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Monday, July 28, 2008

That went a bit better than I thought...

Well the one tooth is gone. The broken one. She said i have to have the other 2 on my left side removed as well. But I can have them done at a later time. That is fine. One tooth right now is MORE than enough for me.

Austin got off to school just fine. Grandma took him sense I am currently totally out of gas. I need to try calling a mom friend of mine to see if she can take Austin in the am this week. I just have to find her phone number.

Alexandria got off to school just fine as well. We walked up there and saw her music teacher (who is also a good friend). Then walked up to her class room and met her new teacher. That went well as well. She seems nice. Went out side for her to play and she ran into her best friend from pre-k, who is now in 2ed grade. So they will be able to play together and have lunch together. That is good.

So it was not as bad as I thought. I have to go back for the other 2 teeth to come out. But that is later on. right now, i need to get thru today and this week.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Tomorrow is the big day!!!

Tomorrow is the start of many changes and big things. Austin starts his first full day of Middle School. Some don't have the school system like we do. K-6th is elementry school, 7&8 is Middle school and 9-12 is High School. So going to Middle school is a big deal. He will go from only changing for 3 classes to changing for 7 classes. He did get into pre-ap reading, language arts and history. He has his elective this year is Geogophry. So he did get a lot of things he will enjoy and like. Nearly every class is filled with students he knows and likes.

Alexandria goes back to school tomorrow as well. She will be in 3rd grade this year. She has been homeschooled for the last year and 1/2. There were times and have been times still that I question weather or not she learned all she needs to know. But i know that is partly my own self doubt. when she has done any testing by the state she has done exceedingly well. As long as she does not battle the reading part, i think this year will go well. At least i pray for that!

And for me. Tomorrow means I will have 2 of my wisdom teeth removed. If you know me, you know i dont do so well with dentist. I do even less than well when they say remove teeth. And even less when they say "blood", "stiches", and "pain meds needed". I know it has to be done, but still.... I have things to do and a life to lead.

The only upside is I'll finally be out of pain. That will be a first for a few months. And I may have a job. More on that if I do get it. So no posting for me till I'm all better. See you all on the "other" side!!!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Back from Vacation, relaxed and ready to take on the world!

