Sea World

Last week we went to Sea World San Antonio (finally). It was so much fun to go on a trip together. Sometimes you wonder if all the preparation and packing is worth it, but it was, without doubt. We spent all of our time in the water park since it was like 100 degrees. Despite the heat, the children did extrememly well and were uncomplaining. It was a very quiet ride home, they were all knocked out. Abram was so tired, he did that head-back-mouth-wide-open sleep. Poor guy.
And I'm happy to report that not one of my fair babes was sunburned. Not even Brian, the fairest of them all. But because I was concerned about everyone else, I completely forgot to reapply block to myself and burned my shoulders. Holy Cow! I feel so bad for Bri, I had no idea it can be so painful.


The girls LOVE room service. Girls after my own heart. I love it too. It's so fun to watch them get so giddy when they hear the knock on the door knowing that good eats are to follow. I have to say that it really is the easiest way to get all the kids fed before heading out to an all day event. Or maybe I'm just lazy enough to like eating in bed. Why not when you're unconcerned about crumbs in the bed? Maybe that's the real luxury.


And this is what Abram was doing while the girls enjoyed room service. He had the bed all to himself and was sleeping so peacefully. Then very suddenly, he opened his little browns, yawned while raising his arms and then announced, "AH-Dun." We all burst out laughing which of course prompted more antics from our little clown. He's getting such a personality.

I love how having a little brother allows the girls to see all things anew through his eyes. They want to show him everything, and protect him from everything else. I adore them.






As a side note: This family picture is dated June 19, 2008 which Bri thought important to remind the children is also the date I was baptized as a Latter-day Saint 14 years ago. He's so thoughtful to kind of make it a family holiday. He likes to tell them some pretty sweet stories about me and prompts them to be grateful to me for my decision. I love that.
On our way to Sea World he asked, "Does anyone know why today, June 19th, is important? BESIDES going to Sea World?"
It was quiet for a minute and then Marin said, "I know, I know! Today is Juneteenth, the day we celebrate the end of slavery in the United States."
Bri and I were grasping at dates learned in our undergrad. It turns out she's right. Our own little random fact Hulsipedia. But Brian steered them back to the point and made sure we didn't forget what's become a little family tradition. Thanks Bri.

Moving on Up

Marin and Santi with teamers Autumn and Sienna in their new team suits

Santi is moving on up through the ranks and shaving full seconds off of her times. And she has yet to understand the power of her kick. She pretty much just pulls. This was confirmed on Friday when we went to a Stroke Clinic (not the medical kind) by the local USA Swim Club. They took underwater video of the girls to critique their strokes. The coach couldn't believe that such a tiny girl could rely so heavily on her little arms when she's got these superhuman strength Hulse legs. I agreed that when she finally kicks it, she'll be ferocious.
Lucky for Marin, she'll move up to the next age bracket and won't be chased down by her little sister. Santi liked that idea and is currently considering using her kick. "I'll think about it." That's so cute. Oh, and when Santi passed by the underwater camera, she made sure to slow down, look straight into the lens, and smile. Then she picked up her pace to finish up. Our Santi.

Marin's start has improved by leaps and bounds (pun intended). She's quick off the block and we can see her trying to extend herself. She'll be working more on her tumble turn this week. She has this strong aversion to it but knows that eventually, she'll have to do it in a race. She's been sitting pretty in lane 4 and doesn't want to blow it. We explained that it's worth the risk of coming in second or third or tenth, if she can get comfortable with doing it. Her competition tumble turns and has closed the gap a little which has given Marin more motivation.

It is seriously between Marin and Esmer (from Edinburg) every time. At first, Marin finished long before her. But you can tell that Esmer is on a mission, boy. Esmer has a team shirt that says, "Get out of Lane 4." Marin made the connection yesterday and was like, "Hey, that's my lane. She wants to beat me." Pretty much. But every time, Marin is there to give her a high five. And that beats everything in my book.

The meet was great and although the girls were a little tired from a trip to Sea World San Antonio 2 days before (I'll blog about that later), they did fantastic. It was crazy hot and humid, which Abram could not fully appreciate (nor being denied access to the pool) so we left before the 50 free times were posted. I'll insert those later. And I'll have to wait for Brian to get back to upload the video. Actually, the girls swam in the same heat for every race (which shows Santi's improvement that she moved into the last heat, at least for this meet), so the videos are wide angle again. We'll see what we can do.

