89. Beating his Own Record

Nicholas did it again... He beat his own record! He first improved his time for the 1600m (1 mile) by about 3 secs (we'll know his official time tomorrow). He also beat his personal best at the 800m by at least 10 secs. He ran two great races, despite the heat wave that came down on Southern California today!
If he continues like this, he should be able to reach his goal: running the 1600m in under 5 minutes. Good Luck Son, I know you can do it!

88. Is it Summer yet?

Yesterday, was a gorgeous day; beautiful sunny skies, nice and warm (but not too hot), and just a little breezy. The perfect flip flop weather!
And the sky at sunset was amazing... Unfortunately, I was at a soccer scrimmage with Anthony and didn't have my camera handy! That's the second time that I miss an opportunity to make beautiful photographs of natural phenomena! I should have been prepared... I should have a camera with me all the time! And I do! I have an iphone! But I am reluctant to take photos with it; they never come out the way I want to! There is no way to control the exposure, no way to control aperture and shutter speed! Sure, there are a bunch of cool photo apps but sometimes, I just want to photograph what I see without filtering or cropping or adding borders, etc...
I guess I should get over it! A picture is better that no picture! So I made myself a promise that from now on, I will not miss another full moon or beautiful sunset just because I don't have my "good" camera with me...

87. Friendship Bracelets

I saw a photo of a friendship bracelet today, while surfing the internet and it made me think; So Christina wants to design jewelry when she grows up... Friendship bracelets should be a very good place to start! I remember making them when I was young and really enjoying it. Plus she always wants to give her friends small tokens of her friendship. These would be ideal to give to her BFFs and it wouldn't cost me a fortune. It also keeps her busy and creative!
I remembered that she got a Friendship Bracelet kit last year (either for her birthday or for Christmas) but she never really tried it. She was probably waiting for me to teach her how to do it. The problem is that the only kind of friendship bracelets I remembered how to do were the ones you make with a simple braid or with square knots. Unfortunately, these two methods are not the "cool" ones. But in her kit came an instruction book with lots of different patterns. So I taught her how to make the simplest one.
She took to it pretty quickly and was able to finish one in about 45 minutes. Now she wants to make some for her friends and is even thinking about "selling" them to kids at school!

86. Laundry

Last week I calculated that I spent 4.5 hrs total doing the laundry! If that's the average amount of time I spend doing laundry in one week, that means I spend 18 hrs/month and 234 hrs/year doing laundry... That's a lot of dirty clothes,  a lot of folding to be done and a lot of time!

Lots of dirty clothes

All the time!

Underwear, pants, shirts...

Nothing to wear.

Did you wash my uniform?

Repeat...

You're never done!

85. Inspire & Create

Christina: "I'm pretty creative."

Me: "Yes, you are."

Christina: "When I grow up, I want to be an author and a jewelry designer."

Me: "OK. What kind of jewelry do you want to create?"

Christina: "I just want to buy charms and pendants and put them on a chain."

Me: "That's not really designing you know."

Christina: "Well, it's more like creating!"

So we went to Michaels (the craft store)today, and bought some charms, chain, clasps, etc...

And Christina got to "create" some necklaces and earrings.

Maybe in a few more years, she will understand the concept of "designing" something.

Until then, she can continue to "create" and be "inspired".

84. Medals

My boys came home with medals this week! On Tuesday, Anthony came home with a Certificate of Participation and a medal; The 5th and 6th grade students in his school participated in an intra-mural basketball tournament to commemorate "March Madness". His team won the tournament and therefore received medals. Great job Anthony!

And yesterday, Nicholas participated in the "Adidas Meet of Champions", an invitational competition for long distance runners, at Asuza Pacific University. He ran the 3200m in 11:09 min., a personal best. He also finished 10th in his heat of 30 runners, earning his first medal for running! Allan and I are very proud of him and hope that he continues to improve and enjoy this new sport!

