Promenade Left

On Tuesday, Katie and all the 5th grade students got all gussied-up for West Fest Day and did a square dancing demonstration for the parents. Lucky Katie. She got to dance in an all girl group. Her partner, a good buddy of hers, and her switched off who played the "lead." She didn't have to dance or hold hands with any icky boys. If you look in the background of the video clips you'll see how unexcited and lethargic the boy-girl groups are. Katie's group was all smiles and giggles. I got to do the last dance with her. It was a great memory to store away. I can't believe she is moving on to middle-school.
There are many clips to share, 'cause they're just so darn cute.

Ice Skating in the Sunshine

While I stayed at home to nurse my cold and horrible laryngitis, Rick took the kids to the temporary ice skating rink in Folsom. Both kids loved it and want to go back before it closes for the season. Hopefully, I can join them next time.

I was impressed that Rick thought to take photos (even if it was with his Treo cell phone). He even took some video.... sideways!! Enjoy.

Merry Merry Christmas!

A Visit From Grandma Judy

Rick's mom left this afternoon after a week long visit. I had to work during half the visit, but the time I got to spend with her was really nice.

While I was working my long term sub job, Judy, Rick and the kids did crafts and played games at the house.

Friday day, Judy and Katie made mini pumpkin pudding pies for Katie to take to her Girl Scout Feast. It was a special time for Katie and her Grandma to just be together.

Friday evening the kids went to their friends house (and Girl Scouts) and the three of us grown ups went Christmas shopping. It was a successful trip and now Judy doesn't have to ship gifts to us and the kids will be getting things they put on their wish lists.

Saturday I got out my jewelry making supplies and made more lanyards and fixed a few broken ones. Judy helped me while Katie worked on her scrapbook. Kenny played Wii games and Rick worked on his truck bumper.

Oh - did I forget to mention Rick backed into a pole? Yup. His truck is only two years old and he whacked it good! With the help of a neighbor he was able to pound out the bumper to Rick's satisfaction (yeah we don't have to buy a $300 new bumper). Now all he needs to do is get color matched paint to touch up some places where the paint cracked.

Later on Saturday Judy got to see Katie NOT play in another soccer game. Katie was freaking out about her breathing problems and didn't play (more on that later). She also got to see how Rick turned into Dumbhead Coach who forgets how to be dear ol dad. We're all human, but it's aggrivating for me being in the middle of the stress.

Sunday night Katie, Judy and I went to see a local production of Annie. Katie and Judy had never seen it before. Of course, I had to refrain from standing up and singing all the songs. It brought back great memories for me. My parents took me to see Annie in Hollywood/L.A. when I was around Katie's age. I bought the song book and memorized all the songs. It was a fun evening for all three of us.

We all enjoyed her visit, but Kenny was the most emotional about having to say goodbye. He cried when she left and moped around the rest of the day. He is excited about being able to email with her using our Wii email system (Katie is too).

Soccer Saturday (again)

It was another EARLY Saturday morning for the Carter family this weekend. All of Ken's games start either at 8am or 9am. This Sat. it was 8 (blech).

The morning was really cool and damp. Ken loved playing in the cooler weather. He said it helped him run harder and longer. His team, The Bears, won by a large margin (something like 11 t0 2). Ken scored two of the goals. Here are some pictures of him working hard and having fun.


Ken's shoots his first goal. Picture above & Video (shot by Katie) below.


Katie's game was late in the afternoon. Her field is HUGE. Her team, The Cardinals, is not the most talented bunch of girls, and a good number of them are just not very eager to play hard.

Katie did her best however and said she had fun despite the 0 to 6 score. For the first 40 minutes (1st half) she played back and helped protect the goal. She has a natural ability to know where to put herself in relation to the ball and the goal. Most girls her age don't have this skill. After a 10 minute half time break, Katie played the rest of the game in the goalie position. She let a few balls get by (heck I would too, that goal zone is HUGE), but stopped quite a few too.


Her drop-kicks are getting really good. I am glad she is enjoying herself, despite the score. Her teams has only scored one goal in three games.

