california adventure-day 9-del mar beach and fun at ub's

On Tuesday, June 17, we had our last full day in California.  We ate breakfast at UB's. My uncle and aunt had to work, so we were going to pick up my parents at the hotel for lunch.  Before we got to the hotel, we stopped at a local bakery and got some delicious treats.  

We picked up my parents and drove to Del Mar. We parked and went to a restaurant, Poseidon, that is right on the beach.  We ate at an outside table and it was awesome to hear the beach sounds.  Bob and SJ flanked my dad and I had to remind all three of them to behave (sometimes my dad is worse than the boys).  

After we finished our delicious lunch, we walked on to the beach for a little while.  The water was pretty cold, so we weren't planning on swimming.  It is always nice to see the ocean.  

After we were finished at the beach, we went back to my parent's hotel.  The boys swam in the pool for a few hours.  

We returned to UB's house around 5.  My husband and I were planning on taking my uncle and aunt out for dinner.  My parents stayed at UB's and supervised the boys.  They took the boys back to In and Out Burger for dinner.  My mom said the boys were very well behaved. 

When we returned from dinner, we had birthday cake for UB (his birthday was the following week).  After the impromptu celebration, my parents returned to the hotel and I started to get our things ready for our travel day on Wednesday.  

After I finished my packing, my husband and I hung out with UB and KT until bedtime.

california adventure-day 8-the inn at ub's

On Monday, June 16th we had our last breakfast at the hotel.  It was a beautiful morning and was lovely to eat outside.  After breakfast, we packed up our bags and checked out of the hotel.  We would be staying at my uncle's house for the remainder of our trip.  

After we got to UB's house, my husband decided he would like to venture into San Diego to see the US Midway.  The boys didn't want to go, so we took my dad with my husband and I. My mom and UB were in charge of the boys.

They swam and played at his house.  At lunchtime, my uncle took them to In and Out Burger (a California treat).  The boys loved it! After lunch, they returned to his house and continued to swim.  My mom said they also played foosball and ping pong.  

When my aunt got home from work, she brought everyone Chick Fil A for dinner.  The boys loved the chicken and fries.  We did too! Then, we all vegged out on the couches and watched television until bedtime.

california adventure-day 7-bbq at ub's

On Sunday, June 15, we had only one activity on our agenda.  We were supposed to be at my uncle's house around 1:00 for a BBQ.  

We ate breakfast on the hotel terrace with my parents.  It was another yummy meal.  After breakfast, we went up to our room and SJ got his bathing suit on.  Bob wanted to watch soccer in the room, but he was going to join us later.

My mom and I hung out at the pool with SJ until Bob and my husband joined us.  After they came to the pool, the boys did some swimming, mini golf and ping pong.  They were hungry around 11:30, so we ordered some food from the pool bar.  

We left the pool at 12:30 and got ready for UB's.  The boys had a great time at UB's.  They were in the pool for most of the day.  They were playing with Isaac and Scooter, as well as Scooter's older brothers, Johnny and Hunter.  

We all ate an early dinner (Bob had hot dogs and SJ had bunless burgers) at UB's, the boys swam more and then we drove back to the hotel.  

When we returned to the hotel, the boys were still hungry.  My mom joined us in the hotel sports bar for a "second" dinner.  My husband, my mom and I ate appetizers while the boys ate kids' meals.  We finished up and called it a day.

california adventure-day 6-wedding day

Saturday, June 14th was my cousin's wedding day.  We started our day by having breakfast outside on the hotel's terrace.  It was yummy!

We had a few hours before we had to be at the wedding venue, so I took SJ to the pool.  Bob was busy watching World Cup soccer in the room.  SJ loved the pool! They also had foosball, ping-pong and three mini golf holes at the pool. This was a kid's dream!

We got ready for my cousin's wedding.  The boys' normal clothing is not wedding appropriate, so I had bought them new clothes for the wedding.  They looked very handsome in their dress shirts, chinos and boat shoes.  

The wedding was held at the Rancho Guajome Adobe.  The wedding was beautiful!  After the ceremony, the wedding party was getting pictures and the cocktail hour started.

I was a little concerned about the boys' behavior during the wedding (they didn't do so well at the only other wedding they attended). However, they were much better behaved. They were entertained with the photo booth and the bottles of bubbles. Scooter and Isaac were at our table, so that worked out great for the boys.  

