a bunch of pictures

Beep Beep - outta the way
Baby drives
let's switch cars
a moment for dancing
stompin around in my rainboots

enjoying some sunshine while driving in our cars with our babies
Kallie comes out to play soccer
Kallie sure is getting big, and she's super fast

I can't find my other croc
Sydney goes for a spin around the kitchen
Peyton heads for the front door, she knows there is good dirt out there to ride through
Sydney teaches one of her babies how to use the potty - Peyton claps and says go baby, go baby....

Sydney wipes her babies mouth while she potties

La Jolla

This morning we got a later start than normal, we were waiting on some overnite material so we headed for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe before the moodlights were going to show up. The event today at San Diego State went better than any of the other events. It was sunny and warm - shorts weather warm - tank tops even... to bad I didn't bring a tank, but I did have shorts.... The campus was amazing, the weather brought out everyone on campus and they ate the toolkits/prizes up. Yes, marketing ReadyReturn is fun work, now I just wish that all the returns were really ready when we started, most people who quailified - filed before they got the message to use ReadyReturn. Pilots sucks. - not the ones flying the planes either....

So after we finished up at the University we went back to the hotel and then headed to La Jolla - it was breathtakingly beautiful - and I didn't bring my camera - i was kicking myself.... We walked around the village, checking out the places to eat for later, window shopping, and then it was down to the beach. We sat and walked around the beach for a long time. We watched some young girls playing in the tide, it would take them out and bring them back, they were having so much fun - it was priceless. We walked along the shoreline and touched the foamy water - it was freezing... We walked around some more - checked out some galleries - Peter Lik - amazing gallery - he's great, i'd like to have some of his work on my walls. i want to take photographs like his..

Okay so I had this idea for a picture of the family all looking out at the ocean, make it black n white, have it blown up and put it over the fireplace.... We may have the opportunity to come back to San Diego the middle of March... And I'm thinking it would be the perfect time to get that picture.... problem is.. ben doesn't want to bring Sydney and Peyton with us if we come to San Diego...

So should we make a special trip to San Diego - preferably La Jolla to get this picture?

Well to finish off the great day, we went to Cody's for lunch - it was a late lunch, we got there at 2, normally they close at 2, but they decided we looked hungry ~lmao~ the food was exceptional and the presentation was hard to beat - I had the grilled eggplant sandwich and salad.. Yummy.... Rob had the chicken sandwich - it was my second choice. Theresa had the shrimp Louie and swore by it... so next time you're in La Jolla check out the beautiful seaside cottage

Sunny San Diego

We were welcomed by the warm sunshine when we arrived in San Diego. Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day. Good thing I brought shorts... okay so it wasn't hot... but warm enough for short sleeves and was wishing I was wearing carpi's or shorts.... We had a great lunch/dinner - fresh fish, mahi mahi sandwich, clam chowder.... it was awesome. best chowder I've had in a long time.

the hotel is no St Claire's... but it's alright.... was thinking it was better than it actually was when I first checked in.... but the doors are all on the exterior... and I hate that... not the safest place. I prefer interior doors. I'm on the 8th floor, and I've taken the stairs up and down three times now... good exercise.

the bed claims to have seven layers of comfort, but no feathers... no down... no wireless Internet, no Internet.... so how am I blogging? I'm on this low strength connection from a rival hotel.... and its like when the wind blows... the connection is lost.

Tomorrow were going to San Diego State - looking forward to that, maybe go to La Jolla, the beaches, we have a planned jog through Balboa Park - maybe a nice dinner out with the gang.

I didn't bring my camera on this trip - maybe daddy will take some great pictures of the kids while I'm gone.

Bianca has tryouts tomorrow - good luck - play hard, be aggressive and do your best. I love you -

I miss being home, traveling wears you out.... and it's no fun to go home and have crying kids... Ben says the kids are all excellent for him, there's no crying - although I don't believe him after the phone call I got tonight... there was screaming and crying coming from the other side of the line. and it was bedtime. Word was that Peyton through a fit at dinner, didn't want to eat, but was fine after dinner. they seemed okay when I talked to them on the phone, hopefully they have a great night. Bianca has been quite the helper with me being gone. She helps them brush their teeth, fixes their hair every morning and dresses the girls - Thank You Bianca

Random Thought - Bianca won't hold my hand in public anymore... how sad is that? Last month it was okay, but this month... I guess it's out....

Future Stanford Alumni

Here's to a great education. Check out all of the pictures on a slideshow, click the lil i and you might get a message.

Triple Threat - learning to dive?



