iPad goes on a field trip

Today I went on the first grade field trip. Boy, what a day we all had. Me and 60 first graders! Well, a few teachers & parents went along too. We started out with a bus trip to travel town. The bus ride was a lot of fun. Everybody was so excited about all the adventures ahead. Travel town was a lot of fun. We explored & climbed all over some vintage steam trains. I just love trains. This was so cool. We ate our lunches there at the picnic tables and got to ride the small scale train.

Next we were back to the buses and off to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. This was my first time in a big city and boy it is big. The train station was neat. We got to see the subway and all the people busily wandering around the station. There were tons of people and it was really loud.

For the next portion of our trip we boarded a metrolink train on the ventura line and headed on down the track. This was my first train ride too. Did I mention how much I love trains? Once we settled in on the train I got to come out of my carrier for a little game time. Once again I attracted quite a crowd and I think someone actually drooled on me! Oh well, it was fun. I also got to see one of my brothers. He was on the field trip too. This is the first sibling I've seen since leaving the apple store. Who would have ever thought it would be a two iPad field trip? Anyway, I digress...with game time the train trip went by rather quickly. And I almost got motion sick from being passed around to so many little hands. Even with all of that this was the best field trip ever! Okay, okay, so it was my first ever field trip so I wouldn't know any different...but I am telling you it was absolutely the best ever!! iPad signing off from the first grade field trip.

book report from a first grader...i'm proud

My son recently started writing book reports for his first grade homework. I just love this one.

Duckling Days by Karen Walker

I like when the duckling grow up. There was a mother duck that had six little duckling. The baby duckling lost his mother. Then the baby duckling found his mother.

How cute!!

handmade jammies are best....especially vintage ones

My Dad happens to be in the hospital right now and he is wearing pajamas my Mom handmade for him......get this....40+ years ago! He was going to have a surgery when I was a baby...before I could walk. He asked her to make him some jammies. She went home that night with myself (not walking yet) and my 6 year old brother, whipped up two pairs of jammies, and brought them to him the next day. Remember this was 1968! When he returned home my Mom washed them and hung them in his closet. Flash forward nearly 42 years...my Dad is admitted to the hospital to eradicate an infection and he asks my Mom to bring him some jammies. She goes to the closet and takes the jammies out that she hung there over 40 years ago. She washes them and then the next day returns to the hospital with them. They both say he never wore them again after that hospital stay 40+ years ago....that is until today. 40+ years ago they were handmade with love....today they are not only handmade with love but vintage!

then and now...the handsome couple

Today I was on my Dad's new mac and found this photo (that I don't remember seeing before.) And now I realize it is from the night they were engaged...my Mom's prom night! It is awesome. I just had to have it for myself and to share. This is my parents 50 years ago just before they were married in 1960. So if you figured it out...that means they will be married 50 years this April. Then I remembered this recent photo of the handsome couple at the Marine Corps Ball at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (they go every year). I think they go together perfectly...the pictures that is. You may think that is rather mean of me to say but if you know my parents then you know it would be a stretch to say they go together perfectly. But they've made it fifty years so...while not a perfect fit...they must be a good fit nonetheless. So here is to the handsome couple....congratulations on the 50 years...and thank you for everything you've done for my brother, myself, and our families. We all love you!

perspective....

It is funny how one week you can be in a fabulous mood and life is so very sweet....and then the next everything is falling in around you. What changed? Many times things do dramatically change but then other times the only thing that really changes is....perspective. Our moods, how we feel, how we respond, and how we see the world is driven so much by our perspective. It reminds me just how important it is to make the conscious decision to be happy. So for today I have decided to be happy....life truly is so very sweet.

spring cleaning....is it spring yet?

I spent the morning spring cleaning, that is cleaning out my children's bedroom. When everything doesn't fit in their room anymore without living all over the floor I start getting really anxious and grumpy. When I got up this morning I was motivated to finally do something about it. It is usually easier to do it when the kids are out of the house but the motivation to deep clean doesn't visit me all that often. So I started. I usually start in the closet so I have some place to put the things we decide to keep. This turned out to be a success since all the kids shoes now have a spot to live inside the closet instead of in front of the door. And you can now walk up to and open the closet door without stepping, kicking, and/or tripping on any number of items living on the floor in front of it. While the room is in no way done it still begins to put my mind and nerves at ease. That coupled with getting tired overcame the motivation and now I am done....at least for today. Now I just have a suburban full of bags that I will take to goodwill in the next few days. It's a good thing.

ponytail for kids

Yesterday I finally had my hair cut and I am now in a position to help a child who has lost their hair due to illness. The cut was a long time coming. The last time I had my hair cut it must have been well over a year ago. I am a busy mom with a lot to get done everyday. Spending time styling hair or regularly going to the salon is just not me. I usually simply wash my hair, brush it, and then put it in a ponytail. No muss, no fuss. It needs little during the day, doesn't get hot or in the way. I usually only make a trip to the salon when it starts violating one of the basic fundamentals of my routine.