83. Personal Best

Nicholas had a great first run yesterday; he ran the 1600m or 1 mile in 5 min. 16 secs. This happens to be 14 secs faster than the last time he ran 1 mile and is his personal best. 

After the race, he knew he had done well but only found out his time today, during practice. He was pretty happy with his result!

Tomorrow, he is running at the Azusa Pacific University Meet of Champions. He will be running the 3200m or 2 miles, which proved to be a little more challenging than he expected. Hopefully he can improve on Thursday's performance...

82. Self Portrait 3

Here is the last of my self portraits (for this time) and probable my favorite one. I also like the black and white version better.
Today, was a weird kind of day: it was a slow work day... Had a few cancellations so I ended up coming home earlier than usual. But I was pretty productive at the computer, archiving past photo sessions and editing my latest one.
Then, all of a sudden, I got busy; Nicholas had a track meet starting at 3:00 PM. It was so cold that after his first race, I had to come home to get him his running tights to put under his shorts. He was racing again at the end of the meet and by that time it was REALLY cold!
After a quick dinner a Chipotle (Yummy!), we went to see Anthony and Christina's GATE project. They were displayed at the annual school district's GATE night. Christina's banana project came out OK. Most of the presentation was a slideshow from the pictures she took at home of bananas rotting over time. I guess I shouldn't expect much more of a 4th grader. Anthony's project was about the Power of Music. And while the content was excellent, the presentation was not so good. But considering that it was all done at school, without any help from his teacher, I guess I should be proud. We didn't stay long... Nicholas was tired and he wanted to come home to do his homework and I really don't care much for everyone else's projects. And now, I am just about ready to lay down on the couch, watch some TV and probably fall asleep by 9:30 PM.

81. Self Portrait 2

It's hard to believe that this photo was taken yesterday... Or any days this week for that matter! Sunny with only a few white, fluffy clouds in the sky? It seems that we have had more rain in the past few days than in the entire months of December, January and February combined!

Just tonight, as I was driving down the 405 to go to a Lend A Paw meeting, the rain was so intense I could barely see the cars in front of me. Thank God it only lasted 10 minutes and then the rain slowed down! I don't remember ever being scared of driving in the rain. But tonight, I was afraid! Maybe I'm getting old. Or maybe it's just that I don't drive on the freeways as often as I used to, now that I work only in the Santa Clarita Valley. In any case, it was not much fun!

Hopefully this is the last storm for a long time and we can have our Spring-like weather back...

80. Self Portrait 1

The first photo I posted on this Blog was a picture of Nicholas and me. Since then, I have not posted any more photographs of myself. Probably because I spend most of my time behind the camera! So today, I decided to try and take some self portraits. This is one of the first photo I took, while trying to set up the camera. It's not your typical portrait, but I like it.

Last night, the boys had an orthodontist appointment and began Phase 2 of their treatment; Nicholas got his bottom braces and Anthony got his top teeth wired for the first time. Right away, I could tell this was going to be a couple of rough days for them; at dinner, Anthony was already complaining that his front teeth were hurting. 

This morning, Nicholas reported that the pain woke him up in the middle of the night! And Anthony teared up after taking a spoonful of oatmeal (oatmeal!!!) and complained that his teeth were really sore.

It's in those instants that I feel powerless. It's hard to see your kids suffering... especially when there is nothing you can do. I wish I could make the pain go away, but all I can do is give them some Motrin and hope that it's enough. So I packed them some soup for lunch, and promised them a fruit smoothie when they got back home from school. At least, that seemed to cheer Anthony up!

79. Calm after the Storm

After yesterday's torrential rain,

and in between rain showers today,

I took this photograph.

Even though it is officially Spring,

Mother Nature had something else in mind!

It is cold and there is still rain in the forecast...

78. Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It's been raining since last night...

Rain all night,

Rain all day,

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

It's been a very boring day!

