Garate Gnus

If leaves were currency...

2011-11-17T21:41:00.001-08:00

today we would have been rich. ;)

This week has been one of those weeks where every major event seemed to converge at a single moment.

Daily schedules have had our little family running from thing to thing,

with just minutes in between.

It's one of those times in life when you feel like you're always running just a few minutes late,

because in fact,

you are. ;)

But today, after the girls brought their girlfriends, Halle and Isabella, on a visit to our local veterinarian clinic with Kennedy and Halle's Brownie troop,

(complete w/ horses, surgical rooms, x rays, Brownie throwing up, me sitting outside with 6 girls (other than my daughters) including one sobbing little friend who was petrified she was going to get sick),

we finally made it home,

when an impromptu leaf pile building project began.

For over 60 glorious minutes, we just raked.

And gathered.

And followed no schedule.

Just enjoyed being outside.

Perhaps asking the cranky lady 2 doors down if we could have her leaves, who said, "NO".

** Seriously, who doesn't let a 9 year old rake their leaves?!?

But just enjoyed being together.

Pure. perfected. bliss.

♥

Our crew. And our equipment.

We also played in the leaves and watched the clouds.

But then, I took this horrible picture that made Tito look all grown up.

But then, I then I took these, which made my heart glad again. ;)

Gwen told me today that she doesn't take good pictures.

I think she's exactly right. ;)

Our "Artsy" side of raking leaves...

So even though, today, our leaves were not currency,

they were absolutely priceless.

♥♥♥

Hmmm, you remind me of someone... ;)

2011-10-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Why are the big blog posts so hard to do?

I mean,

I still have our trip to Maui (last May),

Ty's last day of school (June),

kids' trip to Colorado (July),

family trip to Laguna (Aug),

Kennedy's birthday (Sept)...

but what do I post about?

The fact that Kennedy has an uncanny resemblance to a Jack 0' Lantern these days.

Seriously, we're considering putting a candle in her to save the time and energy of carving a pumpkin.

Juuust kidding!!!

(sort of ;)

Or we could pull her hair back, put a long, black dress on her,

and call her "Nanny McDiddy".

Or we could just enjoy every single second we can with the cutest 7 year old we know.

Yeah, that's what we'll do. ;)

♥♥♥

What we've been up to...

2011-09-16T23:55:00.000-07:00

The Garate household has been abuzz the last couple of weeks.

Days seem to be flying by and the fact that the kids are sleeping later and later each morning proves testament to the fact that they're keeping busy.

Really busy. ;)

But I guess that's what a combined 6 hours a week of soccer practice (and that's only because 2 overlap for a bit), 3 games on Saturdays, homework, playdates, birthday parties and the school's Ice Cream Social can do to ya.

But that's just life. ;)

We've also had some of the great stuff happen.

Like, can you guess why Miss K is so happy?

Here, we'll give you a closer look. ;)

Yep, that tooth that's been missing since she was 15 months old, finally has a buddy.

And now looks like a legitimate missing tooth rather than a really big gap.

I'd say Kennedy is getting ready to look her 7th year straight in the eye. ;)

**When Ben looked at the pictures, he didn't mention anything about the missing tooth, but rather asked,

"Is that how she went to school?" ;)

And guess who earned a Character Award at the school's "SING" assembly?

I'll give you a hint...

It's this cute kid. ♥

Yeah, we're still a little in shock as this was the same kid that made me sit through a call from his teacher last year about his use of the classroom playhouse's radio as a sword...

and his persistence in telling the yard duties exactly why he didn't follow directions...

and... so forth. ;)

But, we couldn't be more proud of Ty's "model" behavior this year.

You've come a long way buddy!

We're so proud of you! ♥

Yep, he really did get it. :)

And speaking of "SING", Gwen's had a big couple of weeks as well.

SING is a biweekly event, where the K-3 and 4-6 graders are gathered together, to sing/dance as a group and the teachers get to recognize 2 students for whatever they deem worthy.

Since singing and dancing is involved, students in 3-6th grade get to apply to be a SING leader who leads the students in song...

on stage.

And our Gwen was one of the students chosen.

Now, as I went to work in Ty's class today, I got to catch the tail end of the assembly.

I missed Ty getting his award, but I did get to see just how cute those SING leaders are.

Think, as close to "Elementary School Musical" as Gweny's gonna get. ;)

But the good news doesn't stop there.

Gwen also was chosen to be part of Safety Patrol.

Safety Patrol is a group of students who are "trained" in the safety rules of our parking lot, then get to open the car doors for kids, who in Gwen's case, are getting out of their cars during morning drop off.

They wear these cute little safety vests and work rain or shine.

Literally.

Let's just say, I'll be posting pics later. ;)

But what does this really mean for the Garate family?

That we have to get to school 10 minutes earlier...

starting next Monday.

Wait, is it too late to pull Gwen's app? ;)

One more fun thing Gwen got to do:

Work with her soccer defender buddy, Kylie, at Kylie's dad's store.

Gwen even got to make change for a customer.

Can life get any sweeter?!?

Well, maybe just a tad.

Here's what I got from one of my friends today, because she's just "one of those" friends.

Go ahead, you can be jealous. ;)

Looking forward to what next week will bring! ♥

Heard over the back fence...

2011-08-31T23:24:00.000-07:00

or the back seat of the car...

or the dinner table...

or...

Kennedy asks me fairly routinely if I like being a mom.

Which she typically follows up with "Why?".

Now, I have various reasons at various times as to why I love being a mom,

but lately one of my favorite parts of being a mom is what I get to "overhear". ;)

This is what I've overheard over the last 36 hours...

***

Kennedy to Ben on the phone: "Mom didn't mean to pull my tooth out. Not like the other ones. She just accidentally ripped it out."

***

Gwen: "How do we know that we love the real God? Like how do we know that He is the only real one?"

***

Ty (to Kennedy): "... so sometimes you just have to talk about it. Like when you have to talk about why you got in trouble in school."

Kennedy: "I don't get in trouble in school... I don't even know how you'd get in trouble in school. You're not allowed to even touch each other..."

Ty: silence...

***

Me: "So, Ty, did you and Taylin (a little cutie from his class) talk about having a playdate today?"

Ty: "Yeah."

Me: "Are you glad we're going to go to Wacky Tacky with her?"

Ty: "I guess."

Me: "Are you going to play with her there?"

Ty: "If there's no one else to play with, I will."

Me: "So why did you want to have a playdate with her?"

Ty: "Because Taylin told me during Reading Time today to ask my mom if I could have a playdate so I did."

***

Ty to me while driving: "Mom, how fast are you going?"

Me: "Umm, 50 mph"

Ty: "Stop speeding."

Me: "I'm not."

Ty: "Yes you are. The speed limit said 40."

***

Gwen to Ben on the phone: "So where are you?..."

"...Um, Oklahoma?"

"... Connecticut?"

"... the St. Regis?"

"...wait, aren't you not supposed to talk on the phone while you're driving?"

***

So dear Kennedy,

When you're 100 years old and reading this, you'll know exactly why I cherished being your mom.

You'll also know why I have all the grey hairs that I do and why sometimes I just like it when it's really quiet. ;)

But what happens the second day? Or the third? Or...

2011-08-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today was Picture Day.

And because I ~~put so much time into their clothes, hair, etc~~ love my kids so much,

I thought I'd take a little pic of what they looked like pre-"full day of play".

Which was a good thing since our new school photo company took fooooooorever

(I know because I worked the event ;)

and Gwen and Kennedy didn't get to take their pics until after 2 recesses and lunch.

Hopefully we won't be able to see the rat's nest that sat on the back of Gwen's neck. ;)

Now our personal photo opp was a little more difficult than I had intended.

But after taking a closer look at the "proofs",

I think I found the "weak link". ;)

I have a good feeling about our school pics, this year. ;)

Even this pic has a twinkle of mockery behind Tito's eyes...

But our start to school has been good.

The kids jumped back into the homework routine pretty naturally

and they all still love their teachers.

However, I have a feeling we're going to have to keep an eye on "the boy".

While making his "All About Me" poster (those things drive me batty!),

I asked Ty what he wanted to be when he grew up.

And this was his response...

"Ummm, what's the job where you have to do the least work?

A soccer coach?

Yeah, I'll be a soccer coach."

At least he didn't say "A Mom". ;)

But Kennedy made us smile tonight as she squealed and ran to show Gwen she lost another tooth.

And since I didn't have any cash, I talked Kennedy into showing her class her tooth tomorrow and then putting it under her pillow tomorrow night.

Although, I didn't need to worry as Gwen had my back.

When I went into Gwen's room tonight, this is what she gave me to put next to Kennedy's tooth.

It's apparently a gift you receive from the Tooth Fairy the night before she gives you money.

Thoughtful little dame, isn't she?!? ;)

Yeah, I like these kids...

Even if they won't sit still for my camera...

and Ty may live with us forever. ;)

The first! The first! The First...

2011-08-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

Day of School!!!

I love this day.

And not because I'm just really happy that I can finally run errands all by myself

(although, if it happens to be an ancillary benefit, who am I to object?)

but because I love all the newness of the day.

It's like one big fresh start.

Ahhh. :)

In fact, Ben started to laugh at me this morning, as to how I prepared for the first day of school.

Like how last night I made one final Target run,

filled out 3 Back To School packets,

filled 2 book bags,

laid all the backpacks/school supplies bags in a row,

checked my camera and battery,

woke up waaaay earlier than my typical "summer" morning,

actually blow dried my hair, ;)

ironed clothes,

flat ironed the girls' hair,

made lunches

(which I apparently completely forgot how to do,

as my house looked as if I simply threw all the supplies over my shoulder after use)

and then double checked everything.

But, what made me, dare I say, "giddy",

is the fact that I couldn't have hand picked better teachers for my kids, even if I had tried.

And the kids all have great friends...

that they couldn't wait to see.

Blessed, I tell you.

We feel surely blessed. :)

So after we packed up, we made the final trek to the school.

Obligatory "First Day of School w/ the School Sign" Pic. ;)

This year, we could walk the kids to their classrooms.

Since Gwen took off about one nano second after we passed through the school gates,

and Ty wasn't to be picked up by his teacher for another 15 minutes,

we started with Kennedy. ;)

Kennedy and Kyndal.

Two peas in a pod.

Both waiting for me to put the camera away. ;)

But Kennedy was a good sport and stopped for pictures...

and more pictures... and more pictures...

but eventually hit her limit. ;)

As we had a little "I'll give you B Robbins if you tell me all about your day snack" after school today,

Kennedy declared that she had the best teacher...

and the best day.

Yeah, 2nd grade pretty much rocks. ;)

And while Ben waited with Kennedy and Ty,

I quickly ran over to the "Big Kids Side" and documented Gwen's first day.

