UCLA Bruins

 

 

UCLA Bruins

 

 

Brandon is playing his third season of flag football with the same coach.  He likes the game, and we enjoy watching his games and eating all the foods from the vendor trucks.  Each week, there is a a new vendor truck on site, and it's always fun to taste all the different foods.  The games are only 40 minutes long, which is perfect.  You get to enjoy the Fall nights without having to be out there for hours. 

Friday Night Lights Football Fields---there are about 12 flag football games taking place simultaneously. It is MUCH bigger than this picture depicts

Brandon has not really mastered the skill of catching a football.  They use him as a running back. Is that what it is called? I dont know football.  Each time, he gets the ball, he runs for a touchdown.  I was so happy because at last week's game, he got his first touchdown of the season!

Brandon with his Dad

Mia's First 10K

Mia ran her first 10k!!!!!!!

This year has been the year where I focused less on my running and more on encouraging and supporting my kids through races.  Mia did her first 5k in June, and two 5ks followed shortly after.  Surf City 10 is a 10 mile, 10k, or 5k race along Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.  The medal is an incredible silver surfboard, and I wanted it for Mia.  However, the medal does not say anything about a 5k on it...it just says 10 mile/10k race so in order for Mia to earn that medal, she had to do the 10k race (my opinion).

Mia's average on the previous 5ks were about 45 minutes so my hope would be that she could finish anywhere from 1:30 to 1:40.  Her performance surprised me, and she crossed the finish line in an awesome time of 1:24.  Not bad for a 7-year old, huh? In fact, I'm pretty certain she is the youngest person to do run the 10k race.  I saw other kids, but they were noticeably older than Mia.  The Surf City 10 is a costume race, but most people disappointingly didn't wear costumes.  Mia and I began the race as cheerleaders, but shortly before mile 1, Mia complained about her costume so we veered off to the side of the road, and she removed it, and mommy had to carry it.  I was smart to have her wear dri-fit clothing underneath.  She did complain during the race and before hitting mile 3, I wasn't too confident that she could finish the race.  However, Mia is a natural athlete, and she pushed herself. She also received so much attention from other runners who complimented and encouraged her, which I think gave her that extra boost of confidence and energy. 

on the beach before the race

in our corral dressed as cheerleaders

half of the cheerleading outfit is off

three lanes: One for the 5k, one for the 10k, and one for the 10 mile

a costume we saw with a padded butt

For our group, this was a race to encourage a new generation of runners.  All of my friends either had their sons, daughters, nephews, and nieces run.  Most ran the 5k.  We did our usual dinner the eve before the race and had a great Mexican breakfast following the race.  The kids enjoyed the social interaction with each other. All the kids and us are registered to do a Santa Clause 5k race in early December. 

Dinner at Istanbul Grill to mentor and encourage a new generation of runners. 

a group shot of us wearing some really cool race shirts

Why didn't Dylan and Brandon race? Frankly, running is expensive (my financial resources are trying to fund a trip to India) and Brandon is way to feeble looking for me to allow him to run that distance.  Brandon and Dylan were at their dad's house so it was a great bonding time for me and my little girl.

I was very upset because the day before the race, I lost my $600 phone at the swap meet.  I had no way to take photos/video of my baby girl's first 10k race.  I then remembered we had one of those small digital cameras, and so I used it, and quite honestly, it was easy and convenient. 

I'm proud of you, Mia. I'm proud to be your mommy.  You are accomplishing so much more than I ever did at your age.  I love watching you, and I will always be your biggest fan!  You ROCK!!

Close up of the surfboard medal. 

All 11 of us..

Halloween Softball Tournament

 

Mia participated in her second softball tournament this past weekend.  Because I now know what to expect, I actually enjoyed the tournament.  Being in a softball tournament is a full weekend event.  It is not a day event.  It is all weekend long.  You have no time to do anything.  It is all about softball.  She played on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday.  Mia’s team, Dirt Divas, placed third in the tournament, advancing as far as the semi-finals.  One of her games was so exciting that I actually couldn't even look.  I closed my eyes at times.  They were losing 5 to 1, and in the last inning, they came back and won the game 6 to 5.  Wow!  I was biting my nails during that game.  These are 7 and 8-year old girls who are playing a very serious and competitive game of fast pitched softball. I am so impressed at their drive and skill!