77. Missed opportunity

So yesterday's moon was supposed to be the biggest and closest to earth in decades. I had seen the moon Friday night. It was beautiful! But instead of taking photos of it, I decided to wait for last night, when the moon would actually be full. BIG MISTAKE! Last night was so cloudy and overcast that I didn't even get a glimpse of the moon.
I was planning on using photos of the moon for my Blog post last night, but it was obviously a failure. So instead, I took photos of breakfast this morning: Mini Chocolate Chips Pancake muffins.
I found the recipe on the internet somewhere and tried it a few weeks ago. They were delicious! And last night, Nicholas requested that I make them again this morning. So I told him that if his soccer scrimmage was canceled I would make them. Well, needless to say that with all the rain, the scrimmage was canceled!

76. Pre-school

I have a client who attends Tutor Time; The same daycare where Anthony and Christina went. Most of the teachers who taught Anthony and Christina left. But a few are still there and they do remember me. They don't remember my name or my kids' names but they remember my face. But today, I saw one of Christina's teacher and not only did she recognize me, but she remembered Christina.
We started reminiscing and I realized that it has been almost 5 years since Christina left Tutor Time. She started in the toddler room and graduated from pre-school at Tutor Time. She loved her school and loved her teachers. What's not to like? They would read her stories, let her play dress up and would rub her back at nap time... I remember these things because she would come home and do the same with her dolls. She would sit them in a circle and read them stories, making sure to show them the pictures. And she would lay them down, cover them with a blanket and rub their backs. It's like the quote: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". I guess she wouldn't pretend to be a teacher if they weren't nice to her!

75. St-Patrick's Day

Today, March 17th, was St-Patrick's Day. Originally, it was a religious holiday, celebrating Saint Patrick, patron Saint of Ireland. But over the years, it has become a celebration of Irish Culture in general. Personally, I don't really celebrate this day, other than wearing green for the occasion. So when it came time to take some photos for this Blog post, I first thought of photographing things that are green.
But then I remembered this Care Bear. His name is Lucky and he was mine when I was young. I don't remember who gave it to me and how old I was. But I remember that I used it as a good luck charm. It must of meant more to me, than my other stuffed animals and dolls because for some reason, I kept it all these years!
And then, when Christina was into Care Bears, a few years ago, I gave it to her.  She had a few other Care Bears and would cuddle with them from time to time. But now, all her Care Bear collection sits on the upper shelf in her closet and collects dust. When she cleaned up her room, in January, she wanted to donate all of them to Goodwill. But I wouldn't let her. I guess, Care Bears and especially this Lucky Bear still have sentimental value for me!

74. A Boy & His Dog

One of Anthony's "chore" is to play with Rocky everyday after school. 

He takes both dogs into the backyard and plays fetch with Rocky. 

I love taking action shots but for some reason,

I have never photographed Rocky playing fetch before.

The two of them are very cute to watch 

and I love the fact that Anthony does his "chore" with a big smile on his face!

"Come on Rocky. Let's go play!"

 

73. BBQ

Tonight's dinner: BBQ chicken breasts.

Today was beautiful with temperatures in the 80's. And with the change of time this weekend, we got to enjoy a little longer day than before. I really enjoy this time of year; Spring means I can finally fire up the BBQ and grill something without being cold and with enough light to see if it's cooked!
One of my favorite thing to grill is chicken breasts. I have tried different ways to season them, but my favorite is to simply brush some Kraft BBQ sauce in the last minutes of grilling. Add some mashed potatoes with gravy, and veggies and you get one of our family's favorite meal. Not to mention that the boys love to have some left over BBQ chicken for their lunch the next day!

72. Monday Night Lights

Allan had some work to do tonight so I spend the evening at the park. First with Christina who was practicing with the SCV Magic tonight. Then with Anthony who was also practicing soccer.

Thankfully it was a nice night; not too cold and not too windy! I enjoyed sitting and watching the two of them practicing. Having Allan coaching the kids is great! I don't have to be at the fields all the time... But once in a while, it's fun to watch how they are doing!