Dinner was served after the first dance and Best Man's toast.  They had BBQ beef, pasta, potatoes, chicken, veggies and salad.  My cousin was kind enough to have gluten free pasta for SJ too.  He was happy he had something he could eat.  

The wedding continued with all the traditional things.  I thought the boys would dance, but they claimed they weren't interested.  Every once in a while, I would catch SJ dancing near our table. He couldn't be persuaded to go on the dance floor though.

After the wedding, we went back to the hotel and headed straight for the pool.  The hotel was getting ready to have a "dive in" movie.  SJ, Scooter and Isaac were at the pool when they put on the movie, Frozen.  The boys weren't thrilled with the movie choice, but they enjoyed the pool.  

Bob and my husband joined us at the pool halfway through the movie. When the boys were done swimming, they announced that they were hungry.  So, I ordered food from the bar and we had a late dinner in our room.  

california adventure-day 5-sequoias and san diego

On Friday, June 13th, we left Yosemite very early in the morning.  As we were attempting to exit the park, we made a wrong turn.  This ended up being a good thing, because we saw our first bear just walking near the side of the road.  Very cool!  

We drove for about 90 minutes and reached the South entrance of Yosemite.  A few miles from that entrance is the Mariposa Grove.  It is a grove of sequoia trees. My husband was fascinated by the enormity of the trees, but the boys were less than enthralled.  I am going to say they were tired, but they may have just been bored.  They may be too young to appreciate how incredible the trees are.  

We stayed at the grove for about an hour and continued our journey to San Diego. We stopped as soon as we saw a McDonalds for breakfast.  Everyone was more pleasant after they had some food in them.  

We drove for approximately four more hours before we stopped for lunch.  We needed gas and there was a Subway at the gas station. Everyone got lunch there and we continued on to San Diego.

We finally arrived in San Diego 8 hours after we left Yosemite.  We went straight to the hotel. We were staying at the Rancho Bernardo Inn.  It was beautiful (especially after staying in a tent cabin)!

We put our luggage in our room, explored the hotel and met some family members in the hotel restaurant.  The boys sat with two of my younger cousins, Scooter and Isaac, while we ate a delicious dinner.  It was a great way to end a very long travel day!

california adventure-day 4-el capitan

On Thursday, June 12th we ate our last breakfast in the Curry Village Pavilion.  Once again, we fueled ourselves with eggs and carbs for a day of hiking. We had a few extra breakfast vouchers that we weren't going to use, so I gave them to another family.  

SJ really wanted to go biking when we were done with breakfast.  Bob did not share in his sentiments, but he was outnumbered 3-1.  We rented the bikes and took a ride to see the Ahwanhee resort.  It was a very nice ride and the hotel was beautiful!

After returning the rental bikes, we decided to take the shuttle bus to Yosemite Village.  We ate lunch at the Yosemite Grill.  It was delicious.  My husband picked up some insoles, which helped his feet tons. 

Next, we boarded a different shuttle bus to go see El Capitan.  We were dropped off at a bridge where park rangers had telescopes focused on brave hikers that were scaling the huge mountain.  The ranger told us that it takes 4-8 days to climb the mountain.  That is unbelievable!

While we were taking in the beauty of El Capitan, a fellow hiker jumped off the bridge we were standing on into the Merced River.  He climbed back out and said the water was refreshing. 

Bob asked if he could jump in too.  I said no immediately.  I wasn't sure how safe it would be.  We were 12-15 feet above the river.  He then asked my husband and he immediately said sure.  I couldn't believe it, but I was hoping my husband had made the right call.  Bob took off his shoes and shirt and jumped in.  He was so proud of himself.  I was just relieved that he didn't hit something on a river rock.  He said the water was "so cold".

We took the shuttle back to Curry Village and decided to go rafting.  I was not a fan of this activity (I am afraid of water).  We had to navigate the raft down a three mile section of the Merced River.  My husband and I initially were the rowers, but we were having communication difficulties.  Bob stepped in and rowed for me and SJ hung off the back as our propellor.  