We are apparently sending Gwen to boarding school. ;)

Here's our girl with a few of her girlfriends.

great friends + great teacher = one happy girl

(and even happier parents ;)

Now, we've been realizing how much Gwen's growing up, but we had a good dose of reminder today.

When talking about her first day, Gwen was ecstatic over her teacher and in regards to her class said,

"You can tell that some of the kids have grown up over the summer".

Oh reeeally?

Or how about when one of the moms at Ty's soccer practice asked me tonight if Gwen babysits.

I had to tell her, "Well, she's only 9..." ;)

But down deep, she's still our baby girl who we fell in love with 9 years ago.

With just a bit more finesse... and hair. ;)

Then came Tito's turn.

Oooh my.

As a newbie Kinder (to Stoneridge), you must take pics with both parents.

Even if they are blurry. ;)

And you must endure your well meaning mother, yelling,

"Ty, turn around. Let me take one more pic".

Even if you are supposed to be in charge of the back of the line...

or are perhaps a little too cool for school. ;)

Now, during Tito's Panda Express version of the "let's talk" snack,

I learned that Kindergarten must make you ravenous,

as Ty quickly consumed every.single.calorie the 2 item has to offer.

It also teaches you new vocabulary,

like when Ty told me to "Chillax" after I asked him my hundredth question about his First Day.

(but to be fair, we know he didn't learn that at school ;)

Which I must say, he quickly rescinded,

when he saw I was about to say, "Ch-watch your attitude bud". ;)

But what I did learn from Ty's First Day, was that

"No one really likes the first day. You just do stuff. But later on you start to like it".

The cornerstone of academic legacy.

We can't wait to see what Day 2 has to offer. ;)

♥♥♥

I ♥ soccer.

2011-08-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Seriously. :)

I love everything about soccer.

I love the excitement that marks the beginning of the season.

I love shopping for all the gear.

(Okay, maybe not the actual shopping, but the idea of it.

Plus, there's some crazy cool kicks out there when you get out of size 13 shoe.

I swear these shoes are lighter than paper. ;)

I love the families; our "soccer family".

I love, love, love them. ♥

And I love that my kids are this happy.

I mean really, how could you not love soccer? ;)

(Although to be fair, my love affair tends to end around game 8,

and week 5 of 4 nights of practice, but no need to dampen the moment. ;)

I love our coaches.

I love "cheering" for the teams. ;)

But mostly, I love the players.

Or in Ty's case...

the "Ninjas". ;)

Studly little men, I tell ya. ;)

But they're not just brawn.

There's a lot of thinking/discussion that goes w/ the game.

Like, what level of Super Mario Bros you're on. ;)

And if you're Tito,

there's a lot of being first in line.

Did we mention he's a tad bit competitive?

Can not imagine where that came from. ;)

The Ninjas... you can just feel their prowess. ;)

Then we have the Sparklers... again.

But really, no other name would do this team justice.

"Sparkle, sparkle"

and some more "sparkle, sparkle". ;)

But in case you think Kennedy doesn't actually play the game, here's proof, to the otherwise.

She's the pink sock to the left of the photo. ;)

Yeeeeeeaaahhh Sparklers!!

Ready for another fun season!!

And Gwen may be enjoying this season just a tiny bit more than last...

as she's now an "Assistant-Assistant Coach" for K's team.

The girls on Kennedy's team ~~idolize~~ love Gwen,

so she's good for crowd control.

And picking up cones. ;)

Gwen and Coach Brian.

They mean business. ;)

But nothing makes Gweny happier than playing with her own girls.

But my battery unfortunately died at the beginning of practice, so I'll have to add pics later.

Grr.

But I still love SOCCER!!!

♥♥♥

Remember us?!? ;)

2011-08-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

Summer 2011 has turned out to be quite the adventure for our little family.

So much to catch up on,

but, unfortunately, not tonight. ;)

However, I will leave you w/ a couple quick examples as to how the 3 little Garates tend to bring a smile to my face. :)

Tonight, Kennedy announced that she was going to write a song...

and this is what she came up with.

She said she just "thought of the words",

but I can sense just a smidge of "Highschool Musical" in there. ;)

Ty decided not to be outdone and drew a picture of his own...

and added the "surprise" factor

(because I really do think everything is better as a surprise :).

The biggest surprise being that he chose to color, as he typically ~~hates~~ does not favor coloring.

It's of Ty and me in front of the Eiffel Tower.

I think to do it justice, we simply have no choice but to go to Paris and take our photograph in front of the real deal.

I shall call the airlines tomorrow... ;)

The last day of school?!?

2011-06-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

I have to say, the last day of school (for the girls anyway), felt like it came out of nowhere this year.

Maybe it was the weather.

Rain storms, in June, don't quite hail the end of school in our neck of the woods.

Or maybe it's the fact that poor Tito Burrito still has 2 more days.

Or maybe it had to do with our kids working their hardest until the last possible moment.

Like hand knitting 14 bracelets and 17 scarves and making duck tape accessories

for the "S and G Store" that Gwen and her girlfriend, Sophia, opened during 3rd grade's "Market Day".

Gwen and Sophia.

Face/hand painters and balloon twisters by trade, entrepreneurs at heart. ;)

The girls stayed so busy they never had a chance to close down shop, so they could shop.

But considering today's economy, that's not necessarily a bad thing. ;)

Or how about Kennedy's "Brilliant Bug Show"?

Definitely our favorite 1st graders around. ♥

Kennedy and her pal, Nathan, shared a vignette.

It was a show stopper. ;)

This pic makes me giggle, as word on the street is that Kennedy and Nathan are really good friends.

They for sure didn't want to take their picture together. :)

And for the record, Ben does not like this photo... not one bit. ;)

Even Ty was not to be outdone and took part in the DK musical performance,

"On the Move".

A smash hit, I must say. ;)

Here's just a few of their songs...

"Clown Car"

"Yellow Submarine"

"Helicopter Man"...

with Ty either a beat ahead or behind.

Gotta' blame it on the genes.

Sorry Bud. ;)

"Magic Carpet" by Steppenwolf

And the tear jerker,

"I'll be There" by the Jackson 5.

And no, those weren't damp eyes, silly.

It was something in my contacts.

Wait, I don't wear contacts... ;)

But, the last day did come and like any good mother,

I let my girls wear what they wanted to wear

(minus one pair of high heel mules, Miss K)

and this is what they came up with.

I'd say they each have a distinct sense of style, wouldn't you?

As we were doing our final gathering of thank you notes/gifts, backpacks, snacks, etc,

Gwen said, "It doesn't even look like we're going to the same place". ;)

But, somehow, they still go together. ♥

Really, they do. ;)

My girls... getting a little too big for my comfort.

As I drove carpool today, one of the girls had her last day ever at Stoneridge.

We were talking about feeling sentimental and how some moms are super sentimental, and others are not.

Gwen asked me which one I was and I said that I tend to think of myself as not sentimental, but then I'll suddenly get sad... often when I least expect it.

Like today.

But somehow, I can always count on my Tito, to snap me out of it.

Like when he told me this morning at his drop off,

"Mom, you can walk me to the curb, and then you can go back home and go back to bed."

Because, you know, that's exactly what I've done, every day this year. ;)

My only pic from the day, as I just tried to keep up with the girls and all their farewells.

Surprisingly, Kennedy and Nathan both wanted a pic with Mrs. B.

And if it happened to be together, so be it. ;)

(Ben doesn't like this pic either. ;)

A 14 hour birthday party...

2011-05-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

that wasn't a sleepover?!?

So, Miss Gwen bid adieu to year 8.

Now it must be mighty fine to turn 9,

since she celebrated for over a month. ;)

Her farewell began with a solo trip to Grandpa Dean and Grandma Buzz's.

And boy did they celebrate!

Rock climbing, baking, crafts, piano...

they did it all. :)

Then on her actual day of birth, we got to celebrate as a family, a la sushi and gifts.

A Garate fav. ♥

Follow that up with a rockin' birthday box from Grandpa Ben and Grandma Judy

and an American Girl Store shopping session with Nana

and you'd think this girl had done all that 9 could offer.

But we had one more "to do" on the birthday agenda. ;)

Take on 6 Flags with the girlfriends.

And boy, did they do it right. ;)

We started off with muffins, fruit, egg burritos and party favors.

Each party guest got a matching shirt, candy and a little spending moolah.

Now if you put 10 girlies together with sharpies and matching shirts,

they have no choice but have an impromptu "signing party". ;)

Our party girls. ♥

FYI: If you try and take pictures at an amusement park, you end up with a lot of these.

Well, I guess this one's not too bad. ;)

One of our favorite rides at 6 Flags is the rafting ride...

mainly because we can pay a quarter to squirt the riders. ;)

Hands down, the best spent 25 cents... ever!

No, scratch that, make that the best 50 cents we ever spent. ;)

Now Gwen was this close to being tall enough to ride every ride... alone.

But for the bumper cars, she needed to go w/ an "adult".

Or in this case, someone ~2 inches taller than her. ;)

So, Conner helped her out.

Males and females as teenagers.

Boy drives crazy, girl hangs on for dear life.

Males and females as adults.

Boy tries to drive, while girl gives "constructive critcism". ;)

Hey wait, how'd that smart car get on there?!? ;)

Proof that Ty and Kennedy went too...

aaand that Kennedy agrees that Ty doesn't even try to smile for the camera. ;)

Well, the girls had so much fun, we didn't get to Mary's Pizza Shack until 8:30 pm.

Or home for delish ice cream cupcakes and presents until 10.

But these girls didn't let that slow them down.

No sir-ree... ;)

Happy Birthday Gwen!

We're so happy (and thankful) that you were able to celebrate a great birthday with such great friends.

We pray that this year will be full of much

growth,

laughter,

adventure,

love,

silliness,

joy,

and love for our God.

We love and treasure you more than we could ever express in words.

Enjoy your last year in the single digits, girl! ;)

Love,

Mom and Dad

♥♥♥

P is for...

2011-05-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Perfection. ♥

The word I'd use to describe my Mother's Day.

I loved my breakfast in bed.

I loved hearing the sound of the sander restoring some youth to our patio furniture.

I loved my nap. ;)

I loved spending time with my family.

And I loved my gifts. ♥

Like my flowers. ♥

Or my cookies. ♥

Oh wait, no photo, since it's difficult to take pictures of cookies being devoured by a pack of wild dogs. ;)

And my beloved cards, which reflected so much of the kids' personalities this year.♥

Gwen's card showed she's a big fan of the acrostic and the

"it doesn't matter if my markers bleed through the paper or I mix up the first couple phrases of my poem"

mentality because Mom will still love it.

And you know what? She's right. ;)

My favorite line of Kennedy's card is...

