The Happenings around here....

I went to get Cole at Pre School on Thursday and he ordinarily is ready to go when he sees me. He is hugging, kissing, talking and all over me basically to get out of there! 5 hours is enough. However, this day he was busy and started crying that I was even there to get him?? Hello? Well, his little classmate had just received a birthday gift of "MONSTER TRUCKS" and they were all down on the ground trying them out. I hadn't seen Cole's face light up like that in awhile. This was exciting and BIG news. He had such a fun time with these trucks. The mom of the classmate was next to me and told me she found these at this little hallmark store, whoever would have known? So where do you think I went that night? I actually had 1 more gift I needed to get for him. Thanks.




Gracie celebrated with her Brownie Troop on Dec. 16th, their Christmas party. We baked and brought appetizers for the girls to pig out on. They had fun..played games and ate! This is her troop. She enjoys this lots. She goes once a week and then we have many outside outings with the troop also.

Some things to learn about me.

ABC's tagged by Lisa

A. Attached or single? Happily attached.


B. Best friend? Julie, Robert



C. Cake or pie? Cake-chocolate


D. Day of the week? Wednesday


E. Essential item? iphone


F. Favorite color? blue


G. Gummi worms or bears? bears


H. Hometown? Santa Rosa, Ca


I. Favorite Indulgence? anything in the bakery


J. January or July? July


K. Kids? Yes, Cole 4 & Gracie 7


L. Life isn't complete without? Family and good friends


M. Marriage date? August 16th,1998


N. Number of siblings? 3


O. Oranges or apples? apples


P. Phobias? cholesterophobia and falling


Q. Quotes? "Together we may have it all, but we may not always have it all together!"


R. Reasons to smile? my kids & my husband! & good health


S. Season of choice? Fall


T. Tag one person. Mom


U. Unknown fact about me? quieter than I seem.


V. Vultures or parakeets? Parakeets


W. Worst habit? biting my nails! Please help me!


X. X-ray or Ultrasound? ultrasound


Y. Favorite food? (Why is this the question for "y?") mexican


Z. Zodiac sign? Sagitarius

Jamey and Alexandra's Wedding and Reception

In October, I traveled with the kids up North for Jamey's wedding. They were so amazing and very well behaved and even great travelers! Here are some photos.


The Group.

The kids with Grandpa.

Cole is just exasperated because the cake has not arrived!

Mom and the kids enjoying the festivities.

The kids were very shy to go up to the groom, aka Uncle, but nonetheless they did. They really enjoyed it when they were up there.

The extremely happy couple, Jamey and Alexandra

GG and Gracie

Grandma and Gracie, what a great photo.

New Traditions.

We have gone to visit Santa EVERY year since Gracie was born. We have a frame that we pile each new picture on top of the previous year's. Every year when we put the new one in, we go through all of the old ones and compare. It is so cool. Right now the bottom one is 2001 and now our newest one, 2008. We have set a tradition and we go every year on the day before Thanksgiving. The kids write their lists and deliver them to Santa personally. This time they were 2 pages each and do you know that Santa sat and read both lists, the whole way through, to the kids. Probably because, oh yeah, there was no line!! It takes 10 minutes tops. Sure beats all of the lines that start piling up right about now, yes today, Dec. 1st!

Your best just keeps getting better.

Gracie is in her 2nd season of soccer. Every week we have a practice and a game. Every week we are focusing on getting her more "aggressive." She needs to get in there and get that ball, push in there and kick hard and get it away from the opposing team. Up until recently, she would still do a little daydreaming out on the field, not run as fast, not really involve herself to the extent of how much she can. Well lately, she is ready and willing to do better, her BEST is getting better. The last 2 games have been victories for her. Not to mention their team is undefeated. Today on the way, I reminded her to keep her eye on that ball and to stay focused and to be aggressive. I think this teaches her a great lesson, not just in soccer.

She is so proud of herself because she is doing A.MA.ZING. Last week and this week, she has been right in the thick of the game, getting that ball and running and kicking toward their goal. Today she would have had the goal, only the goalie intercepted it, which is OK, because she was "IN the game." I am so proud of her and her accomplishments with her soccer skills. We see her running all over that field with a big smile on her face as she is hearing our "shouts, hollers, and squeals of delights." She has let us know, she really likes it when we root for her. Even Cole is rooting for her. She feels very proud of herself and really and truly enjoys soccer. This is giving her a new kind of self-confidence, playing as a team and knowing they all have their part in the game.