The water was so clear and pretty. We were allowed to stop anywhere on the three mile stretch to dock or swim.  We did dock at Swinging Bridge.  The boys and my husband all got out into the frigid water to swim.  Bob and my husband both jumped off the bridge into the water, but SJ was too nervous to brave bridge diving.

When we were finished rafting, we took a school bus shuttle back to Curry Village.  Since we were in our suits, we showered and swam in the pool.  

An hour later, we walked back to our tent to get dressed.  My husband was teaching the boys to hackysack while I cleaned up our things in the tent cabin.  

We ate our last dinner in Yosemite at the Pizza Patio.  After dinner, we went to the general store for dessert and souvenirs.  What an activity filled day!  

We were leaving very early the next morning, so we went to bed early.  I never thought I would admit this, but even I enjoyed Yosemite!

california adventure-day 3-mirror lake and yosemite falls

Wednesday, June 11th we again started our day eating a yummy breakfast in the Curry Village Pavilion.  As soon as we finished with breakfast, we went on a 4 mile hike to Mirror Lake.  It could have been quicker, but we let Bob lead the hike.  Initially, he took us in the wrong direction.  It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't so hot out.  When we finally made it there, we took lots of pictures and had a snack.  

After our brief rest, we hiked back to the campground.  We went to the Meadow Grill for lunch.  As soon as we were done with lunch, we got on a shuttle bus to go to Yosemite Falls.  

We took the path to hike to the lower falls.  We started climbing over all the rocks.  I was slipping, so I stopped at one point.  The boys and my husband kept going.  They got much higher than I would have been comfortable with.  

We climbed down and got back on the shuttle bus for Curry Village.  We were still hot and sweaty, so we all showered and swam in the pool.  

We decided to eat dinner in Yosemite Village. We ate at a pizza place called Dengan's Loft. The boys liked the pizza, but not as much as the pizza at the Pizza Patio.  

We ended our night by getting snacks at the general store and we hung out at our tent cabin until bedtime.

california adventure-day 2-vernal falls

Tuesday, June 10th was our first full day in Yosemite.  We had reserved the Hiker's Package, so we got complimentary breakfast each morning.  We ate in the Curry Village Pavilion.  It was delicious!

After breakfast, we decided we were going to hike to Vernal Falls.  It was a pretty long hike (3 miles each way) and it was all up hill to the falls. About half way up, there was a spot to fill our water bottles and use a restroom.  After we drank some water and had a snack, we continued up the hill.  It was very steep and wet as we got closer to the falls. 

You could see rainbows everywhere and it was just beautiful. See the pictures below.

I was trying to continue up the skinny, wet rock stairs when I fell and bruised my knee.  At that same time, SJ was freaking out about getting wet.  (He has thing about getting wet only when he is in a bathing suit.) We decided to stop climbing.  Bob was very disappointed. Hindsight tells us we should have kept going for Bob.  My husband and I still feel badly about that.

When we got back to the campground, we decided to each lunch.  We went to the Pizza Patio.  At first, I didn't want to eat there because I thought I saw a rat.  At second glance, I saw it was a squirrel with a deformed tail.  I took a picture of it to show you.  

The boys loved their pizza.  We went to the campground pool to cool off after lunch.  

Next, we took a bus over to Yosemite Village after we got in dry clothes.  We toured the various shops and the Indian Village.  It was hot out, so we didn't spend too much time in Yosemite Village.

We ate dinner in Curry Village Pavilion.  The boys were not crazy about their dinner selections. They ate a little and we went to the general store to get a few more things.  

We ended the evening hanging out at the Pizza Patio.  We got drinks and talked about all the fun we had that day.

california adventure-day 1-yosemite here we come!

On Monday, June 9th, we began our California adventure at 5 am.  We drove an hour to the parking garage near the airport.  We were shuttled from the garage to the airport and went through security around 6:45 am.  Bob got selected as expediated, so he breezed through the line. 

We were boarding the plane at 7:25.  The plane was fairly full.  SJ was concerned about sitting next to a lady.  He was relieved when a man sat next to him.  We arrived in Las Vegas at 11:25.

We ate lunch in the airport and waited for our next plane.  While we were waiting, SJ was watching all the people who were playing slot machines.  He was fascinated by all of the machines.  

