5.8 Yikesabee!!

Yes, we experienced an eathquake today. The first my youngers will actually prolly remember.

It was long. Berty was really scared, as was her friend. They were playing in her room. I called to her when I realized it wasn't JUST a big truck driving by. They came RUNNING out! I grabbed them & held them close to me, trying to calm & comfort them.

I kept expecting it to end but it seemed to last forever.

They're hearts were POUNDING.

Afterwards, I held their hands tightly & walked them outside. Trying to talk non-chalantly. I knew berty's friend needed her mom. We walked them home next door & she broke down crying as soon as she saw her mom. Her & Berty were both shaking.

It didn't help that thigns actually fell off shelves & therefore this earthquake was accompanied by the sounds of breaking glass.

Cell phones were NOT working afterwards. Even text messages took awhile to start going through.

ETA: news has downgraded it to a 5.4.

They call THIS work?

HA!

Was in Beverly Hills this morning for a shoot for 'Entourage'. I don't watch it have no idea what it's about except it's based in 'LA'. lol

I DID have to wake up EARLY! 4:15AM. I left about 5:00AM...BUT was home before 10:30 am. What a life! really only worked for about 3 hours, but still get paid for 8! wutwut!

I didn't do a thing. I sat in a chair till they told me to move to another seat jic it showed in the shot. nice. SO I got paid to read my Bible. :-)

I did meet a nice woman who gave me some sites to check out for work...& told me about her last gig---can I just say that reality tv is NOT real! She had an entire episode revolve around her & it was ALL fake. Her birthday, her name, her friends & mother---ALL fake! Improvised script.

I'm tired. I never get up that early, well not willingly.

Oh & btw, we enjoyed breakfast this morning @ 'base camp', conveniently located in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, No joke! Would you roll your eyes if I wrote I was dead serious? lol

Exceptions to the 'rule'

Cause every rule has them right? lol

Daddy is exempt from 'tv free' & so are backyard movies.

We enjoyed our first backyard movie last night. One of my favorite & fun musicals: Bride & Prejudice. It was kinda humid, mosquitoes were out, (but I didn't get bit) & we witnessed a RAT scurry along the power lines onto our roof! EEEEEKK! Good thing all our attic & subarea vents are 'secure'. Imagine!

Dh got bit a bit but he was a good sport.

It was much cooler outside then in so that was nice.

I have decided to make Musical Mondays, while Dh is @ improv rehearsals (although he likes musicals)...we will show a musical on the projector in the backyard. 1 day down...6 to go...

I think I will make Tuesday nights after Youth group--Telescope Tuesdays & then Water Wednesdays--where we go to the beach or somewhere for the ktbunch to get wet--or do laundry? lol

I think a schedule like this could work for the school year too....

Redeeming Summer

Summer is half-way over & I already feel that pressure of: WHERE did it go? School supplies are on sale...which I HATE! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE school supplies, I just hate that they are on sale SO soon! kwim?

So in a crazy attempt to NOT feel like summer has flown by in a haze (which I know it hasn't)...I declared the rest of summer TV FREE! (GASP!)

This does not include the computer...but still. No more wasting hours upon hours (my perception) on lame cartoons every morning & night. And of course I can only enforce this upon my children, but I'll take authority where & when I can. ;-)

Plus, everything is on hiatus for the summer anyway.

I'm sure I'd do well w/ a computer free summer, but hey, I may be crazy but I'm not insane. lol

I just remembered we haven't brought the telescope out all summer yet....oh how I wish I'd had it in Ethiopia! Maybe I'll make a weekly schedule or something...like Telescope Tuesdays & Wash Wednesdays. :-D

Well, it wasn't the BEST camping trip.....

But it certainly was memorable!

Oh my goodness...this weekend was pretty darn AWFUL!!!

We adapted & had to change plans & that was ok, but as far as a camping excursion goes, it was undeniably AWFUL!!!!!

It's fire season here in So CA. It's hot & dry. So a side effect of that is fires DO happen & fires make weird environmental changes....like causing EXTRA bees (technically yellow jackets) to swarm even MORE during 'bee season'! It was literally like a plague!!!

Imagine trying to make 30-40 white/wheat/whole wheat--turkey/ham--mayo/mustard OR peanut butter--jelly--honey--banana sandwiches while being chased by BEES!!!! Have you ever tried to make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich WHILE RUNNING in various zig-zag & circle patterns? Have you ever randomly got whiplash due to a sudden hysterical whipping of the head & hair because you heard a bee buzzing by your ear & you can see @ least 5 more hovering around your head in your SHADOW?

So yah....it was like that.

The campground itself, although dry &dusty, was very LITTLE kid friendly. I noticed quite a few playgrounds, we visited the water park (tix sold separately) but it was really for littles, they had a good looking bike trail IF we had bikes & you could rent those pedal car things--but we didn't, & free Saturday night movie. (This weekend featured The BEE Movie--are you kidding me?) & they had a BEAUTIFUL lake w/ NO SWIMMING allowed!!!! That was the hugest bummer.

