58. Track

High School Spring Sports are starting this week and Nicholas will be participating in his first Track meet this coming Thursday at Glendale HS. This is new for him... But he is very excited! He will be running in two of the longer races: 800m, 1 mile or 2 miles. His Coaches will determine which two he will be running. In any case, he needs special "track spikes". So tonight, we went to the local running shoes specialty store to get some. It was pretty interesting to see these spikes up close; they are made of metal and are very sharp! And the shoe itself is extremely light... Now he has all the tools necessary to get the best possible results. We will just have to wait and see what those are! I wish him the very best, but no matter what, I am very proud of him!

57. What a Difference!

Christina was a completely different player today.

What a difference a day make... And a little talk with mom and dad about what it means to be on a team! After Christina's embarrassing multiple meltdowns yesterday, Allan and I had a long talk about the importance of staying on your feet. We reminded her that when she is down and not getting up quickly, her team is down one player. We also reminded her that if she cries when she is not really hurt, people won't take her seriously when she is really hurt! And finally, we told her that from now on, if Coach Donald has to go on the field to help her up, she will have to sit out for the rest of that quarter. I think that did it, because Christina had one of the best game I've ever seen her play; She didn't score any goals and didn't even have an assist. But she hustled and tried her best the whole game. She was tough, stayed on her feet and didn't quit.
Everyone noticed... Even one of the field monitors who said to me after half time: "Wow! Your daughter is tough and she never quits!" That comment alone made my day! I told Christina at least 20 times already that I am very proud of her and that I want her to remember how it feels to play hard and give it all you've got. Hopefully she has learned a lesson this weekend and will continue to play hard for the rest of her soccer career!

56. Drama Queen

Christina was tired and frustrated and went down twice in the last game of the day.

Yesterday, Christina and her soccer team, the Green & White Dynamite played in their first Tournament of the season. This team is comprised of mostly 9 years old in a two year division where most players are 10. They are small but fast and they are learning to play as a team!

Despite her "injuries, she finished the game with a big smile!

But sometimes being fast is just not enough; Christina had a hard time staying on her feet when battling for the ball against a taller and much stronger player. I didn't see the first game but according to Allan, she went down twice, where the referee had to stop the game. The same thing happened in the afternoon game. However, in the last game of the day, I think she was also very tired and a little frustrated! This photo was taken after she tried to shoot on goal but missed... Nobody touched her, she just fell on her own and because she was tired and frustrated she stayed there. Coach Donald is very good with the girls and I have to say very patient with Christina! I would have pulled her out of the game right then and there if I was the Coach! But she return to the game and finished with a smile on her face.
The team lost their first game 7-0 but tied the second game 1-1. So far, this is a pretty good record for those little girls. They have another game today at 12:10 PM. We don't expect to win many games but as long as they are improving and having fun, then the whole experience is worth it.

55. Radishes

Today, Christina came home from school with a little plant; they had a science project where they planted a few seeds (7 seeds) in one cup and a whole bunch of them (80 seeds) in another. They wanted to see if competing for space would make a difference on the plant. Apparently, it does... The 80 seeds grew much slower and had much smaller leaves. Christina got to keep the cup with 7 seeds. She was very proud and happy about that!

54. Beethoven's Fur Elise

I have always wanted to play the piano; I even started to take lessons when I was in my early 20's. Then I moved to California, had kids and here I am, no piano for me! So I was very happy when Anthony said he wanted to learn the piano. Even better, he likes to play classical music: Beethoven, Mozart, etc...

Yesterday, I recorded Anthony playing Beethoven's Fur Elise on the piano. I wanted to post the video for my 365 Blog. When I finally sat down at the computer to post the video, I realized that the volume was way too low! So this morning, I asked Anthony to play it again and this time made sure that you can hear it loud and clear. Here it is... I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

