My California Boys

There is nothing better then hangin' out in the summer sun with the boys!!!

Playing with the boys all morning sure wears the old boy out!!!

Nothing like a nap in the shade!!!

Hope your enjoying your summer sun!!!

Until next time............

love from San Diego

Up!

We took the boys to see Up in 3D on Saturday night!

We all really liked it and the boys loved wearing the glasses!

Nick called them his "sunglasses!" Until next time................

love from San Diego

From the Office of the Commandant!!

A few months ago we went here......

MCRD San Diego

To listen to the music of these musicians....... "The Commandant's Own" The Drum and Bugle Corps!

And to watch the precision of these Marines.............

The Silent Drill Platoon!!

My boys watched in amazement and enjoyed the performance!
These Marines really made an impression on Jack. When we came home from MCRD that day Jack asked if he could write a letter to General Conway to tell him about his Marines. So, Jack sat down at his desk and wrote this.........
When he was done, he put his letter in this envelope and sent it to General Conway via Pops!

Well, then a few weeks ago this picture was on usmc.mil on the Commandant's page!

Jack was so excited to see General Conway holding his letter!!


But the most exciting part was still yet to come............

Friday we went to our mailbox to find a large brown envelope addressed to Jack from the office of the Commandant! Oh my gosh, Jack was beyond excited -- what could be inside?

The expression on his face when he opened that envelope speaks for itself!

Inside his package was a signed picture of General Conway holding Jack's letter!!! My boy was so thrilled!!!

Also, inside the package was this..............

Yes, that is the Commandant's coin!! Jack loves to collect USMC coins and this one is the "greatest, neatest, coolest one I have!"

My boy with his picture and coin from the Commandant!!!
So exciting and so cool!!!


Until next time.............
love from San Diego

"Now I Know My ABC's!"

Until next time.......love from San Diego

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

Swim School!!

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday you will find us at the swimming pool for swim lessons!

Murray Callan is a family owned swim school here in PB for over 60 years and comes very highly recommended!!! I was told that this school was excellent and would have my boys swimming like fish in no time at all! Well, that is true!! The boys love their lessons and their teacher is fantastic! Jen in just 5 thirty minute classes, has gotten Jack diving off the side and swimming the length of the pool and Nick going down to pick things up off the bottom of the pool!! It is amazing!!!

I'm so glad that we found this school and signed the boys up for their lessons. We will finish our lessons the end of the month and I'm hoping to get the boys into their second set of lessons when we come home from our trip back east in July!!

Jack swimming with his teacher Jen!

Jen working with Nick!!!!
Along with pictures I just had to share these videos of the boys during lessons!!! I'm so proud of Jack and Nick with their swimming!! I just love watching them enjoy the water!!!

Nick "diving" to the bottom to get a toy!


Jack diving and swimming the length of the pool!!


Until next time..............
love from San Diego

The 1st Year is Done!!!

I can't believe it's over! 1st Grade is done!

Yesterday was Jack's last day of 1st grade!!!

This year has gone by so fast and what an amazing year it has been for our Jack!!! It seems just like yesterday that it was September and we got the phone call saying that Kate Sessions Elementary School had a spot for Jack in Mrs. Barker's 1st grade class!! We were so excited to get Jack into KSES and we were so blessed that he again this year got such a wonderful teacher. Mrs. Barker was the perfect 1st grade teacher for Jack. He loves her so much and enjoyed learning and being in her class.

Here is a look back at what a wonderful 1st grade year Jack had!!!

Jack's 1st Day of 1st Grade -- Mrs. Barker's Class Room 7!

The Halloween Carnival!!

Thanksgiving Feast!!

Performing at the Christmas Concert!

Class Christmas Party -- the kids had a great time decorating and eating cookies!

Spring time and Jack ran in the Jog-a-thon and raised over $100.00 for his school!

The kids really enjoyed their field trip that Mrs Barker took them on to the Wild Animal Park!
I know one of the great highlights for Jack was the Chicks!!! He was so excited the weekend we brought them home!!!

World Day -- Jack loved dressing up like a tourist!!!

What a great year!!! And here is Jack with his wonderful teacher!!!

Jack and Mrs. Barker!!!