71. Purple

Lilac

Iris

Purple Lupine

Purple Lupine

Periwinkle

70. Polar Bear

Christina likes to go back and forth between the hot jacuzzi and the cold pool!

We are lucky enough to live in a community with a pool and a jacuzzi. The jacuzzi is heated year round but the pool is not heated during the Winter months. However, living in California, the water temperature is not extremely cold right now... So this afternoon, Christina played polar bear; she went back and forth between the cold pool and the hot jacuzzi. I remember doing the same thing when I was young; going from hot to cold and vice versa.  But now that I am older, I cannot remember what was fun about that!

69. Painting with Light

Light Party!

Experimenting with long exposures and camera movements.

I call this one a light party!

68. Nickname

Yesterday was the Golden Valley High School Winter Sports Banquet. Nicholas was invited as a member of the Frosh Soccer Team. Part of the evening is dedicated to recognizing Scholar Athletes: any athlete who maintained at least a 3.5 or better academic grade point average while playing for GVHS.

Nicholas is an excellent student and of course received an Award. Unfortunately, it was addressed to Nick Devantier rather than Nicholas Devantier. This is the second Scholar Athlete Award he receives since beginning High School and both were wrongly addressed! I spoke to his soccer coach at the beginning of the season and asked that his full name be used (at least on paper). I guess he forgot! This is a pet peeve of mine and Allan says I should just let it go. But I can't! I named my son Nicholas. His family and close friends call him Nicholas. Up until High School, all his Awards were addressed to Nicholas, not Nick.

I asked Nicholas if that's how he wants to be addressed later in life. Of course it's not and despite the fact that he always introduces himself as Nicholas, people continuously call him Nick. So I explained that it is his job to let people know how he wants to be addressed. Hopefully, he will tell his track coaches before he receives another Award for Nick Devantier!

67. Monster Cookies

Nathalie's Famous Monster Cookies

Today I was in the mood for my "Famous Monster Cookies". This is an old recipe that I have adapted and made it mine. They are great to give as a gift and most people agree with me that they are delicious! So without further do, here is the recipe:

Nathalie's Famous Monster Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup raisins

In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter, oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Add quick rolled oats, flour and baking soda. Mix to a smooth consistency then fold in chocolate chips and raisins. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350º F. Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozens.

66. Planning

We might go back to Placerita Canyon Park during Spring Break.

Spring Break is coming up soon; The kids are going to be out of school the first week of April. Allan and I will be taking the week off also. So I have begun to plan some activities: Six Flags Magic Mountain is definitely in the agenda. I bought the kids and myself a season pass and we are planning on going and spending a whole day there. 
If the weather permits, we would like to go to the beach... Nicholas is dying to go back and go skim boarding. And Anthony has already asked to go surfing.
We also talked about going back to Placerita Canyon Park and hike the "Waterfall Trail" like we did this weekend. And the boys would like to go back to Griffith Park; They went there during Winter Break with our good friend Greg Timbers and had a great time!
There are a lot more things that I would like to do but I have a feeling I am the only one. For example, I enjoy going to the zoo. But Allan and the kids find it boring. Whale watching sounds like fun, but that would be a little more expensive and would require another full day away from home.
Christina suggested ice skating and in the past, I would have loved to go and skate with the kids. But I know that it doesn't take long before they get bored and want to go home.
I will continue to plan and search for things to do. But I have a feeling that we will spend most of our time off at home, catching up on our list of things to do around the house, like we always do!

