pinewood derby 2015

beckett joined cub scouts a few months ago and is really enjoying it. since he is in the 1st grade he is in the wolf pack. he loves learning new things, doing the projects and reading his cub scout book. last week was the ultimate cub scout event...the pinewood derby!

 

mark and beckett spent about a month making two different pinewood derby cars. a replica of mark's black audi a7 and a green speedster with yellow and orange flames (beckett's creation).

 

they researched, cut, sanded, built, painted and weighed their cars hoping that one of them would be fast enough to win a trophy. we arrived at the cafeteria at the school where the cub scouts meet and an authentic pinewood derby track was set up, caution tape and cones marking off the track. this was a very serious race! mark and beckett tested the two cars to see which one was fastest and the green speedster just barely outpaced the black audi. so the green speedster was picked to race in the official pinewood derby. each scout pack (wolf, bear, webelos, boy scouts) raced themselves first and then the winners raced the other packs until the ultimate race of the top 4 cars.

 

beckett raced four times...and WON all four races!! he was in the final race of the night for the trophy. there was an older boy who had a very fast car, faster than us. but somehow, that little green speedster pulled away from the pack and beat them all. BECKETT WON THE PINEWOOD DERBY!!

 

he couldn't believe it, WE couldn't believe it. he got the first place trophy and was just thrilled. i am so proud of him (and mark) for doing such a great job on their cars. most importantly, they had fun on their project. but it was really cool to see them win after all their hard work too!

oliver is already asking for a pinewood derby car for himself. daddy set the bar pretty high with a win on beckett's very first pinewood derby! i see lots of pinewood derby cars in our future....

a new year

somehow it's 2015. how did that happen? i can't believe how fast the end of last year flew by. halloween, thanksgiving and christmas are all a blur. we had a family trip to the snow (for the first time!) and many holiday traditions and even a new medical GI doctor with some somewhat positive news for beckett. but we'll have to wait until next week to know for sure how that will turn out.

but first, i wanted to just write down my intentions for 2015. i made a long list of resolutions, as most people do at the beginning of a new year. it's a blank slate, a new year full of opportunities, a time to dream and hope for the future. but as i look back on last year i realize that i spent too much time rushing, planning, yelling, nagging, stressing how everything would get done. i didn't spend enough time being present, enjoying the moments with my boys (when they weren't fighting and punching each other), just listening to my wants and needs. i spent last year focused on rushing from one activity to another, from school to the grocery store, finishing homework, making dinner, folding clothes, etc. basically, the life of a mom. we didn't spend enough time in the yard, searching for snails or baking cookies or creating masterpieces on the sidewalk in chalk. i didn't take the time to find joy in my surroundings. we didn't slow down and smell the roses, literally. so this year things will change.

this year we will learn to say no more often. we will not overbook ourselves to the point of adding stress to our lives. we will slow down. we will enjoy each other. we will choose to find joy in our lives. so yes, i have a list of resolutions i'd like to accomplish for myself this year. but instead, i'm throwing out that list. i'm not going to put more expectations on our already busy family, on my stressed out self. this year i'm going to find happiness. this year i'm going to live intentionally. this year i'm going to choose joy.

Beckett's wish

"If I ever find a fairy godmother, I would wish that I wasn't allergic to fructose anymore" Beckett, age 6. 

feast of lanterns 2014

we took the boys back to pacific grove
for one of their favorite "holidays"...feast of lanterns!
it was so warm this year and we spent lots
of time outside wandering around town and down on the beach
searching for hermit crabs and sea shells.
we stayed at aunt linda's apartment
and the boys had a blast playing in her courtyard area
and across the street at the park.
luckily it is just a short walk down the hill to lover's point
so we could take advantage of the beautiful weather at the beach.

we did our usual feast of lanterns activities:
tide pool exploring, park playing, pet parade watching,
dinner and car show with the whole family at baja cantina in carmel valley,
the monterey bay aquarium, splashing in the water at lover's point beach,
getting our face painted by the princesses in the park,
indulging in pepper's sweet corn chowder and margaritas (momma and daddy only!),
watching the feast of lanterns pageant and cheering for chang and queen topaz
as they escape on their row boat and turn into monarch butterflies,
enjoying the fireworks and family and our wonderful summer vacation.

we can't wait to come back next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May the force be with you

Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet Oliver Gray!