53. GATE Project

Last year, Christina was tested for the Gifted and Talented Education program or GATE. She passed the test and is now identified as a GATE student. What does that mean? Not much in our school district. All three of my kids have been identified as GATE students and I have to say that I have not seen much benefit to the program; they have the same work/homework as everyone else, they take the same tests and while they learn faster and perform better than most kids, I don't believe it is due to the GATE program. The only thing that is different, is the GATE project which they have to participate in and the GATE night in the Spring where they show off their projects.
This year's theme for Christina's grade is "Change through time". So she has decided to research and show how a banana changes from a bright yellow to a very ugly brown. To show the changes, she has been taking pictures of two bananas for almost three weeks! According to some of the research she has done, bananas changes occur faster with higher temperatures; This is why bananas don't last very long in the summer. And since we have been having some pretty cold days and nights, these two bananas have taken a long time to rot.
The project is supposed to be done at school. All the GATE students meet up in a classroom on Friday afternoons (during Friday Fun!) to work on their projects. But there is no way to set up the camera and bananas at school and make sure that they are not moved. Also, I was not about to send a DSLR (even if it's my cheap one) to school! So we set it up in her bedroom. She will bring the photos at school and work on her presentation there but this part is going to be completely done here, at home.
Stay tuned for more photos of the project later in this Blog...

52. Dinner

Dinner: it was delicious!

51. Presidents Day

Today was Presidents Day

No school, no work.

The end of a long weekend

The beginning of a new week.

This is the last week of February

Almost the end of Winter

Almost the beginning of Spring.

But mother nature seems confused

Heavy rain one day, 

beautiful sun the next.

 

What to wear?

Shorts or pants?

T-shirt or jacket?

Pretty soon it will be Summer 

And I'll be complaining about the heat!

Funny how time flies...

50. Rollerblading

After two days of rain on and off, yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day. It was crisp and sunny with only a few clouds in the sky. Right away, Allan and myself decided it was a good day to go for a hike. But the kids had a different idea; the boys went outside to play with their friend Jacob... shooting hoops, playing with their Nerf Guns and biking were among the activities they preferred over hiking. Christina was also reluctant to go for a hike... She wanted to go rollerblading. So Allan and I settled for a walk around the neighborhood. We only took Rocky with us this time since Catie has been having some difficulties keeping up during our regular morning walk lately. A few nights ago, she even had difficulties going up the stairs for bedtime. Her old legs are not what they used to be... She is still a very happy dog. But Allan and I know that sooner or later, she won't be so happy and won't be able to keep up with our busy family! Hopefully, we still have a few good months ahead of us!

49. Hail

When I first moved to California, I found it very funny that people would call rain a "winter storm". Even more funny was the media going on "Storm Watch"! Over the years, I have experienced first hand how much rain can fall in only a few minutes, causing flooding and mud slide. A winter storm can also be accompanied by heavy winds, which in Santa Clarita can be an understatement! Last night was one of those stormy nights with heavy rain and winds and I had some difficulties falling asleep. I woke up to sunny skies and it stayed that way all morning. But this afternoon, the rain came back and this time it was mixed with hail. I tried taking some photos but by the time I had my camera out, the hail had stopped. And unlike the snow we got in early January, the hail didn't stay long on the ground before melting away. And as I write this post, the rain has stopped, the winds have died down and the sky is clearing up. Hopefully the rest of the weekend will be nice... Not too cold and sunny would be great!

48. Tivo, DVRs and Technology

This post was supposed to be for yesterday. But I forgot; Last night we went to one of our favorite restaurant: Rattler's. We had a nice family dinner and then came home to watch shows that we recorded on the DVR. We all watched and enjoyed "Modern Family" and after putting Christina to bed, the boys, Allan and I watched "V". 
Ever since we got Tivo/DVR, we never watch a TV show on the evening or at the time it is playing; our schedule does not revolve around TV shows anymore. We can record the shows we like and enjoy them when it is convenient! And with today's technology, even if you missed a show and forgot to set up the DVR, you can download it from the internet! I am continuously amazed by how far technology has come in so little time!
I remember watching "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and laugh at all the gadgets they used! Now, looking back at the show, I think that the creators of "Star Trek" were either "clairvoyants" of pure geniuses!

47. Blueberries

"You ought to have seen what I saw on my way

To the village, through Mortenson's pasture to-day:

Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,

Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum

In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!

And all ripe together, not some of them green

And some of them ripe! You ought to have seen!

