Play Ball: the year of the Pirate

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 WE have entered the year of the Pirate! New league, new rules, new team, new end of the park, but a lot of the same buddies to go with our new team mates. Along with several baseball friends, we switched from playing baseball at Heartwell Cal Ripken to East Long Beach Pony. At this age they are starting "Kid Pitch".  Opening day brought lots of fun, games are now 90 minutes or 6 innings and are wonderfully exciting and fun to attend. JT is spending a bit of time playing 2nd which he really loves. Mr. B is helping coach and when he isn't breathing Rock Steady, he's breathing Pinto Pirate baseball with the boy bug.

 They're a good group which makes the countless practices and games fun with all the cheering and whooping and hollering and playing and chatting and visiting and all that jazz...

Jack Schlarb's Daughter (GK) and great grandson/namesake JT

 I'm team parenting because I have faux c d and incredible control issues it's baseball season and that's what I do during baseball season. It helps to keep me on my toes... Plus I LOVE LOVE LOVE watching my kid play! Checking out the handsome 1st base coach all game long isn't too bad either! (Love you Mr. B)

 If you're ever in the mood for some exciting kid baseball, come on down. Follow the noise, we'll be the really loud ones. (If you know us B's and our baseball, we're constant clappers...)

GO PIRATES!

Tea because she is Three!

We had a tea party for Hea Bug. Last year she got a Mrs. Potts, Beauty and the Beast plastic tea set that has seen weeks with the bath toys, the bag of park toys, the sand at the beach, mud in the backyard... And a whole lot of washing.

She has tea parties with  her animals, with her dolls, with her parents, with her buddies.

We enjoyed time with buddies and yummy eats, sweets and treats.

Auntie Nini took charge of decorations and party favors. Each little gal pal got elbow gloves and a hand made top hat head band. For the fellas there were new ties.

Trampoline  jumpers jumped, playground players played, toys were enjoyed, piñata was busted open... eventually...

   *Little side story... At the last minute I decided that a party is just not a party without that piñata so I picked one up at Target. Yes, a darn $20 for an unfilled disney princess piñata. We fill it up and let the kids have at it. One at a time they swing away, with a bat. A metal one. We have ball players in our life so there was no mercy. It started to fall apart so Mr. B, taped it up to ensure everyone got a turn. He's an excellent taper and everyone got at least two turns. When the piñata finally surrendered, the candies inside were pretty much broken. My pal asked why we didn't just have the kids pull the strings provided... See, I didn't read the instructions that came with the piñata as I already considered myself an expert. Hit, break, run, collect, eat... Well, had I taken a second I would have found that my $20 piñata was one of these new style, everyone gets to help kind. There were streamers hanging from the bottom, which I assumed were there for decoration. It was a Princess piñata after all. All the kids take a string and they pull together releasing all the candy at the same time from the bottom. Ah Ha... That's why it wasn't breaking. Note to self: Read the Instructions.

Hea Bug felt loved and special on her birthday (and everyday, lucky little ducky)

She is our Sunshine Girl.

We love you little lady. Always Always, Mama and Daddy

Sea world with our Canadian Ohana

Maga's High School BFF, (our Auntie) and Uncle from Canada (But they travel here, there and everywhere, driving in the Big Red Truck) were on Holiday in San Diego. We met up for a day of fun at Sea World. We saw the Orcas, Dolphins, Beluga and Pilot Whales, Sea Turtles, Penguins and Sharks. It was Hea Bug's first visit. We got lots of Love in and enjoyed the day together <3

We even got to see the 3month old rescued baby otter being fed and playing in his little habitat!

Happy Birthday HeaBug

Today, she is three!

She is icing on the cake. Not the ridiculously over mixed and over processed, artificial kind... the delectably light, from scratch, soft mix of pure organic sugar whipped with butter (which makes everything better) with hints of lemon zest for kicks, that's made with love.

Chosen to be part of our eternal family even before this life, we knew we loved her even before we met her.
Nohea means "Lovely" which we knew she would be. Maraea honors her great grandmother that lived her life on principals of being kind to others, singing loud, and smiling whenever possible. Kapuaililani is Hawaiian for "flowers falling from the opening rays of heaven". A family name she shares with her momma.

Always our baby and a little sister she isn't one to bite her tongue or not share her opinion. That she gets from daddy.

A fan of princesses, the color yellow, loves wearing skirts, painting her nails, reading Little Critter books, doing gymnastics, watching Super Why, Diego, Yo Gabba Gabba, Little Einsteins and Peppa Pig, flying in planes and sleeping in hotels, splashing in puddles, cooking with Mom, singing melodies from the Little Mermaid, correcting her brother, sword fighting, eating strawberries, visiting the "lotion store" (Bath and Bodyworks) and wearing cowboy boots.

