Blissfully Unaware of the Chaos the Surrounds Me

San Francisco Field Trip . . .

I just returned from an amazing two-day adventure with Dylan's 7th grade class. What fun! (Although I am still beyond exhausted. Far beyond . . . )

We spent time at California Academy of Sciences, the Japanese Tea Gardens, the Botanical Gardens and the de Young Museum. Our accommodations? A beautiful campground in the middle of the Presidio! Who knew? The only downside to the beautiful Rob Hill Campground, hidden within the city? The traffic copters circling over our heads beginning at 5:00 am to report on the Golden Gate traffic flow. Ugh. 

I failed to take the GPS unit and instead relied on the printed directions given to us by the teachers and my iPhone. Oh, and the 7th grade boys in my car. Let's just say that I'll be taking the GPS next time! I was sailing down there . . . easy-peasy and then managed to miss the exit off 101 into the Presidio. Ouch. So I pulled over, looked at Google maps and somehow drove up the steepest hill in the city and then back down it. With stop signs at every block. Awesome! I did, however, find where we were supposed to go.

Then . . . drumroll, please . . . I screwed it up AGAIN on the way to the campground. I MISSED THE EXIT TO THE PRESIDIO AGAIN . . . this time, going the opposite direction. Which in laymen's terms means? I had to cross the Golden Gate, turn around in Marin and Cross. The. Golden. Gate. Again. That'll be $6, please! Lesson learned? Don't hesitate to exit just after (southbound) or just before (northbound) the bridge. Do. Not. Hesitate. Oh, and don't forget to bring your GPS.

Highlights?

The giggles and whispered discussion of above-mentioned 7th grade boys when reading about banana slug penises at the Science Museum. Apparently, those slugs can be pretty well endowed . . . their goods get to be about the same size as their bodies! And sometimes, that can get them into trouble. In which case, another banana slug has to gnaw his friend's penis off to de-tangle him from wherever it is that he is trapped. By his big penis. As you can imagine, that was very humorous to a group of 13 year-old boys!

Fireside skits by the students. 95% of them mocking their teachers. Some of them? Spot-on!

Being verbally attacked by a woman in a Volvo, who took the time to stop in the middle of the road, lean over and ROLL DOWN HER CRANK-STYLE WINDOW, to yell at me for being stopped on the side of the road. God-love, my friend Susan who was with me at that moment. I would definitely want Susan on my side if I were to ever get in a bar-fight. That's all I'm saying!

The reason Susan and I were in the car at that moment? Was to pick up a few supplies at a neighborhood market. Foil, specifically. Susan decided that the kids needed to have milk in the morning. So we grabbed 4 gallons of milk. Didn't check the date. Whoops. Fortunately, only a few sips of the spoiled milk was consumed before someone piped up about it tasting funny. Yeah. Three weeks past it's date. Ew. Our intentions were good though!

Watching how well-behaved our students are. Really, truly . . . what a great group of kids!

The view from the observation deck at the de Young.

The bantering in the car and in the tents and along the way. Again . . . great kids! (And chaperones, too!)

Being completely absorbed in an amazing petroglyph exhibit, only to be forceably pushed along because someone in our group was a little gassy. It still makes me giggle to think about it. And yes, I am sometimes as immature as that!

It was great fun and I'm very glad that I decided to skip my statewide staff workshop in order to go. I was on the fence, and really should have gone, but hey, you can only be in one place at any given time. And I love that I was able to choose my child. I am so fortunate to be able to have, or at least try to have, that much balance in my life. Even if balance means repeated trips over the Golden Gate, banana slug penis jokes, being accosted by Volvo-driving women and gassy art exhibits. 

Moving On . . .

On Sunday, we drove to Rocklin and back. Today, I drove to Burney and back. On Thursday, I will drive to Ukiah and back.

On Sunday, when I was driving in Rocklin? There was a freaky hailstorm. Freaky, as in, people were stopping on the freeway. (Nice.) Today, when I was driving to Burney? There was a ten-mile stretch that temperatures hovered right at 30-31 and the snow flurries weren't quite sticking. Visibility was about 15 feet. I'm curious as to what odd weather pattern I will experience on Thursday!

This was today's trip:

(I didn't take any driving photos on Sunday, so you'll have to trust me on that one!)

As for other, unrelated tidbits of my life . . . Dylan and I are completely addicted to "Draw Something"! It is hilariously fun. (My user name is amybeadle if you want to send me a game!) We are currently on a 32 35 game winning streak. I am assuming that since we process in similiar ways, it much easier to figure out what the other person is drawing. He is currently in bed. Supposedly going to sleep. Yet my phone is pinging every few minutes with a drawing. Which of course, I respond to . . . 

