Boy Genius!

Sometimes you have to have five children to truly get the gifted child!

Vintage Soccer Photo!

I found it!  Aren't we cute?  When I was in Camarillo I found a photo album I wanted, but instead of stealing it, I took pictures of the pictures.  They turned out o.k.  Don't worry, The photo album is still in Moms room.  Too bad Dad doesn't live by us, I would have him help me coach. (In case anyone is guessing, I am the third from the left, bottom row, in pig tails. My sister Chris is on my right and Debbie is in the back row next to my dad.) Don't laugh.

Soccer Season Has Begun!

I love soccer season!   Heather scored two goals and Sarah scored one.  Of course, that was due to their superb coaching!  (Coach Mom).  Max also had a great game.  It was 103 when they played, but we survived without passing out.  I remember when my Dad was my coach and Debbie, Chris and I were all on the same team.  Fun memories.  How time flies!

Brian's Road Trip.

     Brian and three of his friends decided to take a road trip and attend EFY in Santa Barbara.  Dah, why wouldn't you go on a road trip with three of your best friends to Santa Barbara?  After EFY, he met us at Julie's house, then followed us home the next day.  I think Venice Beach was their favorite.  They went a couple of times.

San Clemente

      Fourth of July we took a weekend trip to visit Greg and Julie.  Eloise was already there visiting.  And she beat us to the guest bedroom (Just kidding Elo!)  We had a great time hanging with Scottie and Rex, watching Greg kill a rattle snake, making Eloise and Julie go to the beach EVERY day, and stinking up the house Sunday morning with the fresh smell of a "Crock Pot" dinner.  Thanks for letting us stay at your house.  Oh, and I can't forget the awesome mop Greg bought me at the Fair!

More Camarillo Pictures!

Camarillo

     I want to start from the beginning of summer, and then end at the end of school, so I have a little back tracking to do.  

      I had big plans for the summer.  Sometimes I am jealous that most my sisters live in Camarillo and get to hang out whenever they want.  They can get together every holiday, birthday, baptism, etc.  David's family is awesome, but they all married local people. So every other holiday we are on our own with no "inlaws" to go to.  For instance last Thanksgiving we ate at a buffet at the Country Club (I'm not saying it was bad, I didn't have to cook, just not the same as being around family).  Labor day I called everyone and no one was around for a family barbecue.  So my plans this past summer was to drive out to Camarillo with my three little kids and stay for two months or at least a few weeks.  The only problem, it was Rainey's busy time of year and it didn't work out so well staying with her (Just because my three children attracted all the rest of the cousins at Grandmas)  OK, we were a little noisey at times.  After five days, we returned to our home in the desert with no pool.  (Sob)  We did get to hang out with cousins for our short stay and I loved every minute of being around my sisters.  The best was going to Santa Barbara for Debbie's birthday and just biking around, eating pizza, and getting ice cream.  We did a lot of hanging with cousins.  We played at the park, ran around grandma's house, and made cousins ditch school and play.  Just being around sisters was the highlight of my summer!  I miss you guys.

Beware of the Scorpion!

Count your blessings if you don't have to look for these guys every night.  You are welcome to come visit us, just bring your black light.  Last summer Brian started to collect them in a jar every night.  After about fifty live scorpions in a jar sitting on a shelf in his room, it gave me the creeps and I made him kill them.  Its just a part of our life out here in the desert.  I always say, "At least they can't fly!"

Brian is Alive!

I just noticed that Brian is not on the family blog.  He does live with us, even tho three days can go by and we will ask ourselves, "Did Brian move out?"  This is a picture of Brian and his "girlfriend" Chelsea.  She spoke at graduation in the pouring rain, so Brian went to support her.  She is going to school in Switzerland now for the year.  Good luck Chelsea!

Lost Tooth!

Do you remember back when losing a tooth was as great as Christmas or a birthday?  Max said this is his seventh tooth and he is seven.  He thinks the tooth fairy should give him $7.  I had to explain the decline of the economy and the tooth fairy is not that rich.  He has been wiggling it for two days straight.  I wish I still believed in the tooth fairy.  Life was so much simpler then.  Isn't he cute?

Marjorie's Fault!

Anyone following Marjorie's blog has seen these before.  Brian came in the door a while ago as I was finishing making the cupcakes.  He wanted to know why I was making them.  I couldn't think of any reason, so I blamed it on Marjorie.  All his friends thought they were funny and grabbed some as they walked out the door.  And to top it off, its Friday night.  I should be out on the town!

Collin, You are Going to Love it!

I surprised Max and got him out of school this morning to go see "Walking With the Dinosaurs."  I talked his friend Bret into coming with us.  They thought it was much better than going to school!  Collin, you may get scared because they roar right in your face.  Max wasn't scared at all.  O.K., maybe he made me put my arm around him the entire time and cover my hand over his eyes.  I think he saw most of it.

Drama at the Hatfield's!

