Full speed ahead!

Summer is cruising at ramming speed with Daniel starting his 3^rd week of Junior Lifeguards on Monday. He is physically exhausted, building muscles and sleeping like a baby.

First Day of Junior Life Guards

 Lucas has been missing for almost two weeks, going to Lake Tulloch with the church youth group for Fryathon. He had an awesome time wake boarding, tubing and flying off the Banana Boat.

Lucas is front right

Guess what? He returned with a mullet haircut and sunburn (both bad). Reminding myself that a haircut is not a tattoo, I’ve embraced the joy of seeing his eyes unhidden by his usual scraggly hair. Now I can see his handsome face! But oh, it is a butcher’s cut. And he loves it.

Just say NO to Mullets and Sunburns

This past week his Arizona friend, Jenny, visited California. Lucas tagged along on trips to Universal Studios, Magic Mountain, and Malibu Beach. It was non-stop!


Jenny and Lucas ... They sort of looked related!

These two share a special friendship, having met on a Mammoth Ski trip put on by Camp Del Corazon six years ago. These two teens have the biggest hearts and I mean that! Jenny's parents joined us for a BBQ hosted by Overboard at Larryland. Cutie Pie and Baby Benson hung out with us too!

Have I mentioned that  I am in love with my nephew? Benson is oodles of fun! So sweet, so innocent, and kid silly. I’m hooked!

Yesterday, Lucas and I visited Santa Barbara to start his 24-hour Holter monitor heart test. This is to make sure his ticker is clicking, as it should. He will remove the wires (think Million Dollar Man) just in time to attend a wedding today.

Chicken Report:  All our nine feathered friends are alive and we currently receive three eggs a day. We have had a couple days with four eggs and this means another one is starting to lay. It is crazy to think that soon all nine chickens will be laying. Nine eggs a day? Just receiving  three eggs a day, I have been handing out half-dozen eggs like flyers for an upcoming event (stop by for yours today).

Hands down, working in Education is the best job for a mom. You can’t beat having summers off to recharge (and shop at Target – it’s clearance time!).  This is the season to appreciate all the blessings I’ve missed when I was zooming to work.  

Cheers to Summertime, CLINK!

Fighting breast cancer the fun way

Never did I anticipate rolling dice and drinking margaritas in the name of breast cancer. However on Saturday, Sue Stonehouse and Pam MacCallum presented their fourth annual Rolling for Pink fundraising (RFP).

RFP started as a group of women who initially met playing Bunko, a dice game. They decided to do their part to help the cause in the most fun way they knew how - a big Bunko tournament.

Over the past three years, with nearly 750 total tournament participants, RFP has proudly donated $75,000 to a major cancer research group, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Their goal this year was to surpass last year’s Tournament/Auction total and reach the total of $100,000 donated to the BCRF.

Having watched my friend Janet fight and struggle through breast cancer this past year, I felt inspired to round up a group to participate in this tournament where all proceeds are donated to finding a cure. Who knew helping fight this icky battle could be put in such a fabulously fun context?

Bunco Buddies - Breast Cancer Survivor Janet is far left. I'm so thankful she's feeling better;0)

The afternoon started with a live band, silent auction, delicious food and margaritas served by “Bunko Boys.” These cute waiters roamed the tournament looking to serve the women playing; getting drinks, taking photos or helping with the game.

Their pink shirts were adorned on the back with funny breast cancer sayings, like “Free Second Opinions,”  “Save the Jigglies,” “Local CSI: Cup Size Inspector,” "Save Second Base," and “If you are reading this I can’t see your boobs”. At one point, it felt like a Mexican vacation with one Bunko Boy saddled up and ready to pour shots!

Down the hatch! OLE!

Three rounds of Bunko were played (each round included six games). Winners were narrowed down to a semi-final. I couldn't believe I made it to this exciting round! Then one finalist won and was awarded $2500. It wasn’t me or any of the fourteen gals in our group. Our friend Reagan was the Biggest Loser at her three tables and took home beautifully potted flowers. I bought twenty dollars worth of raffle tickets and it ended up a good investment. I won a $25 gift card to Whole Foods and, ironically enough, 4 Mc Donald’s Extra Value Meals (don’t tell my arteries).

Nice prize! It makes you wish you were a loser!

Even without taking home a prize, the best part was hanging out with vibrantly-alive-fun-loving ladies. Everyone attending RFP hoped to share some laughs while helping battle a disease that affects so many we love and care about.

Summer Suggestions

Are you experiencing lazy summer days? Are you looking for something to do? Here are some ideas:

1.       Make vanilla pudding. Put in mayonnaise jar. Eat in public.

2.       Wear shirt that says “Life.” Hand out lemons on street corner (this one is tempting).

3.       Run into a store, ask what year it is. When someone answers, yell, “It worked!” and run out cheering.

4.       Become a doctor. Change last name to Acula. (Ba-Dum-Boom!)

5.       Buy a parrot. Teach the parrot to say, “Help! I’ve been turned into a parrot.”

Daniel is the Chicken Whisperer

6.       Play in the chicken coop with your growing brood.

We have been lost in suggestion #6. My family added more baby chickens to the Cape Cod Coop last weekend, pushing the chicken count to nine.  The darling newbies are socialized and a fresh addition to the bossy three hens that run that place. No eggs from the new little ones, but these birds are more fun than those mean laying hens; Louise, Chatty Kathy and La Cola.

Note The Weiner Sisters scheming their break in.  



Cuddly Bantams Queen and Boots with Pullet One and Pullet Two hanging on the wood pile

 Who needs more eggs when you can watch Pullet One and Pullet Two huddle together on the wood pile?  

Or, play with the sweetest fluff-ball bantams named Boots and Queen, that love to be held?  Or, let Spud (Roadrunners new BFF) jump on your arm? Or eat from your hand?

Our menagerie is more entertaining than television and breeds family time. Let's face it, you would have to be a tad-weird to eat  pudding out of a mayonnaise jar in public.  However, my older son would love to try it. I rest my case.

Just Kidding. This teen is awesome!

Balance Tip: Have a summer game plan

Daniel at his Promotion Ceremony - 6th grade here we come!

What do you NEED and WANT to accomplish this summer? Allow your brain to dump everything that is a priority this summer and draft out which projects you could do each week.

As Graduations and Promotion Ceremonies end, now is the time to map out summer plans. Things I NEED to do are cart kids to band camp, junior lifeguards and basketball camp. Other “no fun” jobs will be to clean closets, complete a Holter-monitor-heart test for Lucas, re-organize my kitchen, keep the house clean (ick!), do touch-up painting and other house projects and convince my son to get a haircut. Then of course, I need to return to fourth grade in August to prep for a new school year.

Some fun  plans  I WANT to do include camping with my family, visiting Kauai (Aloha!), sitting poolside sipping wine and doing back flips into the water (but not in that order), attend a special wedding, watch fireworks, play with my nephew, sit on the beach, visit Magic Mountain, mind my garden and keep our chickens alive.

Summer is a great time to recharge and have fun. You can do both if you have focus and a plan!