I am leading Halle's preschool chapel tomorrow with my good friend, Linda. We figured out the music that we were doing on Monday. Ask me if I have finished the skit or the story? Go ahead . . . ask me! (The answer is no, lest you wondered!) Chapel starts at 9:10 am. Guess I'm getting up early to finish it. Good thing they are only four. I'm pretty sure that we can pull it off!

John took Dylan to see Acts of Valor yesterday. His first "R" movie. They both said it was very moving. Then, he took both kiddos to see the Lorax today. Halle said it was good. Dylan didn't have much to say. And John said it seemed highly political to him. Which I completely remember from watching a play rendition of The Lorax as an elementary school child. I felt the tension of the environmental movement before it was officially a movement!

Last night I stayed up working until midnight. I shouldn't work on budget detail that late into the night. I found myself squinting at my spreadsheet today . . . certain that squinting would make my late-night work make sense! (It didn't. In case you wondered.)

With that? I give up. To bed I go. Gratefully. Deeply pondering the idea of rejoicing. And how to best communicate that to a boatload of preschoolers!

DC/New York So Far . . .

I'm glad that I didn't go with Dylan on his trip. Shocking, isn't it? But he is having so much fun without me there! Doesn't even seem to be homesick in the least. He is, however, running low on spending money. There's a good life lesson there . . . what do you spend your money on when your parents are not around to monitor what crap you do/do not buy? (Dylan's answer? He can't even remember! I see a new hat and a Statue of Liberty foam thingy . . . but what I do not see is a new sweatshirt. Ugh.)

And again, thank goodness for technology. Love being able to follow along his trip. Even if I can't force him to change his sweatshirt from here!

Moms, Aunts and Cousins . . .

is where it's at! I am currently curled up on the couch in the "living area" of our room at the Hyatt Place. My Mama, Aunt and Halle are all sleeping in the partitioned-off bedroom area. We spent the afternoon with my cousin and her daughter, hanging out and kicking off our girls trip. Her husband and son joined us for dinner (and crafts!) (and milkshakes!) and after visiting with them for a bit, we headed back to our hotel room and called it a night.

I really, really needed some time with my Mom. And my Aunt. And my girl. 

Yesterday we had a rough day. We are dealing with some yucky stuff . . . stuff that's been around for a long time . . . lying somewhat dormant beneath the surface. Well, yesterday it raised it's ugly head. And I was going to cancel this long-planned trip. But John encouraged me to go as planned. I hesitated, argued and really planned on canceling. But I needed this. I needed some time to breathe. To laugh. To cherish. (Thank you, honey!) The shit will still be there when I return.

So here we are. I have some work to do in the morning, but then Halle and I will join the others at the mall. Halle has already convinced Nana to buy her a purple patent leather wallet, a black and white polka dotted blouse and a pair of black ballet slippers. She (Halle) says she needs a pair of white denim Capri's to complete her "spectacular" outfit. Lordy.

Our boy is doing great, at least from what I can tell from his texts and a few photos. Thank goodness for technology! It's so fun, feeling like we get to follow along in his journey via random texts and photos on Facebook!

John is taking the rare-opportunity of a very quiet house to work on his school stuff. Cannot. Wait. Until. This . Semester. Is. Over.

Now I'm off to sneak in next to my girl. Regardless of the challenges that are in our life? We are so very blessed. And I am so grateful. Abundantly blessed. Even when it's hard. 

 

And He's Off . . .

my baby-boy is headed off to D.C./NYC for an exciting adventure. It's going to be an amazing time for him to see so much of our nation's history. It's a fantastic opportunity for him and I am so very glad that he was able to go.

But there's a part of this Mama that doesn't like my kiddo to be that far out of my reach! Sigh . . . 

The good news? It's a very small, disproportionate amount. He will do great. He is very trustworthy and wise for his age. He is a good kid. He's traveled a lot, ever since he was a tiny peanut. He can handle the security line like a pro. Assumably even one-handed! Even if he ignore the labels that I put on his clothing. (Yes, really.) He'll do great. (I'll just keep saying that . . . ) I am very, very excited for him!

I am hoping for some photos and texts along the way. I have to say that as much as I hate all the technology that is so pervasive in our teenagers' lives? I do like it when it serves my needs! He even has Facetime capacity, assuming that he hits a wireless hot-spot along the way. 

