Pa's Pumpkin Patch 2013

We went to the Pumpkin Patch, it was lots of fun. It had rained that morning and our schedule was so tight that this was the Monday before Halloween and the only time we had to keep this tradition.

Another Fall tradition that we have is going up to Willowbrook Apple Orchard in Oak Glen to pick our own apples and make cider but due to a light harvest they stopped u-pick very early. So no apple farm pictures. Sad face here.

We go just to experience the patch. Last yer we bought a pumpkin that we carved. This year, Maga picked up some pumpkins for the kids but they still look forward to the fall atmosphere and tradition of Pa's. It's on PCH, in Long Beach. Where we are chilled when the air gets below 65 degrees. And I'd not have it any other way Thank you very much.

Magic.

Rocking the work

We survived the opening of the new Wallis Annenberg Performing Arts Center. Our guys have been working like crazy, round the clock, crazy, all hours, did I say crazy?! 

What a beautiful event the result was though. I went down the night before to get a few pictures.

The Post Season, #boothsbleedblue

This was the year. The one where we got to go to Dodger games, with kids, who not only paid attention, but enjoyed the games. They cheered, yelled, clapped, sang and hung in there until every single bottom of the ninth. Yeah we are among the rare breed of fans that do their best to get in the seat by the first pitch and not leave until after the last out.

We bought season tickets for next year so that we could have the option for post season tickets. And MAN! We got 4 seats to every home game! Especially as the regular season was drawing to a close, we attended more sold out games that I ever have before. In the series against the Braves we all went to the Sunday night game. It was electric! JT said it was his most favorite dodger game ever. I knew the feeling. The last winning post season Dodger game that I had attended was in 2004 when Lima pitched in Game 3 and I was 7 1/2 months pregnant with Baby JT. We ate lunch with our friends who also had tickets to the game and it was awesome seeing the sea of Dodger Blue everywhere you turned.

Mr B and I went to the game the next night when we clinched the division. THAT has to be my favorite game EVER!

Our post season seats were in the MVP reserve so THIS was the amazing view!

It was rad. Beyond belief. 

October was a busy (and amazing) month for Rock Steady. Mr B knew he was going to be busy but this was the Dodgers! How could we not at least secure the chance to attend a game! As we advanced to the next round to the League Championship Series against the Cardinals, we had tickets to 3 home games. Night 1, suddenly after I have the kids rounded up from school and ready to head to the stadium, a crisis occurred at the Shop and Mr B found himself unable to go with us. I took the kids, texted every baseball fan I knew and offered them a ticket to the game and hoped someone would come through!

Sure enough, Coach Kimbo (who we LaLaLove) was AT work, got his shift covered and met us at the game by the 5th!

These kids were so excited to see him there! HeaBug learned how to make the L-A with her fingers and she looked like she was throwin' up signs all evening.

I was SO glad I took the kids, as scary and overwhelming as it can be, it was worth every minute!

The next day showed just how much of a fan I am...

I talked to my MIL (who lives in Fresno btw) and Dodger Love runs deep in our family. I told her my dilemma of wanting to go to the next game but not being able to figure out child care... Get this. My MIL drove (yeah) from Fresno on Tuesdy morning to watch my kids that evening so I could go! Now I normally have my sister (amazing Auntie Nini) babysit but she had something going on and I do ask her to sit for me a lot. She met me at work, took HeaBug for a bit until GK got into Long Beach and JT went over to his buddy's house after school. 

I got a ride up to the stadium with our friends who had tickets in a different section. 

I sold the other 3 seats in our 4pack to friends and got a ride home with my pal Nate (who btw was my first friend in first grade so we've known each other since we were 6 and then had an 18 year hiatus and became friends again as adults! Cray cray right?!).

It was a fun time! The next day, we also had those same 4 seats but after all my favor calling and moving/wrangling, I knew I wouldn't be able to swing a mid day game. Part of the deal for my MIL coming down to watch my little monkey kids was that she and my Sister in law, Auntie Amber, would take two of the seats! So we all got to go to amazing post season games! The kids an I listened in the car on the radio as they won their 2nd game of this series keeping them alive and heading back to Atlanta.