25 Free
1) Marin (MISS) 19.15 [+.07]
2) Esmer (EDIN) 19.34
3) Lilly (MISS) 25.
4) Madison (MCAL) 25.50
5) Lauren (MISS)
6) Monica (EDIN) 25.87
7) Annautica (MISS) 28.
8) Santi (MISS) 28.47 [-3.91]
9) Jocelyne (MISS) 29.18
10) Gabriella (MISS) 31.12
11) Falon (MCAL) 31.88
12) Caroly (MISS) 34.50

25 Back
1) Marin (MISS) 24.88 [-3.15]
2) Falon (MCAL) 28.21
3) Lilly (MISS) 29.12
4) Sienna (MISS) 33.53
5) Monica (EDIN) 34.95
6) Santi (MISS) 35.50 [-2.12]
7) Madison (MCAL) 39.66
8)
9)
10)
11)

50 Free
1)

Note to self: Edinburg has a meter pool. Cimarron has a short yard pool. Mission and McAllen have regulation yard pools. Remember that in time conversions.

I Scream, You Scream, Abram Screams...

The other day before we even finished dinner, Brian jumped up from the table and ran outside. I figured he was getting another call that he needed to take outside. But then the girls heard the faint sound that is magic to every child's ear. And they couldn't wait to introduce their baby brother to his first ice cream truck experience. When I went outside, I realized why Bri had burst out of the house. He had already waved down the ice cream truck and was waiting for his girls (who were sure to follow). I love that Brian did this. It was the perfect ending to a stressful day of running around in hot weather.

Time, is on our side...

Yes it is.
Both Marin and Santi improved their times dramatically. (And honestly, we're pretty sure this pool was short of 25 yards. I guess we'll see how the times jive with the next meet. They'll probably go up. But the girls are pleased that they improved nevertheless.) They each swam the same events as last week: 25 Free, 25 Back, 50 Free.

We had so much fun. Which speaks volumes considering we have to be there at 7 am for the girls to warm up. Bri was out of town this morning for an early morning Bishops Devotional for Girls Camp (church stuff). But because the swim meet started an entire hour late (thanks Cimarron), he was able to make it. He walked in just as Marin started her first race. He didn't miss a thing. Thank goodness.

Bri totally earned the Father's Day appreciation he'll receive tomorrow. He was so awesome to watch Abram the whole time. And I mean "watch" in the most active sense. Abram tried jumping into the pool and would've made it if not for Bri's quick reflexes. He's the most daring water baby we've ever had. He thinks he can swim and flails his little arms and froggy kicks his little legs. It's too funny. But not in the middle of a race. Can you imagine having to call those swimmers back because of us? I guess it's just a matter of time, really. When it happens, I'm just going to point to Bri and say, "Isn't that YOUR baby?" This is where the children's sole resemblence of their father will work in my favor. At last!

The heats are usually organized by ascending times, but this meet was a little chaotic. Lucky for us, the girls were in different heats so we were able to focus on one at a time.

The video below is Santi in the 25 Free. She's done so well and we keep reminding her that this is her rookie season and she's swimming against girls about 2 years older. That tends to put a smile on her face. We're also so happy for her that she did a tumble turn for the first time on her 50 free! It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. If I can trim the video, I'll post it soon. Adorable.



Below is Marin's 50 Free. She's in the closest lane. They only swam four lanes per heat (taking forever, forever, forever) and since the heats weren't organized by times, Marin didn't swim with the girls who finished closest to her time. So we weren't sure how well she did until they posted the results.


And again, I'm sorry about the loud mouth. I asked the girls if they want me to cheer even if they can't hear me. They said yes. And I do, just in case they can. It's crazy, I seriously get so excited. When we watched the video of Santi's 25 Free, she was like, "Mom, how come you weren't cheering?" Because Dad was filming it and he happens to be a little more considerate of other people. But if you listen hard enough, you can still hear me. Far away. On the other side of the pool. Out of context and on the video, I sound hysterical. Oops. Bri said who cares. I really should get over myself.

The girls should be able to try out for the relays pretty soon since regionals are in 3 weeks. We'll keep you posted.

25 Free
(there were about 18 swimmers, but I only listed a context for both Marin and Santi)
1) 19.08 Marin (Miss) -3.52 from last meet
2) 21.72 Esmer (Edin)
3) 24.40 Lauren (Miss)

9) 31.47 Elizabeth (Miss)
10) 32.38 Santi (Miss) -3.68 from last meet
11) 35.85 Miranda (Miss)

25 Back
1) 28.03 Marin (Miss) -5.95 from last meet
2) 31.75 Sienna (Miss)
3) 33.56 Jocelyn (Miss)
4) 34.46 Annautica (Miss)
5) 36.49 Lauren (Miss)
6) 37.42 Santi (Miss) -17.16 from last meet
7) 39.94 Elizabeth (Miss)
8) 40.00 Sara (Miss)
9) 53.97 Miranda (Miss)