"I know my Mom is smart because she "says I'm the smartest".

Oh, we're so afraid she's going to get lost in the crowd like so many middle children do... ;)

And we're pretty sure Ty wrote his in Chinese. ;)

And even though, the cards are truly my favorite part of any celebratory occasion,

my new Kindle, cover and gift card were pretty cool too. ;)

Thanks little Garates (and Ben ;) for making this day perfect in every way!

I feel so blessed to be your mom!

♥♥♥

Seattle: Our Home Away from Home

2011-05-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

This year, our Spring Break started w/ a little family jaunt up to Seattle

to visit one beloved Uncle Andy and Auntie Meme.

After counting down the days, I hopped on a flight w/ the kids, while Ben flew solo...

Wait, what?!? How did that happen? ;)

But it didn't matter, as the kids have officially past the

"I'd almost rather pull off my fingernails than travel with the kids" stage.

In fact, they were so adequately armed w/ their entertainment bags,

this momma was left with no choice but to pick up a book to make sure she had something to do.

Awww, such a beautiful thing. :)

Now one of our favorite things to do w/ Uncle Andy and Auntie Meme is to take some sort of adventure in the Seattle area.

This trip's destination?

Seattle Aquarium and Pike's Place Market

Starting it off right with obligatory group shots. ;)

Ben acting like he's sitting in a chair while Gwen decided it's funny to not smile in pics.

Kennedy and Ty are officially my favorite family members. ;)

We apparently have some sort of fascination with the octopus.

Can you guess which one is the real one?

And why the Garate kids love their Auntie Meme so? ;)

Then it was time to take the "look like you're kissing the fish" photos.

Attempt #1

Attempt #2

It was clear that Auntie Meme has had some experience in this dept. ;)

My absolute favorite shot of the day. ♥

Taking in the beautiful sky and water lines...

and some of the local trash, I mean art. ;)

Why walk, when you can run... or carry a child? ;)

********************

But our favorite part of any trip is the fact that we can have fun doing the simplest of things.

Like making the kids walk 1 1/2 miles up hill to pick up a movie/wii game from the nearest redbox,

and then 1 1/2 miles back.

But in our defense it was downhill and they got a McD's chocolate dipped cone for their efforts ;).

Or taking pictures with nail polish. ;)

Or as "Twins".

Or playing independently. ;)

And no trip would ever be complete without a little visit with our friends in Auntie Meme's class.

Ty and Tristan coloring eggs.

Kennedy and her pal, Maryam.

And Gwen doing, what Gwen likes best.

Helping "little kids".

But quite possibly our favorite activity of the weekend, was playing

DOMINION.

Trust me, you'll love it.

And if you ever come to visit, don't be surprised if we ask you to play. ;)

Thank you Uncle Andy and Auntie Meme for another great trip!

♥♥♥

Genetics...

2011-05-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today, we somehow got to school, before Kennedy realized that she didn't have her backpack.

Just one of those days, I guess. ;)

So, when I got home, I decided to clear out all the papers in her "Homework Folder",

(the ones that I somehow forgot to ooh and ahh over during the course of this last weekend)

before I saved my daughter from the horror of carrying home her folder... in her hand. ;)

After taking out the folder, this is what I found...

pink w/ glitter skull sweatshirt

girlfriend's phone number requesting playdate

party invite

socks

mittens (for tetherball of course)

3 snacks

bracelet

kid scissors

pencil

hat

and change

I giggled to myself about what a little packrat my 2nd born is, until I then cleaned out my purse.

Which is where I found...

kid dangly earrings

2 pair adult sunglasses, 1 pair children's

Easter stickers

lip gloss

haphazard receipts

church bulletins

rubberband ring holder

perfume

fav B Republic ring

neosporin

chapstick

Ipod Touch

2 partially filled gum packs

lotion

and change

Guess the apple didn't fall that far from the tree... ;)

Gettin' our 1887 on...

2011-04-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

One of the favorite traditions at the kids' school is the 3rd grade field trip to the Bernhard Museum.

The kids prepare long and hard for this time travel to 1887,

such as reading books and watching "Little House on the Prairie". ;)

(Note: Gwen couldn't believe it, when I told her I watched that show when it was originally broadcasted)

But, the families were also required to do a little prep.

Like rent our costumes from a local seamstress.

And go to KFC to get chicken and biscuits that we could put in our fridge so they could serve as

"leftovers from the night before".

Which is how we learned that the Garate kids aren't big fans of the Colonel.

In fact, all 3 kids didn't like the "crunchy skin".

What?!?

And apparently we don't frequent it much, as Gwen told our fellow carpool driver the next day,

"Yeah, my mom got chicken from KFP-CPK-FPP. I don't know, something like that."

But in the end, our basket lunch was packed with wax paper wrapped delicacies

(authentic to 1887, of course),

aprons and bonnets were donned,

and we were ready to go. :)

Gwen loved her costume. While Ben loved to make fun of me in mine.

You're welcome for the laughs and ego boost. ;)

The kids all looked sooo cute!

Kids this cute...

deserve a close up. :)

The setting, costumes, activities, made you want to take pics of everything.

Like even the basket lunches awaiting our little worker bees.

Now this was a field trip that needed lots of parents.

And at our school, we took that to heart.

As in, for our 64 kids, we had 60 parent volunteers.

I guess no one wanted to miss out on the fun. :)

Here are a few of them.

Women doing, what women do. ;)

Just me a and a couple of my friends, hanging out.

If this doesn't show the love of a mother... ;)

Then it was time to work.

There were 6 stations:

Baking, Laundry, Woodworking, Leather, Arts and Crafts and a tour of the museum.

Needless to say, our girl loved it all.

Maybe I should let her "love" doing the laundry at home. ;)

And after all their hard work, they got to enjoy all their authentic 1887 lunches,

complete w/ root beer (in glass bottles! Gwen's fav ;) from their teachers.

And some chocolate chip cookies that Gwen's cute little friend, Clay, passed out to all his classmates.

What a great day.

Only 730 more days until Kennedy's turn! :)

If 9 is fine, then 90 is, well...

2011-04-11T23:45:00.000-07:00

ten times better. ;)

This last weekend, we had the privilege of celebrating the 90th birthday of Ben's grandpa,

who we lovingly know as "Poppy".

So, we hopped in our little loaner (Ben was the 3rd car in a 4 car pile-up a few weeks back),

and drove for about a billion hours to LA.

But it was worth every minute of it.

Now, even though this weekend was chalk full of fun, like

the best cupcake/ice cream combos ever (note to self: throw party in order to serve cupcakes)

swim date with cool cousins

late showing of "Hop" (don't ask the mom though, she slept through it ;)

shopping at the American Girl store

followed by shopping at P Barn Kids

and amazing photo opps of 75 friends, relatives and loved ones celebrating Poppy's 90 years on Earth,

I somehow didn't manage to take pictures of any of it.

But what did I manage to take a photo of?

Poppy's cake. ;)

Oh and this pretty smokin' speaker at the party. ;)

One of my fav photos of Poppy (on the right) and his brother-in-law (Poppy's late wife's brother),

who brought tears to everyone's eyes when he thanked Poppy for loving his sister and taking such good care of her every day they had together. ♥

Ben leading us in a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday"...

in English and Spanish.

Gwen was in heaven.

And then Poppy took the mic. ;)

This is Poppy's most natural state.

He loves God and he loves telling others about God's love.

He is overflowing with charisma and it has been said that,

"Poppy loves his children, but he really loves his grandchildren."

Now imagine how much he loves his great-grandchildren. ;)

Aaaand, Poppy sometimes has a tough time hearing.

So, you put all that love, charisma and hard of hearing together, and you get one

really loud proclaimer of God's love embodied in this 90 year young man.

In fact, we've told our kids on a number of occasions,

"Poppy isn't yelling at you, he's just telling you how much he loves you... in really loud Spanish".

Now, I really can't put into words how meaningful our time was this last weekend.

And heaven forbid, I take any pictures that would show the 4 generations... together

but I did manage to snap this pic, of a certain little boy that we think is pretty neat,

with one of his favorite big boy cousins.

Yes, it was a good weekend.

May we all live to have 90 years full of weekends such as these.

We love you Poppy! ♥

Family Time

2011-03-31T00:21:00.000-07:00

I was hit by the flu.

The type of flu that felt like it just kept punching me in the face over and over and over again,

only to occasionally stop to laugh at my inability to get out of bed.

That is, until I began a torrid, 5 day love affair with a certain Zithromax.

And then the flu was no more. ;)

But, before my battle with my influenza bully,

our little family of 5 went for a celebratory (of good report cards) trip to SF.

Just the 5 of us.

So much fun. ♥

Now, the funny thing, is that Mr. Garate and I had mapped out an evening of fun upon our arrival.

We had big dinner plans followed by a 3D movie at the Metreon.

But what did the 3 little Garates want to do?

Order dinner in, snuggle as a family, and watch the dumbest movie ever made

(did anyone like Yogi Bear?!?)

... and play their DS's/Touches.

Yep, sometimes, it really is the little things that we treasure most. ♥

But the next day, we hit the ground running.

After a quick breakfast at Boudin's and an introduction to Krispy Creme donuts,

we laughed at the seals while we waited for the bungee/trampoline jumping guy to open his booth.

Because, according to a Garate, that is the way to celebrate hard work. ;)

Now, I have to say we had the best jumping guide ever.

He only charged us for 2 kids and gave us extra long turns.

I think he was hoping we'd draw a crowd,

and the Garate kids didn't disappoint.

Tito started us off with lots of forward and backward flips.

He even got bounced so high, that he had the look of

"I don't think this is so fun anymore/I think I'm going to lose my lunch"

flash across his face.

But, he ended with a smile and even high five'd his new found bungee buddy.

This year, Kennedy decided to do more than just jump.

She flipped and flipped and too got bounced so high, she joined her brother in the

"I think I just went potty in my pants look" club.

But, too, had a great time.

And for Gwen, it was like riding a bike.

I liked how her pictures showed just how high "Vincent" liked to bounce my kids.

Good thing we watched him check all those bands.

Every single one of them. ;)

One of my fav pics.

Gwen had just tried (a little unsuccessfully) to take a photo of Ben and me.

So, we ended up taking a random gal up on her offer to document Ben and my existence.

Gwen was thrilled. ;)

Ty and his Buddy, aka "The guy who never does anything wrong".

It's getting a little old... ;)

Here's all my "cousins" who decided to join us for the day. ;)

Kennedy's photo of Ben and me... and an SF pole. ;)

(And if you're wondering, no, I'm not pregnant, I just look that way.

Must be the pole... ;)

I'd say Gwen looks more like me. ;)

This is pure mockery...

of my attempt to get this. ;)

A little modern art.