65. Try Outs Continue

Christina was invited to continue practicing with the SCV Magic GU9 team. After try outs last week, the coach of the team told Allan that he would like for her to continue practicing with the team. I guess she showed enough potential and hopefully she will continue to improve. But even if she doesn't make the team, this is an opportunity to get excellent training! So we talked to Christina and we agreed that she would practice with Magic on Mondays and with her AYSO tournament team on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We discussed this with the Magic coach and he agreed that 4 practices would be too much for her and we don't want her to burn out.
So today, I took her to the Magic practice and was pleased to see that she is doing fairly good with ball handling and drills. We know, that when if she wants to, she could be a very good soccer player... It's just up to her to make the best of this opportunity!

64. Waterfall Trail

Today was a beautiful day for hiking.

What a beautiful day today was! It was the perfect weather and temperature to go for a hike.

Lucky for us, Santa Clarita has plenty of hiking trails. So we went to Placerita Canyon Park and walked along the Waterfall Trail.

Since we had rain just this past Wednesday, there was plenty of water and the kids had fun. We took Rocky with us, but left Catie at home since she is getting too old for such a long hike.

After 2.6 miles and many creek/river crossings, we arrived a the waterfall. There was a lot of people there, so making our way to the top was a little tricky; The trail is not very wide and it was pretty slippery. The boys went all the way to the top. Christina and I went about half way up and Allan and Rocky stayed at the bottom and took a well deserved break!

Then it was time to make our way back to the car (another 2.6 miles to walk). In all, we walked a total of 5.2 miles and it took us approximately 2.5 hours. But it was worth it and we all agreed that we should go hiking more often!

63. Medley

Nicholas was a member of one of the Frosh Distance Medley teams running at the Canyon Cowboys Invitational. He ran the 1600m (1 mile) part of the Medley. He was the last runner on the team and completed his run in 5min 35 secs. It was a little different than running individually; there is the transfer of the baton which was not the best I have seen and there is the fact that you are running for a team which adds a little more pressure to do well. Nicholas said it was difficult to pace himself and judge how fast he was going because there was no runner immediately in front of him or behind. He ended up with a time pretty close to the one from Thursday, when he ran the 1600m individually. His Coaches were pretty happy with his effort. And I think he had fun, which is the most important thing.

62. Roots

Nicholas had his first Track Meet yesterday. He was not happy about his performance; He texted me : "I didn't place in either event". But today, he found out his results and realized that he had improved his time in the 1 mile by a full minute since last year! We all know that he is not a fast runner but Track is a way to improve his speed for longer distances. Cross Country, his new love, is a 3 miles race. Hopefully, running in Track meets will translate in Cross Country next season.
In the meantime, he is having fun, making new friends and keeping in shape while improving his running speed. Tomorrow, he is participating in the 4X800m Relay and the Long Distance Medley at the Canyon Cowboys Invitational. When I asked him why he volunteer for the 4X800m Relay (since he is not a very fast runner), he said to me: "Why not?". It certainly will be fun to watch!

61. View

A view from the courtyard. 

Today started out wet and foggy 

but ended up beautiful and sunny!

60. Creative Writing

Christina participated in the Sulphur Springs School District Teacher Association's Creative Writing Contest. Her story, titled: "The Littlest Christmas Tree" came in 5th place in her grade for the entire school. She was pretty proud. Personally, I think that if she had put in a little more effort into the whole thing, she could have placed higher. It's a great story, and her writing is very good. When she wrote her first draft, she had a lot of great ideas. But when it came time to write it all out, she got lazy and eliminated a lot of details that would have made the story even better.
It's interesting to watch her grow and develop. She is very smart and obviously creative;  But for some reason, she only puts in enough effort to get by. Apparently it's a trait of gifted children. She is still doing extremely well in school, so I should be happy... I just hope that, as she gets older, she will realize that if she would just put in a little more effort, she could do so much more!

59. March is here!

March is here which means that Spring is almost here!

I love Spring time. Not just for the weather, 

but also for the wonderful fresh fruits that come out in the Spring!

The blueberries have already arrived and are delicious.

And last Friday, imagine my joy, when I saw the gorgeous strawberries at the grocery store!

One of our family's favorite desert:

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!