50 Free
1) 45.22 Marin (Miss) -7.05 from last meet
2) 48.69 Esmer (Edin)
3) 51.45 Sienna (Miss)
4) 1:00.54 Victoria (McAl)
5) 1:00.91 Lauren (Miss)
6) 1:07. 60 Annautica (Miss)
7) 1:12.94 Jocelyn (Miss)
8) 1:21.81 Elizabeth (Miss)
9) 1:22.50 Santi (Miss) -13.13 from last meet
10) 1:23.46 Sara (Miss)

Under Pressure

That David Bowie song was stuck in my head for weeks, which is how long it took us to pressure wash the fence and deck and then finally stain it. Just in time for the Luau. An undertaking of dramatic proportions. Bri went through 3 pressure washers until this one did it. Boys and their toys.
It was love at first sight for Abram. I'm telling you that it was plain criminal to tear him from his beloved shiney, red, machine (well at least according to him). But Marin was Queen Under Pressure. Unlike Abram, she was lucky enough to get her hands on it. It was so cute to see her wield all that force; her little frame pinned to the side of the house while washing the fence. She and Santi also helped stain and did a pretty good job. Total team players. Even Elders Talbot and Tyler helped out a little. Here is Abram longing to be near the pressure washer. He stood whining at the gate for a solid 15 minutes. I don't think I've seen Abram do any ONE thing for so long. I guess we can safely say his attention span is increasing. ...and Bri wondered if we would find other uses for the pressure washer. I think the photo above clearly illustrates that we did.

Luau 2008

The Saturday before school was out, we had a luau with the kids from both Marin's and Santi's classes. So that added up to quite a few kiddos running around the backyard. Fortunately, the backyard is where they stayed. Thank goodness. The day itself was really fun, but I can't say as much for the preparation. I spent most of my time staining the deck and the rest of the fence since Bri left town without getting to finish it. Poor guy had to do little by little until time just plum ran out. He came home the night before the luau. So this year, our luau was bereft of decorations. Which is a shame because we'd saved some great ones from last year and had recently picked up a few new ones. Oh well, there's always next year.

We're so happy Santi's teacher, Mrs. Castillo, came with her 3 kids. Solei and Darci above bumped heads on the tramp and were none too happy for a while. Sad friends. They got over it shortly. The Rubios came which meant our Abram got to play with their Abram. He is such a doll! And the popsicles were the kids' fav. Aio had two or three! I got the tropical creamsicles and made sure I stored away a package just for Bri.

Both of Marin's teachers, Mrs. Guzman and Mrs. Gutierrez, came with their families and so did the vice principal, Mrs. Reyes (her son was in Santi's class this year). It cracks me up how 8 and 9-year-olds crammed into the kiddie pool. I guess the water was really warm, so that's where they chose to eat their popsicles after swimming. It just occurred to me that there's only two reasons why a kiddie pool is warm. One is because it's small and the water heats quickly and the other... gross!

And there's a picture of Abram who was slightly furious to not be swimming at his leisure. We didn't want him lost in the commotion, but he still didn't appreciate being cooped up.

We hired a lifeguard (who is also Santi's coach for team) and I'm so glad we did. We ended up having quite a few little ones with floaties. We had lots of food and lots of fun getting to know the kids and their families a little better. The girls are already looking forward to next year. What? Luckily, we have all year to recover.

Firsts

Today was the day of "Firsts"

It was the first swim meet of the season.
Since school let out a little late this year, we weren't sure we would be ready. But everyone was excited and the girls were so giddy. It was fun packing snacks and charging the camera battery. This is the only year Santi and Marin are in the same age bracket until Santi is 13 (and if they're still swimming by then). So we're loving it.

It was Santi's first meet ever.
Although she was slightly nervous, she stuck to it and did extremely well for her first time. Poor thing worried a lot about dropping her knee on her start or slipping off the blocks. Fortunately they won't be using blocks until the third meet. Phew! She was relieved.

Marin swept first in every event she swam.
And by a long shot, full seconds each time. Bri and I were left stunned, looking at each other like, "Oh my gosh! Did you just see that?" It really is evidence that hard work pays off. Last year Marin worked her way up but never finished in the top 5 overall. She went to State with a relay and bought a shirt that says, "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. 24/7." I thought it was so cute that she identified with the shirt. She understood that other girls had natural talent, but she had perserverance. And today, she knocked EVERYONE's socks off!

Marin and Santi swam in the same heat for backstroke and placed one and two.
I thought this was particularly wonderful for Santi since she hasn't really been practicing for backstroke. It was so fun to cheer for both of them in the same heat! It was a little tricky to video, but you can check it out at the bottom!