Rick is beside-himself in frustration about how to coach these girls and get them to improve. He literally has been mulling it over in his head all weekend.

Girl Scout Camporee

Katie and I skipped soccer this Saturday to attend our local Girl Scout Camporee. Normally Camporee is held in the summer, but it had to be postponed due to the smokey air from local fires. I volunteered to be a helper-mom. It was fun, but exhausting at the same time. Our troop didn't have any adults as a certified "camper" so we didn't stay overnight - which I was thankful for.

We all met at the leader's house at 7:30am and headed up to Sly Park, Jenkinson Lake in Pollock Pines. We got there about 8:45 and set up our day camp in the same area as other troops who were setting up to stay overnight.

The girls had a busy morning activity schedule. Canoing, Swimming and Archery. Katie didn't enjoy the canoing, which suprised me considering how much she likes kayaking at the Russian River with the Ghidossi family. I think it was a bit too early and too difficult to control the big canoe vs. the one-man kayak. Katie vetoed swimming big time. The water level was SO low and the bottom of the lake so muddy, kids shoes were getting stuck in the mud. Katie just dangled her feet of the little boat dock and watched her friends swim in the mucky water. We had enough time to head back to camp for the girls to change into dry clothes.

Then we headed to archery. The lady who ran that event was a... crab apple. Each girl only got to shoot six arrows and half of those they didn't shoot by themselves because the teacher and helper would saddle up to the girls and "show" them how to shoot. Now I understand that archery is a big safety issue, but I felt sad for Katie and her friends. They seemed to like the bow and arrow and just needed some time to get the hang of it by trial and error. I was even wishing I could try it, as it looked fun.

From archery we went back to camp and ate our sack lunches, visted and sang silly songs. Then, the girls had SWAP time. Each girls brings a trinkety item on a safety pin, introduces herself to other girls from other troops, then they exchange the little items. Katie (and I) made little flip flops using foam, ribbon and a brad. They were cute and the ones she received were adorable. We still haven't had a chance to review them all.

After SWAPS it was time for badge rotations centers. The girls were working on their outdoor creativity badge and had to visit six stations (30 minutes each). Katie and her scout-mates: made lavender sachets, created a water-coloring inspired by nature, sang songs, picked out and practiced a skit (to later be performed at the campfire), wrote a nature hiku, and made a sun-prints using sun sensitive paper and things from nature.

Katie enjoyed the different centers, but got really hungry and got a stomach ached in the middle of it all. I am glad I was there to get her some Tums and snacks to soothe her pains. All the girls were hungry by the time we were done.

Bless our troop leader's heart. She had to think of so many things to pack, even for just a day visit. She remembered *almost* all of it - except the barbeque for cooking the hot dogs. Luckily a neighbor troop cooked up our dogs for us.

I've been neglecting to mention the interesting twist of this trip. Across the street from the Girl Scout campground is a public campground. It seems it had been rented for the day for a wedding. Seems simple enough - but the girls were magnetized to the event. Whenever we were at our campsite they would peak over and try to catch glimpses of the bride and groom. That was all fine and dandy. It makes sense, as the girls were raised on princess fairy tales that culminate in a grand wedding... but by the time we were getting dinner together the reception had started... and so had the party music. The girls were dancing and singing along (some not realizing the lyrics were not appropriate for 10 year olds). I certainly am not against rock music and being silly, but it really detracted from the "outdoorsy" feel the Girl Scouts were trying to promote for the day/weekend.

The leader and I tried to distract the girls and have them practice their skit they were to perform. They bought into that and practiced over and over; unless a really "good" song came on then they dance and sang to that.

Before the official campfire meeting time, the leader and I lead the girls away from the music and our camp, over a hill and to the waters edge. It was truly my favorite time of the entire trip. We found flat rocks and one girl taught the rest how to skip rocks. Hey, enjoying nature at Camporee... imagine that!


At campfire time we all the troops got together and took turns leading silly camp songs, throwing their wishsticks into the fire, and peforming their skits. Our girls did a great job (even if they had to do all this over the pounding sounds of the wedding reception just 100 feet away.)