Free stylin'.

Kennedy's best seal impression.

And what we like to call,

"Too Cool For School".

And of course, no SF trip is complete (for us Garates), without a stop by the Candy Baron...

truly the best store in all of SF.

Such a fun little adventure.

Thanks kids for working so hard. ;)

Guess what we've been watching...

2011-03-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Today I picked up chicken tenders and bbq sauce for Ty between school pick-up and his conference. Since we were in the car, he had to eat the chicken dry until we reached the parking lot.

After his first bite with bbq sauce, Ty said, "Mmm, Mom, I really like the flavor of the sauce. It really infected the chicken."

How do the Garates love the Food Network? Let me count the ways... ;)

Women 101

2011-03-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

Last week, Ty asked if "Anna" could come over for a play date. Not sure if she was even aware of the request, I asked if they ever played at school together. He said, "Um sometimes. Well, not really." So, I just let it pass.

Then this last Tuesday, he asked me again. So we found Anna's mom and I asked her if she had heard anything about a playdate with the 2 of them. Her mom, just as surprised as I was, said that Anna had been telling her the same, that she wanted to go to Ty's house.

So we set it up; everyone was happy and excited. That is, until Ty casually mentioned at dinner that some of the kids at school thought that he and Anna were going to kiss. Which now meant that Ty, Anna AND me get to have a playdate this Friday. I wonder what we all should play. ;) Again, everyone happy.

That is, until the next day. When I picked Ty up after school, he said, "Anna blamed me for putting Erik's lunch box on her's. But I didn't do it. Evan did.". I then asked if she was bothered and if she still wanted to play at our house. He just shrugged and said, "I-don't-know."

Oh son, welcome to the world of women.
One day they love you, the next day you're not so sure. ;)

As we filled out his March calendar today, and added "playdate with Anna", Ty got all excited about his playdate again and then we somehow got back on the subject of the lunch box. I asked Ty how he responded to Anna and he said he just told his teacher. And that she told him what to say to Anna.

Now that's a good woman.

And what was her stellar advice?

To say...

"I'm sorry, but I didn't do it."

Perfect.

A proper amount of empathy, while Ty still gets to keep his backbone.

Who says our educational system is going down the drain?!?

Dancing the night away...

2011-03-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

Our girls' school had their first Father Daughter Dance. And to make sure that I could be there to sneak a few pics, I basically sold my soul to the Father Daughter Dance planning committee. ;) But in the end it was more than worth it. Which was no surprise... because really, what's more fun than getting dressed up, riding in a limo with your girlfriends and dancing with Dad... and Uncle Andy? Yep, Uncle Andy came too, to make sure no Garate girl ever had to sit out a dance. ;)

Daddies, Daughters and one Uncle Andy

The other half of the gene pools. ;)

The girls ready for a night on the town!

After sipping delicious apple cider in fancy schmancy red (plastic ;) flutes,

our little dancing crew stopped by our local "mini Bellagio" of sorts, water fountain for a few pics.

Taking advantage of the photo op.

Kyndal and Kennedy

Two peas in a pod. ♥

Sophia, Brenna and Gwen.

Super excited to dance with their dads.

Hoping to keep it this way as looooong as possible. ;)

And then it was time to hit the dance floor.

(While I did check ins for pictures, monitored volunteers, kept the snack table stocked, yada, yada, yada ;)

Both Ben and Uncle Andy proved their worth as great dance partners.

Gwen and Uncle Andy taking a turn.

One of my favorite pictures.

Even though I couldn't quite capture just how high Andy would enable KDiddy to hop,

trust me, it was pure adorable.

Ben, completely in awe of Kennedy's best moves...

while Gwen found her place on the dance floor. ;)

All in all, the dance was every bit of the fun it was promised to be.

Word on the street is that there is a Mother-Son "Minute to Win It" activity coming up.

Tito and I may start practicing now... for next year. ;)

Sometimes it's the little things...

2011-02-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

Like...

sleepovers

listening to your 6 yr old and her little bff giggling over the puzzle pieces with the lips of
Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming

(scandalous, I tell you ;)

donut runs

scavenger hunts made by 8 year olds

Just Dance 2

indoor soccer games

finding the boy a new scooter in green

snuggling with the family while it's freezing outside

listening to golf balls hitting the freshly installed net in the garage

listening to son ask dad for another "golf lesson" and watching them reach for their clubs

planning and booking fun trips

hanging new drapes

puzzles

agreeing with your 6 year old's question,
"Mom, wasn't it fun spending time with just you and me today?",
after running to the Post Office, Trader Joe's and Walmart,
while she was "misdiagnosed" with a little cold today

or eating push-ups as a family

...that make you smile the most.

♥♥♥

Spoiler Alert: Don't let your children read this!

2011-02-16T23:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Gwen lost one of her canines... and a little of her childhood magic.

I was walking upstairs with a cup of ice cream, ready to get caught up with a few emails, when Ben and Gwen motioned for me to come into her room. After I walked in, Gwen looked me straight in the eye and said, "I know there's no Santa Claus or Tooth Fairy".

Before I said anything, I looked over at Ben and gave him the "What have you done?" look. Who then shrugged and said, "She asked me point blank. She said, 'Tell me the truth Dad, is Santa Claus real?' I had to tell her."

I asked Gwen if she was bummed, and she said, "A little". And then proceeded to tell us that she had known (or at least suspected) for a long time because there were lots of things that didn't make sense. Like how could Santa actually deliver all the gifts to all the children in the whole world. Or like how this last Christmas, when she opened her "Bop It" from Santa, I said, "I knew that you had wanted one after you played with Brenna's" (oops :0) or like how we told her that the Tooth Fairy didn't leave money one time because the window was closed, but then the next time, when she wanted to leave the window open for the Tooth Fairy, we told her that the Tooth Fairy had special dust in her wand that made her able to get through closed windows on cold nights. Or how her naughty friends actually got really cool gifts on Christmas rather than coal. It now all made sense. But she promised to keep the magic alive for Kennedy and Ty. And I know she will.

I then looked at her tooth sitting on her nightstand and asked, "Well, do you just want me to give you the cash in the morning?"

The three of us chuckled at that one (and Gwen said yes), but I'd be lying, if I said I wasn't a little bummed too. And I'm not sure exactly why. It's not like we made a big deal of Santa or any of the fairies. But maybe it's because I liked sneaking in my kids' rooms at night, trying to exchange money for a tooth without waking them. Or maybe I just liked sneaking into Gwen's. And that this latest "revelation" kinda feels like someone just pushed the fast forward button on our time with her.

Anyways, here's the culprits.

And note to self: Ben's a huge ol' sucker for his daughter.

But I know why. :)

And I need to remember, that even though Gwen just bid adieu to the Tooth Fairy and Co,

she will be greeting and embracing many new and exciting experiences.

Oh, and if you need me, I'll be bawling my eyes out in the bathroom... ;)

Sweet Valentines...

2011-02-14T23:19:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that Valentine's Day is not my favorite (or even one of my top 5) holidays, I love celebrating it with the kids. I loved listening to Ty squeal this morning when he saw Airheads sitting on his chair in his room (although, when I asked him if there was anything else, he said, "Umm, just some new clothes or something"). And then Kennedy asked who gave them the Airheads and shirts, like the Tooth Fairy or Easter Bunny or if there was a Valentines Day Fairy. To which, I told her, nope, just Dad and me. What a novel thought. ;)

I also love celebrating Valentine's Day when the kids are in school, but still little. Like "give valentines to everyone in your class or noone at all" little. I loved seeing my kids' backpacks stuffed with their ziploc bags of Valentines taped together with tattoos and candy sitting against the door. And I loved watching the school bustle with kids toting Valentine decorated and filled bags overflowing with the very valentines that were once in my kids' bags. But, I'm thinking my favorite moment was watching various kids, who probably don't have very many friends on most given days, tightly hold onto their boxes/bags full of valentines with little grins, while I waited for the girls in the pick up line after school today. Yeah, nothing beats Valentine's day, elementary school style.

But, the school kids weren't the only one who got valentines today. :)

My first valentine was watching Ty give his first oral presentation about "Trees".

Here is his sculpture... of a tree.

Here he's about to read his report on trees.

Yeah, he brought down the house. ;)

My second valentine was watching Gwen and Ty make dinner...

together.

Like, any good chef, they made sure their delicacies were up to par.

"Boss" and "Little Chef"

They even did the dishes.

Icing on the cake. ;)

And I even got a few valentines of a more traditional sort.

Like this one.

I can't imagine how much time it took Tito to place those 2 flowers. ;)

This is what Gwen handed me this morning,

as she explained that she was a little short on time.

Unlike Kennedy, who pilfered my card drawer, for a makeshift valentine card.

And this is her heartfelt, misspelled message. ;)

However, for the record, Kennedy did not give us $20, but rather $2.

But when she heard that I gave Gwen her money back, Kennedy took her money and ran.

(And I needed something to represent her financial donation. ;)

Tonight Kennedy asked me if I liked being a mom. I told her that yes I like being a mom, but what I actually love, is that I'm their mom. Because quite frankly, it's too much work to do for just anybody (this last phrase I just said in my head, by the way). ;) But the perks make all the effort (ie. run to one Walmart, than Target, then Michael's, then another Walmart, then back to the original Walmart, make frames out of sticker foam sheets, pick up photos for Ty's party, design candy heart sorting sheets, etc) more than worth it.

Because, on any given day, you may receive a card like this, from a certain child who shall remain nameless, who continues to raid my card drawer. ;) And really, can one ever get too many sympathy cards?

Ben and my favorite Valentines.

Ty: 2, Gwen: 5, Kennedy: 3

Kennedy: 6, Gwen: this close to 9, Ty: 5

My, how they've matured.

Or so we think. ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!

A "broken egg yolk" sort of day...

2011-02-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

So, the other day, I gave the kids over-medium eggs, sourdough toast and sausage for breakfast. Ty decided to make his breakfast into an egg sandwich (just like his favorite "dad-hero") and I faintly remember him saying something about the yolk.

So, this is who I thought I was sending to school.

And this is who I sent.

The best part, is that I didn't see the extra layer of egg yolk that ran down the entire front of Tito,

until I pulled him out of the car,

right in front of the school...

with about minus 2 minutes until school started.

And since he's normally ~~racing~~ walking to the door at this point, I had no choice but to tell him,

"Hey Ty, don't worry. Eventually it'll dry and then you can scratch it off".

Yep, finest mothering moment. ever. ;)

And of course, I start to think about how this is such a funny object lesson about assumptions

(and how I need to make sure I do a food check before we walk through the door).

That is, until I ran into a mom tonight,

while I was dropping the girls off at their church class.