Marin and Santi after their first race, 25 Free Sprint. Marin was so proud of her little sister and cheered for her louder than anyone else.
Marin in the far lane in the 50 Free. She and this girl were the only ones swimming in their heat. After Marin finished, she waited by the girl's lane and gave her a high five. Pretty good on Marin's part since she's from a rival team. So cute.
Santi just before her very first race, 25 Free. She refused to wear a swim cap today for some reason. I'm not sure if the race seemed less formal and scary without it. Who knows.

The things I enjoyed most were the little things after the races. Santi swam in the first heat of the 25 free and waited on deck until after Marin finished the second heat and gave her a hug. Likewise, in the 25 Back, Marin went to Santi's lane to cheer and congratulate her. Most of all, it was just so much fun for our family to spend time together. I wish we could stay this way forever. But I have a feeling they are going to grow up too fast. Maybe, like me, they'll have these memories to hold on to.

In the video above, Santi is in the closest lane and Marin is in the farthest. And I have absolutely no idea who the loud shrilly woman is. You know that really obnoxious mom who annoyingly hovers around with her video camera? It's me. I keep cheering even though they can't hear me under water. Oh well.

Below are their events and times. This is more for our use to track their times since I have NO hope of saving the heat sheets.

25 Free Sprint
1) 22:60 Marin (Mission)
2) 24:42 Miranda (Edinburg)
3) 25:20 Esmer (Edinburg)
4) 26:23 Sienna (Mission)
5) 26:67 Lauren (Mission)
6) 32:59 Monica (Edinburg)
7) 36:06 Santi (Mission)
8) 37:10 Annautica (Mission)
9) 40:82 Georgia (Mission)
10) DQ

25 Back
1) 33:98 Marin (Mission)
2) 45:88 Santi (Mission)
3) 54:58 Annautica (Mission)

50 Free
1) 52:27 Marin (Mission)
2) 58:27 Esmer (Edinburg)
3) 1.00:23 Sienna (Mission)
4) 1.01:45 Lauren (Mission)
5) 1.03:38 Miranda (Edinburg)
6) 1.25:60 Annautica (Mission)
7) 1.36:59 Santi (Mission)
8) 1.36:59 Georgia (Mission)

Late addition: I was just cleaning out some cabinets since I posted this and found the heat sheet from the same meet last year. The difference in Marin's time really illustrates how much she improved since last year! HOORAY for you Marin!

25 Free: 15th place, 42:95 (about a 20 second improvement)

50 Free: 8th place, 1.29:46 (almost 40 second improvement)

Now that she sees a literal improvement, she's already setting new times to beat. How exciting! We'll post upcoming times to track Marin and Santi's improvement. I love how in swimming, they are able to see clearly how they've improved. Marin's also pumped to race some pretty fast teams who weren't at the last meet. She doesn't seem intimidated at all. Good for her!

Kudos!

Kudos to Marin and Santi for all their hard work this year (pictured above with their teachers). The school hosted an awards assembly this week and each of our girls received plenty of awards in recognition of various efforts and talents. I think what's made us happier than receiving awards is that school ends tomorrow. Hallelujah!!!
The girls deserve a break from the over-obsessed testing regimen (every 6 weeks) this district implements to ensure the kids pass the state test and meet the lovely no child left behind mandate. I can safely, and without regret, say that I hate it. Wait... no, that's right, I hate it. Poor kids. So for that reason, among others, I am so happy to have them home for the summer. I know it may sound crazy, but I really do enjoy their company and I am looking forward to lots of fun activities this summer. Here are pictures from Field Day at the girls' school. The title was Survivor 2008, an appropriate name for such a sweltering day. But not even the heat could damper our day. Bri took the morning off (I love him!), we found a sitter for Abram, and we ran a fun station together. We were charged with running The Spoon and Egg race (which I'm sure you've seen before) and the Chicken Toss. The object of The Chicken Toss is to see which team can toss their rubber squeaky chicken closest to their designated cone.
The kids from each grade level rotated through. It was really fun... until Bri and I got bored of the same games. So the event became more about entertaining ourselves and less about facilitating the scheduled games. We kicked it up a notch and took it upon ourselves to make some changes (without permission of course).
We did some over/under with the rubber chickens. This was particularly humorous with the kinders because when several kids got handed the chicken, they were more enthralled with squeezing the squeaky chicken than with going either over or under. It ended up taking quite a while.
We also had them pass the egg from between their elbows. I thought this was sheer genius until the sixth graders started moaning about not wanting to have to touch each other. Was it really that bad back then? I guess. But the best fun of the day was the Chicken Run where we had the kids put the rubber chickens between their knees and then race around their cones while walking/running like a chicken. I loved it.

