Michael's Baseball Tournament

Michael had a baseball tournament this weekend.  Yes, they had the tournament on Memorial Day Weekend!!!  Who does that?  He had a game on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday which basically meant that we couldn't make any real travel plans for the three day weekend.  Lovely!  Luckily, we were able to leave town on Saturday and drive to Healdsburg to celebrate the May birthdays in Damien's family.  Four hour car ride in one day is surely a trek!  Michael's team did really well in the tourney.  They didn't make it to the championship game- but they were sure close!

One highlight of the tournament was that Michael was able to pitch during one of the games.  It was ironic because he was just telling me that he wanted to pitch but that his coaches hadn't put him in!  I told him we would work on his pitching over the summer and have him ready for pitching next year.  When lo and behold he gets called up to pitch!  I was so nervous.  It's one thing to watch your kid play in the field but when they are responsible for every pitch thrown over (or not over) the plate- it is pretty intense!  I didn't have to worry long because Michael pitched awesome!  He struck the first batter out and then had the next two ground out to end the inning.  He was so happy and it was a great way to end his season with the Brewers.  He surely walked off the field full of confidence which is all I can ask for!

A Mom on the team had been taking pictures all season long, unbeknownst to me.  You could image my surprise to open my email and see all these pictures of my beautiful son.  I am so proud of Michael and these pictures made my heart swell with pride.  Michael, you're the best buddy!

A Casual Lunch

How long will we be able to do this?  Take our kids out to lunch or do whatever we please?  I feel sadness sometimes when I realize that I can't access Michael and Claire during their school days.  When I'm sad- I think back to the years when they were young and at my fingertips.  I have full confidence that I lived, loved, and breathed in their very precious years.

Today, we decided to take the two little kiddos out for burritos.  I just love moments like this.  I hope we do as much of this as we can with Matthew and Emily before they are full fledged school kids! 

Matthew was so happy today.  He is still in a post-SF Giants glow.  He has carried around the small canvas of the Giants winning the World Series that he got at the game the other night for two days straight!  It is just too sweet. 

Emily was loving lunch with Mommy and Daddy.  She barely sat in her chair.  Instead- she preferred climbing all over us like a little monkey.  What a well mannered little girl.  We had a wonderful time with our two babies.  We love you Matthew and Emily!!!  Now stop getting so big and stay little forever!

Matthew Graduates First Year of Preschool

Matthew had such a great first year of preschool! He started with little hesitation and was so eager to see what Michael and Claire were experiencing.  That fearless momentum stopped on day two.  He didn't want Mommy to leave him there!  This continued throughout the whole year.  He got so much better when it came time for me to leave him at drop off, but he would always say that he wanted to stay home with me.  How can I complain?  I love my little guy and am proud of his accomplishment this year!

I owe a great deal of thanks to his wonderful teacher, Ms. Naheed.  She was such a fantastic teacher and nurturer.  When I would leave Matthew at school, he was always sad.  She would seek him out daily and bring him such comfort.  He really felt comfortable around her.  She is the best! 

It is so hard to believe that Matthew has his first year of school under his belt.  At times it felt like the year was dragging on.  Now it feels like it passed in the blink of an eye.  While we are all yearning to have the freedom that summer brings, it is hard to believe that today- for Matthew . . . summer is here!

Ballard Montessori's end of the year barbecue is a lot of fun.  This was our fourth barbecue celebration so we knew what to expect and had a game plan.  See, the big hit of the party is the face painter.  Trouble is- there's only one.  This face painter is fantastic but she is only there for two hours and if you don't get in line early- your child will probably not get their face painted!  We showed up early but I guess a lot of people got the same memo.  Seriously, I waited in line for an hour so that the kids could get their faces painted.  Lucky for me, Gina, Natalie, and Damien were there and could help watch the kids and also hold their place in line for balloon animals.  It sounds a little crazy because it is! 