Soar like an airplane after you score
I think I pulled a muscle
Goal for me
one for all and all for one

work photos from Stanford - check out the slideshow

San Jose City College

Today we headed for the JC in San Jose - the toolkits and moodlights went like wildfire, the students were excited to have us there and excited about the give aways - I'm hoping that a few of them actually qualify for readyreturn. There were some students that hadn't filed and couldn't wait to go home and check to see if their return was actually ready...

Did you see what the governor did.....yets.. a freeze - I'm thinking I'm gonna be stuck in this job for way to long... don't get me wrong... I love what I'm doing right now... but come April... I'll be back in my old desk, with the old gang and I won't be happy - now is that anyway to think about the future? a gloomy outlook... No, your right.... where's the optomistic side... have I gone to the dark side?

On a positive note..... I slept like a baby without it's mama.... I wonder if the babies missed me this morning.... Ben didn't call me, and I figured that meant everything was great for him.... as for me... I was a lil teary eyed.... I miss those beautiful faces when I wake up, the way they call out for me to rescue them from the black iron gate that keeps them safe during the night.... or at least makes me feel they are safe - no falling down the stairs half asleep.

Peyton took a tumble down the stairs on Monday... I was sitting on the bottom couple steps and putting shoes on Sydney when I heard the roar and felt the stairs shake.... She was fine, scared more than anything.... good think i was sitting there and broke her fall - the tile can be unforgiving.

So I'm having some tea....and waiting to make some phone calls....

San Jose State University

updated
there were scheduled showers for this afternoon, but they ended up showering us with love around 9 am... Yes we stood in the rain and handed out toolkits for ReadyReturn - boy was I glad when it was time to go home... We speard the news about readyreturn near the art department and I got some great pics - Went for a walk in the rain.... saw my uncle Rick out with some clients... (he lives in Walnut Creek) random thought. the walk turned into a jog, it was refreshing We had a late lunch at Spagetti Factory - then Vangie and I worked out at the gym. I did the eliptical and the treadmill.... wait I did the treadmill first - then I went back to the room and climbed into my fancy robe and laid on the bed and took a nap.... I slept about an hour and it felt really good. i was rejuvenated for my dinner with Ashley.

I haven't seen Ashley since she graduated... (from Santa Clara University) in 2003 - it's been five years... WOW I didn't even realize it had been that long, but we picked up like we'd never missed a beat - though catching up takes some time... we laughed and shared stories and ate japanese... I had sushi, she had a combo plate. the dinner was good, the company was the best. We asked the waitress to take some pictures of us.... she didn't do so hot... so we pulled up to the hotel and I saw Theresa (from work) and asked her to snap some pictures of us... and she did... she took some pictures, but they didn't turn out... she took some of the building behind us, one of a man passing by... the top of our heads... Ashley and I cracked up.... I almost peed I laughed so hard.... it was a long goodbye, lots of hugs... we had a great visit and I can't wait til we get together again. I only wish I had great pictures of her and I -

St Claires - Day 1

updated
We're here.... the hotel is beautiful The Saint Claire- featherbeds, lots of feather pillows - the ones I love. Big down filled comforters - they even sell these featherbeds, pillows, comforters.... and robes.... So I danced around in my beautiful silk robe, played air guitar on the bed and then was -shot through the heart - and your to blame.... it's been great.
(my room)
Vangie and Lee at dinner
Robert, Theresa and Vangie after a long day of work
I went to dinner at Il Fornaio with Theresa (early) I had shell pasta with chicken, broccoli, sundried tomatoes, garlic and some wine sauce. The bread was my favorite part of dinner. I wanted dessert but decided I'd wait for Vangie and Lee to get to the hotel.... They arrived about 8:00 and I met them downstairs for dinner at Il Fornaio again.... ~lmao~ I really wanted Tiramisu - but didn't want the caf to keep me awake all night so I settled on more bread and some minestrone soup - Yes I was starving at 8 pm... I didn't eat all of my first dinner (could explain it). We chatted and enjoyed dinner then I ran up to my room and got warm in my robe and throw blanket (when I get home I'll post some pics - this laptop doesn't have a plug or anything to assist me in posting pics). I fell asleep watching the last few minutes of My dad is better than your dad....

Off to SJSU today and rain is in the forecast



more pics

girls just wanna have fun

the girls enjoy some Karaoke

Patrick turns Seven

Yesterday (2-16) my nephew Patrick turned seven and today we met up with him for a lil celebration. He's really into skateboarding, well as into it as any seven year old can be. My brother used to take Patrick to the skateparks and teach him skateboarding tricks.... and well now... my brother hardly comes around. I guess that's what divorced does to people, or maybe it's stupidity, or addiction, it's something... but in the end Patrick is the one who suffers. He's a great kid and we always have a great time when we hang out. He loves the babies, he's always kissing, hugging and following them around, helping them when they need help and just being sweet. He also enjoys spending time with Bianca, he comes and spends the night with us frequently or goes on short trips with us.