 

                 ... Robert Frost

46. Blue

I am running out of ideas already... So today I surfed the web to try and get some inspiration. I looked at other 365 photos projects, checked out some Flickr groups and finally landed on the DPS (Digital Photography School) website where I got the idea: Blue. So I went around the house and started taking photos of things that are blue... After all, the idea behind this Blog is not only to remember 2011 but also to practice "photography". So, for the next few days, I will be posting photos of things that are blue.
On a separate note, Nicholas told us at dinner that the Coach of the JV Volleyball team came to see him and asked if he would be interested in playing Volleyball! Apparently, he has been scouting out athletes who are tall... even had a private meeting with the basketball players! The funny thing is that one of Nicholas' best friend is on the Frosh Volleyball team. But apparently, he is too short to play for JV! Naturally, Nicholas said no; He is back into running and enjoying it!

45. Games

Anthony and Christina came home the other day with these:

It brought back a lot of memories of my own childhood; I was even surprised that I still remember how to make them! However, I don't remember writing such silliness as: "You were born from a squirrels vomit"! I guess the games have not changed but the humor has... Or is it just my kids?

44. Sweet Owl

As expected, Christina came home from school,

with a bag full of Valentine's Day cards and candies.

But this "owl" was the cutest thing I have ever seen!

43. Early Valentine's Day

Christina and I gave Allan this fruit arrangement.

One of my presents: Ghirardelli chocolate!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow but since Monday nights are a little hectic with soccer practices, we celebrated today. As I mentioned in an earlier post, our family traditionally exchange little presents and we finish the evening with a chocolate fondue. And this year was no different. Christina and I went shopping yesterday for the boys' presents and Allan took the boys this morning. Picking out the perfect card is always tricky. We all like the funny kind. But it makes the time spent in the store's aisle searching through thousands of cards worth while when the recipient smiles or starts laughing!

42. Tired

I have been sick pretty much all week; It started with a tickle in my throat for a couple of days, then a little bit of a fever and coughing, and now, major sinus congestion! I can't remember the last time I was sick like that! I have no energy and feel like a truck has run me over....
Last night, Allan and I went out for dinner. It was supposed to be our Valentine's Day celebration. But I was so tired that I went to sleep as soon as we got home. How romantic!

41. Friday Nights

Tonight was the first of many Friday nights that we will spend at the soccer fields; Now that both Nicholas and Anthony are playing Club soccer, they will be attending the Club's skills clinic. We are also hoping that Christina will be accepted into the same Club so she can also attend the clinic. The SCV Magic Soccer Club has opened up its Skills clinics to the public to try and attract more players. So tonight and for the next 2 Fridays, all three kids will be training with the Club. Nicholas has attended other Skills Clinics in the past... But this was different and pretty impressive; 4 professional trainers, each setting up a station, targeting different skills. The kids were divided into 4 groups and spent about 15 minutes per station. Anthony really enjoyed this kind of practice. And Nicholas was happy to get back to Club training after spending the last 3 months practicing with his High School team. As for Christina, she was attending the Youth Academy... But Coach Joel agreed that she should go and practice with the U9 girls team to see if she can keep up with that level of play. Whem she found out, her eyes lit up with pride!

40. Cherry Blossoms

The cherry blossoms are starting to bloom! 

It still amazes me that flowers are blooming in February! 

Back home, in Canada, we would have to wait for at least May 

before seeing any signs of Spring!

39. Love Notes

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is: "an annual commemoration held on February 14th celebrating love and affection between intimate companions" (According to Wikipedia).
Technically, it should be a celebration for Allan and myself only. But now a day, even the kids celebrate Valentine's Day! Christina was given a list of her classmates names so she can address her valentines. Next Monday, their will be an exchange of valentines in her classroom and she will come back with a bag full of little cards and candies. Anthony and Nicholas are "too old" to exchange valentines with their class mates.
Traditionally, our family celebrates Valentine's Day with a chocolate fondue and we exchange little presents. The "boys" give the "girls" presents and vice versa! I am sure that this will change in the future... When the kids get struck by Cupid's arrow!

38. Lucky Dog!

A few days ago, Allan came downstairs and said to me: "You should see Rocky with Nicholas and Christina". So I grabbed my camera and went upstairs in the playroom. This is how I found them. Rocky's head resting on Nicholas' lap and Christina's head resting on Rocky! He is one lucky dog! He likes to be up there with the kids. And this is the only room in the house where he is aloud on the couch! And chances are, if there is a kid in that room, he will get lots of affection!