Well we all know what happened then. They were out. Just like that. Blue heart broken. And voice hoarse from yelling at the TV. The kids even left the living room that night to go watch a movie elsewhere since I was "yelling too much".

Sigh.

I have been wanting to post about every game but I didn't want to mess with the juju. If you're a sports fan you know what I mean.

Now they are out. And that is that. But this season was amazing. To go from very last place to first and then take the west and the division... October meant crazy work schedules and games, practices, school events, volunteering commitments (really the every day plus extra Rock Steady stuff) but so much was just put on hold or we were just distracted from... Because of our Dodger Love.

Now life may return to your regularly scheduled programming.

LB Marathon weekend, I am a beach bum

We have been juggling through October. Trying to manage work (so much work), school/volunteer obligations, kid schedules/sports/activities, home and the Dodgers. 

Over the second weekend of October, JT ran the Aquarium Kids 1 mile Run for the 3rd consecutive year, (Here is 2011 and Here is 2012) HeaBug had her first in-house gymnastics meet, and Mr. B and I ran the Long Beach International Half Marathon.

Dads were unable to get away from work this morning (last year they biked the course) but the rest of us Booths made our way to downtown for the kids to participate in the run. JT came in 5th in his age group!

HeaBug participated in an In-House gymnastics meet. It was the first in a monthly series of three meets to acquaint the girls with the process and experience of competing. There were 4 events, Bars, Beam, Vault and Floor. These little gymnasts were so super cute!! She did a great job!

Mr B got home about 10:30 at night, we were out the door by 5:30am. Greek yogurt and red bull for breakfast.

We prepaid to park in the parking structure at the Pike. After finding a spot on the roof, we made our way down to the starting line. The waves took off at scent intervals. In truth I didn't even care if we were late, I was just so glad to be hanging out with my favorite person. 

I paced Mr B for about 3 miles and we made good time, about 9:30 minutes per mile. Then came the Powerade table where we kind of got separated. He was ahead of me, now following an old Asian man in an orange running club jersey but I had them both in my line of sight. At the mile 4 loop I had to stop to use the restroom and lost them both. At 5.5 I finally texted Mr B that running separately was not the date I had in mind. He stopped following orang shirt man and waited for me as I rounded the lighthouse. We then ran together until mile 7 when he got a horrible hamstring cramp! We pull over to stretch it out and as he does, there's ANOTHER cramp! This time on his quad. Poor guy. I know they can be so painful. We slowed our pace down a lot and did most of the rest at a walk some/jog some. Mr B kept telling me that I could go ahead but this run was about getting to be together and while I am pretty competitive, I'm not a PR chaser either. My goal for any/every race is Just Don't Die. And to finish of course.

We crossed that finish line at 3 hours on the money. Earlier when trying to convince/encourage Mr B to participate with me, I said I'd drink the free beer with him at the end. We don't drink anymore, aside from sips of champagne at a wedding or swishes or wine at a food pairing, for a variety of reasons but mostly for our health. But I'll tell you, something about sitting in that beer garden, live music and tires from running a half marathon, elated from doing something I love with someone I love, drinking our free ice cold Michelob Ultra while eating cheez-it's and a rice krispy treat from the post race bag... Well, it's going down in my mind and my favorite post race moment to date. 

We made our way to Johns first, limping in and ready to order the chili fries that we earned just burning through and estimated 1800 calories... We ended up with a chicken club and a Greek salad. Live life on the edge right?! Lol.

He enjoyed lunch with me and then this guy, he went back out to the job site Rock Steady was working on. 

Kudos to Mr B for running a half marathon on no training.

He is crazy.  He is amazing and I am glad every single moment of the day that I'm his girl. 

Hea rides for St. Jude's

HeaBug rode with her preschool pals for the St. Jude trike-a-thon! Their goal was to raise $600 and they exceeded their goal raising $1100!! So awesome!

Partying with Tinkerbell

Lucky little fairy girl HeaBug had the best time at her gal pals birthday party!

Tinkerbell showed up and HeaBug was as excited as could be!