Jacob (Mia’s Dad) and I shared the responsibility of supporting her through this tournament.  At times like this, I’m even more grateful that we have a good relationship.  This would have been overwhelming to do alone. 

Mia loves playing catcher and asked for an entire catcher's set.

She wore pink socks for Breast Cancer Awareness.

I know Mia likes the game, but what I think she loves even more about it is all the fun stuff associated with softball---the cool socks they get to wear, the colorful headbands, the pre-game and after game cheers and chants. 

Well, the fall season ends in one more month and there will be one more tournament left.  Hopefully, they will make it to the championship game!  

Because Mia's passion and interest in softball has not waned, I have been gradually investing more into it by buying her a new softball bag, glove, batting gloves, and batting helmet. Of course, we try to go for pink.  Though she may be sliding in the dirt, running quickly around the bases, hitting/throwing balls all over, and getting sweaty and dirty--she is still a Princess and definitely all girl!

Mia's cute little softball bag that holds two bats, a batting helmet, her glove, batting gloves

Slow but Steady Progress (Tide the Knott)

Here is a brief update on the progress made on Tide the Knott.  Lance commented working on this part of the bow was the longest and most involved work in the entire restoration project.  For my 45th birthday (in two years), we are taking Tide the Knott up the California Coast to the gorgeous Big Sur.  I can't wait, and yes, it is so I could do a race, but it's also because the California Coast is breathatkingly beautiful. 

Start of rebuild.  All rotten wood had to be removed.

After the rotten wood is removed new layers of marine plywood

must be epoxied in.  Three new layer were installed.  Fiberglass,

¼ inch plywood, fiberglass, second layer of ¼ inch plywood, fiberglass,

third layer of ¼ in plywood.  This picture is the first layer of plywood

applied.

These two pictures (above and below)  show the final third layer of plywood installed.

Notice the bow curve and the

angle.  This was very hard to produce.  No air or voids can be between the layers. 

The next step is to build the sub cap rail which supports the main cap

rail as you can see in the picture.  Because of the curve, three sections had

to be made to complete the sub rail. 

 

Here the sub rail has been completed.  This rail has

compound curves, and each section took approximately

three hours each to make perfect before they were glued

in place.  The next step will be to fiberglass everything, restore the

old cap rail and install it. 

Halloween Through the Years

Since it is Halloween, I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane at all the past Halloweens celebrated.  I am just amazed at how much the kids have grown.  Some years are absent from this photo montage, because I do remember Dylan dressing up as the Hulk and a Clone Trooper.  Dylan stopped trick-or-treating at 13, which is the same age I stopped.  He now goes to my sister's house to work on his uncle's haunted house.  My sister and brother-in-law go all out for Halloween, and when I say that, I mean allllllllllll out. Their house is transformed into a haunted house with animation, sound effects!  It is quite amazing. 

We haven't gotten our costumes for this year, and I'm excited to see what little creatures will be visiting Fountain Valley!

Halloween Through the Years...

 

an adorable skunk (homemade costume)

Tigger (homemade and recycled costume.  Mia/Brandon wore this as well)

Bunny  (Dylan didn't want to wear the headpiece)

Bunny and Angel



Spiderman

Army Man

 

 

 

Little Devil

Little Puppy



Tigger (as previously worn by Dylan)

Power Ranger and Superman

There is my little Superman

 

Darth Vadar (that's my little Dylan)

Tiger

 

my little pirate

Ninja

 

a little of everything

Getting knighted by the king

Knights in Shining Armour

a zombie from the grave

Optimus Prime from Transformers

a little ninja

 

rah, rah, rah! Cheerleader. (Mia actually did not wear this trick or treating.  We didn't like the tummy exposure.)

 

Another zombie from the grave

little pretty bee with a cat face

lady bug

Add caption

Dracula (I vant you blood.)

 

another vampire

Brandon is a skeleton.

werewolf

101 Dalmations

Obama telling us to vote for Romney

Dorothy