Matthew was convinced that he wanted to have his face painted like Spiderman which was funny to us because that is what Michael chose when he went to school there.  Emily wanted to be a butterfly which I thought fit her well, too.  Both Matthew and Emily were hysterical when they finally got to see their faces in the mirrors! 

Matthew was sad to leave school.  He asked me if Ms. Naheed was going to be his teacher next year and I was honest with him.  No, sweetie.  He got teary but kept it together.  I know Matthew loved her and will miss her so much next year.  What is even sweeter is the love that Ms. Naheed has for Matthew and our whole family!  As we left, Ms. Naheed gave us a card with a wonderful poem on it.  After saying goodbye to Ms. Naheed, I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and thought it would be best to wait to read the poem in the car.  Thankfully, I did.  I just love this poem.  It spoke directly to my heart.  Congratulations Matthew on finishing your first year of school!  We are so proud of you, buddy.

I've worked with your flower,

And helped it to grow.

I'm returning it now,

But I want you to know . . .

This flower is precious,

As dear as can be. 

Love it, take care of it,

And you will see . . .

A bright new bloom,

With every day.

It grew and blossomed

In such a wonderful way.

In September just a bud,

January a bloom;

Now a lovely blossom

I'm returning in June.

Remember, this flower,

As dear as can be.

Though rightfully yours,

Part will always stay with me.

Christmas in May?

Damien, Matthew and the SF Giants!

Damien's brother Mark called us tonight and let us know that he had two extra tickets to the San Francisco Giants game.  Mark and his youngest son, Gabe were going and he wanted to know if Damien and Matthew wanted to go with them!  Of course!!!  Matthew was just beside himself.  A baseball game with his Daddy?  Awesome! 

They only had a few minutes to get ready so Damien quickly dressed Matthew in all of his SF gear.  Before I knew it- they were completely decked out and looked so cute!  Matthew was definitely feeling cool.  I, of course, demanded that I take a few pictures of them and Matthew was not only more than willing- he even suggested a few 'cool' poses for them to strike!

Mark works with a company who is a corporate sponsor for the Giants and these particular tickets came with all of the bells and whistles you could imagine!  Damien told me that they were seated in awesome seats on the third base line and got tons of attention from the Giants staff.  The little boys were each given a Giants flag, a small canvas picture of the Giants celebrating their World Series win, SF Giants toys, and ice cream.  What more could they ask for? 

Damien said that Matthew had the best time being the center of his attention.  He loved that Daddy watched him go down the Coke bottle slide, hit a few balls in the miniature AT&T wiffleball park, and loved the fact that they got home wwaayyyyy past Matthew's bedtime.  I am so glad they had a great night and hope they get to get it again together, soon!

The Sweetest Neighbors

Our neighbors Sam and Sheila Siebert are the best.  They are both 91 years old and so full of life!  Sam is always fixing his house and occasionally we see him outside standing on his roof making home improvements.  He actually built his house and had a great career with the San Jose Fire Department.  Sheila is such a sweet lady.  She is the Mommy to one daughter and used to work in a hospital with little babies.  In the three years that we have known them, her physical health has gone down hill.  I know it has been a hard transition for her to rely on people to get from place to place, but she always has a smile on her face when I see her.  My kids are in the backyard screaming for most of the day.  When we first moved in- I apologized for how loud they were and they said that it makes them so happy to hear kids running around and having fun!  One of their favorite moments was in the Fall of 2007 when they heard the kids screaming outside because it was the first rain of the season!  I remember it, too and experienced the joy of seeing my kids excited over a little bit of rain!

They have come over for my kids birthday parties, First Communion parties, 4th of July fireworks, and also joined us for casual dinners.  Michael and Claire learned to ride without training wheels in their driveway and they are so patient with the umpteen balls that come flying over our fence and land in their yard.  They encourage me all of the time to come over and pick fresh lemons, strawberries, oranges, tomatoes and fresh apricots from their yard!  They tell us constantly that they are so lucky to have us in their lives and it is great to know we feel the same way!  This Spring, Sam kept telling us about how he used to play baseball when he was younger.  Knowing that Michael plays weekly at the field across the street- he vowed that he and Sheila would make it to one of his games.  True to his word- they made it to Michael's game and loved it so much.  They really are sweet and amazing people.  My kids love them so much and for Damien and myself- they are a great example.  I hope we can be 91 and in love just like Sam and Sheila!