37. Love is in the cookie!

Today, I baked some sugar cookies in the shape of hearts. With Valentine's day only one week away, I thought it would be fun for the kids to decorate the cookies! So when they came home from school, after doing their homework, they set out to decorate them. Christina spent a lot of time writing cute sayings on her cookies. Like: "Be Mine" or "Marry Me". Anthony decorated his in "abstract" patterns! Their weren't that many cookies to decorate, so it only took about 20 minutes, but it was fun.

36. Lost Boy

This weekend, Christina was performing in Peter Pan, an "Escape Theatre" production. 

She was part of the ensemble cast who all played "Lost Boys" 

and she was also "Nana" the dog. 

Since we had to "make" her "Lost Boy" costume, I was able to take photos. 

But her "Nana" costume was provided by Escape. 

I looked at the pictures taken by the professional photographer 

and since her costume included a mouth piece that covered both her mouth and her nose, 

she was barely recognizable. 

So I didn't buy any photos. 

Here are my favorites from my mini session this morning:

35. Wow!

Technically, I am late with this post... Yesterday was a little hectic with Anthony's birthday party followed immediately after with Christina's performance in Peter Pan! So, this is a photo I took after I dropped off Christina at College of the Canyons to get ready for the play, while waiting for everybody else to arrive.

It was a beautiful sky! And this picture taken with the Hipstamatic App. on my iphone does not do it justice. Anyways, Anthony had a blast with his friends and Christina had a great performance!

34. Happy Birthday Anthony!

Today is Anthony's 12th birthday! 

We had our family celebration at dinner today; tomorrow is his birthday party with his friends. 

Our family tradition: On the actual day of their birthday, I try and prepare their favorite meal and bake their favorite cake. 

Antony's favorite meal this year: lasagna.

 His favorite cake: chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

Home made lasagna and cake you ask?

Everything is made at home with love (with a few short cuts, thanks to Prego and Betty Crocker).

33. Lost Hat

Last night, Christina had dressed rehearsal for Peter Pan; She has been rehearsing all week but yesterday, for the first time, she got to wear her Nana costume (which the theater company provides). She is also playing a "Lost Boy" as part of the Ensemble cast and has a different costume (that we provide) for this part.
I dropped her off with her "Lost Boy" costume in hand and wished her luck. That was at 5:30 PM. They were finally let out of the theater at 10:25 PM! Immediately, I could tell that she had been crying: Her mascara was all smudged. When I asked her how it went, she teared up and said "it was not a very good night for me". Apparently, her Nana costume includes a mouth piece which covers her mouth and her nose and is made of fur. She said that it was too tight and she couldn't breath with it. She was also very disappointed that she didn't get a microphone. I guess they expect her to bark loud enough for everyone to hear! And to top it all off, she lost her Lost Boy hat and one of her sock! I sent her to bed ( by then it was 11:00 PM) and told her not to worry. This is why we have dressed rehearsal; So they can fix any "wardrobe malfunction". The socks are easily replaceable. As for the lost hat, we went back to the theater today and found it. Now all she needs is a good night sleep so she can have a good performance tomorrow morning!

32. Comfort Food

Today was a VERY windy day and cold! I am not complaining... It was still sunny with no rain in sight. So I guess, compared to the other part of the Country where it has been snowing a lot lately, it was a pretty nice day. In any case, I was in the mood for something warm but that could be prepared ahead of time: Turkey Chili.
I remember the first time that I served Chili for dinner; Nicholas saw the beans and started to cry! Back then, he didn't like beans (or didn't like what they looked like). So I had to take all the beans out of his bowl for him to even try it. Fast forward to today, and Nicholas telling me that he loves my Turkey Chili! What has changed? I don't know exactly. But my oldest son is now more adventurous about what he eats. He is still picky... But I guess his taste buds are improving as he gets older!

31. Paperwork

February... A new month means paperwork. I love my job as an Occupational Therapist. Working with young children with disabilities and knowing that I can help improve their lives means a lot. But I hate the other part of my work which is writing progress notes and reports. Thankfully, in the community, as a contractor,  it requires less paperwork than working in a hospital. Still... The ideal job would be one without paperwork!