It was a mom from Kennedy's preschool, whose daughter was going to the same class as Kennedy. And as we were catching up, she asked if Ty was going to the same school as her daughters, because she had thought she had seen me dropping off Ty in the morning.

Say what?!?

Because I have made the assumption (on too many occasions),

that I'll never run into anyone I know while dropping Ty off at school,

so it doesn't really matter if I finish getting ready until after he's fully engrossed in his education.

So, now, we all know what happens when you assume.

You end up with egg yolk all over the front of your shirt.

Or you walk around town looking like a homeless person. ;)

Lesson learned.

But enough about Ty and me.

The Garate girls will be getting their blog time soon enough,

as the school's Father Daughter dance is tomorrow.

Yippee!!

♥♥♥

And it's not even Ben's birthday or our anniversary...

2011-02-08T23:44:00.000-08:00

There are times when Ben does something that makes me look at him with the same googly eyes I did when we were first dating. Like the other day, we had our good friends' kids join us for the day as their parents were getting ready to put their house on the market. Since all 5 kids were going to be together for 24 hours (as they were sharing a sitter that night), I thought it would work out best for everyone (especially the sitter and for Benny and me the next morning) if we tried to make them physically exhausted by the time 8 pm rolled around.

So, this is how Ben thought we should accomplish such fatigue.

(His "Super Fun Dad" ways makes me melt a little ;)

9 am pick up and donut stop at Baker Ben's (the sugar donuts melt in your mouth, btw)

9:30 -11:30 Lesson and open roller skating at good ol' Roller King

11:30 - 12:30 Lunch at In n' Out

12:30 - 2:30 35 holes of mini golf

2:30 Uh, I guess we'll let you indoors now.

No wait, let's squeeze a little play at the park time in there first.

Let's just say that Kennedy asked the babysitter if she could brush her teeth early that night,

and then just put herself to bed.

But my favorite part, was during mini-golf, when Ben suddenly decides to line all 5 kids up and tells them if they can make a hole in one they'll get a candy bar. I loved watching each kid try lining up their ball and then desperately wish it into the hole. Then to be a good sport, Ben took his turn, promising them each a candy bar if he didn't make it in 3 tries.

The idea stuck, and by the end of 35 holes, we owed the kids about 5000 candy bars.

They settled for a concoction of sour patch kids/watermelon, Mike and Ikes, Twix and Hershey bars.

Tough crowd. ;)

But then Ben will go and send something like this while he's gone for work.

It's amazing what ~13,000 calories can do for 4 lonesome Garates. ;)

But it's not just me who thinks Ben's so great.

This kid's pretty convinced he's the best thing since ~~apple pie~~ the wii.

In fact, Ty has decided that I no longer need to walk him to class. That I can just wait by the car. I told that to Ben who in turn told me (w/ a devilish grin) that Ty still had him walk him to the door.

So I asked the boy about it the next day.

Me: Ty, do you want me to walk you to the door?

Ty: No, I'm fine. I can do it by myself.

Me: But do you have Dad walk you to the door if he drops you off?

Ty: Yeah.

Me: Why do you have Dad walk you?

Ty: Because I love him. Uhhh, but if you and Dad want to walk me to the door together, you can (insert Ty smiley face).

But don't worry about me. Because I found this on my nightstand the other morning.

Thak you too Kennedy for evrthing you have done! ;)

Hmm, let's see, that makes it...

Ben: 5,000,000

Sara: 1

But I still love him. ;)

Post script... I realized this post makes us look like we have slapped nutrition in the face. But let me assure you, they had a "real" breakfast before donuts, water at lunch, and modest "governed" candy portions that night. And that this doesn't happen every day. For sure not every single day. ;)

Someday...

2011-01-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

I told Ben the other day that I felt bad for Ty, as he gets to "sit" through all the activities the girls have. He "gets" to sit through Daisy troop meetings and piano lessons, even their homework, reading times and piano practicing (which is this close to a lesson due to the fact that these "lucky" girls actually get to live w/ their teacher ;), gymnastics, indoor soccer games and he even gets to watch the girls run off to their weekly kids' bible group at the church.

Ben told me not to worry as it just isn't his time yet, and that it will all change soon enough. I guess it just doesn't feel like that much of a consolation to tell Tito, "Chin up Son, don't worry. In just a couple of years you'll be doing all sorts of different sports and activities yourself." Especially, as even 3 days seem like an eternity to the boy currently.

But he's been a trooper. No complaining, or at least nothing that a little DS time or wii can't assuage. And I've loved getting to know his nuances, watching him freeze in dance poses as he skips down a sidewalk, listen to him explain why I actually lost at War even though my card was higher, try to negotiate property exchanges in Monopoly or muscle down a spoonful of his famous "most disgusting frozen yogurt/topping combination possible" concoction.

But today, he got to sit again as we got the girls checked into their cheerleading clinic... to return 1 1/2 hours later to watch them perform before taking in a few of the competing cheerleading squads. He was ecstatic. ;)

First, I have to say the cheer clinic was adorable. And if Kennedy hadn't gotten a kink in her neck during her sleepover last night, she would have loved every second of it. But as is typical of many events I'm finding, the entertainment level does not does not necessarily equal photo opportunity. :)

The best pics I could get all day.

Kennedy looks like the neck's not too bad,

and Gwen just looks "old" to me.

I oddly see a teenager in this photo for some reason. ;)

However, Gwen's visions of being a mini version of some Disney tween show, quickly disintegrated as soon as she found out they were not going to cheer for a sport of any sort (specifically basketball ;).

Sorry girl, no opening scene to HSM 3 today. ;)

But this morning did turn into another cool "Hang with Ty" day,

as we decided to visit with Chuck during our 90 min window.

We like to call this pic,

"Happiness". ;)

A few of the faces of Ty.

It looks like waiting hasn't been all that tough on him.

Well, maybe a bit. ;)

But then, I look at this pic and remember how little he still is. That he's the kid that told his teacher that he wants to be the following 5 things when he grows up.

A. A baseball player

B. Someone who teaches kids how to be nice to other kids and make friends (otherwise known as a MOM ;).

C. A tennis player.

D. Someone who teaches kids how to jumprope (note to self: teach Ty how to jumprope).

E. The best...wii...player...EVER (surprise, surprise).

**And even though it looks like we may be supporting this kid for years to come, we're just thankful he wasn't the kid in the class who wanted to be a horse when he grew up. ;)

I've also learned that he's a whole lotta laughs bottled up in that little body.

But I'm pretty sure that has to do with the y chromosome that he was passed down.

As I found this in the kids' bathroom the other day.

Here's a closer look, just in case you didn't catch it the first time.

Let's just say, it wasn't added by Ty or any female Garate.

But of course, Ty thought it was hi-la-rious.

Ty, truly, your time will come soon enough.

But until then, I'm going to enjoy every second I can get with you. :)

♥♥♥

Community...

2011-01-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

Kennedy is in first grade...

when "Neighborhoods" show up on the district mandated curriculum.

Which means we she gets to build something essential to a neighborhood.

Like a bakery.

Which, coincidentally, is the same exact building her sister chose 2 years ago.

So, we should be pretty good at it by now.

When we were done, Gwen looked at Kennedy's bakery and said it looked way better than hers did.

To which I quickly answered, "No way".

But now I'm thinking, she may have a point. ;)

Kennedy's bakery, er, "Sweet Tooth".

"gwen's bakery cakes"

Now why I couldn't even find capital letters, I don't know.

But, I promise you, Gwen, I did try my best.

I really did. ;)

But if you have any questions as to why I may not have been able to spend as much time on your bakery,

blame the two little individuals next to you in this photo (as blurry as it is).

You sure were cute. ;)

But, back to Kennedy. ;)

So, Kennedy had some pretty specific ideas as to how she wanted her bakery to look.

My job was to create a clean palette for her to work with.

While I was "wallpapering" her bakery,

Ben looked at me and asked,

"So how much of this project is Kennedy supposed to do?" :)

She did plenty.

Like, look, she's holding the box, isn't she? ;)

We even added some loving to the back of the building.

And here's a close-up.

Kennedy's bakery made a fine addition to the class's neighborhood.

Good job Kennedy!

And congratulations to me!

Two bakeries down, just one more building to go.

So, bring it on, Ty, I'm ready! ;)

Resolution and Thankfulness...

2011-01-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

So, it's January 19th and I'm just getting around to writing my New Year's Resolutions for 2011. Which is a funny thing for me, as this is one of my very favorite things to do. Brainstorming ideas as to how to become more efficient, more thoughtful, more productive. I love it (odd, I know ;).

But this year is different. I mean I still have lots of ideas. Lots and lots of 'em. Just ask Ben. ;) I have ideas in the areas of parenting, how my time is spent, how I can support Ben better, trips/experiences I'd love for us to have as a family, developing friendships, I even have an idea for a book. But, here's the thing. I'm really good at coming up with resolutions, just not so good about following through with them.

So, my resolve for this year? To make good on all my resolutions of the past. One resolution at a time. Not focusing on time frames, but just making sure they stick. That they become a part of who I am, my daily living. And all the while being thankful (and joyful!) that this is where God has chosen for us to be.

And honestly, I couldn't think of 4 other people I'd rather work on these resolutions with... and for. ;)

So, here we go.

Taking on 2011... one resolution at a time.

And feeling thankful for every step. ♥

Although, I have to say, I think 2011 is already off to a great start. ;)

(I would have circled Ben's score, had I been more computer savvy.

Wait, I should work on that.

In due time, Sara, in due time. ;)

"What we did over our Christmas Break"

2011-01-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

by the Garate Family. :)

Now, right after how to always have a good snacky-snack available, the Garates have perfected the art of vacation. During our last 2 weeks of 2010, we went from "frantic paced" to totally relaxed. We played, we slept, we played some more, and the best part- we spent 16 solid days with Dad!

Perhaps I feel the most grateful for the break, as I found myself having a little trouble keeping up with the holiday school schedules for my 3 favorite students ever. And even though everything was really fun, it felt just a little bit like someone was always chasing me w/ one of those automatic nerf guns. But then the vacation officially started, and we were able to go from running to almost running. ;)

Here are a few of the highlights from Christmas Vacation 2010...

Kennedy's Daisy Troop gift/cookie exchange

I'm pretty sure Kennedy giggled her way through the ornament making,

Secret Santa reveals,

gift exchange,

passing out of the cookies...

Birthday Parties

Gwen showing off her wacky hair for her Wacky Hair party.

And no it wasn't a pajama party, but it had been pj day at school.

We took a gamble that there would be other girls still in their pjs.

And lost. ;)

But she still had a great time.

Ben took Ty to his gymnastics party, so therefore, no pics. ;)

Playdates

And lots of 'em.