Good thing there were quite a few beaches nearby--sans bees--but none had fire pits. Oh well.

I believe most of the students still had fun but it was much more hard work than *I* anticipated. whew! I need a vacation from that vacation. lol

Ice Blocking 101

For Susan:

Large BLOCK of ice.

25lb block for $3 is sufficient.

Towel optional.

Invite friends.

Find big grassy hill.

'Steep' optional.

Sit on block of ice.

Again, towel optional.

Slide down hill.

Sometimes you need a little push.

Sometimes you don't.

Good to take Youth Leaders---
(someone has to buy the ice & drive.)

Pushing, as opposed to carrying, the ice back up the hill, is recommended.
Trust me.

Then go again!

Sliding down on your stomach, although totally cool, may result in a wipe out.

No fighting over ice!

Going @ night is not required, but it will feel like A LOT more fun!

Laughs guaranteed!

You will get wet.

Fireworks, fireworks & more fireworks!

Finally starting to feel better, I think.

We enjoyed the 2nd annual July 3rd Pool party last week @ our friend/college acting professor's house last week. He lives in Riverside so it's a bit of a drive but it's worth it. What a great host & the pool helps too. lol We enjoyed a fabulous fireworks display from his home @ the top of a hill...lots of delish food & drink too.

Then on the 4th we headed to the beach for another friendly get together w/ friends from church & of course, food. Parking was a pain but after a prayer we found one right in the very front! woohoo. The day was warm and we enjoyed another fabulous fireworks show over the ocean.

I am hoping to be able to do the Disneyland Half Marathon @ the end of the month...I don't know. I ran on Monday, 5k & did ok...but since then? arg! no comment.

If I can get up & out of this morning fatigue & foggy feeling, I think I can do ok.

Did some ice-blocking w/ some youth on Tuesday night. Hadn't done that since highschool I think...had lots of fun & laughs.

Took a drive to Wildomar (Murrietta) yesterday to meet some online mamas & had a lovely visit & again---swam in the pool. Very nice time had by all.

Summer is in full swing...although it feels a bit late.
It'll be gone before we know it!

It's summer right?

Oh...yah.....We just happen to catch a fabulous fireworks show the other night from our porch. Then it dawned on me, it's a show we usually attend EVERY year! what? That's what happens when you fly across the world, right?

You forget stuff or something.

And before I left, all T-ball games for my middle-not-so-little were said to be played on Saturday mornings. Yay! Well, now that I've returned I've been informed that all T-ball games will be Tuesday nights....@ 6:30....uh, well we have YOUTH GROUP on Tuesday nights. sigh.

And my S was so sweet to offer to miss his games! What mother or any parent for that matter could do that? Of course he won't have to miss his games! I have the best children, I am so blessed!

So I will spend the season arriving late to Youth group every week, where I am a leader & oldest ds attends regularly.

Speaking of oldest....he was going to take a class w/ some leaders from church.....also on Tuesdays...but that had to fall through as there is a more pressing matter @ hand....passing Algebra 1. Which he failed to do during the school year.

Ok, there I said it. My son FAILED Algebra. I'm over it. Personally, I think it's only half a big deal. kwim? That's what happens when you have crisis & trauma (ie: the nightmare). People freak out, children fail classes ect. But people don't want to hear of failure from a 'homeschooler' right? Because if a homeschooled child fails, it MUST be because of the homeschooling. (eye roll) Every home-educating mother knows exactly what I am referring too...that pressure of excellence. It certainly couldn't be because the child(ren) were emotionally distraught when grandma died or dad left, right? (another eyeroll)

Hey, I aim for my children to be academically average & characteristically excellent. And so far we are right on course. :-)

Went tot eh beach yesterday, I've been told that everyone back @ home suffered a scorching heat wave while I was experiencing torrential rains in Ethiopia....& they kept cool @ the beach. Hard to believe yesterday. It was windy & chilly. I tried to hang in there, but there is only so much sand being blown in your eyes, bag & bible a person can stand right? SO we left, rinsed off, got In-N-Out & saw WALL-E instead.

It was ok, but can I admit I am tired of dating my children? And after watching hours upon endless hours of movies on flights just short of forever, I am really not in the mood to 'watch movies'. I am not referring to spending time w/ my chillers either. I am referring to watching kids movies! argh. I'm so glad they got to enjoy Kung-Fu Panda while I was GONE! lol

But I have to admit that one thing I have NEVER had a complaint about, in almost 16 years of marriage, is my DH being a very good dad. He's rarely, if ever, lost his temper towards our chillers, he's a bit too indulgent but nothing that would cause permanent damage, & he loves to 'treat' the chilllers & see them happy. I'm grateful for that.

Now, it's time to enjoy SUMMER!

right?