soccer

Last month the boys finished their first official season of soccer. Ryan coached Ben's team, the Green Dragons. Alex's team was the Red Rockets. They both did very well and progressed a lot. Benjamin learned to be a little more agressive, and Alex became quite the defensive player. I think soccer comes a little more naturally to them than baseball, and they have more fun with it since they get more play time.

I'll post their team pictures if I can ever find them.

Alex's turn

In December Alex earned a Scholarship award at school.

He also recently finished a Jedi training class. The parents were invited to watch a choreographed battle during the last class.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

ten years

Last Friday was our ten year anniversary. We had talked about doing something big for our 10th, but circumstances wouldn't allow us to go too far. We had to find something we could do with a baby in tow. We ended up in Pasadena, at the fancy Langham Hotel. We checked in Friday night, then went out for dinner and a movie. We had an exotic dessert back at the hotel, and had to talk our way into the restaurant since they had already closed. The next day we had planned to go on a picnic and then to the Huntington library and gardens, but we ended up not having time for the Huntington.

The picnic was a lot of fun, though. We dressed up late 50's/early 60's style (why? no reason) and even got ourselves a picnic basket for the occasion. Then we took lots of cheesy pictures of ourselves.

Ryan is hunting out the perfect picnic spot (apparently it's up in the trees):

The cute picnic basket:

We had never heard of this brand before:

Enjoying the spread:

Fancy french soda:

Playing in the leaves:

I didn't know Ryan was capable of such high kicks.

This was our attempt to recreate the poster from the movie we had just seen. The sun was a little too bright though. Ryan's expression is not intentional.

Wesley had fun too.

Here's to more decades of wedded bliss. Our personalities are so different which can be challenging at times, but most of the time it works for us. He helps me get motivated to get things done and I help calm him down when he gets stressed out. I help him remember where he left his keys, and he helps to keep me immature. It's fun to think about what our expectations were then and how things have turned out so far. We're not disappointed.

the duck flies again

The other day we put Wesley in the famous bouncy duck for the first time. He isn't jumping too much yet but he likes sitting in it.

(I guess editing out red-eye isn't a priority for me right now. I'm sure I'll get back to it someday.)

These ones are of Charlie, same age and same milestone:

a little Christmas mix-up

Charlie mixes up the words "manger" and "tangerine". I think it's a little weird since the two words really don't sound alike. They are spelled similarly but he can't read yet. Anyway, it's pretty cute to hear him say that baby Jesus was lying in the tangerine.

You've probably already seen this . . .

. . . and there is something a little irreverent about messing with a classic like a Charlie Brown Christmas, but this makes me smile. My favorite parts are 1:33 and 1:39.

bless your beautiful hide

Sunday was Wesley's blessing day. I was able to squeeze him into the same outfit the other boys wore, even though he's older and bigger than they were.

I think this is the first blessing we've had where we didn't get a group shot outside the church. Oh well.

My parents were able to come. Dad even played my poor neglected guitar a little. Mom made another one of her signature crocheted edged blankets for Wes.

Charlie wore himself out:

I was there, too.

weird science

Another thing keeping us busy lately was the school talent show. I held Alex to his promise of participating every other year (he recited a Shel Silverstein poem two years ago), and this year Benjamin joined him. They did a science magic show. It turned out really well and the audience seemed to enjoy it. They were pretty darn cute in their lab coats and goggles.

They had two performances: one in the evening and one the next day for the student body.

Taking their bow:

During the finale all the performers did a little dance number. Alex didn't really want to participate during the rehearsals, but somewhere along the way he found his groove:

La Brea

A few weeks ago we visited the La Brea Tar Pits with all the Haslam cousins. I'm glad we went. It's one of those things that we've always meant to do and now we can cross it off our list. Everyone liked it, too.

Here are the boys in front of the heart wrenching scene of a mammoth family (or maybe they are mastadons) being separated by the ruthless tar.

Here's Ben trying the strength of the tar.

This mammoth fossil was huge. The picture doesn't do it justice.


Just a saber toothed tiger attacking a ground sloth. I think the ground sloth may be one of the strangest creatures that ever lived.


This coin spinny thing was worth the price of admission. The kids loved it!


Charlie was mesmorized.