We watch in awe as you run, jump and fight your way through life these days. 

I think God gave you a fighters spirit to help you survive 
when the doctors said you wouldn't 

and you're still a fighter today. 

You love spaghetti, Legos, Nerf guns and Star Wars. 

You are rough and tumble, always with a lightsaber or sword in your hand. 

Whether you are building Lego castles for your dragon 

or battling Darth Vader, 

we are so proud of the little boy you are becoming. 

May the force be with you always little one.

(Darth Vader crashed Ollie's birthday party! The Jedi eventually defeated him, even though Jedi Ollie was so afraid of him he ran away crying)

 

 

Happy 4th Of July!

Hope everyone had a happy and fun 4th of July. 

 

We spent the day with family, 

celebrating auntie's birthday with swimming, good food

and an awesome firework show put on by the dads!

Beckett and Oliver loved the sparklers

and Ollie even asked for more "whistling" fireworks. 

He is fearless and the noise and flashing lights didn't bother him at all.

The boys enjoyed spending the day hanging out

with their cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents. 

It's such a joy to have our family close and that the boys

get to spend so much time with them. 

We are so lucky to have them in our lives!

Taking Stock

Making: lots and lots of batches of the boys new favorite breakfast, these little mini flourless peanut butter chocolate chip muffins. (i sub malted barley syrup for the honey to make it fructose free for beckett.)

Cooking: it's too hot to cook. which is why my summer staple is a piece of sourdough toast smeared with pesto, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese and thick sliced garden tomatoes on top. stick it under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese. summer on a plate right there.

Drinking: my husbands amazing margaritas...a little tart from the fresh limes, lots of ice and extra salt.

Reading: i recently finished "goodnight june", "the goldfinch" and "the fault in our stars".

Wanting: a trip to the beach

Playing: lots of lego building going on around here this summer

Wasting: too much time worrying

Wishing: i could cut all my hair off without regretting it

Enjoying: a recently discovered ben howard album

Waiting: for my husband to get home from work

Liking: waking at 5am just to catch a moment of quiet (and a cup of coffee) before the rest of the house stirs

Wondering: if the dodgers will catch up to the giants before the all-star break (fingers crossed!)

Loving: my new birks

Hoping: for a healthy summer

Marvelling: how someone/something keeps getting to my garden tomatoes even though i've completely wrapped the fence in bird mesh

Needing: a deep breath

Smelling: the lingering scent of sunscreen and chlorine on my kids

Wearing: the body shop coconut body butter

Knowing: my to-do list is growing faster than i can cross items off

Thinking: this summer has gone by way too fast already

Opening: a new bottle of trader joe's cold brew coffee

Giggling: at ollie...always at ollie!

Feeling: happy

Last Day of Kindergarten

Yesterday was Beckett's last day of Kindergarten! He had such a good year and has grown so much academically and socially. We will miss his class of friends and his wonderful teacher but are looking forward with anticipation to first grade!

 

No more half day classes, he will be going to school all day. I think this will be our biggest challenge next year. But he was getting bored in Kindergarten and is ready to be challenged. I just pray that his teacher will be just as wonderful and caring to him and his little "quirks" as his teacher this year was. We have made some special requests to help him in his classroom next year with his sensory issues, but this Kindergarten year went better than I expected. So I am hopeful that next year will be even better! Beckett is getting better at making friends and socializing more. His Kindergarten teacher's only complaint this year was that Beckett needed to talk more in class! (If you know Beckett, you will think that is really funny because he never stops talking at home).

We're ready for a fun and exciting summer! Beckett has big plans....Feast of the Lanterns, beach camping, lots of swimming, a trip to see the "big trees" and maybe a bug collecting class at the summer school.