     I must be too obsessed with blogging lately because after a drama filled evening last night, the first thing I thought when things settled down was, "shoot, I wish I would have had my camera!"  You would be looking  at a picture of three police cars in front of our house, a man standing with his arms folded leaning against his small white car, David pointing a finger at him saying, "how would you like me to come to your house and scare the crap out of your children?!"  I would be in the picture too (so I guess it would be hard for me to take it), my arm would be around Sarah who is frightened, shaking and crying, along with her two friends, while trying to explain what happened to the police.

     Do you have the picture in your head?  I'll go on then. . .

     It started at 5pm Wednesday evening.  I left Sarah home with her two friends to run Max to soccer practice.  Heather decided she wanted to ride with me.  Getting a little one on one time for a twin is huge, even if it is just a quick ride.  While we were gone, Sarah heard a knock on the door.  She looked out a window and saw a small white car out front and assuming it was a ride home for one of her friends, she opened the door.  Standing in the entry way was a large gruffy looking man.  He immediately said, "Are your parents home?"  Sarah, feeling a little intimidated by such a forceful question, replied, "yeah, but they are taking a nap."  Of course it was the only answer she could think of not wanting to admit she was home alone.  He then demanded, "Go get them right now!  I am from the court," flashing a plastic badge in front of her, "and I have to talk to your Dad right now!"  She nervously said, "He's not home right now.  The stranger then took a step into the doorway, preventing her from shutting the door, and thrust his cell phone towards her, "Call your Dad on my phone right now and tell him he has to come home right now!"  At this point, Sarah was frightened, shaking, and very nervous.  Her two friends were witnessing the entire event from several feet away too frightened to get too close to the man.  Sarah replied, "I'll call him on my phone."  "No!", the man yelled.  You'll call him on my phone.  The three terrified girls couldn't stand their fear any longer.  They took off running to the farthest bathroom of the house and locked themselves inside.  Crying and huddling together, sure they were going to get kidnapped, they heard the man call after them, "And don't go and call the police on me!"  

     All right, if you were scared, this would definitely push you over the top.  "Don't call the police" is only what bad people say.  They all three had cell phones, but none of them were able to reach anyone.  Of course, I left mine in the car as I walked Max over to his soccer team.  After several minutes, the girls peared around the corner hoping the man had left.  The got a glimpse of him still standing tall in the doorway, not moving.  He must have heard a noise and yelled again, "Don't call the police, I know you are going to."   Luckily David rolled into the garage from a long day at work, catching the attention of the stranger at the front door.  Sarah ran to the garage telling him there was a man at the door from the court and he wanted her Dad.  David said, "tell him I'm not home."  Of course, David was confused what this was about, "did I run a red light, did I get a photo radar ticket, is a patient sueing me. . ."  He slowly backed out of the garage thinking he would park on the street then walk up to the house claiming he didn't live there.  As the stranger saw his car reverse, He took off on a run, catching up with David's car.  He slammed papers down loudly on the back hood of his car while yelling angrily, "You've been served!"

     About this time, I was entering the neighborhood, back from dropping Max off at soccer practice.  I see a man screeching loudly on my front lawn, "You've been served!"  The papers are blowing on the ground around the yard.  I decide not to pull into the house, David drives next to my car rolling down the window yelling at me not to go home and to stay in my car.  He is on the phone to the police.   I drive slowly past the front of my house noticing the front door is wide open.  Like a bullet, three little girls jolt from the house and dive into the back seat of my car.  They are upset and crying and not really making much sense.

     The next several minutes they relay the story to me while visibly still shaking and scared.

     The police showed up within minutes.  The story was relayed to them by David and the three little girls.  The man was a court server looking for a man that built our house four years ago and hasn't lived in it since.  The police informed the man he had the wrong person.  He never asked Sarah what her Dad's name was or who lived in the house.  David let the man know he was wrong for terrorizing his family and frightening his children!  He told the man sternly, "Sorry, is not going to get them to sleep every night for the next month.  Who is going to read them a bed time story and tuck them in and tell them they will be safe for the next month while they will be sleeping in our bed?"

     Anyways, the police assured us he would not return.  The server admitted he acted wrongly and was sorry.  I'm not sure the story will end there.  I saw a side of David I don't see very often.  When people wrong your children, it becomes very personal and you will do anything to make sure they are safe and protected.

     Sorry no picture. . .

I'm Married to a Gay Man!

Sorry Mom, you may not get this joke or think it is funny, but I couldn't resist. . . The other day David came home with a bag in his hand.  He said he stopped at Nordstrom Rack on his lunch break and saw these super cool shoes and said he had to get them for me (he has never done this before).  He even knew my shoe size!  Should I be worried?  Just Kidding.  I love you David!

Twins Gymnastics Meet!

Sarah and Heather had their first gymnastic meet competing at level 6.  

Sarah Floor Routine

Heather's Bar Routine

Max Watching the Gym Meet

Max had no idea he was even at a gymnastics meet until we told him to turn off his DS game because we were leaving.  Just ask Grandpa Chuck how long gymnastic meets are.  Hee Hee.

Hand Stand Contest!