We left Las Vegas at 11:55 and flew to Sacremento.  SJ sat next to my husband.  He was in the middle seat and my husband was by the window.  A lady wanted to sit in the empty aisle seat, but SJ wasn't happy about that.  He had my husband swap seats with him.  Thank goodness it was a shorter flight.  

We arrived in Sacremento at 2:45 pm.  We went to the Alamo rental counter and we had a LONG wait!  We didn't pull out of the airport until 3:30.  

We started driving to Yosemite.  On our way, we stopped at a Burger King in Oakdale, California for dinner.  We ate quickly and continued our journey to Yosemite. 

At 7:00 pm, we finally arrived in Yosemite. It was just beautiful.  It is so beautiful it almost doesn't seem real.  See for yourself.  

The boys and I explored the Curry Village campground while my husband checked us in. We were staying in a tent cabin.  They look like this.  

We were assigned cabin #681.  We had four beds in our cabin, three twin and one full.  They have a door and one light bulb that hangs from the middle of the tent roof. After we got our things put away, we explored more of the campground.  We went to the general store and bought some snacks and supplies (including a cooler and a lock for the bear locker).  

You have to put anything that has any odor in the bear box.  Bears can smell things 7 times better than a bloodhound.  So, we put all of our food and toiletries in that box.  

When it is dark there, it is really dark.  Around 9 pm, we were pretty tired.  It felt like midnight to us.  We walked to the restroom to use the facilities and brush our teeth.  Then, it was lights out for us.  We had a big day planned for the next day.

goodbye elementary, hello junior high

June 6th was SJ's last day in elementary school.  The entire school district had a half day as their last day of school. When I dropped him off in the morning, I asked him if he was sad that it was his last day.  His reply was "Not one little bit."

When I returned to his school at the end of the day, I retrieved him from the school's office. The very sweet secretaries told SJ that they would miss him next year.  I could feel myself tearing up as we walked out the school doors for the last time.  

As we were walking to my car, I asked SJ once again if he was sad.  He looked at me like I asked him the strangest question ever.  "Why would I be sad?," he replied.  "Because this was your last day here," I said. 

That was okay, because I was sad enough for both of us.  I couldn't believe six years have gone by so fast.  Even more unbelievable, I am now the mom to two junior high students.

sixth grade talent show

On Thursday, there was a Sixth Grade Talent Show.  SJ tried out a few weeks ago with two of his buddies.  They decided to do a stand up comedy skit.  SJ was the funny guy and his buddies were the straight men.  

The first time they tried out SJ explained the jokes before he did them.  The teacher in charge, Mr. M, asked him to try out again.  He told me to tell him not to explain the jokes just tell them.  I passed that on to SJ.  

He did much better at the second tryout, so they made the show.  I was a little worried that he wouldn't do well, but I was informed that he was quite funny.  This is their script.

J: It is time for comedy acts.

O: With your host, SJ.

S: Thank you everyone.  Ok, are you ready for some jokes?

S: All righty then, let's get started.

1st joke

J walks. 

S: No walking in the hallways please.

O and J walks.

S: I said no walking in the hallways!

O: Sorry.

2nd joke

S: Let me tell you something.  Laugh, everybody laughs with you. Fart, they'll stop laughing.

3rd joke

O: All right, SJ, your word is relief.

S: Relief, F-A-R-T, relief.

4th joke

S: You guys are very great, but I have to go now.  Can someone tell me where the bathroom is?

5th joke

J: Tell me a true fact.

S: Ok, teachers say our future depends on our dreams, but they won't let us sleep in class.

6th joke

S: Every time we write an essay, there are two things.  1. My fingers stick together. 2. I'm clearly allergic to lined paper.

7th joke

S: Hey Oliver, you want to play video games?

O: No way SJ you always beat me.

S: TELL NO ONE!!!

8th joke

S: You're banned.

J: I'm just looking for the bathroom.

S: You're banned from that too.

J: I'm banned from the bathroom?

S: Every bathroom.

J: Noooooo!!!!

9th joke

S: Oliver, where are you?

O: I just got back from Target and think I forgot something.

S: Yeah, you forgot me.

O: Oh crap!

10th joke

S: Hey Jack, did you eat my sandwich?

J: I'm your sandwich.

S: Wait what?

S: Well, that is all we have got.  I'm SJ.

O and J: And we're Oliver and Jack.

S: If you want to hear more jokes, come to me and I will tell you a joke.