Matthew's Parent Tea Party

This was our third parent tea party at Ballard Montessori but it didn't matter.  Somehow- even though we had done this with both Michael and Claire- it felt new and exciting because we were with out MATTHEW!  Matthew was so excited this morning.  We didn't remind him that this wasn't our first parent tea party rodeo.  He was so enthusiastic and couldn't wait to get to school!

With three of my tea cups in hand- we headed to his school!  When we arrived, he went right over to where his classmates had congregated.  Our good friends Brian and Karen's son Luke is in Matthew class so it was fun to find a table with Karen and get ready for the show.

Minutes later, all of the kids walked out in a single file line and readied themselves for their big show!  I noticed that Matthew didn't take off his coat- but he looked cute in it so I didn't care.  At least he would be warm!  Their first song was about a firetruck and I recognized it as the song they sing as they are winding down their school day.  Matthew was singing but also trying to play it totally cool.  He started doing the hand motions until he realized the boy next to him wasn't.  Then he stopped.  Damien and I saw him lean over and say "Do it!" to the kid next to him.  It was pretty classic!

They sang a few other songs which were of course adorable and then came the song that had Damien and me cracking up (silently, of course).  It started with the words (sung in an English accent) Fuzzy Wuzzy Catepillar Humps Along, Humps Along, Humps Along.  For some reason- this cracked us up.  One- how come I had never heard Matthew sing this at home?  It was certainly a surprise song!  And two, these little kids were trying to mimic what the artists in the song sang but it was with an English accent!  It was hysterical!

After the show, the kids each brought their parents a plate of brownies and fruit.  We loved it!  Once Matthew had served the three of us, he joined us and we all shared a cup of tea!  We enjoyed the conversation with Matthew and cherished the hour or so we could devote specifically to him.  Once finished with our food, Matthew retreated to his teacher and then came back with gifts for both me and Damien.  He had painted and decorated a bird house for the both of us which was adorable.  He gave Damien a car that he had painted and then gave me a tea pot decoration which read, Mom, you are as sweet as sugar in my tea!  We were so tickled by his gifts and he was so proud of himself.

Oh, we love us some Matthew!  The morning was so wonderful and were so happy to be able to share such a special event with him.  When we describe Matthew, we always use the word sweet in some capacity.  He truly is sweet.  His face, his actions, his mannerisms, and his disposition.  Matthew, thank you for such an amazing morning.  You are so very special and we will treasure you and our new little gifts forever!

Claire's First Holy Communion

Today was such a beautiful day.  Claire received her First Holy Communion in front of her family and her friends.  While I thought she looked absolutely gorgeous in her First Communion dress, it was her inner beauty and light that took my breath away.

My parents flew in yesterday in order to be able to share in Claire's special day.  Claire was really looking forward to seeing her Nonna and Grandpa, but she was so eager to see the veil that Nonna had made her!  Claire had tried on her dress many times but only showed me and Damien. 

She wanted it to be a big surprise for people on her special day!  The one thing Claire couldn't wait to see was what she looked like while wearing her dress and her veil.  Enter Nonna to save the day!  My Mom made my veil for my wedding day so Claire thought it was so special that Nonna would do the same for her.

Claire, my Mom, and I were in her room when she put on the veil.  I don't even have words to describe Claire's reaction.  She couldn't believe how beautiful she looked!  She took a really deep breath and then just stared in the mirror.  We loved it.  She even got tears in her eyes.  Afterward- she went out and showed Damien and my Dad and I couldn't help but fast forward in our lives to the day Damien sees his little girl in her wedding gown.  It was a wonderful moment to witness. 

