March is zooming by...

Addy and I enjoyed day in Prunedale after a Friday Storm function.  We both had fun riding the trikes in the driveway.

Baseball season is already underway.  As you can see from the pictures, B is on the Phillies this year.  (A win in my book because he isn't a Dodger.)  He has moved up to Farm, where the kids pitch to each other.  In the first game, he put the ball in play on a 3-0 count.  I love that he is up there to get his hacks!

While B is busying playing ball, Addy is just busy.

After Opening Day, Jeff and I headed up to Salinas for a huge fundraiser for new sports fields, including a new football stadium.  We had a blast with the Schafers, Freitas, and Synders.  The main event of the night was a panel discussion with Herm Edwards, Ronnie Lott and Steve Young.  It was great event and we were honored to be a part of it.

We came to home to very loud frogs in our pond.  In fact responses to my FB post confirmed that the entire neighborhood can hear them.  A couple nights over the last week, we have gone frog hunting.

On St. Patrick's Day, we celebrated with scavenger hunt from Lucky the Leprechaun and a few rainbow cupcakes.

Cousins!

My brothers and I were lucky enough to grow up next door to our cousins.  We had playmates from the very beginning.  Nate and I were the oldest in both of our families.  Josh and Joey are only 6 weeks apart and were basically inseparable growing up.  And Luke being the youngest in both families had all of us to look after him and to look up to.  A lot of times cousins only see each other on holidays and family functions but for us it was an everyday thing.  And even though we had our moments, I would have had it any other way.  Growing up I didn't have to worry about having someone to play with, being bored, or someone to have my back because we always had each other.

Now we have our own families and live  a few hours  apart.  And I worried if B and Addy would be as close to their cousins as I was to mine.  But the last couple of times, the kids have all been together you would never know that they only see each other a handful of times a year.  All of 4 of them ran a muck at Uncle Joe's on Christmas, just like we would have in the day.  We all got a kick out of watching them run with sticks and play in the nasty fountain water.  

In January, Nathan and his family stopped in for a short visit.  Paul and Addy had a blast playing together.  And just like any good cousin should do Paul taught Addy a few new tricks, even though he resisted a bit.  B was at school, but Paul checked out his room and wished B was here to play too.

After last week's Storm dinner,  I stayed over at my parents house.  Paul came by to visit Addy for a bit.  They hung out and a donut together.  Addy and Olivia played together in the yard and rode the 3 wheelers down the driveway while we watched and even participated a bit.

I can only hope as they are for me, but they will be for my kids, too.  

"Cousins are those childhood playmates who grow up to be forever friends."

So much for that New Year's Resolution...

Well, yet another New Year's resolution of updating the blog has been broken.  I was shooting for monthly posts.   Technically it is still February but it has been almost 2 month between posts.

In the meantime, a basketball season has come and gone and baseball is in full swing.  B and his team the PMI Bulls has a great season.  They started off strong but the long lay off over the Christmas holiday really hurt their momentum.  B really enjoys playing basketball and he especially takes pride in his defense.  Can't wait until next year!  B is a Phillie this year for baseball and I consider that a win because we aren't the Dodgers.  This will be the first season of any sport that Jeff isn't the head coach, which will be a nice break for Jeff and B, too.

Addy is her usually self and her communication skills are increasing by the day.  Hopefully, this will lead to less screaming.  But, lately that hasn't been the case as she is definately knows what she wants and sometimes I have hard time translates.  For example today when we were leaving the doctor's office I thought she was saying she wanted "to draw" but she wanted a straw for her water.

The magnet in the center of the softball drew me back in.  I teamed up with my good friend, Jackie, to run a 6 week designed to introduce girls to the game of softball and get them ready for the upcoming rec league season.  We had an amazing turnout over 60 girls came through the clinic.  We were also very lucky to get great support from the Cal Poly softball, local high school players and some of my former players.  It was a great opportunity to share our love and knowledge of the game with young aspiring softball players.

When Jeff is not at work, coaching one of B's teams, or working around the house, he enjoys spending time golfing.  He has joined the local golf academy where he has access to the driving range and practice facilities.

Sorry for the catch-up post and if you are facebook you have probably already seen the pics.  I will try and get one out that is a little less boring, but don't hold me to it.

2012 is here...but this is how we finished up 2011

The holidays seem to have flown by and we enjoyed every minute of it.  Well, I am not so sure that Addy enjoyed the multiple times we took her to see Santa.  But, B and Addy did enjoy the feast of St. Nicholas to kick off the holiday season.

My mom and dad came down the first weekend in December to watch B play basketball.  Mom brought gingerbread houses for the kids to make but as you can see the kids weren't the only ones participating in the fun.

We opted to get our tree from Home Depot this year.  (Can't say that we will go there again next year, the tree was a good price but it was dropping a lot of needles by Christmas.)  The kids spent the afternoon decorating the tree while Jeff watched the 9er game and I worked on my Christmas projects.

The Coldani's stopped by for a short visit on their way home from SoCal.  The girls enjoyed a some time at the beach including getting "soaking wet."

Addy's first Santa experience this year was at Snow Day in Los Osos with the Schafers.  We ended up having a pic taken of B and Mikayla cause Addy and Blake weren't so keen on seeing Santa.  A little bribery ended up working with Blake, but not for Addy.  She was more interested in the sledding that she insisted on going by herself.

A couple days later we met Michelle in Slo and this is the closest Addy would get to Santa.  She did give him a wave or two.

My good friend, Julie and her family, gave B a great gift that gave him the opportunity to learn that it is better to give than receive and the true spirit of Christmas.  His present was a gift card along with a note that said he was to spend part of the card on a gift for someone in need.  We had a couple discussion on how and who the gift should be to and he choose the local police departments toy drive.  So early Friday morning before school we dropped off the gift, got a pancake breakfast, and had yet another chance to see Santa.

With our ornaments in handed and prepared for our performance, we headed to Grandma Aurelie's Christmas party.  My Grandma's Christmas parties are some of my fondest memories from my childhood, so I am glad that the family traditions have stayed strong.  The parties are always filled with lots of laughter, the Christmas spirit, and a tad bit of sheninghans.

After spending the day in Prunedale, we made our way to Livermore to visit with Jeff's brother's family and celebrate.  Addy and B enjoyed spending time and playing with their cousins.

We spent the week before Christmas finishing up our projects.

At the end of the week, we headed to the Red Dirt Christmas Party for some ALOHA and yet another visit with Santa.

B and Addy made giant gingerbread men for Santa, exchanged their gifts to each other, and headed to bed because "the sooner and longer you sleep the sooner Santa will be here and the better the presents will be."

Santa made it!  And the kids enjoyed every minute of opening gifts Christmas morning.

After they finished opening gifts, my mom and dad arrived and they got to do it all over again.  We finished off our day with a "Linner" together.

There was even enough time to do a little sword fighting with Poppa.