Seems like we couldn't get in enough cookie decorating this year. ;)

And lots of creativity.

Like this Lego Club.

Shoot. Ben and I just missed the cutoff.

So, basically, the house looked like this oftentimes during the break.

But it wasn't all chaos, 'cause Nana came into town. ;)

And helped me make these amazing basket liners for Kennedy's room.

Yes, they're awesome.

And what did I do?

Besides clean up duty, I made the ribbons and hung the signs,

thank you very much. ;)

Oh and to make it even better,

she baked/played with the kids, and even sewed with the girls while Ben and I got to golf.

Now, what I really need to get, is a pic of my little Kennedy sewing on the sewing machine...

by herself.

Yes, it evokes a myriad of emotions. ;)

And then it was time to bid 2010 farewell.

So we met up w/ 7 families and headed for the snow.

I think we may have started a tradition. ;)

This year I made sure we were all "snow ready" before the season started.

Here's a few of the snow bunnies.

And here's a few more... on what has to be one of the clearest days in Tahoe.

Gwen got in a little skiing... and Ben snowboarded.

Ty and Kennedy got to take a little spin...

and climb a huge pile of snow.

Our cute pink snow bunnies. ♥

That night we met up again to ring in the new year...

The little boys...

and the little girls.

And this was all that was left by midnight.

Apparently the snow took its toll and only the brunettes and tall people could go the distance. ;)

And now it's back to reality.

Well almost.

Last Sat night, the kids wanted to make a fort while we watched that owl Guardian movie (which took us an extra 30 minutes to view, as we would pause, explain what was going on, then repeat, as apparently all owls look alike, but we ended up with a "we've got to buy this movie" review regardless ;). After we finished the movie, the kids asked if they could sleep in their fort. Since it wasn't a school night, and after making them promise not to wake up early, we agreed and I put the "lid" on their fort after tucking them in.

Then it all suddenly became worth it, when I heard Ty pseudo-whisper to Gwen,

"See, I told you this was going to be the best night ever!"

Yes, all 3 of my children are actually sleeping under those blankets.

And they slept until 8:14 the next morning.

Amen and Amen!

But, now we're raring to go.

We welcome you, 2011!

We're like the internet version of that neighbor who still has his Christmas lights up...

2011-01-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's January, and I'm just posting about the kids opening presents and such.

But, I had to as Ben and I are pretty positive that this Christmas has been our favorite one so far. :)

It all started with the decorating of the tree...

which the kids did entirely themselves this year.

It didn't matter that that there were no ornaments above ~5 ft.

Because listening to them "remember" the ornaments they loved,

or comment on "how cute they used to be" in another one

was worth every second of the redistribution process. ;)

And Christmas morning was truly magical.

First, they slept in...

slept in.

Really, who does that?

But it was the squeals of delight as they opened their gifts

that was the real kicker.

I don't know if we're enjoying it more because we like the gifts they're receiving more.

Or if it's the fact that they were really excited for each one.

It's probably a little bit of both.

But either way, we loved it.

Here they are, all calm looking and such.

Well, at least 2/3s of them. ;)

Let the Christmas 2010 commence!

Now the "big" gift that the little Garates were holding out against all hope for,

were IPod Touches.

We had told them that they shouldn't hold their breath.

Confirmed that with the fact that we didn't put them under the tree

and that they opened everything with no Touch to their name.

But then Dad suddenly "found" one more gift that he had tucked away.

This is them hoping their parents are not 100% cruel. ;)

Like wrapping decks of cards to look like Touches.

Now that would've been a little funny...

The quote of the day, however, came from Miss Kennedy,

when she opened her stocking to find this eye mask...

with the tag still on it.

She yelled, "Mom, Dad, look! Santa stole this from Old Navy!!!"

Yeah, you really gotta' watch that guy. ;)

Maybe next year we'll clarify a few things about the jolly fellow.

Naah, probably not. ;)

Only 356 more days until next Christmas!!!

Sign of the times...

2010-12-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

Gwen (and by default, I) just finished her "Holiday Traditions Report". A report in which she could choose to tell about a family tradition or one from a specific country. Gwen chose the Korean New Year celebration, as it has finally sunk in that she's half Korean. ;)

Now, what was really interesting was how the project was completed. When it was time for Gwen to research this part of her "heritage", I got her onto Wikipedia, so they could give her their best representation of the country and how they hailed their biggest annual celebration.

After she wrote down her "favorite facts" from her research, we then looked on youtube to find out how they actually pronounce "sae hae bok mani badeseayo" ("Happy New Year"; the children say this to the elders and in return get moolah-which I'm pretty sure is the real reason why Gwen chose this tradition over let's say, our family decorating our tree and watching Elf the weekend after Thanksgiving ;) and what a "deep bow" actually looked like. It was actually pretty crazy to be able to watch and listen to someone say the phrase, pause it and then try to repeat it ourselves until we could actually say the phrase. We then did the same thing w/ how to properly bow as a Korean.

As we were doing our research, I told Gwen how different it was for me to do research when I was a kid. How we used things called "encyclopedias" ("like Wikipedia, but just in the form of a series of books"), but that we couldn't just look things up on videos to find out how to say or do certain things, we would just have to try to read about it and do our best to figure it out on our own.

She looked at me, with real empathy (and a little disbelief as I think I just gained about 50 years in her eyes) and said, "Woah. That's really sad".

Sad? To me, not really, although it would have made school sooo much easier (and probably a little more fun). But more like crazy, as I realized exactly how much our children's world has advanced.

But, I for one, am thankful for that "progress".

As thanks to technology (and Carpatina dolls ;),

we now have a hanbok and shoes (traditional Korean garb) for Gwen's oral report.

And I was able to look up the ingredients for caprese salad (while at the grocery store)

and order our fav white elephant gift of all time...

at the push of a button.

Merry Christmas to me! ;)

Irony

2010-12-06T23:36:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look like a lot like Christmas in the Garate home. :)

Paper chains have been made...

... and countdowns have begun.

Even Ty pulled his own weight and made his own.

Bannisters have been properly decorated,

some including the holiday favorite, "cherry bombs". ;)

The tree and the mantel have been given their holiday looks.

(even though I hung my "less than favorite" stockings,

unless of course you own the same ones,

then I think they're beautiful ;)

So, what's missing?

The sweet, smiling mother who has the smell of freshly baked sugar cookies wafting through the air as her children dance down the stairs for a snack.

Instead, my children had a fairly less green version of the Grinch tonight.

I just find it slightly ironic (and more than a little embarrassing),

that while I have taken care of most of the Christmas details,

tonight I failed to include Christmas cheer.

And why the lack of joviality?

Christmas Cards

(yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

Actually only if you're not the people who sent the beautiful cards I've already received)

But tomorrow is a new day.

A day in which, my beloved children, I promise it will feel every bit like Christmas.

(and not just because the cards will have been ordered ;)

Giving Thanks...

2010-12-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

I found myself feeling thankful for so much this December evening.

Thankful for my little family of 5.

And for a hubby who works so hard to provide for us in so many ways.

Thankful for the friends and family that we have been blessed with.

And for the spontaneous game days and meals that we can enjoy together.

Thankful for the little things that we get to enjoy everyday...

like kids cuddled up in our laps as they gently wiggle that tooth until it can no longer hang on.

And thankful for the time we were able to spend w/ loved ones this past Thanksgiving...

even though we didn't get to spend enough time, and in some cases, any time :( w/ all the family and friends we were hoping to see, but we are still so thankful for you all!!!

♥♥♥

This year we were able to spend some time with the dear Naimo family.

They were such good sports.

Such as playing lots of games, like "What am I?" and "friendly" poker.

And probably the most competitive, cut throat, entertaining game of Zingo... ever? ;)

And what about that really windy day at the beach?

The windy day that the kids somehow forgot was windy at all...

Yeah, it was windy. ;)

The dads who were probably the best sports of all. ;)

This little visit also included a very delicious "Parents Only" dinner w/ the Leamans

(who I'm pretty sure have some of the most beautiful girls in the world ;)

but we were so busy not taking care of any little ones that we didn't get a pic.

We love you Naimos and look forward to playing again soon!

We also spent some time with Nana and lots of cousins.

Such as bustin' a few moves to good ol' Just Dance.

Alright, I guess I'll give it a try... ;)

Nana enjoying the traditional making of the Thanksgiving dinner rolls w/ the kids.

Yep, everyone got down and dirty.

Including Kennedy, even though she doesn't look like it. ;)

Good times, good times.

And where were the parents?

Oh, just gettin' their groove on. ;)

And now I have one more thing to add to my "Thankful List".

The fact that I'm no longer sore. ;)

Oh and that we now get to dive into Christmas!! :)

Just for the record...

2010-11-30T21:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Gwen, Kennedy and Ty,

You are probably amazing adults (w/ families of your own) by the time you read this letter, but I wanted to explain to you why you might have felt like I was really mean a little edgy at times when you were precious little children. ;)

For you see, our lives tend to follow the old adage, "When it rains, it pours". And let me tell you, it has been monsoon season these last couple of days.

Because in the last 24 hours, I've...

...taken you, Gwen, to the dentist to check on your super swollen gums, due to an over wiggling of a certain canine to make sure it was not an abscess... and thought, what the heck, while we're here, let's have them take a little looksy-loo at Tito's teeth, since you fell so hard at K's last soccer game and sent us to the ER...again. ;)

...taken all 3 of you to see our beloved pediatrician, Dr. Wong, to have him listen to all of your lungs and figure out why you continue to sporadically cough, check out that strange sore on the bottom of your lip Kennedy, and again, check Ty's chin which seems to be struggling to scab over. Oh yeah, and look in your ear, Ty, for that "straw wrapper" that you might have put in your ear (you said you couldn't totally remember), 5 days earlier.

...gone to Walgreens to pick up ointments and other special concoctions, meant to chase away that pesky cough and other ailments.

...gone back to Walgreens to ask the pharmacist if Gwen's stomach needed to be pumped since I accidentally doubled your dosage this morning.

...cleaned up the carpet in your room, Ty, that you decided to use as your "potty", since your "brain was out of control" and decided not to take the 4 seconds to run to the restroom.

...banned all sword fighting (and light sabers too), karate chopping and actual physical touch for the evening.

...listened to you, Kennedy, ask Gwen ever so innocently why "Mom never has to clean up. She's lazy like Dad. You know, how dad just watches football all the time". Um yeah...

...gave Ty a "pound-blow-it-up" while brushing your teeth, because "that's how you say you love someone" (even after you've just been disciplined).

...and slept through my alarm... twice. Apparently "40% volume" when your phone is on silent is not loud enough to wake up this mama. But that's me, not you. ;)

I think this captures our current lives quite well.

And this was just to get you into bed.