As a momento for Claire to remember her special day- we gave her a diamond cross necklace.  She was so shocked because she had gotten Nonna a nearly identical one, too!  Just like Grandpa and Michael had shared a special connection with their St. Joseph's coins, Nonna and Claire would share a special bond, too.

But onto the real excitement!  Claire couldn't wait for her First Communion Mass!  She woke up extra early in order to get everyone ready and to the church on time.  We were so thrilled to be joined by Damien's parents and family and to be supported by my Mom, Dad, and Gina. 

We were especially blessed to have Claire's Godparents with us.  Auntie Lani and Uncle Ryan were able to share in Claire's special day and it really meant a lot to Claire.  St. Christopher does an amazing job with this Mass.  It is so touching and done so beautifully.  Claire was given the job of walking in one of the banners.  Even though we were here one year ago watching Michael receive his First Communion, it was like it was our first time.  It was special in it's own way.  Today was Claire's day and the energy and excitement in the church was wonderful.

I could crane my neck and see our family sitting together in the back of the church.  Claire was sitting with her classmates and Damien and I took our assigned seats just a few rows behind her.  The Mass was beautiful.  Before we knew it, it was time to join Claire and witness her receiving Christ.  She was so calm and collected and knew just what to do.  She received her First Communion with grace and it was just beautiful.  Our family made sure to walk by Claire as they, too received communion.  She loved this!

After the Mass, we all came back to our house for a brunch in Claire's honor!  It was a beautiful day and Claire was just glowing.  She was so full of grace today.  I wasn't the only one to notice it, either.  I heard many times today that Claire just seemed so confident and so touched by the Holy Spirit.  She really was.  She was so gracious and so thankful to all of those that were there to witness this very important step in her relationship with God.  Congratulations Claire!  We love you so much!

My Mother's Day

I couldn't be more blessed.  No seriously, I am one blessed woman.  Not only did I find the man of my dreams, but I got the family I always wanted.  It wasn't easy at times, but we did it . . . I did it.  Mother's Day is a wonderful day to be reflective.  I look around and see all of these beautiful faces and I still can't believe I helped create them.  These are my babies, my life.  On Mother's Day morning, Damien sat me and the kids down in the family room and started to play a video.  Before I could even process what I was seeing, I started crying.  Visions of my children started flashing before me, throwing me back to the moments and places where these snapshots were created.  It was so beautiful.  While I focused so intently on my children, I couldn't help but focus on me, too. 

I look at myself, face swollen and tired from long pregnancies and can't believe I made it through.  I think that now that I am more removed from my pregnancies I can see just what I had to go through and what these pregnancies did to me.  I am almost a 'viewer' now of these times and it is both beautiful and difficult to watch.  While I was going through these times, I can remember being frustrated with my weight both during and after my pregnancies.  Now when I look at these pictures, I think it is beautiful. 

This gift Damien made me is something I know I will always treasure.  He picked out the song, the pictures, and made a video that made me feel more loved than I ever have in my whole life.  The pictures, the interviews with the kids, Emily's hair, and the story these pictures tell will forever remind me of mothering my young children.  When the video was over, I sat on the couch with my face in my hands.  It was so beautiful and brought me to the place I wanted to be on this day.  My kids all came toward me, mostly because they were concerned that I was crying.  Michael rubbed my back, Claire wiped my tears, Matthew just stood and stared compassionately, while Emily repeated 'Mom, tay?'  Yes, Mommy is okay.  She just loves you all more than you'll ever know.  Enjoy the video.

Claire and Elvis

Since we're on the topic of projects, I have to write about Claire's biggest oral presentation of the year.  The assignment was to pick a notable person and then read their biography.  The biography had to be a pretty substantial one that would challenge the student and make them really have to focus on what they were reading.  Claire and I ventured into Barnes and Noble and perused the biography section.  She browsed for only a few minutes before she told me had made a decision.  She said, 'I'm not going to tell you their name, I am just going to give you a hint."  I nodded and then she said, "Thank you, thank you very much!"  Oh, it took me no time to guess that Claire had chosen The King!  Elvis Presley it was!!!

