BBQ @ the Parson's Place

Since my summer Chemistry course began this past Monday, I've had to bow out of a couple band practices.  So last night (Thursday, since classes are just Mon-Thurs), Myk invited our family over for a BBQ at the Parson's Place.  Will, his wife and 4 kids, as well as Nikhil, were all there for hamburgers, salmon, hot dogs, grilled veggies, homemade potato salad and everything else you can think of.  Myk insisted that after food was served and cleaned, him, Will and I (and Nikhil, of course) needed to enjoy a beer on his back porch in the fading sunshine and play through some of the new songs.  A sneaky way to get me to a practice, but a fun and appreciated one.

Taryn, the kids and I walked over, since it was a beautiful evening and the Parson's live just a block over and a couple blocks down.  They had their new 4' pool out for all the kids to swim in.  Myk had built a play fort for Darby that all 6 of the older kids smooshed into at one point.  Addy wasn't even the youngest kiddo there, since Teagan (Myk & Catrina's daughter) is just 3 months old.  Will & Rebecca have a baby daughter barely 2 months older than Teagan.  Needless to say it was raucous.  And very entertaining.  

Since Darby has almost every toy ever made, and is very generous with them, it was inevitable that Eli would find his way to the Avengers stuff.  The kid is obsessed.  Although, I know it didn't help when I went ahead and bought him the Marvel Diamond Select action figures of the Hulk, Ironman, Thor and Captain America (and Spiderman, just because he was one of my favorites).  Captain America has been Eli's favorite for a few weeks now, and Darby just happened to have Captain America's shield and helmet.  Eli was so excited!  He asked to have them put on, then spent the rest of the night using his shield to block Darby's lightsaber and Liam's long sword.

Too cute, Buddy.

Disaster Zone

This is what happens when you just stand back and let Addy 'do her thing.'  

This only took her 5 minutes!!

... and Taryn wonders why I'm constantly picking up.

The strangest part is that almost all of this stuff is her brother's.  And within that junk pile is Eli's entire drawer of socks and undies, painstakingly emptied 2 pieces at a time and transferred to our bed.

Don't ask me why.

Mom's 60th Celebration Day

For Mom's 60th birthday, Taryn & I thought it would be fun to check out some of the vineyards and wineries here in the Central Valley.  None of us had been to many (or any) of them, and between Lodi, Al Campo, Lockeford, Murphys, and many other of the small towns along highways 12 and 88, there was plenty to see.

We started the day at a winery named Burghold.  It has 20 some acres, but only 15% of the grapes grown on the property are kept and harvested for their reserve wines.  And each wine is crafted by hand, from the picking to the pressing to the fermenting and bottling.  

The place was beautiful.  They were setting up for a wedding later that afternoon, with chairs in the back (facing a huge fountain) and tables for the reception in the front (in a clearing amidst the grapes and another large fountain).  The vineyard itself is over 30 years old, but the winery has only been making wines for the past 5.

We tried 8 wines at this place (2 whites and 6 reds) and left with a bottle each.  They were all delicious (except the Late Harvest Viognier - which tasted like a butterscotch Port - blech!).

We weren't able to secure babysitters, so Addy & Eli came with us for the day.  We were a little apprehensive about bringing them into the winery environment, but we needed not fear - the kids were angels.  Even in a place like this, where every item and piece of furniture is exactly what a small child would love to touch or climb on, and inevitably break.  They were very mindful to hold on to our hands and stay close.  They were incredibly patient, quiet, and adorable as they put on the charm for all of the older folks who wanted to say hi.  

To keep things interesting for them (and to allow Taryn, Mom & me to enjoy some tastings), Grandpa took the kids for walks through the vineyards.  It was pretty funny watching him stooped over holding onto each kids' hand, with Eli trying to point things out and ask questions as Addy trudged forward, pulling both boys behind her.  

The second winery we tried was called Acquiesce.  It specializes in whites, with it's labels, bottles and other extras manufactured in France.  They had a large century-old barn that they converted into their tasting room.  This place was perfect for Mom, since she prefers whites over reds.  They offered a Viognier, a Grenache Blanc, a Roussanne, a Belle Blanc, and a Grenache Rose - Mom was in heaven.  They also offered food pairings with each wine tasting.  We had aged Irish white cheddar and a jam made from Violets.  It wasn't something any of us would have picked out in a market, but it was surprisingly great.