Such Innocents

"Mommy, are we flying through Heaven?" This is what Gracie asked me when we are a plane recently. It was the cutest phrase I had heard in a long time. My kids come up with the cutest things to say, and the best part? They are serious and very interested. They are inquisitive. They REALLY want to know. Sometimes I am stumped. I don't know what to say or how to respond. So sometimes I pause or don't even answer. I have to think it out. Luckily, they don't pursue me too much. It could be hours later that I come back with an answer or, shamefully, I may not come back with one at all.

I did have an answer for this one. "yes, honey we are. Because that is what Heaven is. A place high up where no one can get us, nothing can happen to us and it is SO, SO beautiful." That seemed to work and I saw her little mind go to work and think about this one. I knew she was trying to picture this in her head.

Bates Nut Farm

It's beginning to look a lot like ...Fall, in every way but the weather down here in So. Cal. I am yearning for the cooler weather -I am done with 90+ degrees. So to get into the spirit, we got down all of our Fall and Halloween decorations and took the kids on our annual outing to Bates Nut Farm. This is an authentic pumpkin patch/fall farm. It has a Hay Ride, a Corn Maze, vendors, and a "nut" and candy shop with homemade fudge and caramel apples. Lots of fun for all of us. We go here every year.

To start you out right and Wish YOU a Happy Halloween.


Look at those cute little smiles....


I had to add a cute pic of the hubby...


Where did our kiddos go?

Soccer Days

Gracie really loves Soccer! And as a result, guess what? cole wants to play when he is old enough. Big surprise. 1 more year and Cole can play next fall. So week after week and practice after practice and ultimately game after game, Cole tags along to yet another one of Gracie's activities. He just wants his own thing-and I can't blame him. So he at least makes friends along the way..and now this is what he does during the games....kicks up dirt, plays tags and imagine that, gets down to the nitty gritty and finds bugs, makes dirt piles, who knows what else. This was such a great shot!

Bowling Debut!!!

Friday night was our family night and we decided to take the kids bowling. They were very intrigued. They were curious. They were nervous in a good way, "what will we do, how do you throw the ball, how do you hold the ball, what does bowling look like?" The questions went on and on-they were EX-CI-TED!

So we got there, we got our lane, our shoes, our balls, and we were good to go. We have not been bowling in probably 8 years. The place looked the same, clean and organized, and very structured. We only had about 40 minutes to play before "the leagues" began, so we needed to give lessons to the kids, play fast and get out. The kids caught on very quickly. They even have what they call "bumpers" now for kids. When they play, these come up on the sides so the kids don't have gutter balls. That was very encouraging and I knew it would help their egos out.

We ended up having A LOT of fun that night, even if it was a short while. It was so great. AND you'll never guess who won: here is the order:
#4 -Me
#3 -Robert
#2 -Gracie
and the winner is.....COLE!

Were Robert and I embarrassed that our kids beat us on their first time bowling? Yes. And as Robert kept reminding me, " but remember Trina, they had bumpers." Oh yes, like that matters. Still our 4 and 7 year old beat us.

Kids so excited and eager to check it out.


Daddy showing of his skills.


Gracie getting the hang of it.


Cole is doing his "stance." Was this hilarious..he actually looked like a PRO bowler. We got video.


Daddy giving Cole a HI-5 for his spare, yes!


After we finished, you can see the very proud smiles on their faces.

Travels...

1st time the kids saw the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. They loved it..."big city!" they called it.




Recently, up on our trip to Northern California, we were part of our friend's wedding. This is at the rehearsal dinner. Me and the kiddos. Not the most kid friendly environment, being that it was in a BAR, but we made the best out of it. We laughed and colored in the back room and the kids had fun talking to the other 2 kids that were there. It was fun. Happy Marriage Daniela and Anthony!

Kids after swimming lessons.

Gracie and Char swimming.