S, O and J: Goodbye

I heard from another teacher that SJ did such a great job.  His delivery made the jokes much funnier than they actually were.  He was cracking himself during the show.  The students were laughing with him not at him.  I am so proud that my PDD son is able to do something like a talent show.  Great job SJ and buds!

after school speech #27

Last Wednesday was SJ's last after school speech therapy session.  Since the school year is almost over, I usually give him a few weeks off.

She spent the whole session working on tips for conversations.  She reviewed the following 9 tips.

1. Maintain appropriate (don't stare) eye contact

2. Always stay focused on the other person

3. Have good body posture 

4. Face the other person

5. Ask the speaker questions about their topic

6. Make comments so that the speaker knows you are listening

7. Your voice should sound like you are interested in the conversation

8. Change the topic in a way so that your listener is aware of the next topic

9. Let the listener know that you are ending the conversation

After she reviewed these, they had a practice conversation.  She made check marks when he made appropriate comments and asked topical questions.  She also added eye contact.  

She said he did better with the comments and questions, but had to be reminded over and over about his eye contact.  We will have to continue to work on that skill.

science olympiads 2014

This was the last week of school for the boys. On Monday, SJ's school had their Science Olympiad.  It was for fifth and sixth graders.  SJ was on the Awesome Atoms team.  His team was comprised of both fifth and sixth graders.  

We had a long talk with SJ Monday morning. He had a few meltdowns last year when he participated, so we were trying to defuse that bomb before it blew up.  

He was in a fairly good mood when I picked him up Monday afternoon.  He said his team did well and was excited about a electric circuits event.

Tuesday morning, we had the same talk with him.  He wasn't quite as happy when I picked him up Tusday afternoon.  He said the events were tougher for his team the second day.  He was worried that they wouldn't get any medals on Wednesday.

Wednesday was the awards ceremony.  My husband told him that if he didn't get any awards we would give him something for trying his best.  "Like what?," asked SJ.  "A big hug from me," said my husband.  "Well, that is not good enough," said SJ. 

When we got to school that morning, Mr. Brown told me that SJ wouldn't be going home empty handed. That fact took a lot of stress off of me. I worry so much about SJ's reactions to disappointment.  

When I picked him up that afternoon, he had two bronze medals in his hand.  "Wow, that's awesome," I congratulated SJ.  His face wasn't as happy as I expected.  While we were walking to our car, he said he wished he got a silver instead.  "Can I trade someone for a silver?," he asked.  "Absolutely not.  If you do, you will lose electronics for a week," I reminded him.  

I am happy to report that he was over it by the time we got home and they are safely hanging on his bedroom wall.  

after school tutoring #22

This past Monday, SJ had his last after school tutoring with Mrs. Banks.  He will continue to be tutored throughout the summer, but we are taking a few weeks off.  

Mrs. Banks had SJ continue reading more chapters of Tarantula Shoes.  She said he was a little distracted at first, but he managed to pull himself together after 15 minutes.  

She said they still have about 6 chapters left. Then, they will move onto a new book.  

Eventhough he can be distracted during their sessions, she said she has been pleased with all the progress SJ has made during his sixth grade year.  

I am extremely proud to announce that he finished with an 86 (mid B) in reading. That is awesome for SJ.  We will continue tutoring in seventh grade as well.

last field day of grade school 😥

Last Friday was Field Day at SJ's school. This is a well-loved activity filled day that the PTO sponsors for the students in 1st through 6th grade.  

They go through the different stations with their class.  They rotate every 20 minutes.  There is tug-of-war, tattoos, dancing, sack races, bouncy houses, obstacle course, volleyball and snacks.  

I was helping out with tug of war.  I love that station.  SJ's class came to my station third. He enjoyed it until his side lost (the girls were winning all day).  He had a slight temper tantrum, but I reminded him he would have a consequence if he didn't calm down. Fortunately, he did.

I could see him going through some of the other stations and he was all smiles.  Yeah!  Fourth through sixth grades had their session in the morning.  The younger students (first through third) had their session after lunch.  

While the younger kids were going through their stations, the older kids were having fun playing kickball. It was such a great day.  Perfect weather, fun activities and happy kids made it a wonderful memory for us to have.