We are back home, safe and sound. Here is our trip story with pictures. Link to full pictures (that have discriptions) at the end.
We had hope to leave about 8:30am but we left around 10am. Drove from her to Melpites and stopped at a mall there to eat lunch and check out a store i wanted to see (will for sure go back!). Then got back on the road. We were almost there (got onto the last hwy) and found out that the streach that we were on was a one lane highway with hairpin turns. It took us about 30 minutes to drive the whole 8 miles of that road.
We finally got at the camp ground headquarters, needing to go pee and a few grey hairs. Here is boo just outside of where you check in.
Then we went to our campsite. Set up the tent and unpacked what we needed. Once everything was set up we went out to explore our area. We found a cool area with a fallen tree making a bridge. Could not cross it but got to see a creek up close. Then boo made friends! And then she climbed the fallen tree!! Then hid under it too.
We went back to camp and cooked corn, chili, and cheesebugers for dinner. After dinner was over we rosted marshmellos and made smores. This all was a first for boo and she LOVED it. :) then we went to sleep (around 11pm) because we were going to get up at 5 am to get to the tide pools while it was still low tide.
I took forever to go to sleep, and heard a few critters outside, but i slept for a short bit. We woke up at 5am and started getting ready for the day. Ate breakfast and then off we went. We had to drive back out on the winding road. Saw some great shots of the hills with the fog just sitting there. We got on this one road (thought to be a short cut) and there was NO straight part to this road at all. We could kiss the ground when we got on hwy 1.
We went to the tide pools at Moss Beach area. Sadly the tide was already well coming in and fast. So it was a short trip. Mostly just saw hermit crabs and muscles and urchens. Boo was given some lessons on seaweeds. She held a hermit crab she named "hermie". then we saw some seals or sea lions. we could not get close enought to tell the differance. They were watching us and the ones still out in the ocean were swimming closer to us and stairing. we thought it would be BEST to leave before they came upon the shore with us. (for those that dont know, they can be deadly to be around. they will attack)
From there, we cruzed down Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz. We thought to stop in Half Moon Bay and went to the State beach there. It was quite cold and windy. Boo worked on making a sand castle. I went to hunt for shells for her. No luck at this beach though. After a bit, it was just too cold and windy, so we left.
Started cruzing down the hwy some more and turned on the cell. there was a voice mail so we stopped on the side of the road. While Mel checked her messages and returned calls, I got out and took some great shots! the cliff i was on gave away easy so i did not go very far out on it or stayed out long.
Then we drove a bit more. Saw a neat looking bluff and cliff. We thought to pull over and check it out sense there was a parking lot. We got some good shots of the ocean. Nice one of boo on the cliff. Another one of me and her. Then I went exploring on the one side close to the ocean. I tried really hard to get wet and fall in. Saw some muscles and a cool cove. Then i hiked back up from that look out point. Then went out over the cove i saw. Mel took a few pics of me out there. Then hiked down the natural dranage and took more shots of the cove (this time i really did try to fall off the cliff to get the shot!) and some of the beach there with the ocean feeding the river.
We saw more seals off this cliff. I tried really hard to get a close up shot from the top of the cliff. I thought i got a good one here. :)
After we were done here (and i saw this PRETTY flower), we got back on the hwy. We saw this old light house and turned off. It was Pigion Point Light House. They have a hostel here that you can stay in. The light house is closed down for rehablitiation. I thought it needed it because of all the rust it had. But you could walk around and get some really good shots of all the pacific ocean and rocks coming out.
We then hiked down to the beach there, because we saw people out sunning. So we thought it HAD to be warm there. And boo really wanted to find some sea shells. boy did we hit pay dirt there!!! Mel and Boo were hunting. I had saw before the different beaches. And from up top, it looked like you could get to all of them. So i just HAD to check it out. I got to see some crabs. Sam stayed hidden under his rock. Bob was chilling on the rock, while Susie was trying not to get her picture taken. (i named the crabs! :))
Boo only saw this crab. It was dead, but at least she got to see one. She found some cool shells. Climbed on a lot of rocks. This is a beach will will be having to go back and seeing this again. There was like no wind and it was warm there. We got a couple of pictures taken of us and a good one of Mel.
We got back on the hwy and ended in Santa Cruz. This is the first time i have ever STOPED there. Oh boy, i'm going back here too. I. MUST. GO. ON. THE. RIDES!!!!!! Anyways, we walked out on the pier. Mel pointed out some stuff to Boo. I could see the mini-light house from the pier. Then Mel showed boo some fish, octopuse and squid (fresh catch! eeewww). Then we walked to the end to see the seals we could hear. I caught part of one. And here we finally found some starfish for boo (main reason we went to tide pools was because of starfish). There was some really big ones. Trying to get the shots of them was hard because they were way down there and not enough light.
From there we went back to the camp site. We wanted to go to the campfire program, but did not make it in time. So we ate, this time corn, chili, and hot dogs. Then we roasted marshmellos again (no smores tonight) and boo had a bloody nose. Which i knew would happen. Me and Mel tried to play some card games that i know, but i could not remember the rules. Then we went to bed.
Got up this am (friday), and packed up the camp site. we had to check out at noon, so we did so quickly. We went on a hike to one of the falls there at the place we stayed. It was not much to see. Then we went to check out and took the "easy" route of the hike where you could see different things. Met Buddy. he is a squarl or a chipmuck. Not sure which. We saw a tree that fell in 1998. we saw a tree that was all burned out and part of it missing. the view looking up was cool.
Then we saw a tree they call the "chimney tree". It was hollowed out on the inside, yet still growing at the top. You could see the sky and a branch if you look up from inside the tree. We then saw the the "zoo" tree. see if you can find any animals in the wood. Then one that the base you could sit or stand on and climb. Then we saw the "mother" of the forest top. Its like over 300 feet tall. And the "father" of the forest. It is apx 2000 years old and the base of the tree (if you were to cut it) would mesure apx 16 feet long. Its really wide.
Then we got to see the base of the "mother" tree. There was a fire years and years ago, that hollowed out part of the tree. Its now growing back. Then there was a medow. It use to be a swamp. they drained it in 1942. made it into a pool. then let it grow back to being a medow in 1956 for health reasons.
From there we drove home. Here is a shot of one of the roads on the way out.
And that was our trip. we all had a really good time. Boo got some bug bites (misquitos), i got a bit of the sun (red face). And we all did not want to leave. there was so much more we wish we could have seen and do. So going back will have to happen.
here is a link to the full photo album. Anything that was lined above has links to a picture from that part of the day.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Vacation time...

Well not like we ever get to do much with me being unemployeed right now. But we have a chance to take a 3 day vacation. We are heading to the coast and spending 3 days/2 nights camping, hiking, visiting the beach/ocean and tide pools.

I cannot tell you in words how excited my daughter is. She thinks this is better than going to Six Flags like we try to do every year. NOT as good as going to Disneyland. But its up there in her books. I am just happy that we can get away.

Austin is safely off at scout camp. He comes home on Saturday and we come home on Friday. So it will be a nice week for all of us.

I'll post when we get back about what happen, what we saw and did. Oh and pictures. YOU know I'll take a lot of those!

Have a blessed week!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Smoke filled week

This week has been interesting. With all the fires that have been going on for a few weeks now, the valley where we live is filled with smoke. Its got to the point where everyone is told to stay indoors. Well that is a bit hard for our little family to do, when its 100+ here and we have no working air condioning.

Austin, today, is packing for camp (he leaves on Sunday) and is cleaning up on stuff around the house. Alexandria is working on re-picking up her room. We may be leaving when Austin is gone, for a short vacation with a friend of mine to the ocean. Alexandria has only been there 2 times. Once was at midnight for 1 hour and the other time was in SF. So taking her to the ocean will be fun. And hopefully i can get a whole lot more on pictures.

Still no news on a job. I'm keeping the faith that it will come. But some days are harder to do that than others. Rent due, car payment is past due. Yeah, some days are just harder to do.

Upside is that i got one of my papers back on school. I did manage to pull off an A+!!! I have 1 1/2 years to go for my Teaching degree and that just made my week.

Sorry to keep this short, but its warm in the house and its dinner time. I need to figure out what we are eating!