It only took Claire a few days to read the biography.  She was really impressed with all that he had accomplished!  Of course, it did illicit conversations about drugs and alcohol (which are healthy conversations to have) and both Damien and I learned a lot about Elvis we never knew about.  For instance, did you know he was born a twin?  We did not!

Claire worked hard to make a timeline of Elvis' life as well as a poster with pictures of The King.  What I loved the most was that Claire absolutely loved the whole process!  We then made note cards that would help guide her through her speech.  Claire really wanted to wear Elvis glasses while she presented.  I called everywhere to track down the glasses with the sideburns attached and finally found them!  One other thing Claire insisted upon was having the last line of her speech be, 'Thank you, thank you very much!'  Of course she would deliver it in her best Elvis voice.  And let me tell you, she is pretty darn good at it!  She even has the lip down!
Good news was that Claire did a great job and got very high marks from her teacher!  I loved that she was confident enough to wear the glasses, too!  Once all of the kids presented, they were given an assignment to write why their person could be considered their hero.  I about died when I read Claire's work.

"Dear Elvis Presley,  You are my hero because you invented rock n' roll and made the people in the stands believe that you are truly 'The King'.  I listened on my Mom's computer to the songs you sang and you were great.  Also, I saw videos and pictures of you.  One question I have is when your twin died, did you parents tell you about him?  Your Friend, Claire Swendsen "

When Damien was in Vegas for work, an Elvis impersonator came into to perform for his company at their conference.  What a great surprise it was for Claire to receive this picture over email!  She loved seeing her Daddy with The King! 

Michael's Indian Longhouse

A sure sign my kids are getting older?  School projects.  Long gone are the cute little posters or bring a toy from home to share with the class which was a reminder of how young and innocent my kids were.  The projects they are assigned these days are a constant reminder that that they are getting older and capable of much more responsibility.

Michael has already had a few projects this year which took much planning and execution.  His latest assignment was to build a longhouse that was used by the Indians.  Studying Indians has been a big part of third grade so far.  They have had parties in the classroom based on Indians, have had guest speakers, and even had a field trip to an Indian reservation. 

While I always am here to help Michael, I really wanted this longhouse to be his idea and his vision.  He picked the Iroquois Indians in which to model his longhouse.  We knew it had to be long in length and have certain elements that pertain specifically to them.  We started out with a long narrow box of carnation instant breakfast.  then we covered it with paper and painted it brown.  Once the paint was dry, Michael painted glue onto the house and sprinkled dried green moss all over the sides and roof.  Once that was dry, we worked with a glue gun, which is always intersting.  Working with super hot glue and a timid kiddo was a struggle but I just didn't want to do it for him.  To attach the sticks on the sides of the house, I put the hot glue on the stick and Michael stuck them on.  It was a pretty funny process!  Okay, it totally was NOT funny but more of a pain in the butt!  Michael helped cut a hole out of the top of the house.  The Iroquois Indians used to light fires in their houses so they needed a hole for a vent! 

I had purchased some clay at Michael's Craft Store thinking that my Michael might want to sculpt something for the house.  He went crazy!  I left him alone for about twenty minutes and came back to see that he had made a canoe, paddles, an eagle, a duck, and some baskets of veggies.  How awesome it that?  We then baked them, waited for them to cool, and Michael painted his little creations.  Next, we glued them on and it really came to life! 

I dreaded this project but in the end- Michael and I had a great time doing it.  A bonus was that I just so happened to be volunteering in Michael's class the day all the kids presented their houses.  It was so fun to see each child's take on their house and see Michael present his creation.  I will have to remember all of this because this time next year, we'll be making another Indian Longhouse- only that time for Claire.  (I had to add this picture of the longhouse with Emily in the background because she was with us the whole time we were making it.  I think she thought it was hers.  She wanted to take the eagle and duck off the project SOOOO bad and would just sit there until we left the room.  Sure enough, I would peak around the corner and there she was, caught red handed.  Time to re-glue again!)