It was a bittersweet day for me.  Even as I was enjoying the day, I was a little sad that it was our last year.  

As I drove away with SJ in the backseat, I wiped away a few tears.  I reminded myself that it is just a chapter ending.  There will be many more wonderful memories to be made in Bob and SJ's school years.  

after school speech #26

Last Wednesday, SJ had his weekly speech therapy session.  She spent the whole session working on getting SJ to stay on topic.  

She explained to him that when people talk they pick a topic.  They talk about the same topic for a while and give each person a chance to make comments or ask questions about the topic. When everyone is done with the topic, they will then begin to talk about something else.  She told him this is called switching topics.

She gave him an analogy that a conversation is like a following a path together.  By the other person or yourself staying on the topic, they are continuing on that path.  

When someone in the conversation switches topics, they are changing the path.  This will force the others to also switch the path too. This is only okay if everyone is ready to talk about something new.

After she reviewed this, she then practiced with two different conversation topics.  First, they talked about Memorial Day.  She gave him a check mark every time he asked an appropriate question or comment.  This is a great visual for him.  He managed to ask her 4 questions and make 4 appropriate comments.

The second topic they focused on was things to do in the summer.  She said he was a little distracted and wanted to do his Geico "what if" commercials that he is fixated on.  When she got him back on task, he was able to ask her 4 questions and give 4 good comments.  We will have to continue to work on that at home.

backyard movie theater night

My husband decided to try something fun for Memorial Day weekend.  He wanted to build a movie theater screen for our backyard.  I thought he was going to use a large bed sheet affixed to some spare wood we already had in the garage.  

Being typical of my husband, he researched it on YouTube.  He found a video and the person suggested using black out curtain liner material in white.  He bought some PVC pipe and the material.  

While I was preparing dinner on Saturday evening, he and a neighbor started building the screen.  They opted not to use the PVC pipe. They made a frame out of the wood.  Then, they stretched the black out material onto the frame and stapled it into place.  

When the screen was securely placed on the frame, he had the neighbor's wife and I hold the frame against the deck railing.  My husband and our neighbor then attached the frame to the deck railing.  This is the finished frame.

We tested it out that evening and it looked amazing!  My husband put on Frozen and we couldn't believe how good the $12 material looked.

When it got dark, our neighbor brought down some concert videos for us to watch.  They left when the video was over.  My husband and I put on Jaws and watched about half before we got too tired.

The next evening, we invited Willie's and Topher's family over plus several families in the neighborhood.  We had watermelon, brownies, chips and dip and popcorn (of course!).  

The first movie we played was Despicable Me 2.  The kids really enjoyed that!  At one point during the movie, we noticed that SJ, Topher and a neighbor were dancing during the movie. So funny!

When the kids' movie was over, we put on Grumpy Old Men.  Most of the neighbors went home, so it was Topher's family, Willie's family and the neighbors that helped with the screen. The kids went inside and the adults enjoyed Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon's antics.

We had such a great time with our friends. We will have to use that screen again very soon!

summer has begun (unofficially)

Two Saturdays ago was the Memorial Day weekend or what I like to say "The First Day of Summer".  Now, I know it is not really the first day of summer, but it is in our house.  Do you know why?  The pool opens that day, so that is when our summer starts.  

On that Saturday, I thought only SJ and I would go.  I assumed the water would be cold, so Bob wouldn't want to go.  Surprise, surprise!  Not only did Bob want to go, but we also took a neighbor as a guest. 

As we drove to the pool, I still was thinking that water would be freezing.  When it is, the boys usually hang out in the park and play Four Square (still better than being on electronics).  

I was shocked when the boys said the water was warm (it was too cold for my 40ish bones)! The boys and their friend swam for 3 hours. There weren't many people at the pool (I counted 12 without staff), so it almost felt like a private pool.  Here is a picture from that day.

The next day, only SJ and I ventured to the pool.  The water was still warm and there were a few more guests there.  The water was an odd green color when we first arrived.  The lifeguards said it was a reaction to copper in the water (no safety issue though), but it returned back to blue an hour into our pool time.  

On Monday, we met our friends at the pool. Initially, it was just SJ and I.  After an hour or so, my husband and Bob cane to join us.  The water was nice and the boys had a lot of fun with their friends.  It was perfect weather for our start of summer.