Mrs. Barker's last day of school was last Thursday (she had a family event to attend) so the last two days of school were a little different because she wasn't there.

When I asked Jack what he would like to give Mrs. Barker for her end of the year gift he said "I want to make something for her." So, since Jack likes to read so much we decided that we would get her a gift certificate to a book store and he would make her a book mark!! Perfect!! He did a great job with it!

Here is the front of his book mark for Mrs. Barker:

And the back:

I just think he did a great job! We made the gift bag for her as well and here is Jack on his way to school with his present for Mrs. Barker on her last day!!!

Mrs. Barker on her last day with her class!!! What a fun group of kids!
I guess that brings us to yesterday!!

The LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Here is my boy on his last day as a 1st Grader!!!

I don't know what you think, but I think he sure has grown up this year!!!

His report card came home in his backpack! Here he is checking out those grades!!!!

In all subject areas Jack's grades were "advanced"!!!

(Here they don't get A's, B's, or C's -- they get "advanced", "proficient", "basic", "below basic".)

We are just so proud of him!!!

He has worked really hard and done wonderful in class, has made some really good friends, earned IB awards, enjoyed great field trips and assemblies, celebrated with his class at holiday parties, and has even lost his first tooth!! 1st Grade sure has been exciting!!!!

Thank you Mrs. Barker for making Jack's 1st grade year so memorable!!! He has loved every minute of it and miss you greatly next year!!!!

1st Grade is over and now I have a 2nd grader living with me!!!! But until September we have SUMMER and we can't wait for all the fun we will have in the next 11 weeks!!!

Good bye 1st Grade!!!!

"ITS BEEN LOTS OF FUN!!!"


Until next time............

love from San Diego

Fish, Golf Balls, and Legos!

We had another AMAZING, WONDERFUL, FUN weekend!!!

Saturday morning we were having a San Diego "June gloom" morning so we decided to head out to La Jolla to go to Birch Aquarium. At the entrance we were greeted by these two giant whales that the boys thought were just out of this world.

We enjoyed looking at all the tanks filled with all kinds of fish........
But what could make the boys stop in their tracks and stare like this?

This incredible kelp tank!!!

It is truly amazing!

We really enjoyed the aquarium and by the time we left the sun was shinning!!

So, we decided to head to Del Mar ("where the surf meets the turf") to go play mini golf!!! Pelly's Ocean Adventure course was all done with the animals that live in the seas so the boys loved every hole!!! We really had a great time!!!

Both Jack and Nick channelled their inner "Happy Gilmore" and we had some wild golf!!!

Jack!!

Nick!!

This course was so much fun and we look forward to going back many more times!!!

Sunday morning we got up bright and early and headed north to Carlsbad to take the boys to LegoLand for the day!!! Wow, the park was so much fun and we had a great time!!! There were so many fun and wonderful rides and activities for the boys to do!!

The first part of the park we went to was "Dino Land" (anybody shocked by that? yeah, me either!)

While Nick and Daddy went digging for dinos.............

Jack and I rode the "DinoCoaster!!" So fun!!!!

All over the park there are areas for the kids to stop and play!! This area was called Water Works and the boys LOVED it!!! We had a great time dancing to the music while the instruments played and shot water everywhere!!!

Both of the boys went to the Volvo Driving School and got their California drivers license!!! They had a great time driving those Lego cars!!!

Here is Nick in his car on the 3-5 year old track!!!

Jack driving his car on the 6-13 year old track!!! This track was so cool!! It was like a real road.......with stop signs, traffic lights and lanes!!! Jack loved it!!!

The boys had a great time flying the helicopters!!!

After a break for lunch we went to one of the best rides of the day!!! The boys had such a great time riding in the fire truck!!! The idea of the ride is that you get into your truck and then "drive" it down to fight the fire!! Once your fire was put out, you got back in your truck and drove to back to the parking spot!!!

Fightin' the fire!!!

All the boys had a really great time with this ride!!!

Then it was time to get back into the air and fly some planes!!!

We finished our day at Lego Land on the water with a friendly little race!!! Jack and Daddy vs Nick and Momma!!! It was so much fun and the perfect way to finish our day!!!

Until next time..............

love from San Diego