This is how you balance a box of Salad Rolls on your lap, in the car, while you use the camera phone....
We were out to dinner and sitting close together in a booth.
Derek fluffed my bangs and said, "You look different."
Me: "I cut some more bangs, do you like it?"
Derek: "You look like you are in college!"
Well I just laughed. I don't know what that means, but I'll take the compliment.
Field Trip to Mission Trails Regional Park.
See the Old Mission Dam (formerly called Padre Dam) Built by the Kumeyaay Indians for the Missionaries and the San Diego Mission. Completed in 1815.
From the Mission Trails Website (click above)
"While all of the California missions had some sort of water delivery system, the dam and flume constructed for the Mission San Diego de Alcala was by far the most ambitious. Built across the head of Mission Gorge, the 244-foot long, 13-foot thick, 13-foot wide dam was constructed of stone and cement on exposed bedrock, creating a permanent reservoir behind it. Water was released through gates and spillways into a 6-mile long gravity fed tile lined flume, down the gorge and Mission Valley, ending in a settling basin near the Mission. Construction was completed by 1815 and the padres had the water they needed."
Today, April 23rd, is William Shakespeare's 393rd birthday.
Imagine the candles.
Interestingly, Shakespeare had the courtesy to die on his birthday.
Which helps high school students, during English tests, to
easily remember April 23rd as both his birth date AND his death date.
Ever wonder if that pizza is still good? How about storing leftover veggies in the same can they came in?
Just got to see the Hannah Montana The Movie Special Advance Screening!
some awesome blogs and books about living Vegan! I have to share......
I've been following the Twitter of others for a while and finally joined.
Finally another option away from dreaded I E.
While on our trip skiing, my laptop got the dreaded blue screen of death several times. It was happening before I left, so I was not shocked. Both of the other husbands tried to help me out but it seemed to get worse. (my dh can turn a computer on & off)
It was time to get a new laptop. I've been looking at them since Nov. But with the holidays and money tight, I’ve been putting it off. They were having a March madness sale and I was in a shopping mood.
My warranty on the old laptop is up on 3/31. I’ve been on the phone with my now good friends & buddies in India for several days. Finally a very nice young man in New Delhi asked his supervisor to send me a new hard drive. :)
So a new hard drive, empty, came on Wed and I had to load everything on there. I got an external hard drive and did a a backup. Little did I know until yesterday that it only backed up files, NOT programs. Well at least my pictures and documents are safe. I don’t think it saved my email addresses or old email though. You’ll have to email me so I can put you in my address book. I’m trying to be positive and see it as a Lenten Purge. Out with all those unknown email addresses and start over this Easter with a clean neat contact book.
And while still working on that on Friday, with a nice Indian man on the phone for over an hour, my new Dell laptop arrived.
It is pretty! 
Well time to go work on my bookmarks, favorites and read some blogs. Thank goodness for Google Reader. Everyone is still there and I don’t have to keep the info in my laptop.
The neighbors caught a Rattlesnake in their back yard.
warning! not for the queasy at blood & dead snakes……..
They put it in the bottom of a trash can while they cut it’s head off.
I came to see it when my husband called but after a quick glance into the trash can I backed away. Then stood far away as they were killing it and left when they were done. I don’t know, I felt bad killing an animal but it is so dangerous that we couldn’t let it live in the neighborhood.
The kids had the camera and took plenty of pictures. And a video of getting ready to slice it open (it is headless)
This video is short it shows the headless snake moving.
Later (not in the video) they sliced open the belly of the snake and took the skin off.
The kids got to see it’s heart & last meal and other entrails.
We can call it homeschool science for the day!
After they skinned it they pinned the skin on cardboard. Very interesting. Amazing to see & touch the skin.
Helloooo family, friends and fellow bloggers….
I’m home alone on a Saturday.
YEAH I'm loving the quiet.
Geoff took the boys out on our boat to look for whales. They migrate by San Diego on their way to Mexico.
Well, actually, Katie is home but she is being a Mom’s helper at the neighbor’s house and they come and go from our house.
The kids are 1 & 3 and our house is “THE PLAYGROUND”.
She brings them over to slide, swing & trampoline for a while and then they go back to their own house.
SO I’m having lots of time to catch up on months of entries on my blog.
Really, months & months!
If you are a regular reader… I think there are a couple of you out there.....
You might want to back-track a couple pages to check out some of the highlights of our months.
Please leave a comment just to say Hi… pretty please.
Derek’s birthday 10/30
11/5/08 to the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.
Katie’s birthday on Dec. 3 and her party pictures.
12/5 Field trip to Wolf Center Encounter
The Christmas Play 12/14
Christmas pictures.
Field trip to the Point Loma Light House. (a partially failed one)
New years @ Lego Land
Field trip to Cabrillo Monument. ...success with the park ranger!
Ski trips in January and February to Big Bear Mountain.
Thanks for sharing our Family & Homeschool Adventures with us on our Blog.
Come Back Soon.
Today draw a small heart on the back your hand.
Every time you see the heart give a child a compliment, tell them "I Love You", give a loving glance, a hug or kiss.
If your spouse or one of your children is not around give yourself a compliment or hug!
We were able to go skiing again on Wednesday.
California had a huge rain storm over Fri - Tues and we knew Wed was going to be clear so Geoff wanted to go up and ski. This may be the last time we go this winter. We had a fun day.
When went in January James took snowboard lessons while the other two did skiing. This time both boys did snowboarding and Katie did skis.
There was so much snow that it took 2 hours to get up the mountain road. Luckily our truck didn't need chains but other cars did and it slowed everyone down.
It was a beautiful clear day and the snow was so pretty on the trees and it sparkled in the sunlight on the ground. It was very good skiing snow. A little bit of powder and not much ice.
Video of Katie skiing. You can see Derek a couple times in the background in the tan jacket.
Here is Geoff helping Derek learn to Snowboard.
My perfectionist 6 year old strapped on boots & a snowboard for the first time in the lift line and rode the lift up the "bunny hill" and expected to be able to snowboard down.
He did so well!! But you can see him hitting his fists when he falls down in frustration. We couldn't convince him how awesome he was doing on his Very First try on a snowboard. We did this 2 times and then it was time to go to take his lesson. Unfortunately the lessons ended at 4 and the lifts closed at 4 so we were not able to take him up after the lessons to see what he learned.
Hopefully we'll make another trip this season.
Katie on skis
