Snow Days

Fun in the snow!!!

We have had the largest snowfall in 32 years here in the Dallas area! Over a foot of snow fell yesterday, and went out and had fun in it!!!! We are pretty much the only ones here with sleds and snow gear so the few hills that are around, we own. :)

Here are just a few of the hundreds of pictures I've taken. I realize snow is not a huge deal to lots of people, but for these California kids here in these here parts of Texas, this is HUGE!

Too Many Monkeys Jumping on the Bed...

Actually this monkey was running to the shower when she fell and broke her head! Last night, Gina and I were off at the movies trying to catch as many of the Academy Award Nominations as possible. Sophia was spending the day with her cousin, Kaylie.

Shortly after our second movie ended, I got a text message - "Call me now". My heart sunk. I had a feeling that it couldn't be good. My sister-in-law is never demanding. Sure enough when I was finally able to reach her, I found out that Sophia had split her head open while rushing to get into the state of the art beautifully tiled doorless shower.

I mean part of me can't blame her. I'd run to get into that shower too. I mean 4 jets coming out of the wall and 2 from up top with no door. It just looks like a great big water room. Oh, the feeling of desire that must have overcome her when she began to rush to climb in and feel the warm water cascade over her little body. Instead of that superbly superior shower, she found herself making a trip to the emergency room with her Auntie and cousin.

Gina and I met them in the middle and followed. Hard to explain that process, but suffice it to say that we are still not used to all of the loops here in Texas. We get lost 90% of the time so we insisted on following my SIL to the hospital rather than simply meeting there.

Unlike CA, we were in the waiting room for only 5 minutes before being called back and given a bed. Within 10 minutes, the wonderfully friendly doctor was there giving us our options. She could have her hair tied in a knot to hold the gaping wound closed, but that would create a huge tangly mess and a very ugly scar out of which hair would not grow in the future. Next option was to have it stapled up nice and tight so it would leave a minimal scar. Of course, we chose the latter.

After this Sophia had a choice to make. She could get a numbing shot prior to the staples or just get the staples. Gina explained the options thoroughly and Sophia chose no shot. That girl is a tough one. She wanted to take it like a woman partially so she could tell the story and partly because she just have 6 shots a month ago and did not care to relive it. Either way, she made a tough choice.

The doctor and nurse came in and cleaned the wound - lots of blood. Then as they hovered over her, they put 4 staples into her head. Sophia giggled while it was happening, and then she burst into tears. I can't imagine the pain of having my head stapled let alone staples into a fresh wound. After a few minutes of tears in Gina's arms, she settled down and began to recount that she is the only kid in our family to have ever been stapled!

She has to have the staples in her head for 10 days at which time I'll take her back to have them removed. That part is not supposed to hurt.

I am SO praising God that this ended up being a minor incident. It could have been much worse. This is the second incident for Zack and Sophia since we've been in Texas. I'm not sure if I mentioned earlier that Zack took a dive dropping in at the skatepark and blacked out. I'll never forget picking up his limp body wondering for those few seconds if he would ever move again. This mom thing exposes the depths and heights of emotion in a way that I've never experienced before. It often reminds me of a quote that goes loosely like this, "Being a mom is like wearing your heart outside your body." So true.

Family Night February 2010

In celebration of the kids doing well in school and putting in lots of effort in keeping their chores done without being asked, we decided to go to Amazing Jakes for some family fun.

We started out with a fun game of put put! While it seems like it could be rather drab, it wasn't at all. We had lots of fun hitting the balls around and watching some of them escape off of our course and catapulting into someone's shoe on the next hole. Lots of laughter was had by all.

We had an age range from 39 all the way down to 6, and we all had fun!

The younger kids had a great time on the bumper cars. I had to sit out on that one because I was certain I would have ended up with a headache!

Is anyone ever too old for a carousel?!

Air hockey competitions!

And, we ended the night with rock climbing.