1st days of school

We are into the 4th week of school now and it is going pretty well for both of the kids. Cole basically "dismissed" me the 1st day once he looked around his surroundings in Ms. Linda's class and has been fine ever since. He is going 2x a week; which suits us both just fine. We needed the break :)

Gracie enjoys her class, but clearly has had some adjustments this year. She has mentioned many times already that 2nd grade is much harder than 1st, she already doesn't look forward to the homework with as much enthusiasm as she did in 1st grade and has mentioned a few times (as she is waking up) that she doesn't want to go to school. You see, this is NOT like Gracie in any way. She is the one that will try to HIDE the fact that she is sick so she can go to school. So you see, something for me to watch.

Gracie's 7th Birthday

Gracie had her 1st slumber party-she invited 3 girls. Meghan, Madison and Payton. They had so much fun. Robert took Cole out to the movies and to dinner. The girls showed up at 4pm. We went swimming, ate pizza & cake. opened presents, did a picture frame craft, did a Peppermint Foot Soak and watched Camp Rock. The laughed, screamed, played and were GIRLS. It was so cute. They all got into bed about 9:45. I sat with them and told them a story and laid down until they were asleep-it only took about an hour to get 4 girls to go to sleep. So it wasn't bad. Although between Cole waking up through the night and then the girls got up at 4:30 (yes I am serious), I was pretty tired by Noon on Sunday. It was so successful and everyone got along and really had a BLAST. So cute...This picture is of them all going to sleep on Gracie's floor. I love it. I loved it in black and white too. Happy 7th Birthday Gracie. We love you!

Happy Times

Sea World with the Thompson's.

At Robert's 40th birthday at Shogun Restaurant.

Robert's SURPRISE party with his friends from the East Coast.

Me with the kids at Gracie's Open House for 1st Grade

Who can I get??? rrrhhhh.......

Cole loves all of this, monsters, dinosaurs, Darth Vader, you name it!

funny stories.......

Ok-some funny liners from our kiddos......

Yesterday we all laid down to take naps because the 4th of July was a long day and night. So I knew that if I laid down with each of the kids, they would probably more than likely fall asleep. That would be a big accomplishment in this house, considering I don't remember when either of them took a nap last. So Cole was piece of cake (in a matter of minutes he was out.) So then I went on over to Gracie's bedroom and laid down with her. It was sweet and just took a short while too. I breathed a nice sigh of relief to see them resting peacefully.

Now for the cute parts....
Later last night, Gracie asks me: "Mom, have you ever been sitting/lying next to someone and you just felt lots of love coming out of you?" I said, "of course, you every day." She smiled and said, "well, that is how I felt today when you were laying next to me." Ahhhh.....my heart just melted. It was just the sweetest thing, I love her.

Now for the BOY part......Mr. Cole........

Eating lunch today (when we go out they like to play I SPY as we are eating.) It's just the 3 of us and Cole holds up a potato chip, smiles and says, "boobie." Gracie and I look at him and we don't even know if we are hearing him correctly. We say, "what?" He smiles with that mischievous smile he has, "boobie," he says again. I ask him what he means and grinning ever so proudly, "Mommy, my chip looks like boobies.!" What!! Gracie and I stare at each other and cannot help but laugh hysterically. I feel like I am now not only looking at Robert, but listening to him too!!! How inherent! Unbelievable. I called Robert right away to tell him and of course he was very proud. What a difference-boys and girls. He was just so happy and proud of himself for making Gracie and I laugh. On the way home, we had a talk about how he respects girls and their "boobies." He smiled the entire way home........OMG I have another one in the house!!! Oh dear-Help me!!!!!

Swimming..Swimming..Swimming..

Gracie loving this intertube-we need to get one.


Cole also loved his. We are low on pool toys-guess I need to get some.



Can you guess what we have been doing this summer? Every morning I have been trying to take the kids outside to swim for 1-2 hours. It has been beautiful here. Last week we had a play date with our neighbors and some other friends at their pool. I hear we are supposed to get back into the triple digits this week-it's not fun when it is that hot. It is almost intolerable to be outside, even in a pool. The kids are EXCELLENT at swimming. I actually am going to put them in advanced swimming lessons later this summer,so they can start to perfect their strokes. I remember the days where I had to be right next to them. I can't believe I am at the point where I can sit in the shade and just watch them. They go everywhere, down deep, diving, jumping, sliding, catching diving sticks and diving rings, etc. They are fish. I have FISH!