It was late this last summer when I noticed that my ponytail was so long it was on the back of my neck and starting to annoy. At that moment I thought I should do something helpful with it...like donate it for children who need wigs due to illness. So rather than go to the salon at that point I decided to just put it in a looping ponytail to shorten it an let it grow awhile longer. I continued on with daily family life. Then this week I noticed that I was spending a lot of time each morning brushing the knots out of all that hair. It was time...enough was enough. I made the appointment. I made one for my son too although he didn't yet NEED one....I'm busy and this was very efficient.

Anyway, yesterday morning around 9:30 am I put my hair up in a ponytail one last time (more on that later) and showed my friend and hair stylist where to cut. The result...a 13 inch long ponytail that is off to locks of love and a new short and sassy haircut for me. Later that night I started feeling my hair weighing me down so I scooped up what I have left and got most of it into a ponytail. My family was snickering because it was really more like the stub of a ponytail but nonetheless I was comfortable so no worries.

The best part and reason for this blog entry is that now my ponytail is off to help make a wig for a child who has lost her own hair to illness. If you have long hair and are considering a shorter do please check them out. It is a great cause.

http://www.locksoflove.org/

really long day turned around by family & friends

Boy today was a really loooong and very crazy day at work. But it is just so amazing....my mood completely turned around when I rejoined my family and karate family at friday night fight class. There was just something so peaceful about finally being out of work and back with loved ones. It is a very good thing.

old memories...new memories

I just returned from a 4 hour brunch with two old & new friends. Through the magic of facebook, I recently found two old friends from elementary school that I haven't talked to in nearly 30 years. (Just typing that makes me feel old.) These were two great friends that I spent many, many joyful hours making memories with as a child. We lost touch during junior high school and haven't spoken since (although none of us remembers why)...that is until a month or so ago on facebook. We spent 4 hours remembering all the old times, people, places, family, slumber parties, injuries, etc. We talked about who we are now, families, interests, vices, and more. This was a fabulous afternoon & evening with old friends who have become new friends reveling in old memories all while making new ones. Friends are wonderful things. Old friends are comforting. New friends are exciting. These old & new friends combine all the best of everything. Love ya Viv and Barbi! Let's not loose touch again.

back to normal

Today things were pretty much back to normal. I spent the day at work and then met my family at the karate studio for friday night fight classes. My daughter plays with all the younger siblings while my hubbie and I watch our son practicing his martial arts. He just loves fight night. He loves all the physical parts of karate. And the studio is really more like extended family so we get to socialize with all our friends at the same time. It is a great family. Since my son earned his black belt in November now he gets to take the fight class for black belts too. He really loves this class. He feels so grown up and accomplished. He is such a different kid on the mat now that he has his black belt and is given all the respect a black belt has earned. We are so very proud of him. Anyway, this is a normal day for us. Dinner is obtained on the way home from a local drive-thru. Not great but hot, ready, and we didn't have to make it. This is about all there was time for considering we all want to watch our awesome little martial artist. I prefer not to miss out on our kid's activities. Now everyone is in bed getting much needed rest preparing for a fun saturday at.....you guessed it...the karate studio.

birthday to remember at bouchon of beverly hills

Thank you Thomas Keller. That was a fabulous meal. And the service was perfection. The staff didn't just tolerate our 6 and 4 year olds, they catered to them. They made the evening so special for all of us. They started by bringing the kids a full box of crayons and telling them they could color all over the butcher paper covering the table. Which they did. My son drew the moon with a rocket headed toward it, among other things. My daughter drew an angel.

We started with incredible crusty bread and warm pistachios. The servers noticed how much the kids were enjoying it and would stop by and talk with them and bring them more. Both kids just woofed it all down, 2 loaves & 2 cups of nuts. Then we moved on to a bowl of cauliflower soup....talk about yum. My 6 year old, who won't let veggies touch his lips, kept begging for more.

For the main course I had the roasted chicken and my hubbie had the braised beef short ribs. The chicken was so moist and succulent. My hubbie said their short ribs were just as good as mine!!! (Do you think he was looking for brownie points?) Truly they were heavenly. The kids had the croque madame (ham & cheese grilled sandwich on brioche) with pommes frites. The server was very helpful with ordering for the kids and was very sensitive to children's tastes. She had many suggestions that were very thoughtful and helpful. I ordered one croque madame for them to share and she had them split it in the kitchen. They actually brought out two complete plates. The only thing they really split was the sandwich...otherwise it was really two complete orders. We ordered a side of pommes frites to prevent arguments...but with the two complete plates & the side order it was pommes frites for everyone with leftovers. The server suggested getting the mornay sauce on the side for them...and I am so glad she did. My little one did not care for the sauce but my son ate a whole gravy boat full! He just loved it. He poured it on his sandwich and dipped his pommes frites. My little girl's favorite food is french fries so she was in heaven.

For sides we had the creamy mac n cheese and butternut squash. The kids weren't big fans of the mac which made me very happy....it was one of my favorite things on the table. It was so creamy and luscious and was covered with a warm blanket of bubbly browned cheese all over the top french onion soup style. My hubbie especially liked the plums at the bottom of the squash. He said they just made the dish.