Family FUN

Our ward recently hosted a free Family Fun Festival for the community. It took a lot of hard work from some very dedicated people in our ward and stake. And it happened to peak at 108 degrees the day of the festival. Yikes! Fortunately, there were all sorts of water games for people to cool off, including a dunking booth (both Marin and Santi got dunked!).
I didn't include all the photos, but there was a little train and multiple bounce houses/slides, carnival booths, face painting, air rockets, and a cakewalk (which was insanely popular for some reason). The best part of the event was the open house held within the building. The committee set up a "Living Christ" exhibition and displayed different artwork of Christ courtesy of the members. The missionaries gave tours to visitors and answered any questions. We also gave away copies of the Proclamation and various Church materials.
Our ward has been trying to establish a good relationship with the city. Brian has been very supportive of missionary efforts from both the full-time missionaries and the members. Previously, our ward participated in a huge event down here called, "BorderFest" from which the Church received 800+ referrals! Can you believe it!?! Because BorderFest is paid admission, our ward wanted to host a free event. The stake was very supportive and everyone seems excited to do it again next year.
To advertise the event, Bri and Brother Guerra both appeared on a local TV show called "Buenos Dias Frontera." Hilarious. It was so cool that they did it. I watched it live and was dying that on this show is some big white dude who calls himself, "the bishop" and the predominantly Catholic populous knows not what to make of it. Bri was great, and to the surprise of the host, spoke very eloquently in Spanish. Of Course.
I do have to mention that Marin and Santi volunteered at the Fishing Game booth sponsored by the Primary. You know, the game where kids on the outside of the booth cast their line into the booth, Marin and Santi attach a prize, give it a tug, and then tell the kids to reel in their prizes. Well, with the prizes the girls attached Pass Along cards. They were competing with the missionaries inside as to who could pass out more. The kids won of course, and didn't feel the least bit guilty about rubbing it in their faces. Now that's zeal!
Even Abram had a good time playing in the sprinkler, taking a nap, and eating watermelon. He really was the ideal baby that day. And now you all know that miracles are in fact real, however fleeting they may seem.

SMILE

You're on Candid Cameron! We're all so proud of Cam who just opened HULSE Orthodontics. And what a lovely place it is. Our friend Jenny Neuendorf was visiting from Carlsbad and asked if we had seen the new office (which she had noticed just by driving by and wondered if we were related to the famous Dr. Cameron Hulse). Fortunately, we caught wind of the new website and checked out these photos.

So of all us Hulses who like to say, "I'm kind of a big deal," Cameron really is. Good job! And speaking of jobs.... we Hulses tried our hands at dentistry at the San Antonio Children's Museum and if you're in the market for two adorable lab techs, a really hot receptionist to answer phones, and a one-year-old data entry specialist (see below), we can start on Monday. You know, keep it in mind.

What A Gal!

Look at the sweetness! Em and Joe's baby, Maia Jane Morin, was born Tuesday and I'm already jealous. I've never seen a Hulse baby with a full head of hair. What magic did Em conjure for such an impressive coiffure? I'll have what she's having.

The happy couple with the little burrito. They both look super fab. I was kind of half joking about photo shopping my next post-delivery photo when I saw Kath, but now after Em's, I'm positively serious. Em is such a hero. When Lo called to tell us Em was pushing (8lbs 4 oz and 20.5 inches), Bri and I had to stay up and wait for our newest little neice to be born. Thanks Em. I can't wait to meet her. Unfortunately it will be longer than I'd like. (That's yet another strike against Tejas.)

Spaghetti Factory

THIS is what happened while I was desperately trying to upload and post all the pics from the girls' shows (see below). I've been getting a little slack about not posting in almost three weeks. I've gotten the very subtle, "Wow! You're good at the blog thing. You should try to keep it up." and the lovingly guilt ridden, "It's such a good way for us to see how the kids are doing," to the overly blatant, "You need to post new stuff." So for all you grandparents, aunties, unkies, and the like, you need to come wipe spaghetti off every conceivable inch of the dining room. Thank you very much. I know you're going to say, "Shouldn't you expect a disaster when serving spaghetti to a toddler?" And the answer is of course, a resounding yes. But I was in a hurry and just nuked last night's dinner thinking it would save me some time. I guess it was worth it. I did post the pics. Sadly, I left the spaghetti there thinking to myself, there's just going to be more food to clean up in a few hours anyway. Plus with spaghetti, sometimes the trick is to let it dry out, and then you can just flick it off the wall and sweep it up instead of spreading around wet noodles. Tricks of the trade. Disgusting, shameful tricks of the trade.