So I call his mom to tell her that we want to buy him a new skateboard... I'm thinking $200, my sister pays half and he's got a new awesome board... well his mom says he's got a new board, and an old one that he thrashes around on. I know he's got a beat up board at my parents house too, but Amanda assures me that he's got a new board and needs some shoes instead... She tells me he wears a 13.5 and his foot is growing fast so if i get him a 1, he'll be good....

So I hit the local boardshop - On3 (it's in Roseville) with my girlfriend Sherri and the kids -Bianca, Sydney and Peyton.... Bianca had a giftcard she wanted to spend... She went crazy in the store... she tried on a bunch of stuff - the xtra small stuff, and she got quite a few things.... new hoodie sweatshirt, some really cute girlie shirts, and a couple tanks... The babies ran around the store like it was a playground... and enjoyed talking to Mason and Don. Peyton usually pretends to talk to Don on the phone, so while he was on the phone, she was walking by him and shouted out "Hi Don" it was really cute... So after Bianca got all her stuff, I checked out the skate shoes for lil boys... ended up getting some really cool black DVS shoes for Patrick and an Element T shirt. Very awesome stuff...

Patrick was so excited about his skate shoes and shirt and couldn't wait to try them on and wear them around... the shoes fit perfect...(in other words, I should have gotten a 1.5 so he could grow into them) I knew I should have taken him with me to try them on.... but once he put them on... he didn't want to take them off... I gave him a bunch of On3 stickers too. He also got a DVS and Element sticker.... So he decorated his thrashed board and his skateboard ramp.... oh the shoes...

We played around while Patrick showed us skateboarding tricks, rode his ramp and bike, the girls played with the dogs and played in their truck. Bianca and Ben went to a soccer camp. My parents had to go bid on a job and my sister and I took the kids up to the local elementary school. the girls played on the slide, Patrick rode his bike and played basketball with some kids while I was the Papparazzi or mamarazzi as it fits...

Patrick does an ollie into a tail grind and holds the pose

up the ramp trying to ollie onto the wall

the girls see the slides

a lil basketball action

Patrick bringing up the rear with Amy and Peyton - she's marching with her hands in her pockets
Playing on the structure
Our favorite part is the slide
Sydney is a lightning fast

a big basketball game was about to happen, so big that Patrick had to bare his chest to prove he could play with the big boys... and Peyton was explaining that she was gonna play but she had no intentions of showing anyone anything...

Since I've been home

I took Valentines Day off and spent the entire morning and afternoon with Sydney and Peyton. We didn't sleep in, but we played in our PJ's for a lil while, ate breakfast, had a visit with Nana and Papa, then went to get lunch and to the park and played.... Sydney wasn't very friendly with the other kids.. her new words are "go away" So she didn't make any new friends. Mostly the girls raced up the stairs and down the slide... ate apple slices on the way to pick Bianca up from school and then napped before we picked Bianca up. We had intended on a short visit with Bianca's favorite teachers, but instead I was left sitting in the car with sleeping babies and the warm sunshine upon my face...

For Valentines Dinner Ben and I went to dinner with Steven and Joan - we went to Cattlemans - none of us have ever been there. It was really good. We had some steak nacho's for appetizers, some shrimp cocktail, and I had a midori margarita - YUMMY... Ben had coke - hold the Jack... Everyone enjoyed their drinks... I think the favorite was the midori sours.... Joan, Ben and I all enjoyed Filet Mignon... Joan had some mashed potatoes and some special sweet potato... (ugh) I had the baby red potatoes and Ben had baked potato. Steven had a shrimp dinner... the desserts were amazing - Joan had some fabulous cookie with ice cream and chocolate. Steven had death by chocolate cake... Ben had a mocha chocolate cake and I had strawberry NewYork cheesecake (it was huge). We brought home some steak nachos and dessert for the kids. (mocha chocolate cake was a big hit with the kids... Ben mostly liked the cheesecake and I had a couple bites of his dessert) YUM

It's been so beautiful. We've spent as much time outside as we can, going for walks, the park, or just playing on the patio - and we now have landscaping in the backyard.... well sprinklers and grass to go along with the patio... Next week we'll be able to play on the grass.

Here are a few pictures.

out for a walk - I love the pink and green together

kisses for my valentine

I'm gonna catch you

Daddy and the girls fall behind - Sydney wants to hold hands too, but Peyton loves having her hand in her pocket.

the grass is in... now we need some lil soccer goals and we're gonna have some fun