more as well. Who knows...? Maybe this will become her new position of choice. As far as I'm concerned, long as she keeps enjoying it, she can play whatever position she wants!

Budding Springtime (Part 2)

2010-04-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, my POTD was of a bud that I'd found in the backyard. My intention was to take a picture of it each day until it bloomed. I missed yesterday (wow, what a nutty day THAT was!), but figured I'd get it today instead. Imagine my surprise when I found it wide open this morning! I guess if you miss a day in nature, you miss a lot! I just love the colors in it, though, from the vibrant yellow to the whisper-soft purple. Have I mentioned that I just love spring?

What a Bunch of Cuties

2010-04-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

I guess the post title says it all... But there was something about this box of little oranges that just made me smile. They were so, well, cute! They were part of the snacks at Erin's Girl Scout meeting today, but not quite as popular as the Pringles snack packs. Hmmm... Anyone surprised by that?

Budding Springtime

2010-04-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

I just love spring. One of the things that I enjoy about it the most is walking outside and seeing something that wasn't there before, but would be beautiful in a few days. Such will no doubt be the case with this beauty. I'll have to keep my eye on it and capture it again as it reveals itself!

Sweet Dreams are Made of This

2010-04-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Some kids sleep with a teddy bear. Some sleep with a security blanket. Some just need their thumbs. For Erin, it takes a menagerie to have a good night's sleep, apparently. On her bed with her each night are:

Lucky - This Dalmation was "adopted" by Erin when she was just over a year old, and has been her sleeping companion ever since. He's accompanied us on all kind of vacations, from car rides to cruises.
Doggie - A black Lab made with love at Build-A-Bear pretty soon after Lucky joined our family.
Birthday Bear - I honestly don't remember where this one came from (bad Mommy, I know), but s/he suddenly re-appeared on Erin's bed a few nights ago.
Funship Freddy - A gift to Erin from some friends that we cruised with in February.
Blankie - A blanket made as a baby gift for me when Erin was born.

Wow! Who knew that a 9-year old could fit so many fun and comforting creatures into bed with her each night! Good thing she has a queen-sized bed, because she also sleeps with our 70-pound Lab, Molly!

Nothin' But Net

2010-04-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

I tried taking pictures at the beach today, but just wasn't thrilled with the results. So I schlepped my camera to Erin's soccer practice. Along with getting some adorable pictures of the girls doing their thing, I also captured this shot of the goal net, which I thought was pretty good. I love the perspective, and this new lens is so sharp that you can see how the ropes are braided together. Cool!

It's 5:00 Somewhere

2010-04-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today was really gray outside and we decided to spend it at home. Fine and dandy, except it requires more creativity in order to capture a POTD. As I was washing the dishes, I noticed the light shining on the martini glasses across the room, and grabbed my camera. Kind of a cool perspective, and I was pleased that the dust didn't show too badly. LOL!

The Sweet Taste of Success

2010-04-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today was a Saturday in April, so that means that Erin had a soccer game! Today, her team finally won its first real game. (They won a scrimmage last week, but it didn't count towards their team's record. Figures!) It was a tight and close game, and Erin had the added pressure of performing for Grandmom (LOL!), but the girls were very excited to come through their tunnel after the game, all wearing big smiles and very proud of themselves. Final score: Holland - 4, South Africa - 3. (Can you tell that the league decided on a World Cup theme for the spring season?) Go Holland!

Getting Lost

2010-04-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

In the last year, Erin has really become quite a reader. It started last summer when she decided to read the Harry Potter series. She started reading them in June, and in October (just before her 9th birthday) finished the 7th and final book. Since then, she's read everything from the first book in the Twilight series (the only one I'll let her read at this point) to a few Judy Blume classics. Her latest literary obsession is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Today we went to Barnes & Noble so I could buy her books 2 and 3 in the series, which (the way she reads) should keep her busy through the weekend. I have to say, though, I love seeing her getting lost in a book. It reminds me of myself at that age. I only hope that her love of the written word lasts throughout her lifetime, as it has for me so far.

A Rose by Any Other Name

2010-04-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

Today, Mom, Erin, Erin's friend Emily, and I drove up to the Fullerton Arboretum, located on the California State Fullerton campus. It was very different than the other arboretums we've been to (specifically the University of Pennsylvania's Morris Arboretum, where it felt like both Erin and I were partially raised), in that it was less formally organized and felt more natural in some ways. We had a fantastic time wandering around the different growing areas, and I got some incredible flower shots. (Boy, do I love taking pictures of flowers!) This is probably my favorite shot of the day, in inside of a beautiful, pale pink rose in the rose garden. You can almost smell the intoxicating fragrance! The rest of my pictures can be seen here starting on Photo 222.

On a Mission

2010-04-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today's adventure took our trio to the Mission San Juan Capistrano, one of California's 24 Missions, and the so-called "Jewel of the Missions." It was a gorgeous day to walk around the property's grounds, buildings, and gardens (oh! the gardens!), with lots of sunshine and a totally cloudless sky. The Mission has such an incredible history from its 200+ years, and it was fascinating to read and hear about it. The rest of my pictures from today (including some of the Mission's beautiful flowers) can be found here, starting on Photo 169.

The Animal in You

2010-04-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, we woke up today to find that the weather was as gorgeous as had been promised! We headed out the door at around 9:30 with our destination being the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. Mom had never been, and we figured it would be a great day. The park was more crowded than we'd expected (we'd never had to wait to get into the parking lot before!), but once inside, the only places it was evident was in the lines for either the safari ride or the butterfly exhibit, both of which we decided to skip. But we had a fabulous time wandering around taking in both the animals and the gorgeous flowers that the park has to offer. More pictures from our visit can be seen here, starting with picture 121.

How to Spend a Rainy Day

2010-04-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, we woke up this morning to a rather dreary day, which was kind of a bummer seeing as it was Erin's first day of spring break and my mom's here visiting. Oh well... After the busy weekend we had, having a day to spend at home was kind of nice! I got dinner in the crock pot before noon, and then baked a batch of our favorite Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Mom had never tasted them before, but I think she's now a convert too. Just as the cookies were finished, the sun finally broke through the clouds, and the rest of the week look beautiful, weather-wise, so we'll no doubt be out and about. Woo-hoo!