I LOVE my family! I look forward to the fun times we can get out and just enjoy life. Sometimes, I'll admit, it is stressful for the grown ups and being out late gets tougher and tougher for us oldies, but spending time doing things that the kids think is fun is so very important to me. I think it's because I have so many fond memories of spending this kind of time with my dad. It rocks to have adults take time to act like a kid again even if they have to move a little slower than the youngsters!

Catchin' up

The girls playing in grandma's bathtub!

Life in Texas is so different than life in California! And, more specifically, life north of Dallas is so much different than life one mile from the beach in Belmont Heights!!!!

I have to be honest, Belmont Heights was my FAVORITE place that I've ever lived! It has the feeling of a small historic town right in the middle of the big city. The bike rides to the beach were amazingly enjoyable even when they left me beat red and out of breath after the uphill trip home! The choices of eateries were unbelievably diverse! If we wanted a super delicious sandwich, there was Olives on 2nd. Italian? Domincos Outstanding breakfast? The Potholder Authentic Mexican? Veracruz (BEST Mexican food hands down) Great BBQ? Lucilles (my fave) Chinese? China Fang Greasy Burger? Louis Japanese? Kabuki Hibachi? Hibachi Steak House

The kids' school in Long Beach was small and very academically driven. Sad to say, I don't think all CA schools are as driven! Both of the kids' teachers were okay, but nothing outstanding. So far my favorite teacher of Zack's was Mrs. Ulrich, his first grade teacher. She was/is wonderful. Still corresponds with him as a pen pal. :)

Long Beach was very diverse. There were all kinds of races, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses even within Belmont Heights. I think my kids benefited from that diversity. I want them to grow up to be very open minded and loving people so this offered lots of exposure. On one side of us, lived a Mexican family who spoke mostly Spanish. We LOVED them - best neighbors EVER! On the other side a very nice teacher who happened to be a lesbian. The kids loved chatting with her in the afternoons and petting her dog. In Belmont Heights, people are people and stigmas aren't in your face. It's like a little piece of heaven.

Our friends in Belmont Heights are very missed! Claudia lived right next door, and we enjoyed walks to 2nd Street and indulgences such as cigars and rich foods! Sonya visited often and was so so sweet to us. We miss her and Lisa too! Sammy and Aiden were the kids' closest friends who stayed with their grandma next door each afternoon. The four kids were inseparable! Zack and Sophia miss them and are in the process of writing their first letters to them. The list of friends we left behind is long and tough to think about, but leaving my sister and brother and their fams has been toughest!!!!

Which brings me to the answer to why we moved. It's an easy answer. The job market in CA is very very poor, and the economic status of the state is horrible and doesn't look like it will be improving much in the next decade. With all of the things we miss, my kids will have much more opportunity here. I will just have to work harder on keeping them well rounded. Texans are not the most open-minded people, but their state is so much more economically stable. Their school system is also much better than CA schools. The home we will own will be far superior to anything we could own in CA. The kids are close to their grandma and cousins.

In short, I'd move back to Belmont Heights in a second if I won the lottery, but for now, Texas will have to do because the pros far outweigh the cons. However, I'll never be a CA basher! I am a California girl through and through; always will be! And, I'll NEVER be a Cowboys fan!!!!!

Cousins

Torie and Auntie Stephanie

Ken

Zack working on mastering his Ripstick

Honor Roll and Gymnastics

Zack is loving life! He is doing extremely well in school and LOVES gymnastics!!!! He is definitely gifted academically and in upper body strength! I am so proud of him!!!!

January Fun

Zack's School Program

Texas Our Texas

Yep, we are back in Texas and have been for a month now. The kids love their new school, and they love even more being surrounded by family. Don't get us wrong, we miss California especially the ocean, but this is the right place for us for now!!!!

Zack sang and danced his little heart out! He did look like a Californian amongst MANY little Texans!

Yee Haw!

And the best part of life as we know it now, ALL of these peeps were at the program just to see Zack!!! The uncles couldn't make it cause they got off of work too late!