Pumpkin Carving

When you live in California, you have to time your carving with the actual day of Halloween.  If you carve your pumpkins just a day too early, you will end up with pumpkin soup on your front porch.  I, of course, learned this the hard way.  In Washington- you can carve your pumpkins weeks in advance.  The crisp, cool weather preserves the carving where as the hot heat melts the pumpkin down here.  I guess the old saying, 'You live and you learn' applies here.

Tonight we carved pumpkins and it was fun to see how into the process the kids got!  Now that they are all older, the standard triangle eyes, nose and jagged mouth pumpkin just isn't good enough.  Instead, all four kids wanted to carve a pumpkin from a stencil in the carving book.  In theory, I was excited they all stepped it up a notch.  In reality, that meant I had to do a lot more work and save them when they made a disastrous cut!

Emily and Matthew loathed cleaning out their pumpkins.  I made them do it for the most part because I knew they could.  If they need sensory therapy when they are older- I will gladly pay the bill.  We had such a fun night.  What was supposed to be a thirty minute activity turned into an hour and twenty minute extravaganza. Although the kids were tired when we were done, they were more than proud of their amazing creations.  In the words of Michael when he was about five years old, "The pumpkins looked smooty ootie ootie!"

THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS WIN THE WORLD SERIES!

P-P-P-Poker Face for Caritas!

Tonight, we went to an dinner/auction which benefited a CYO camp called Caritas that Damien and a lot of his siblings worked at over the years.  Mark and Jocelyn are on the board for the camp and asked if we would like to attend the fun evening!  Gina was staying at our house so she agreed to come with us!  We had a wonderful night.  There was great food, some impromptu dancing (Gangnum Style), and some ridiculous karaoke to Lady Gaga's, Poker Face. 

For the record, the ridiculous karaoke was sung by me and Gina.  We offered to go first to start the party.  We started and then it was . . . crickets.  I swear.  And even though it sounds like a fun song to sing karaoke to, it is not a good karaoke song.  Think about how many times you have to say P-P-P-Poker Face P-P-Poker Face.  Gina and I stuck it out and finished the song but pretty much ran for the door when we were done.  But she and I both value a good memory and folks, that was a good one.

The dinner/auction was beautiful and we hope that Caritas benefited in a huge way!  Can't wait for next year.

Giants are in the World Series!

We'll See You in Heaven, Haripal

Today, we received sad news that Damien's brother, my brother-in-law, my children's uncle, and one of the sweetest people I have ever met- went to be with God in heaven today.  No one expected to hear this saddening news.  Damien was about to head to SF to watch the the Giants play Game 1 in the World Series when he got the call from his Mom.  We are all shocked, saddened, and just in disbelief that our dear Haripal is gone.

When I met Damien back in college, he told me a lot about his brother.  I couldn't believe all that this sweet young boy had endured in his short life.  Born in India, healthy and happy- Haripal was done an injustice when his parents (who were fearful of a few seizures he had) threw him down a dry well and left him there.  Rescued days later, by the Sisters of Charity (Mother Teresa's sisters') Haripal was taken to a local hospital and was treated for his serious injuries.  Many injuries he sustained from the fall in the well were going to be life lasting.  He lost the ability to walk, to move his arms at ease, and would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.  Through all of his pain, for all of the lonely days he spent in an orphanage, for all that his poor six year old body had to endure- he smiled through it all.

The Swendsen Family, who was known for adopting children with many different needs, were approached about taking Haripal in.  Mark and Marlene already had ten children but the agreed to take Haripal for the weekend.  Then they were asked to take Haripal for the week.  Then they agreed to take Haripal for life.  Helping Haripal with his daily needs was a part of everyone's life at the Swendsen household.  Together, they empowered this amazing child, gave him opportunities he couldn't have dreamed of in India, and truly became a part of the family.

We are so sad that Haripal is gone.  While we deal with our own personal sadness and loss- we are thinking about Haripal in heaven.  We are thinking of him walking, running, and moving without any limitations.  He is now free. Although we will miss him tremendously- we know that God will put his arm around Haripal and give him new life with him in Heaven.  We love you Haripal and will never forget you.

You Got Boo-ed!

The tradition of 'Booing' someone in our family started the year we moved into our house on Willow Street.  It goes a little something like this.  Someone knocks at your door or rings the doorbell.  You got to the door and no one is there!  Then you look down and see a basket/bucket of candy and Halloween goodies.  It is SO much fun to get Boo-ed!  The kids go absolutely crazy!  The only thing you need to do once you have been Boo-ed is to Boo someone else!