And why am I taking precious time to document this?

Because I'm thinking of the day when you each will call me, exasperated by your children and exhausted by all the demands of each day. And I'll be laughing too hard to say I told you so, so I will simply direct you to this blog post.

But until then, sweet dreams my little darlings.
And please know that while I'll give 110% (or 80... okay, somewhere in between ;) to being the best mother I can be,
I'm still counting down the days. ;)

Love always,
Your mother ♥

And the longest drawn out birthday prize goes to...

2010-11-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

Miss Kennedy!

On the occasion of her 6th birthday.

(Just over 2 months ago. ;)

So, how did Miss KK spend her day of celebration?

She started off with some soccer.

In fact, she played her little heart out.

Aww, this almost makes me miss soccer season.
No, wait a sec... it doesn't. ;)

And then she enjoyed some of Cookie Connection's finest (Garates vote: the snickerdoodle ;).

Gracias Nana! :)

Then it was off to "Girlfriends".

One of the hands-down, best party places for little girls to enjoy with all their little girly friends.

You get your hair and make up done...

then your nails, of course. ;) And take pics with cute friends.

Take a break for some dinner...

and then sing your heart out.

Followed by showing your best moves on the dance floor...

or the catwalk.

Your choice. ;)

And what party would be complete without gifts?

However, at the risk of sounding trite,

I think we'd both agree that good friends are gift enough.

So, Happy 6th Birthday Kennedy!
Hope all your wishes came true!

Like going to the the American Girl Store for some shopping. ;)

This year, Kennedy decided to do her birthday shopping w/ the American Girls.

Before we met our aunties for lunch,

we needed a proper pampering.

Like getting that much loved hair back in good working order. ;)

Once the dolls were presentable,
we met Aunt Faith, Aunt Paula and Miss Grace to dine on the beautiful patio.
(In front of the gaudy Christmas decor ~ yikes! ;)

The girls ordered delectable meals.

And enjoyed fruit kabobs and crudites as appetizers. ;)

We even left a little room for dessert.

(Side note: that cake is delicious. ;)

And what's a girl to do, once she has a full tummy?

Why, shop, of course.

And Kennedy did a girl proud. ;)

Well, that wraps up Miss K's 6th birthday...

finally. ;)

Dear Kennedy,

At times you seem so much older than your 6 years,

but thankfully you give us reminders that you're still our little girl.

We love your diversity.

And your confidence.

And the way you're kind to others.

We admire your perseverance.

And your creativity.

And treasure the way you still sneak into our laps.

We feel like the luckiest parents in the world, that we can call you ours.

Happy Birthday Miss K,

oh how we love you so!

It's great to be 5...

2010-11-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

So our Tito turned 5 this year.

And apparently that is a huge milestone, as we've been celebrating for quite some time now. ;)

But we all knew it was going to be a great birthday when we were able to kick it off

Grandpa Ben and Grandma Judy style. ;)

I mean, honestly, how can you not have a good time with grandparents like these? ;)

Now, when asked what he'd like to do for his birthday,

Ty clearly announced,

"I want to go to Chuck E Cheese and put all our tickets together so that we can get cotton candy".

So, you want us to go to Chuck's so you can get a $2 treat?

I think we can make that happen... ;)

We found our most beautiful friends...

and partied hard for our cotton candy.

We even finished it up with brownie sundaes,

candles and all.

Next on the birthday docket, was a little trip to the local Sunsplash golf course

followed by a trip to Toys R Us,

with Grandpa Dean and Grandma Buzz.

Which was, unfortunately, too much fun (mixed w/ just a little bit of competitive ;) to take any pics. :(

Which brought us to the actual day.

November 22, 2010.

We celebrated from the moment he woke up.

Literally.

Thank you Naimo family.

And thank you Bennett,

for taking all those pics. ;)

After delicious breakfast burritos,

the boys put in a little time on Dad's Ipad.

According to this kid - perfect start to his day. ;)

That night Ty rung in year number 5 with lots and lots of family...

and lots and lots of fun.

Such as taking the first bite of cake...

like an animal. ;)

Oh yes, he did. ;)

Next he got to cut the cake.

What?!?

Who gave the 5 year old the machete?

He even got to serve it.

Yeah, I'd take a piece of cake from this guy any day. ;)

But, perhaps my favorite birthday memory of all, had to have been when Ty and his really cool dad

took his new shiny red remote control car to the top of the parking garage at The Grove

and took turns racing (running) against the car while the other one steered.

And of course, "The humans always won".

That is why Dad is "your buddy".

Even though I do everything else for you. ;)

So, our dear Tito,

We cannot express how much we love you.
But we'll keep trying every day.
We pray that you will always keep your spunk and hearty laughter and that you will love God more with each passing year.

Happy Birthday, Titus.
And may you have many, many more...

We love you, punk. ♥♥♥

So I feel just a tiny smidge of guilt...

2010-11-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

... as I write about my birthday before Miss K's (which was almost 2 months ago),

but I promise her post will be much more exciting than mine. ;)

Anyways, I've reached the age when all I want to do for my birthday is rent a couple of movies

and watch them in bed.

I know, I'm crazy exciting.

But this year, Ben knew me better than I know myself,

booked our fav babysitter in the world

and took me to "The Kitchen".

Hands down, one of my favorite birthdays ever.

We had great conversation and lots and lots of laughs,

amazing food,

perfectly paired wines (or water/diet coke in my case-I'm still boring ;),

a waterhose of information about food, preparation and presentation,

amazing food,

and amazing food.

So, thank you Ben for making this birthday simply amazing. ♥

First, we found a couple of friends to join us.

Dan and Chrisy = perfect choice. ;)

Then we met Head Chef Noah.

And his crazy red snapper.

Oh, and the back of that lady's head. ;)

I would have actually preferred a photo of the live lobsters,

but I was too busy trying to lift my jaw off the ground.

One of the distinctives of The Kitchen,

is the fact that "their kitchen is your kitchen".

You are welcome to walk through the kitchen or wine cellar,

sit on the patio next to the fireplace

or ask the chefs questions... even while they're cooking.

Apparently, this is what you see, whenever Ben and I have a conversation with you. ;)

Our up close and personal with Chef Noah.

Or what I like to call the "I don't know what to do w/ my left arm" photo. ;)

Ben and Dan getting a little sake education.

And a "the breath you take in before you blow out the candle" pic.

You'd be this happy too, if you were holding that deliciousness in your hand. ;)

Now, eating my heart out wasn't the only activity on my birthday agenda.

So was, "clearing out my closet".

And even though this sounds even more boring than the water and diet coke,

it will lead to some pretty fun adventures.

Such as replacing all those really old clothes with some new much more fun ones.

I can't wait. ;)

The "before".

What? You don't keep a mini drumset in your closet? ;)

The "after".

Now, why would I pick such a random activity for the eve before my birthday?

Because I read this article.

And I needed something to do while Ben was gone.

But I would be amiss if I didn't mention my absolute favorite part of my birthday.

The cards that the little Garates made me.

Including the one of me holding a light saber. ;)

Oh and this.

Yes, my family is awesome. ;)

Let the record show...

2010-11-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

... that it all started when Ty was 4 (okay, almost 5, but still ;).

This morning, as usual, I picked out Ty's clothes. I grabbed a pair of jeans, grey long sleeve waffle tee, and this nifty little sweater that I picked up during Old Navy's latest sale...

...that was argyle.

When I went to put it on Ty (now, why am I still dressing him? I don't know... and probably fodder for another blog post), he stopped short before putting his arms in.

I said, "Ty, we need to hurry (the 8 o'clock start time has been misery for us, I tell ya), so please put your arms in".

Ty just shook his head.

Me (with total patience :0): Seriously, Ty, we need to get going. Please put your arms in.
Ty: What's on that shirt? I can't wear that. The kids at school will laugh at me.
Me: No they won't. That's argyle. It's cool.
Ty: Nope. They'll laugh.
Me: Seriously, they won't laugh.
Ty: How 'bout this. Let's make a bet. If you lose, then I get to play the wii... twice.

Me: Sure. (Whatever that means ;).

And guess what.

They didn't laugh.

And even better, Ty forgot we even had a bet. ;)

Here's the culprit...

The sweater...

well, yeah, and the kid.

And while I had my camera out, I thought

"Let's try and get one of those really cool jumping shots that all these people take".

Great idea.

Just not so great w/ a 45 inch ~5 year old.

Here's a sampling of the majority of the shots.

That's kiiiinda what I was going for.

And many of them ended up like this.

But I did get a few. ;)

And the one thing I want Ty to remember from this day is...

I WON!!! I WON!!!! I WON!!! ;)

♥♥♥

If only, Kennedy. If only...

2010-11-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

This morning, the girls and I had a little conversation that went something like this...

Gwen: When I grow up I want a BMW convertible... like Bianca's (oh good, they only start at $85,000) or a punch buggy (breathe again).
Kennedy: Yeah, I want a BMW convertible or a car like that one (a Mercedes SUV).

I think I can actually hear the moans and groans of their future husbands at this moment...

Gwen: When I get married, I'm going to make my husband buy me that car.
Me: (taking advantage of this teaching moment ;) Well actually, when you get married, hopefully both of you will have jobs and then you put your money together and together you make decisions as to how you will spend it.
Kennedy: Or you fight. Like you and Dad.
Me: Well, actually, Kennedy, whenever you have 2 people making a decision, you're going to have times when you don't agree, so you have to talk it through.
Kennedy: Or fight.
Me: Or talk it through.
Kennedy: Or maybe you should just play "roshambo".

Hmm, maybe the girl's on to something here. I can already see it...

Ben: No, I don't think we should (insert argument discussion topic of choice).
Sara: Well, I think we should really consider (alternate side of discussion).

Together: Wait. Let's roshambo.

I think it'd work brilliantly. ;)

Catching Up Cont'd, Pt. 2: Summer (again :)

2010-11-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

It all started when Ben told me he was going to have to work a conference, which was pretty typical news. Except this time, it was in BOSTON.

No sooner had he finished the "n" in Boston, when my wheels started turning. Hmm, a looong plane ride that meant catching up on many books that had been put off, sleeping in a beautiful hotel, eating delicious cuisine all by myself. Yep, I was sold.

Now the only thing that did not sound amazing was the price. The ticket was expensive, but in the end we decided it was worth it.

Which would have been a no brainer, had I known that I was going to get bumped on my return flight and paid $700 in Southwest vouchers to take a later flight to... you guessed it, read some more.

The good news is that all my "dreams about Boston" came true. I read till my eyes blurred, ate too much good food, walked the really cool bricked streets, and even had to buy a new dress and shoes on Newbury Street. Doesn't get much better than that.