Now, I am off to face the fact that it's 3:11 am. I am still fighting the tension headache that I've been fighting for the last few days. So here's to hoping that sleep will come. Please . . . must sleep!

Travel safe, my boy! Enjoy your grand adventure!

Norovirus and Girls' Weekend . . .

I didn't fall off the face of the earth, nor did I die from my bout with Norovirus! Yeah and yeah! 

Between the anti-nausea meds and the two liters of fluid via IV on Friday, plus some anti-diarrhea meds on route, I did manage to go on our Girls' Trip. And I am so glad I did!

I felt like death all day on Friday. When I finally decided to/was able to pack for the trip? I was huffing and puffing like a 99 year-old with pneumonia! Thankfully, my BFF still allowed me into her car (surrounded by anti-bacterial wipes, sprays and gels) and we headed towards Half Moon Bay. 

On the way, I tried with all of my might to post my Friday Phone Dump en-route.  Whilst I was relegated/restricted to the backseat. Lest my germs cross over to the driver and passenger. I was really proud that my phone dump would go up in spite of my viral near-death experience. Sadly? I couldn't get it to upload while on the road. It apparently was not meant to be.

So here it is . . . on Monday . . . better late than never! As for Girls' Trip, that clearly deserves a post (or five) of it's own. And that, my friends, is not happening right now. For beyond my Norovirus and Girls' Trip extravaganza? Today I had to return to my Redding office for the first time in several weeks. AND drive to Eastern Shasta County for a meeting. And back. Thus, I am tired. Really, really tired. But I shall leave you with a little hint of the glory that was Girls' Trip 2012:

My best girls. An amazing location. Recovery from the horrible viral beast. Fun, tears, laughter and so much more. Details soon-forth-coming. Or at least some. I can't disclose everything . . . it was Girls' Trip afterall . . . some things are sacred!

Day Two in the City . . .

We got up with the best of intentions to move quickly and see all that we could for our remaining time in San Francisco. Then this happened:

Damn technology!

We recovered, ate a quick and delicious breakfast . . . with bacon . . . lots and lots of bacon for those boys! And then we did the most-touristy thing ever. We bought seats on a double-decker tour bus. Yep. Seriously. And we toured the city. It was actually very fun. We took a quick stop at Union Square because I was insistent that we would go to J. Crew. Plus, our Shannon was calling me from Hawaii, just prior to her wedding and I needed to talk to her!

After the tour and requisite J. Crew stop, we headed back to the ever-lovely Argonaut and checked out. Sadly. I then plugged in the Exploratorium address into the GPS and away we went. The boys love, love, loved the Exploratorium, but we needed a couple more hours to spend there!

We rushed out in order to cross the Golden Gate and beat traffic heading toward home.

Amidst our hurried crossing over the Golden Gate and our round-about trip back north arose the blatant issue that I had been avoiding the entire trip.

I. Didn't. Have. Family. Photo. Outfits. Planned. (And our photo session was the next morning. At 9:00 am. And yes, this is serious business around here!)

A stop at the Vacaville outlets anyone? Why, yes. Thank you for asking. I will frantically spend $200 on anything grey/blue that might possibly work for those ever-important family portraits! The boys immersed themselves in the Nike outlet and I did a quick run between Gap, Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic. In and out, in 45 minutes or less! Our dinner at Chevy's completed our Vacaville stop and we got back on the road.

It was hurried and we needed more time, but I am so very grateful that we were able to spend that time with my Mom, Dylan and Anders. It was such an immense gift to have that huge chunk of time and experience with them both. 

Plus? We make rockin' tourists!

City by the Bay . . .

San Francisco was a blast! An absolutely genius place to take the boys, if I do say so myself. My only complaint was that we needed more time. Another night and morning would have been perfect, but hey, we'll take what we can get!

We headed straight to Pier 33 to take the boat out to Alcatraz. Dylan had never been, obviously Anders had never been, I thought I'd been before . . . but maybe not; and my Mom had only been around the island, never on it.

It was so fantastic! Loved the history - and learned a lot that I had never known or even heard about. Loved the boat ride - it was a gorgeous day on the Bay! It wouldn't have been nearly as nice in the typical cold and fog. We walked all around, watched a movie and took part of the audio tour. My Mom and I are too impatient to listen to something that moves that slow. Sad, but true!

We actually left sooner than we would have liked, but I was feeling the pressure to fit a lot in. Poor Anders would have really enjoyed listening to the rest of that tour, but we had a lot to do!

