Good dinner

In Vancouver this weekend we went to Malaysian food for dinner at the Banana Leaf. We had the best meal! Well worth crossing the border for dinner.

thankful for fans

Mason was grateful that Felix and Kenzie came to watch his game.

dreamin'

Stanley Park

Guess who got to go with us?

Cartwheel

She still lets us take the cartwheel on the beach photo.

Vancouver

Sculpture park

We decided to make a quick trip to Vancouver to take advantage of the long weekend. Kenzie played in the art next to Stanley Park.

We are staying just across the street at the Sylvia Hotel, which I just learned is where Grampy stayed in 1957 while playing with the San Diego Padres.

Too soon to limit options?

Bentley

Falling, by Kenzie

Happy dirt

Another soccer season done!

Almost completely down

Concert at Farmers Market

Seems to be the season for concerts!

Recorder concert

In one of the most anticipated evenings of grade school (and most feared by all the parents I talked to), the fourth graders had their recorder concert tonight. Kenzie was a member of the elite "gold belts" that got to play a special song.

Not feeling heard

A picture crashed off the wall, glass flies everywhere. I said, "Mason, stop throwing balls in the house!" He replied, "mom, I KNOW how to aim when I throw!! I actually dropped kicked it. And I kicked it on the TOP of my foot for power. I should have used the inside of my foot so I could direct it."

Good luck Issy

This song drives Felix crazy. What better way to wish him good luck at the soccer playoffs in Vancouver today?

Field trip

Cindy chaperoned Mason's field trip to Redmond Town Center to watch Beauty and the Beast. Here is her group with Zander, Ricardo, Mason, Abby and Emma.

Perfect Mothers Day

We woke up to a surprise...the kids had decorated the kitchen with cards and signs.

We all went to church, then hustled home so Felix could Skype his family, including his mom and grandmother, Oma Gertrude, for Mother's Day. His grandmother had just sent us a post card (to the left) with a saying that means "home is not where you live, but where they understand you." It was so touching to see her and her face light up when she saw Felix. We don't share a common language, but we still enjoyed getting a peak into the sweet love of his grandmother. In her postcard she invited us to Germany, and we hope to be able to do that in the next couple of years.

After Skyping, we made a couple of runs to Costco, the second one to buy a new BBQ. Our old one made it about 10 years and wasn't ready to brave a new season. So, we put the new one to the test with steak, chicken and shrimp.

The weather was perfect, near 80. We stayed outside while my parents plus Cindy's parents, Jackie, and our neighbors Sandy and Ed came over. The kids batted and kicked balls of various shapes all afternoon and into the evening, earning layers of scratches on their legs from fetching random balls and frisbees that were hit into the blackberry bushes. We had a feast--all outside--and finished just about everything. We used the new pergola and firepit for the first time this year, roasted marshmallows and warmed ourselves when the heat finally started to cool.

It was a perfect day and we are so excited for summer!!

Hot goal

The weather was absolutely beautiful and the kids couldn't stop complaining about how HOT it was! But Mason made a goal, even if he was only running at about half speed the entire game!

Today

Today was one of those crazy, one-in-a-lifetime insane moments in time. I flew back to New Jersey to be interviewed by the Today Show's Janice Lieberman. The subject was "how are retailers changing customer service using technology." It was quite a nerve-wracking honor to be interviewed for national television. We will see how it turns out, but it was a great experience. (She had a broken toe so I took off my shoe for some height equalization.)

Dear Mr. Obama

I try to not get political on this blog but, what the heck, it's my blog and I know that those who follow it love us. Yesterday was a significant day for this country, which is divided on the topic of equal rights.

I'm sitting in a hotel in New Jersey with no kids to take pictures of, so I wrote a letter to the Obama campaign. It follows:

I am 42 and have been with my partner for 22 years. We have two kids, ages 7 and 10. I'm an exec for a major retailer and Cindy takes care of our family. We also have a 16 year old German boy living with us as an exchange student. In so many ways we have the most loving, normal family. Cindy's parents live right next door. Mine live 20 minutes away. We go to church every Sunday. Cindy teaches Sunday School. We are Americana.

Our daughter faced her first real discrimination on her seventh birthday when one of the dads realized she had two moms and took his daughter home from the party. Our son has only had questions and a bit of teasing. We struggled with the topic of having kids, wondering if it was fair to bring others into a world in a family that would surely face obstacles. In the end we believed that we had enough to offer and we could raise strong, independent children...which we have done. MacKenzie is an articulate speaker and backs down to noone. Mason is a maniac on any sports arena, hoping to live up to some of the legend of his Hall of Fame great-grandfather and professional ball player grandfather. Together they know love and family.

What they don't understand is why their moms can't be married. It's hard for us to explain it to them because the discrimination is based on hatred and ignorance, two things we have not taught our kids.

President Obamas remarks yesterday give us all hope that inclusion and fairness, the foundation that this country was founded on will once again become common.

Groupon Thing

Several months ago I bought a scenic tour on Groupon. The plane that seats five passengers wasn't in service, so instead they traded for a one-hour flying lesson for Felix plus two passengers. Cindy and I soaked up the sun while the three younger ones flew over Lake Sammamish, Snoqualmie Falls, and downtown Seattle. Turned out to be a perfect day for it. Best part (for Cindy and me) was that we didn't tell them what they were doing until we turned into the parking lot at Boeing Field. 

High kicking

Weekend soccer

This was just before Mason scored a goal!

Issaquah had its last home game tonight, eeking out a 5-4 win with penalty kicks. Finally Felix let us take a picture showing off our Issy soccer shirts!

Sporty day

Finger nails

Mason has woken up the last two days to random polish on his nails. Some might try to convince him that he paints in his sleep. He may have believed it day 1, but now he is a little more skeptical. He told me today, "Mom, I did NOT do this. If I had it wouldn't be so messy." Tonight he asked Cindy to please put the polish on a high shelf so he wouldn't do it. Okay, we're starting to feel a little guilty.

Big Bad Wolf Concert

Mason had his first grade concert tonight. He loved it. He knew all the songs and hand gestures and enjoyed being on stage.