However, we found that while we had a great time with just each other (it was kinda like a "working second honeymoon"-jk ;), we were still drawn to the things that our kids would have liked... like these guys.

The guy who juggled swords and the gal who looked like a real life statue.

And this really cool (and real life) statue of Paul Revere.

But eventually we got the hang of it and took pictures like adults.

Like of the amazing waterfront.

And the cool archways that you would find randomly throughout the city,

and Quincy Market.

Or how about the New North Meeting House (second church) that was built in 1714?

Ben even tried out what probably would have been our "box".

And we found some great places to eat... like Anthony's.

But every once in a while, the kid in us would come out to play.

Here's my new friend.

His name was John or Paul or something... ;)

And the one thing that we never came close to mastering,

was the self portrait. ;)

Au Revoire Boston,

but we hope to be back in '11...

with the kids. ;)

San Francisco... Part Deux

2010-11-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

So, upon our return from Boston, we got to take a little trippy-trip to San Francisco.

Now the only thing that I love more than visiting that city, is to visit that city with my family.

Ahh, nothing better. ;)

I think everything looks better with that skyline as your background.

Even pics with random guys dressed in white. ;)

Ben gave Gwen a little tutorial on the proper way to skip a rock...

while never putting down your coffee.

Kennedy and Ty proved that "teamwork is the best policy".

And were so focused they didn't even realize the encroaching birds,

whom I'm pretty sure were asking each other the usual,

"Are they twins?"

Now, for some reason I love taking pictures of people walking...

especially if they're holding the hands of my little ones.

Maybe it's because it reminds me that they haven't grown up on me yet.

Gwen's audition for the Ringling Bros Circus.

We think this has trapeze written all over it. ;)

And Kennedy with her beloved Uncle Andy,

with a little Exploratorium in the background.

The precise moment when I realized,

I won as far as Ty's gene pool is concerned. ;)

And that my brother-in-law Kevin must have found the Fountain of Youth.

He's the one standing in the middle... looking at the millions of crawdads. ;)

The adult half of our crew, enjoying scintillating conversation in the really cool venue.

But I have a feeling Auntie Me-me might not have been listening. ;)

And, while yes, I love San Francisco,

I love this guy a whole lot more...

and always will.

♥♥♥

The Waterfall...

2010-11-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

During the summer my niece, Anna, came up for a week to "nanny" for her Auntie Rachel while many, many, many bows needed to be made. During her stay, Anna, the au pair, and Claire came with us to meet good ol' Grandpa Dean and Grandma Buzz for a little day trip to some pretty cool waterfalls.

We had a great time exploring some of the most beautiful scenery you'll ever find.

Oh, and I got to learn that if your car "tells you" that you need more coolant... like now, they are not talking about your air conditioning and that your engine could explode/detonate/whatever on the spot... or something like that.

But it didn't, soooo, we're all good, right, Ben? And I don't think it's totally necessary for me to call you every time the dashboard gives me some directive. Don't you agree? ;)

But here are a few of the things that did need to be done that day. ;)

Rocks needed to be thrown...

and rocks needed to be pulled.

Dams needed to be built,

and crazy terrain had to be traversed.

There was definitely some climbing to be done,

as well as some exploring.

There were waterfalls that needed riding,

and some ropes that needed pulling. :)

There was food to be eaten,

and some blankets to be shared.

Basically, there were some memories that needed making.

And we were happy to oblige. ;)

It's all about the hair...

2010-11-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

So, our Halloween weekend went a little something like this...

Thursday:

get supplies and prep for all 3 kids' parties

figure out how to prep/work/attend 2 parties that run from 11:15-12:15 and one that runs from 12-1

... at a different school

Friday:

get youngest child to school by 8 am... in costume

get older 2 children in costume

fix Princess Leia's hair

run to all 3 parties

have 4 children over for a playdate after school (what was I thinking?!?)

Saturday:

watch 3 beloved children play soccer

spend not enough time at friend's birthday party

fix Princess Leia's hair

go to really cool family pre-Halloween party

Sunday:
get three sleepy children back into their costumes

fix Princess Leia's hair

see Disney on Ice (really fun)

blessed oldest child takes out buns, due to something like the bobby pins sticking into her brain

buy loads of candy

fix Princess Leia's hair

meet friends and trick-or-treat at roughly 7,000 houses

but what it felt like was...

fix Princess Leia's hair

But, we had a great time nonetheless...

and next year, Gwen's going to be Pocohontas. ;)

Here's a little photographic recap...

10:45-11:25 ~ Kennedy's class 11:25-11:35 ~ Gwen's class for a quick pic

11:50-1 ~ Help Ty's class.

Start with glitter pumpkins station.

Surprisingly, Ty's DK class went through twice the amount of glitter shown here.

Imagine that... ;)

Ty making "Bat Mix".

I had just asked him if I could eat all the M&M's out of his bag when he asked his buddy, Kyle,

"Isn't my mom so silly?"

Kyle sure seems to think so... ;)

Disney On Ice

This pic was taken from our seats.

Now historically, we like to have to strain to see the characters,

but since we were going w/ Ty's buddy, Luke's, family,

we opted for better seats.

And they were truly better.

In this case, closer seats do = better experience.

And then it was time to try and get at least as much candy as I had just bought

trick or treat.

We started with a few good friends.

Even I got to invite a few. ;)

And then we met a few more. Gwen ended up staying with hers.

But Ty and Kennedy stayed with it and pushed through the pain

It's hard work getting that much candy...

especially if you're sprinting to every house.

In the end,

it was worth every bit of effort.

8.6 lbs of sugary/chocolatey/gooey goodness worth it.

But all that gooey goodness comes with a price.

As Gwen's candy

Ty's stash

Kennedy's loot

kids who look like this. ;)

But it should eventually wear off...

and hopefully my desire to fix hair will return. ;)

Hope you had a safe and happy Halloween!

Catching Up, Pt. 1: Summer

2010-10-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

"Work-cation"

Definition: making the most of a summer when the hubby has to "put in his time" during his 1st year w/ the company and would prefer not can not take any vacation time

Translation: we became official "tag-alongs" on work trips

Destination: Bay Area

First stop: Children's Museum (San Jose)

Critique: 8 thumbs up (as only 4 Garates went, due to the daddy who's hard at work ;) Great price, walking distance from our hotel which was located near a fun little hub of San Jose. Btw, the happy hour at McCormick and Schmick's is almost worth entirely determining your home base upon...

They had a great bubble station.

Seriously. ;)

There was also a pulley/fan thing.

Simply, you have to use the pulley to get the bowling balls to the top,

where they would generate enough power coming down to spin the fan.

Basically, "work = fun".

Same applies to the Bob the Builder station.

I'm trying to figure out how I can apply this novel concept to homework... ;)

Of course, Ty discovered the closest thing to a wii the Children's Museum had to offer.

But my personal favorite was the "Gnome Home" station.

Ty built all of his homes w/ trap doors, while Gwen and Kennedy favored the more traditional route.

She made many gnomes very happy. ;)

The girls tried their hands at corn husk dolls...

and taking a picture...

together.

We call them "Kennedy and Gwen".

And Ty was busy pretending he was a teenager.

Second Stop: Fisherman's Wharf

Critique: 8 thumbs up. As SF is one of my favorite cities, it wasn't too hard to convince me to make the little day trip. And after the kids tried the bungee jumping thingy, they now love the city as much as their madre. Awww, be still my beating heart. ;)

Gwen, of course went first and quickly figured out the flipping thing...

... while Kennedy was quite content, simply jumping.

But she did jump high... ;)

And Ty drew an audience.

I kept hearing, "Look at that kid. He's so small... can he even be up there?"

Once he started flipping, game over.

We could have joined the circus. ;)

Gwen took the obligatory pic in front of the Lefty store.

And they all had to take the obligatory pic in my favorite store.

I mean, really, there are barrels of salt water taffy... ;)

We even squeezed in a guy who did magic... with cigarettes?

So maybe not all magic is magical...

But what was really awesome, was spending time with the kids together...

even if it wasn't in the same photo... ;)

Third Stop: Marriot Pool and Smores with the Smiths (Walnut Creek)

Critique: 8 enthusiastic thumbs up. Was there ever even a question here? Cousins, chocolate and marshmallow goodness, while hanging out in a killer backyard? And if a question dared to show its face, it was quickly silenced with an introduction to Just Dance.

Cousins are fun... and cute.

And eatin' smores is serious business.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. ;)

Fourth and final Stop: Home Sweet Home

Critique: Nothing can beat it. In fact, there's something downright intoxicating about settling back into your own 4 walls...

So maybe work-cations aren't all that bad... :)

When did we become such die-hard fans?

2010-10-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

So, all my kids were kinda in a sniffly/coughing/need to rest/maybe watch a movie in our comfy cozies kind of mood today. Now it might just be a byproduct of officially entering into the cold season, or perhaps it was our sudden 50 inches of rain in the last 48 hours, or maybe, juuuust maybe, it was the 3 soccer games played in the rain on Saturday (followed by a sleepover that somehow didn't include so much sleep... ;), but who knows.

What we do know is this:

After cheering for 15 soccer games in the first half of the season,

we (the Garate adults) were kinda feeling "done satisfied" with our '10 season.

So we have no idea how we ended up cheering for 3 soccer games,

in the pouring rain.

Wait, oh yes, we do.

Cause we're suckers for our kids. ;)

A rare moment of Tito actually running in a game.

We like how he tries to maintain a "1 person between him and the ball" distance, just to be safe. ;)

What he does do well, is eat snack.

In this case, he can fit almost an entire orange in his mouth at one time.

Like father... ;)

For anyone who wonders what this assistant coach does during a game, this is it.

I slouch stand by the goal and say,

"(Insert most names from our team's roster), look bud, the ball's coming. The ball's getting closer...

Yes, your shadow does look like Mickey Mouse, but bud, the ball's ... oh well.

The most important thing is to have fun!"

over and over and over and over...

How Tito battled the rain during K's game.

Notice how kind he is, to let any child who wants to watch him play, do so. ;)

Kennedy was a monster (well the petite #13 monster) on the field this week.

I think it might have had just an eensy-weensy bit to do with a certain promise of a new Polly Pocket.

When I asked Kennedy why she was so "on fire" today, she said,

"I played like I'm on fire because I really wanted a new Polly Pocket. And when Nana or Grandma watches me. Because I don't want them to think I'm not good".

So, when she doesn't play like she's on fire... ;)

And of course, Gwen followed suit.

During her game, it rained so hard, we had Ty and K play their DS's in the car under a blanket.

And Gwen was even lucky enough to play all 50 minutes of the game.

Awesome.

But we lived through it.

And we only have 12 more games in our '10 soccer season.

And it's supposed to rain next weekend too.

But we'll be ready.

So bring it!