She has completed our family. She brings us such joy even on her grumpiest days because in the end, her sassiness makes us laugh. We know it won't be nearly as funny in 10 years and I swear we're getting on it... But she's probably made you laugh too.

We're so happy to be her parents!

She woke up to the Beatles Birthday Song and ballons all over, had waffles at Polly's, then headed to San Diego for a day at the Zoo, just like brother did when he turned 3! This last week I took her to Kreme de la Kreme in downtown Long Beach to get a manicure and pedicure, she had so much fun! Next weekend we are having a tea party. A whole week of celebration!

Love you lillo girfren, always always.

On the first day she preschooled

Today our little HeaBug became an official big girl when she started preschool! Her 3rd birthday is just around the corner and she was talking about school a lot. I take her to work with me but I felt bad for the long hours she was spending in our office and with the iPad.

After much searching, we found a great little place where she already had a friend, Gman. We enrolled her last week and dropped her off for her first day today. All "nervous" smiles as she met with her new teachers and class. We lingered for just a moment then made our way to the door. The walking away was slow and I knew we were both worrying. Mr B took a glance through the window as we headed to the parking lot. She was crying. All of a sudden there they were, my own tears and boy was I choking them back! Gman's mom waited for us in the lot with support and reassurance. Thank goodness my fear of crying in public saved my face from streaky and scary mascara!

We picked her up after lunchtime and she showed us her paintings and her cubby. She waved goodbye and squeezed me all the way to the car. I am definitely going to miss our little Rock Steady Gal but she's off to bigger and better things. Argh you, Growing Up. It's going by too quickly.

We are gonna skaaate tonight!

JT's Charter school hosted an 80's themed family night at Skate Depot!

HeaBug brought her skates and JT had the rollerblades he's been practicing with since Christmas. It had been years, seriously, many years since the last time Mr. B or myself had gotten our skate on at Skate Depot! It was SO much fun! Both bugs did great, I swear JT sweated out his body weight!

It was an enjoyable evening hanging with pals and getting a serious work out. Our backs are still hurting from the hunched skate position we traded off on to keep the little miss going "faster! Let's go faster" around the rink!

We were totally rad with our side ponies and leather band jacket! Although truth be told, we had nothin'
On the full gold lamè Hammer Time suit or the white linen Crocket suit either ;)

Our school is like totally wicked, fer sure!

Choosing Right

We were so happy to attend the baptism of our nephew D Lane last Sunday!
We visited their ward (church service) today so Mr B could participate in D's confirmation.
HeaBug said very loudly, "D you are so brave!". Yay for congregations with a sense of humor.

Congratulations D, we love you!

"Ever After" Kind of Living

We could start by saying Once Upon a Time but that's how fairy tales begin... And those aren't generally true. 

Back in the day, when were were young... but we're not kids anymore...

We were kids though. Kids who became friends then kids who fell in love. 

I went to see scary movies (which I hate) so that I could sit next to him and hold his arm in terror.

He took me to Disneyland for my 16th birthday.

He took me to sushi for the first time and all I ate was rice. (that has changed)

He is who I kissed when the world was fearing Y2K.

He told me to get a job. Then he got me a puppy.

He took me to the prom, in a dress he had made for me by a costume designer friend. He gave me a necklace that I still wear every day (and through every important life event). We only danced to one song.

I knew I would be his wife.

On January 26, 2002 I laced up my blue converse tennis shoes and put on my white dress. We walked our own aisles of the Jordan Theatre to the stage that we met on and this is what we said:

I, take you, to be my very best friend. I promise to support you in everything you do, to stand by you in good times and in bad. To believe in you, to trust in you and to honor you. I promise to love you until the end of time.

People were so skeptical because the idea of marriage isn't so optimistic anymore. 

We looked like kids up there in front of our family and friends.

It's not right for everyone and I'm not an advocate of marrying young by ANY means, but it was right for us. We were still seeds and with sunshine just happened to grow into the same kind of flower.

We have embraced the adventure of marriage knowing it requires constant care, attention, and work.

It's a very conscious decision that we remake often. 

We've seen marvelous sights.
Lost some very dear to us.
Gotten lots of tattoos.
Been embraced by God's good love.
Sealed our family for eternity.

Our life has grown by two amazing children.

Each bringing light, joy, and a few years of sleep deprivation.

Mostly they make us laugh.

And they eww when we kiss... which we still do a lot.

We've started a business. 

Out of our garage, our computer and two credit cards...

Rock Steady was born.

We work together, we live together, we sleep together, we parent together.

We don't tire of the company. It's nice to not only love each other but to truly like each other.

We're friends.

We work hard to live the life that we want. It doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful.

We still go on dates. He'll surprise me with flowers. I'll surprise him with Red Bull ;)

We are still adventuring. We've only just begun. There's a lot for us to see and do and experience, but we are doing it together.

To my guy Mr. B. I'm so glad to be Mrs. B.

Thanks for balancing out my crazy.

I love you.