On the ferry back to the City, we got the call that Dylan had made the basketball team. His smile was so wide! It was a great bit of news to energize us all, even though we were really sad about a player who absolutely should have made the team. More about that in a different post. This is about our trip :)

We checked into the Argonaut, where we were greeted at the door by the most fabulous doorman in the City, Steve. He is hilarious! He let the boys make a grand entrance into the hotel riding on the luggage cart. He was seriously so fun. Although I cringe at how much the room cost for the night? It was worth it. Totally worth it. 

For dinner, Mom and I really wanted to eat at Scoma's. But instead, we let Dylan chose where he wanted to take his cousin. (Not Scoma's.) So we ended up at the Rainforest Cafe. Not exactly gourmet, but it worked! Anders thought it was really cool, the food was good and it was easy. 

Then we meandered all around the Wharf, Pier 39 and even the Aquarium of the Bay. We ended up catching a pedicab to haul our lazy (tired) butts back to the hotel. Where we managed to haul ourselves up the hill to Ghiradelli for shakes and sundaes. Which we were not even hungry for, but we were in San Francisco! We had to go there!

We waddled back to the hotel and the boys were beyond entertaining. The hotel robes were not the standard white terry robes . . . instead, they were animal print. The boys through it very amusing to wear them, with sunglasses and act like total fools. I will spare them the horror of posting any photos on the Internet. In fact, I even made my Mom delete a few of them from her camera! Crazy boys! It is possible, although not certain, that Dylan introduced his Swedish cousin to the idea of "mooning" passerbyers from the 4th floor hotel window. Again, nothing certain . . . 

Mom and I had a glass of wine while the boys watched Green Lantern in our room. Then mi madre promptly fell asleep and snored while the rest of us finished the movie. She's so dainty. Her snoring, however, is not!

And that is the accounting of our first day in the city! Although I failed to mention the overpriced parking, scary bush guy and foul-mouthed gold pirate guy. If you've ever been to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, those need not be mentioned. They are standards, always there in some variation or another!

Adventure . . .

Bring it on!

I've been to San Francisco dozens of times, but I am as excited as the boys to head there today. We are doing it 100% tourist style. Alcatraz. Exploratorium. California Academy of the Sciences. Cable cars. Giradelli. Golden Gate. Pier 39. Clam cowder in bread bowls.

Heck, I may even have to buy a sweatshirt!

Lots of pictures and fun tales to come!

Bloggin' Blah . . .

It's not that I don't have anything to say, I just don't have time to say it! I need a fill-in-the-blank-blog version these days!

Let's see, in brief . . . 

My sister, BIL and two adorable nephews are here from Sweden. We have loved spending time with them. Dylan and my oldest nephew are currently camped out in Dylan's room and we will be leaving in the morning for a couple of days in San Francisco. 100% tourist style! And I cannot wait!

7th grade basketball tryouts were intense. There are going to be probably 8 kids that are very sad tomorrow when they post the list. I am praying (I know, I know . . . famine and cancer and all) that Dylan's heart and authenticity is protected. What can I say? I'm a Mom. I watched bits of the tryouts and I think he'll make the team. But it's hard to predict. We won't even be in town when they post the list tomorrow, so I guess we'll see when we get home. (Or hopefully, one of my amazing girlfriends will send me the list while we're away! HInt, hint!) Dylan has worked his butt off for the last few weeks with an amazing college player/mentor. I want him to reap the rewards of that due diligence. For the first time ever, he's realizing how much he wants to make the team. (Tough tryouts will do that to you, yes?)

Our Shannon will be married in 48 hours. We won't be there and I'm so sad. But I'm happy for her and hope and pray that her wedding and more importantly her marriage is everything that she's ever dreamed off. (But I still wish I could be in Maui celebrating with her!)

I had breakfast with Lauren's Mom this morning and we got to Facetime with Lauren. And I was glad, but also sad. I miss my girl. 11 days and I will be driving to her and Bobby's new house and hanging with her. I am beyond excited. So are my kiddos!

Speaking of Lauren, look at these amazing images from her wedding photographer! (Who is, by the way, taking our family pictures on Friday morning :) I cannot wait!)

I haven't picked up my CD yet, so ignore the bad resolution. Please.

And with that, dear friends, my left eye is closed. My right eye is drooping. I haven't packed and we are leaving at 8:00 am. So I need to go to bed. Post haste.

(I do have a little story to tell at some point, however, about finding a lizard in our front closet tonight and almost dying from the surprise of it. Man, just typing that gave me the heebie-jeebies all over again!)

Peace out! Bed and then SF bound!