Every year, the kids Boo Brennan and Gabe.  Regardless if we have been Boo-ed by other people, they talk and plan about Boo-ing their cousins.  Last year, I parked around the corner and let Michael, Claire, and Matthew Boo them.  They rang the doorbell and tried to run to the car and get away before they found us, but they were discovered and captured before we could drive away.  This year, we had a little bit different strategy.  The six of us decided to park blocks away, hide on the side of their house and just send two kids to put the basket on their doorstep, ring the doorbell and then run back to the side of the house where we were waiting.  Michael and Claire rang the doorbell and then we heard everyone in Mark and Jocelyn's house screaming and saw them running down the street to try and find/catch us.  We quietly stayed on the side of the house and then snuck around into the backyard, went in their back door, and sat on their couches and pretended to watch TV.  When they had exhausted their search efforts and thought we got away- they came back into the house and were startled to see us there!  It was awesome!  Heavenly and Pascale got their official first Boo-ing, too!  We love this time of year and look forward to the Boo-ing that comes from our family and friends next year!

National League Division Series Dinner

We are all rooting for the SF Giants to make it to the World Series!  With a win tonight- we are in!  What do you make your kids when they are glued to the television watching the game?  San Francisco bread bowls with clam chowder, of course!  My kids were ecstatic when I brought them each their own tray with their own personal bread bowl.  It was a real hit!  Some may call it a home run!  Go Giants!

Hat Overload

If it wasn't obvious- Claire wears many hats in our family.  Literally and figuratively.

Auntie Gina

Someone loves their Auntie Gina.

Pre-Halloween Party

Today, we went to a really fun Halloween party at our friends Jack and Anne Grimes house.  We had the best time!  It was a costume party so the kids were really into it.  I hesitated at first because I was worried that the kids would ruin their costumes.  Then I realized I was crazy and thought, "Why wouldn't I let them wear them as much as they can and get more bang for our buck?"  Yes, at times I am nuts.  Michael dressed as Where's Waldo.  Claire was Katniss from Hunger Games.  Matthew was Chop Chop from the video game Skylanders.  And Emily dressed as herself.  Okay, just kidding.  She was Super Girl!

As exhibited by these pictures, the kids loved the fun lunch, the pumpkin carving, the running around aimlessly with the other kids, the candy, more candy, and being able to debut their costumes!  It was a great test run for Halloween and we feel so happy and blessed that we were able to have a fun afternoon with our college friends!

Zip Lining for Jocelyn's 40th Birthday

Our entire family was so excited to learn that for Auntie Jocelyn's 40th birthday- we were going to go zip lining!  The whole family was excited, until Matthew and Emily learned that they were too small to join us.  But never fear . . . while there was a plan for the BIG kids, there was plenty of fun planned for the SMALL kids.

We didn't have to go far for the party- just a short drive to Occidental.  We barely made it in time for our canopy tour!  We had a jam packed day leading up to her party and literally arrived within minutes of missing  it!  Thankfully, Lani met us there and then took the two little kids with her to Camp Armstrong so they could go have a fun afternoon with the other cousins.

In our group was me, Damien, Michael, Claire, Ali, Eric, Seamus, and Estefania.  They other group went thirty minutes behind us.  Damien and I were looking forward to zip lining again but had already done it twice before (Costa Rica and Mexico).  We were so excited to be able to be there for Michael and Claire's first zip lining experience.  Michael was pretty gung-ho about it while Claire was a little more nervous.  I couldn't blame them for being a little timid.  They are only 10 and 11 years old and this was a big deal!

We rode in the back of a pickup to the top of the mountain where we were given training on to be safe while flying 300 feet in the air!  On the first ride, I had the pleasure of going first.  I loved it because I got to see the kids faces as they approached the next landing.  While I really thought they were going to be panicked- they came flying in with big smiles plastered across their faces!

I believe there were a total of seven zip lines.  All seven were so much fun and varied in height, length and speed.  We pretty laughed through the entire tour and messed and had an awesome time!  There were two suspension bridges which did scare me quite a bit.  I don't have a lot of fears in life- but I am not a fan of walking on high unstable surfaces where you can see through to the ground.  I made a conscious effort to be brave but was quickly thrown off my game when Eric decided to jump up and down and freak me out!  Also, on a side note- Ali did a great job conquering her fears. She was so nervous and did a great job!

Our tour guides were great.  One of them was a little over the top with his jokes.  You could tell that he lives to mess with people.  He took a special interest in the kids which certainly colored their experience!  On the last landing, we had to repel down 100 feet to the ground.  I loved watching Michael and Claire work through their fears and conquer them!  It was awesome.

We were able to see Jocelyn's zip line group one time during the tour but had to rely mostly on their laughs and hoots and hollars through the forest to know they were having a blast- just like we did!  After the zip lining, we went back to the house Mark and Jocelyn had rented for the weekend and hung out.  We were able to spend some time with Haripal and regroup before we headed into town for dinner.

We reunited with Matthew and Emily at the restaurant and got to hear about their awesome day at camp!  They loved painting, making bracelets, running through the forest, and enjoying the mountain air with their cousins.  We all settled into dinner and toasted to Jocelyn, the birthday girl, and praised her for all of the wonderful things she does for us all.  Happiest of birthdays to you, Jocelyn!  We had an amazing day!

Emily, Did You Just Fart?