Pretty in Pink

The pictures speak for themselves. Lots and lots and lots of pink. This is the first year Santi wore a pink tutu for the recital and she was loving every minute of it. Although heavy stage makeup is required (and the director is pretty insistant on it), I thought Santi looked very sweet. The first, third, and fourth collages of photos are from the night of the recital.
The girls kept themselves pretty busy backstage. Those poor backstage moms. I did not envy them in the least. Santi's class had a whopping three wardrobe changes this year. Can you imagine having to help 20 little girls change out of three costumes (including tights) in the dark? No thanks. I marvel how they always come out on stage without a hitch.
Bri marveled at his little girl dancing her heart out on a stage in front of about 700 people. Actually, I couldn't really believe it myself. She performed three dances this year (and the finale): ballet, tap, and hiphop. It made a big difference this year that she was placed with a more advanced and technical level. She had to work hard all year, something she wasn't used to. But at the end she felt very accomplished and proud of herself.


The pictures above are from the rehearsal, the day before the big show. We're allowed to video and take pictures at the rehearsal only. Fortunately, Bri met me at the rehearsal and we were able to get video and pictures. Bri did his best to get photos of Santi on stage. Considering the lighting and the mosh pit of parents with cameras up front, I think he did exceptionally well. I haven't even attempted to upload video onto the blog, it takes forever. But I did make promises to grandparents numerous times over. So that is forthcoming....

It was an almost excruciating week of rehearsals going on simultaneously (for both Santi and Marin. See the post on Marin's performance.) By the end of the week, they were utterly exhausted. And did I mention Brian was out of town up until the day of the first performance? I was driving all over the place (and with gas almost $4/gallon, I am pleased as punch). I am seriously very grateful their actual performances were not scheduled for the same day.

I'm so happy Marin and Santi are willing to try new and challenging things. I truly admire them for that. It's made my motherhood very busy, but exciting and so much fun.

Over the Rainbow

Last week was Marin's big debut in OZ Fest, the musical numbers from The Wizard of Oz as well as seven numbers from the musical Wicked performed by our High School choir. Marin was one of five children selected from her school to be a munchkin (there were 25 munchkins total from neighboring schools). We were so proud of her just for being selected, but then we saw her on stage and couldn't believe our eyes. She was a little nervous before the show started and then like magic, she seemed to be having the time of her life up there. It was exhilarating for us to see her shine. It appears we have another performer in the family. What luck? So sorry no video on this one. Due to copyright laws concerning the Wicked songs, we weren't allowed to video.

A few pictures of Marin with fellow munchkins and her music director. The high school students (some with State accolades) did a great job and helped recreate the whimsy and fascination of the original movie. It was such a great opportunity for Marin to perform with older singers who were more practiced and polished. She didn't seem intimidated at all. I hope she always remembers it.
Santi was so happy for Marin. I wondered if there would be a little rivalry over performances this week but to my great relief, each was extremely supportive of her sister. Santi insisted on giving Marin her flowers and likewise Marin got to be the flowergirl for Santi on her night. Phew! After a jam packed week of activities, there really is no place like home. Luckily for Abram, that's where he stayed for the performances. Since Bri and I had even a hope of seeing the shows, we got a sitter for both nights. Maybe next year...

I had to include this last shot to illustrate Marin's excitement/embarrassment that I was around snapping so many photos. The strange dichotomy of wanting me there to offer support and security and yet, that squirminess of needing a little space. This, above all else, breaks my heart. I never really thought she'd start growing up. And not wanting me around all the time? How is that possible? I'm so cool! Cool I tell you!

Rosies and Posey

Here's a short clip of the kids having a little fun on a Saturday morning. Notice the jammies. As soon as the sun hits their windows, they are ready to either jump or swim. And I'm still rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I can't even remember when I had so much energy. Just watching them tires me out.

This week was a tiring week. And for no reason in particular. No BIG events. Bri was in town, which doesn't default to him being home that much, but still, nothing out of the ordinary. I must be getting old and washed up (like Chuck!). Oh no!