Claire's Spring Soccer- STRIKERS!

This was Claire's first season playing SPRING soccer.  Both Michael and Claire play soccer in the Fall, but neither have played in the Spring.  The reason for this?  In the Spring- Michael plays baseball and Claire has done gymnastics.  However, this year Claire wasn't really feeling the whole gymnastics thing.  She likes it- but not enough to not play soccer.  Secretly, I love it.  Soccer is such a fun sport and I love seeing my little girlie love it, too!  Plus, it is a great source of exercise.

Damien has coached a lot of Michael's teams but really wanted to make sure he could coach Claire, too.  Claire was so excited when she found out her Daddy would be the assistant coach!  Throughout this whole season, their father/daughter bond strengthened as they had a lot of rides to practices and games together. 

Claire is finally really getting the game of soccer.  Really understanding where to be and where the ball should go.  She is so intense and I love that she never stops running!  She goes, and goes, and goes, and goes.  She hustles to be the first to the ball and tries her hardest at all times.  It makes me insanely proud and she knows it, for sure.

This year, they have had her playing all over the field.  She likes defense but would rather play midfield or forward.  Claire really enjoyed the entire season.  Some of her favorite moments of the year came when her 2nd grade teacher,  Ms. Alongi, came to watch her and her classmates play.  They were playing another St. Chris team so the entire field was full of her students!  Another funny moment she had with her Dad was when their car got locked into a parking lot after practice.  Claire could barely tell me about how Daddy drove over plants and such to get out because she was laughing so hard!  Claire also loved when Gina and my parents came to see her play.  She loves feeling supported. 

I am so happy Claire decided to play Spring soccer.  I think she is better off for making the choice to switch sports.  Go, Clairey, Go!

Viva Vacation!

We have been going a million miles a minute lately so why not keep up the pace?  Damien's company was  scheduled to have their sales conference in Las Vegas this year.  One night he said to me, 'Do you want to go to Vegas the weekend before the sales conference?  The room and my flight are paid for!"  I thought it was too good to pass up!  We got home from Palm Springs on Friday evening and were scheduled to leave on a flight from San Jose at 9:00 a.m. to Vegas! 

It was overwhelming to me but I knew I would be glad I went.  My sister-in-law Heather and sister Gina graciously offered to watch the kids Saturday morning through Monday morning.  I would come home on Monday and then Damien would be at his sales conference Monday through Thursday.  I had packed the night before and was ready to go.  Well, except one thing.  I woke up and felt absolutely sick.  I swear, I was in the bathroom every three minutes with 'an emergency'.  Great.

I thought of cancelling but thought I would feel better soon and we left the house.  The flight was great.  We got a taxi ride to the Cosmopolitan Hotel which is absolutely stunning.  It is really is so glamorous!  There is a three story chandelier in the middle of the hotel which is so beautiful!  We loved staying here.  Each room had it's own balcony and ours overlooked the Bellagio water show.  Can't beat that!  The restaurants were really good and the pool was so much fun.

I did eventually feel better . . . the next day.  I had to turn in early on Saturday night because this 'flu' or whatever had hold of me did not want to let go.  It was nice though to just be with Damien and relax.  Normally when I am sick I have to tend to the kids no matter how horrible I feel.  This way, I could take care of myself which was a welcome feeling. We woke up the next morning (after sleeping in a bit) and felt amazing!  We went to a delicious buffet at the Cosmo (usually we don't do buffets) that was incredible.  The food was so good and worth the thirty minute wait!

We had a wonderful trip.  Damien wished he could come home with me but had to stay for three more days with his company.  When I got back home, the kids were so happy to see me and I am thankful that I pushed through my illness, disregarded my nervousness at turning around after driving home from Palm Springs only to fly out the next morning, and resisted the fear I have at leaving my kids at home.  I love my husband and it is so important for us to get away once in a while.  A great reminder of the people we were before we met, and what we were like before we got married and had children.  I haven't laughed so hard in a while.   Thanks for making this happen, Damien.  You're the best!