When campfire time was done and the other troops went back to their base camps to settle in for the night, our troop took over the fire and made s'mores.

I was worried that all that sugar would amp-up the girls for the ride home, but the five girls in my van were fast asleep within 5 minutes of leaving the lake.

Katie and I made it home about 10pm. It was a long, dirty, fun day.

ps: I am SO glad we didn't stay overnight. I heard from another leader that the wedding party went on till 3am!

Growing our Flock

With money burning a hole in his pocket and Rick's blessing, our family headed down to Sacramento to get Kenny a parakeet to love. Katie had decided she wanted one too (and she had enough money to get one - so Rick caved, yet again).

The requirements for the bird (to make it the best pet it could be) was that it be a baby (less than 3 months old & hadn't had it's first molt) and hopefully a male (it's hard to determine the gender when it's a baby). Katie found the bird she wanted at The Bird Shop and a nice size cage. It was a very very hard decision for her to make. She waffled once the clerk caught the bird and Rick held it. BUT when she heard Kenny wanted the bird if she didn't --- she changed her mind and decided it was hers.

Kenny was so torn up over deciding at The Bird Shop he actually got a stomach ache. With a little convincing that we could come back on Sunday if needed, we left that store and headed to another. Kenny found his little sweetie at Petco (just down the road from the bird shop). His bird is much younger.

On the way home we stopped at PetSmart to get Ken's bird its cage. Rick and I felt like we sprinkled the kids' money all over Sacramento County in this venture.

Once home we set up their cage locations with seed and water. Both kids kept a close eye on the new members of our flock. The little birds were (and still are) so scared. They've been taken from their bird siblings and put into a new environment with very large creatures (us) that might eat them at any minute.

This will be a long lesson in being rewarded for patience and hard work for each of the kids.

Neither little feathered friend has been named yet. Katie's bird has a pale yellow face and turquoise blue body. Ken's bird is mostly white with a sky blue color on it's lower half.

1st Game & a Goal

Kenny played his first game of the soccer season. He played goalie and stopped a few goals (even taking a hit to his privates). Then in the second half he scored a goal! - a great start to a fun season.

Katie didn't play because she has an upper respiratory virus that's kicking her energy in to super low gear.

Ken's team, The Bears, won the game by a large margin. We'll keep you updated on both kids (and Coach Rick's) game play by plays as each week in the season progresses.

Age of Sail Here We Come

In 5th grade at Katie & Kenny's school students get to participate in the Age of Sail Overnight Program in San Francisco. Katie is so excited about the trip coming soon (Oct 14 & 15). I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Tall Sailor (even though you don't have to be "tall" to be one, you must be an adult LOL) so I get to be on board the ship too (just not in the same crew as Katie). Katie is contemplating signing up to be a crew leader. I hope she puts her name in the running for it. It would be a great confidence builder for her. It's a lot of responsibility to lead your crew and direct them correctly --- she wants to be a teacher when she grows up - this would give her a taste of leading others.
...more on this later I am sure.

"My lips are numb, my cheeks are puffy... and it's Awesome!

"My lips are numb, my cheeks are puffy... and it's AWESOME!" exclaimed Katie as she blew with all her might to get some noise out of *her* trumpet.

Yes. Katie is joining beginning band in 5th grade. She has chosen the trumpet for unknown reasons - well, actually, the band teacher had a little assembly and showed all the instruments and how they sound. She thought the trumpet sounded the coolest. She will start her classes on Tuesday - so we'll have a weekend or more of mysterious and funky sounds being spewed out of the instrument.

Of course we are renting-t0-own the instrument, cause if she's anything like me she won't stick with anything. Did you know I've had classes/lessons in the flute, clarinet, ice skating lessons, sailing and modeling? Can I say I am successful in any of those? Nope --- But I could be a runner up Plus Size Model for the Blind (laughing at myself here).

Just wanted to share Katie's excitement in her new musical adventure. I'll keep ya posted on her progress... meanwhile I might need to go to the local drugstore and invest in some ear plugs for Ken, Rick and myself.