But before I allow myself to get too worked up over this, I have to remember that Abram is just leading into toddlerhood (or jumping into it, rather. both feet. and right on my face quite literally.). I remember that I was plenty exhausted when my girls were toddlers, and that was in my early twenties. So perhaps this too shall pass. That must become my mantra. It too shall pass that Abram wiggles out of my arms and down the aisle at church because he now recognizes that Dad is up front and that everything shall stop that instant including the speakers while he storms the pulpit. And as I have him firmly in my arms, he goes limp and slinks down until his Sunday shirt is hiked up around his neck and his baby belly is exposed to the whole congregation. And this is a boy who will not go quietly. Naturally he is contorting his body and raising his voice in protest. His other method is to stand just next to me while casually playing in the aisle with cars and trucks making audible but still subtle car noises. Which on its own would be fine. But he mosies away little by little, until he makes a mad dash for the front. How is it possible that someone who just learned to walk can make such a fast break? Enigma! If it weren't for Jill and her mini marshmallows we kept shoving into Abram's mouth, we surely would not have made it through sacrament meeting. My experiences with Abram truly make my girls' toddlerhood seem ever so rosy. Even Santi's, and I never thought that was possible. I thought that girl had prepared me for every possible scenario.

I know however, that I will remember these events fondly and with laughter. And I think I will have the pleasure of looking back feeling accomplished. That somehow (and I'm pretty sure that it's by Grace only), I survived not only childbirth, but toddlerhood. That I was refined, made stronger and more brilliant because of each of my children. And certainly more patient. Which may quite possibly come in handy, say around the teen years. But who's to say, really.

But I am not the only benefactor of Abram's new stage. Watching this video reminded me that the girls are definately maturing and learning to nurture their brother. They are such a blessing. And in times like this, they take him for a few minutes so I can get breakfast on the table. Best setup ever.

BedHeads

I took this video by accident. I was trying to immortalize the image of Bri wiped out by playtime with his son. I wanted a snapshot but didn't realize that the camera was set to video. As soon as Abram heard the lens focus, he was jarred out of sleep. You can see a little confusion in his disoriented look.

San Antonio or BUST!

There are 3 things San Antonians don't mess around about: the Alamo (Seriously, you could be shot on spot. Except that the courtesy sign just out front of the door does say to remove hats and leave firearms outside), the Riverwalk scene, and the Spurs. And of course, Pace Picante Sauce which is made by folks in San Antonio who know what picante sauce is s'posed to taste like. So on our most recent trip there, we had to get our pic in front of one of America's most iconic images of the west. Which we did in the rain. So forgive the bad hair.
Here are a few pictures of the girls at the Riverwalk. I actually really like it. Before moving here, my only memory of the Riverwalk was from the movie "Cloak and Dagger." Which was really scary, in a sort of 80s uber-paranoid conspiracy sort of way. But our trip was quite refreshing and a very nice break from the daily grind. It was Abram's first trip to the city and after a few skeptical minutes of the Rainforest Cafe animals, he really took to it. He decided that the gorillas were in fact very funny and nothing to be suspicious of as he initially thought. So it was fun for all.

Beware: lots of pictures follow, but I just couldn't help wanting to remember all that I can of our family trips. Plus it's proof to our sure to be melodramatic teenaged daughters who will likely accuse us of never allowing them to do anything fun throughout their entire lives. I'll have this.

There's nothing like Guinness

The record book, not the beer. Or maybe, I don't know. Anyway, while en route to San Antonio, we realized our plan to go to Sea World was quickly diminishing (as Sea World San Antonio closes at an unbelievable 6pm in the off season. And to what "off season" could they be referring? This is South Texas which translates to....WARM!) So we had to come up with an alternate plan and quick. Fortunately, the girls were just stoked to be in the city. So that worked out. Right across from the Alamo was the Guiness Book of World Records Museum. Hilarious. There are various records held that no one in their right mind would have the time nor inclination to conceive. It killed me. I hope you can read the record that Brian is practically hurling over. It's next to the picture of Bri trying to hook up with me in the Love Chair while being photographed by our eight-year-old. Now that is super classy.

Hands On

Here are pictures of our trip to the Children's Museum. The girls LOVE this place and we haven't visited since I was prego with Abram. So we were overdue. There are a lot of hands on activities that kids usually only dream of. Plus the kids love to be in the city. It's something we miss so much about La Jolla. A trip to the nearest city with all of its amenities (like museums, theater, zoos, etc...) is now 4 hours away from us. (This is where BIG FINN taunts us to come back to S.D. If only...)



There was a special exhibit called Jump to Japan. The kids were able to dress in kimonos, serve tea and rice cakes as well as create their own anime movies and ride on this catbus thing. I didn't really get the catbus, but Santi seemed to like it.


I love this picture of Abram(s). This aquarium was in the tiny tots section of the museum. He loved the fish so much I thought it might be fun to get an aquarium, and then I remembered that, however little, there's still maintenence involved. And I'm not doing that. Carpool, homework, dance class, swim practice, musicals, and diapers...I've my fill for a while.