Dessert....yummmmmm. First they brought out a dessert spoon I've never seen before. Does anyone know what this type of spoon is called? Anyway, back to the topic...We had both specials of the day...chocolate bouchons and begneits. The bouchons were the most delicious and rich brownies served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Oh my gosh!! The begneits were filled with a luscious vanilla cream and were served with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce. Needless to say the kids were in heaven with dessert. I really could not tell you which was better. Both desserts were just incredible and not to be missed if you ever get the chance. Oh yeah and the bouchons were served with a birthday candle.

What an incredible meal. The ambiance was so elegant, perfect, and amazingly kid friendly. Who would have thought a five star french restaurant would be kid friendly...and not just friendly...they really catered to them. My hubbie was afraid they wouldn't have anything our picky eaters would eat. I figured between pommes frites and dessert we would be okay. But they really loved most everything and had a very special and memorable evening. And when my little girl went to bed she said "mommy, I want to tell you something. Dinner was yummy." What more needs to be said...Bouchon of Beverly Hills is a night to remember. If you get the chance...GO!

way too much desert fun

The kids had tons of fun in the desert...too bad it looks like they had too much fun. They are way too whiny and cranky now. Boy do they need sleep. It's 7:15 and the boy is crying in bed with the little girl following not far behind. Anyway, they just had sooo much fun riding the quad, playing with their best buddy, climbing the rocks, shooting the BB gun, shooting off rockets & fireworks, tending the fire, and eating marshmallows. Too bad I just HATE the desert. I keep trying but I just can't enjoy everything with the dirt and the bitter cold. But we will keep going because they all just love it so much and I really don't want to miss out on that.

kitchen memories

Being a busy full time career, karate, and ballet mom I don't get many opportunities to do this. But my children and I cooked a fabulous meal together tonight. The fabulous recipes were from pioneerwoman.com but the fun, laughs, and memories were all gilmore designed and made. Both kids contributed to the creamy herbed potatoes which ended up being the star of the meal. The steak bites were awesome in their own right. Kelly made the bisquick biscuits all by herself. And the apple dumplings are just incredible. Daddy says mmmmmm this is good. My kids don't usually like much that strays from the standard child fare but they both woofed down everything and went back for seconds. Jason even requested it for lunch at school tomorrow too. This is quite a compliment. We had so much fun and such a great meal that I don't even want to think about tomorrow when I return to work. But we are all going to Bouchon for dinner Thursday to celebrate my birthday so I am looking forward to that. Next Sunday I am reuniting with two friends from elementary school that I haven't seen for years and I am really looking forward to that. Thank you to facebook for reuniting us. It has been a fine day.

heaven on a plate

I just made pioneerwoman.com's Braised Short Ribs – Heaven on a Plate. After just a bite or two I was describing this dish as heavenly. It took about 30 - 40 minutes prep, 2.5 hours in the oven, and another half hour resting. The smell was absolutely incredible and is only eclipsed by the taste of this dish. The meat was literally falling off the bone. The meat from one rib fell off the bone in the pan. The one I sampled came completely off the bone in one yummy piece the moment I touched it with my fork. It is absolutely incredible. I made this ahead to share with my family for dinner tomorrow night. I didn't plan on sampling it but I simply couldn't resist after smelling it for 3 hours. After sampling one I just had to have another (the one that fell off the bone in the pan). I literally licked the plate. It is all I can do now to keep from going in the kitchen and gobbling down half of the pan and I am not hungry in the slightest. I've had braised short ribs at Mario Batali's Mozza restaurant in LA. I remember how delectable and delicate it was. These are every bit as good if not better than Mario's (if I do say so myself). I will definitely be making this again. Thank you pioneer woman so very much.

quiet new year

I am spending a very quiet new year's day. My family and I spent some time in the california desert so everyone could enjoy good friends, camping, and our collection of off-road vehicles. My son just loves riding his quad, climbing the rocks, tending the camp fire, and shooting his new BB gun. But most of all he just loves hanging out with his best buddy Cooper. My daughter just loves riding in the Rhino with her Daddy and even started enjoying riding the quad. It is so cute to hear her yelling woohoo as her Dad whizzes around the little track near by our campsite. We were all scheduled to come home new year's eve day so that we could spend the night with our puppy dogs who become really afraid of the fire crackers. I just didn't have the heart to tear them all away from the fun. One of our friends had an extra car so I borrowed it and came home by myself leaving them to continue enjoying all that fun with our friends. I made it home safely and spent a quiet night with our puppies. Today I have been inspired to try some of the pioneer woman's recipes from pioneerwoman.com. I've done all the grocery shopping but have yet to begin creating. Since my family won't be home until tomorrow I really want to wait until they will be here to help eat everything. I will post a couple of pictures of our trip when my family returns. I left the camera with them so that hopefully they can capture more of the fun. As for me, I am enjoying the quiet.