It pretty much went like this.  Emily, Matthew and I were approaching Target when they were drawn to the same red cement circle they run to every time.  Emily and Matthew start fooling around when Matthew stops and asks Emily, "Did you just fart?"  She lied and said that it wasn't her.  Matthew did some investigative work and confirmed what he first suspected.  He was massively disappointed that he got so close to the culprit.  I about died that somehow- I managed to capture it on camera!

Brainy Emily, Part Deux

Michael's Playdate Crashed!

If I were Michael and I had my friend Ben Richards over today, I probably would want some time alone with my friend.  While I thought I did a pretty good job keeping the little kids away from Michael, they managed to ruin their basketball game, disturb their ping pong game, and just bug them to death.  I left all the kids alone so that I could pack a bag to take to Michael's flag football game.  When I walked into the family room and saw this, I about died.  Poor Michael just wanted to hang out with his friend.  Add Matthew on the left and a lurking Emily on top and you have an annoying sibling sandwich.  Michael handled it well.  I could tell that he was annoyed but he let his siblings be a part of the action.  I guess this is what we call Big Family Problems!

Brainy Emily

 

Who is Matthew?

My Girlies

Tonight, Claire had tryouts for basketball.  She is going to play in a new league this year called NJB (National Junior Basketball).  It is touted as being a little more competitive than your basic recreational league and Claire felt like she was ready for the jump!  Michael played in this league last year and we were very happy with it.  I agreed to coach Claire for one more year so I showed up with her tonight to evaluate all the girls that were trying out.

I absolutely love that I can share this with Claire.  I know that having a Mom for a coach isn't easy- but she does such a great job balancing the Mom/Coach thing.  Damien wanted to snap a quick picture of us before we left and I was so happy he did!  I know I will look back at these times with such a full heart.  I love coaching Claire and absolutely love that she loves basketball!  Of course, little Miss Emily couldn't be left out of a photo opp so she joined us for the last shot.  I love my girls.  I love how strong, confident, sporty, and amazing they are.  I am one lucky Mom for sure.

The Little Guys

I have thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with these two this year.  Matthew is in morning Kindergarten so he is all mine after 11:25 a.m.  And Emily, she is always with me.  If that isn't clear enough, let me spell it out for you. A-L-W-A-Y-S with me.  And for the record- I love it.  I have made an effort this year to get out and do fun things with them.  I know that next year I will lose Matthew to full day school so this time is so very precious.

Today after we picked up Matthew from Kindergarten- we headed to a new park that has been built right across from our townhouse.  It is such a cute little park.  I can't believe I lived there for 4+ years with three kids and they built it within a year of us moving.  Do you know how much I would have used that park when we lived there?

Matthew and Emily had a blast here today.  They played tag, played hide and go seek, showed each other chips chewed in their mouths (and cracked up), and just enjoyed each other more than I have ever seen before.  It's really cute to see them become friends.  Emily has finally gotten old enough to be considered a playmate by Matthew.  Even Emily (who is generally fearless) needed her BIG brother's help on the slide.  He offered to have her sit on his lap and also went the bottom of the slide to catch her.  Ahhhhh.  They love each other.  I can't wait to see their relationship evolve.  In the meantime, I am going to enjoy the sunshine and their hysterical laughter.

Can We Get the Cast Back?

Within an hour of getting her cast off, I found Emily crouching on a table playing the iPad.  Lord, help us.

Emily Gets Her Cast Off!

Everyone in our household has been waiting for this day!  Emily got her cast off!  Oh, man.  It's been a long month.  Let me specify.  Emily has been amazing throughout the entire process.  She complained a little bit that her arm was hot the first day she got her cast on, but that was it!  Honestly.  She didn't complain.  She was a true superstar!  No itching, no wanting her cast off . . . she just got through it!

Emily is, however, excited to get it off!  The rest of us are thrilled that the pink cast is going bye bye for different reasons.  Her siblings are tired of being hit and scratched from her cast.  It is certainly a weapon and has caused an injury or twelve.  

Another reason Damien and I are happy she is getting her cast off is that it is really hard to watch her just 'Be Emily' with her cast on.  She still climbs, falls, dives, wrestles, and goes about life as if she doesn't have a cast on.  It makes us nuts!  

Emily woke up excited today and showed no nervousness around having her cast sawed off.  She knew that an electric saw was going to cut off the pink beauty but she trusted in the process.  God love her.  Our dear friend Monica Sweet was there at the doctors office to take off her cast.  Emily didn't need me to sit up there with her when she got it removed.  In fact, she wanted me to sit in the chair instead of sit by her.  "I got this." is what she told me.  Wise and brave beyond her years.

X-rays showed that the bones have healed.  She still has to wear a brace for another four weeks but she can take it off to bathe and sleep.  I can't believe we made it through.  There were long days and many worries but Emily did it!  We are so happy for her and can't believe that we have our first 'break' behind us.  Now, let's hope we never have to do it again!