Riding the Bull. Feeling the Flow.

Toreras are tough and that's NO BULL! There was a family festival going on right outside the museum and the girls couldn't resist trying their hand at bull riding. We are in Texas afterall. The kid-sized bull was awesome and I think they did pretty well for their first attempt. The only things missing were chaps and fringe. Although, I don't think we'll ever be that committed to Texas.

RETRACTION!

I unwittingly entered the world of political punditry and I've already been called out. An RNC representative (actually it was BIG FINN, but it sounds much better this way), phoned this morning and told me I made a mistake in my last post (Walker, Texas Ranger) regarding Presidential candidate John McCain and Chuck Norris. Turns out it was Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee (Shauri's fav) who had Chuck appear behind him at a political rally. This got me thinking that in such a heated political climate, some offenses may have been made in my implication that it was lame to recruit a less than shining star like Chuck Norris to publicly back your campaign. Therefore, apologies all around: first) to the McCain campaign, I'm sorry that I implied you were lame enough to recruit a washed up actor to further your campaign; second) to the Huckabee camp, I'm sorry that you were lame enough to recruit a washed up actor to further your campaign; and last but not least) to Chuck Norris, I'm sorry you're lame and washed up.
So hopefully I've made ammends and everyone involved is satisfied and sees that I am just trying to report current events in a fair and balanced way. No spin zone. Peace.

Disclaimer: I'm sure that Chuck is a very nice man. And seeing as how he's posed in this picture with Old Glory, I hope my criticism of his acting doesn't make me unpatriotic. I can prove my patriotism without having to be wisked off to a secret locale to be detained indefinately.

Walker, Texas Ranger

In case you don't watch mediocre (at best) syndicated TV dramas on USA, there is a show called, Walker, Texas Ranger, featuring everyone's favorite action hero, Chuck Norris (who can also be seen on stage behind the Republican candidate for president, John McCain at political rallies which is a smart move, because Chuck's celebrity status is through the roof.) Honestly, I've never seen it and this post pretty much has no relevance to the show or Chuck whatsoever except for the coincidence that Abram is now walking and we live in Texas (and I thought I was funny). Actually, we live in Texaco (and that's a story for another time since this post is supposed to focus on our son's monumental accomplishment of walking).

Well, Abram didn't really show much interest in walking since he has two adoring sisters willing to carry him everywhere he wanted or didn't want. When he doesn't want their attention and smothering, it carries with it a look of cruel and unusual punishment. The poor boy has worn all sorts of dress up stuff including hair clips and glittery hair gel (proof below). I'm too tired to do anything about it anymore. I'm settling on the hope that it builds character and that when his wife asks, "Honey, does this look OK?" he can respond with an honest answer.

Back to the walking: about two weeks ago, he started taking a few steps at a time, which in hindsight is probably what I should've captured on video. But it was usually when I was alone and couldn't convince him to do it on camera. So with Marin's help, I am able to post a video of a few steps to show the doting grandparents. Although crawling is still his main form of transportation, he'll likely be turning that corner very soon. And I couldn't be happier. Seriously. Yesterday he crawled away and ate fries and a chicken nugget off the McDonald's floor at playgroup. Yah, he'll be getting sick any day now. Nice.

Get A CLUE!

For Family Home Evening on Monday, we tried something a little different. We played Clue Jr. and had a great time. It's a really cute version of the original and far more simple for little ones. "Who dunnit?" Someone had a piece of cake with a drink! How DARE they! You have to figure out who ate the cake, with which drink, and at what time. A mystery for the ages.
So we dressed up like our chosen characters (sort of). Bri was Col. Mustard, although he looks like a mix between Col. Sanders and Boss Hog (I told you he owned a cowboy hat). Plus the paper eyebrows and mustache are sure to make all ladies swoon. Marin was Mrs. White, sporting an apron with broom in tow. Santi was Miss Scarlet adorned in all sorts of jewelry, and I was Mrs. Peacock. I'm not sure who Abram was, he pretty much just grabbed at all the pieces and put them in his mouth. Seeing how this would dramatically hamper our game, we turned on a Baby Einstein DVD. He was satisfied. As it turns out, Miss Scarlet was the culprit. She ate the cake, with a swig of apple juice, at 4:00! Marin and Santi sort of simultaneously uncovered the dastardly plan. It would've topped off the evening perfectly if we had cake and juice for refreshments, but I didn't think that far ahead. Everyone settled for cookies. But if we do it again, it's more fun to go all out. Which is what I suggest everyone do if you're looking for a fun Family Home Evening...Get a CLUE! (don't worry, we ended with a prayer and all)