Summer Nights

On Wednesdays, Robert has been playing guitar at Wahoo's Fish Tacos. We just gather on the patio, eat some dinner and watch and listen to Robert play! UNTIL, we are kicked out BY Robert because the kids are going nutty. So we don't get much more than an hour there.




The kids are really enjoying it. This is while they are still doing well. Last week we joined our friends, Niki and Matt and their kids. I REALLY love this picture.

it's hard being 3......

...to want to be big ( he believes he is as big as daddy and tells me so, "I can do what daddy does-I'm big.", to want to be able to do everything his older sister does, to be able to express himself, to be able to carry a purse...yes, you read that right. I think that is an indicator that he has been with me and Gracie for too long, I think I have him convinced that boys don't carry purses.... :) I just LOVE him so much...

A date out for the girls.

A couple of weeks ago Gracie and I went on a date. We were in need of having some girl time. What she DIDN'T know, was that I was considering surprising her and getting her ears pierced. She really hasn't been dying to get them done, she has only asked a couple of times. I remember I was about her age when I got mine done. It seemed fun and I knew she would be happy. So here we are enjoying our dinner at Islands. I have just asked her if she would like to get her ears pierced. She was very excited and a little nervous.






Here we are at Claire's getting Gracie's ears pierced!!





Smiling Gracie only after a few tears. She was a very brave girl. Notice the cute birthstone earrings.





Smiling girl after getting her frozen yogurt. It was a great night!!

What a Great Poem

i am: who God made me... i can't change it... only nurture it.
i think: too much about everything... too much and doubt myself
i know: that I love my kids.
i want: to make sure that my kids know i love them and I want for them to be confident; a task that gets harder as the kids grow. They are 4 and 7.
i have: a great family who I just try to enjoy my time with.
i wish: there wasn't such pettiness in the world.
i hate: saying goodbye.
i miss: my Mom, my Grandma, my brother and his family and dear friends
i fear: crazy people who don't think
i feel: emotions! they get the better of me!
i hear: Dragon Tales in the background
i smell: Coconut Body Lotion
i crave: small and thoughtful acts of love.
i search: for consistency and peace
i wonder: who my kids will marry.
i regret: not staying on top of sending cards like I used to & also when I lose my temper with the kids.
i love: my family, my friends and relaxing times.
i ache: when I feel people take what i say wrong.
i care: about the way i am raising my kids. i want them to be strong, caring & sensitive individuals who are confident and believe in themselves.
i always: have a sandwich for lunch-my favorite.
i am not: always sure of what I should do
i believe: in my kids.
i dance: to high school musical 1 & 2, Camp Rock & Hannah Montana. i have a 7 & 4 year old who LOVE these.
i sing: not too great
i cry: not so much anymore; sometimes I am just numb
i don't always: keep my control and composure when it comes to my kids.
i fight: when I believe in something very strongly
i write: because i enjoy expressing myself.
i never: smoke
i listen: because i enjoy the thoughts of others.
i need: to be loved.
i am happy about: everything when it is smooth sailing and I feel NO stress, this is when I notice I am most happy.

pure love...

I love them BEYOND comprehension. Please look at their adorable faces. They are the 2 best things that have ever happened to me. I just feel love right now....

If you're reading this please make a comment....

please...I like to know who my audience is!!

DISNEYLAND surprise...

the kids were so happy. We swung through the loop at gracie's school, picked her up, and I said, "guess what-we are going to Disneyland!!" Their mouths dropped open and then turned into huge grins and they started screaming. They were so excited and it was a magical day-for sure. I have decided one thing, I still love roller coasters, but there are 2 I am forever staying off of now. I have officially ridden Space Mountain for the last time. If you haven't been on it since they re-did it, it is much more nauseating. And I will always stay off of the California Screamin' one at Ca. Adventure. Enough is enough. It is not worth it to keep putting myself through that sickness. This was also the 1st time we saw Cole act a little bit on his fear. Any time he got afraid, he immediately started saying he needed to go to the bathroom. Hmmmm....