Because we were the only folks there at the time, the proprietor took us on a short tour of the grounds just for the fun of it.  She showed us pictures of the old barn before the renovations; we saw their vineyard and the division between the mass grown and reserve grown grapes (and learned quite a bit about how watered and water-deficit growing can affect flavors and quality - Educational!); she showed us their fermenting tanks with the fancy new tech for ensuring temperature control.  It was a fun stop.  We left with 2 bottles from this place too.

On their right-hand wall in the table area they had a large chalkboard hanging where guests were encouraged to write down the one thing they wanted to do before they died.  I guess every time it's filled, they take a picture and wipe it clean for the next guests.  They have a large display of some of the better pictures that they've taken over the years.

Taryn, Mom & I added ours to the list. 

 Mom's is 3rd to last.

Mine is 2nd to last.

Taryn's is the final entry.

Because the kids were so great, we ended the day with a trip to Baskin Robins for ice cream (Ice Cream!).  Eli had been once before, but was probably too small to remember it.  Addy had never been to an ice cream place.  We let them each choose their own flavor (Addy chose American Birthday Cake; Eli chose Chocolate) and put a scoop in a bowl.  Both of them made a huge mess, but Eli took the prize.  The picture below was snapped after we had already taken extensive action to clean him up so that we could allow him back into the car.  

Luckily, going home and dumping the kids directly into the bath and clean pjs was perfect, since Taryn & I (and Mom!) were so exhausted.  Our tastings started at about 11:30 that morning, and we didn't make it home until close to 5.

But the best part is - there are so many more places to try!

Fort Bacon 2.0

After running around the backyard in the heat yesterday afternoon, the kids & I decided that we needed a good spot somewhere in the house to cool off in the shade and rest.  So we set about building one.  

By the time Taryn came home the entire front corner of our living room had been transformed.  Behold Fort Bacon!  We put our pj's on early and spent the night playing.

And did I mention that it was a double?!

Pixie Woods

Pixie Woods is a place Taryn & I had visited on numerous occasions growing up, but hadn't been to since high school - almost 15 years ago.  It's also a place that Nonni was at on its Opening Day.  Which is ironic, as we just so happened to visit the park on its 58th anniversary.  

It's right on the edge of town and offers everything from play structures to fantasy villages to rides to animals.  Each section of the park has a different theme.  Here we are arriving at the Wood, entering through the Pixie Castle.

There were turtles (Turtles! ... still one of Eli's favorites) laying on logs in the water, baking in the sun.   And there were multiple ducks (Ducks!) too.

There used to be 3 real pigs that lived in the 3 Little Pigs' houses.  But although the houses are now empty, Addy and Eli both loved the exhibit.  The story is still one of their favorites.  At home we have a version of the book with my recorded voice that plays the story.  

(Daddy has a great Big Bad voice)  

 

Both kids were very cautious of the Big Bad Wolf (guess my acting is just that good).

We must have played on every slide, structure and obstacle the park had to offer.  Eli especially enjoyed the giant dragon and the western outpost; Addy preferred the gnome village and braved the super slide in the tall crooked house (with Daddy, of course, and I still have quite the bruise on my elbow).

Both kiddos, however, agreed that the best by far was the roller slide.  If you could only have seen Addy's cheeks flapping as she bounced and laughed her way down!

We took 2 highly anticipated rides on the Train and Paddle Boat.  

There were short waits for both, but between Nonni and random objects, there was plenty to keep Eli & Addy happy and busy.

We saw elfs, dinosaurs, neanderthals, pirates (Pirates!), peter pan, mermaids, native americans, shipwrecks, random floating baseballs, turtles (Turtles!), and an exploding volcano!
(And it was a much appreciated rest for us adults)

Here's one for the history books ...

The day was hot and bright, and although Pixie Woods is heavily wooded and offers plenty of shade, by 2pm we were all red in the face.  Even through countless applications of what can only be described as a profane amount of sun screen.  

Addy found the perfect spot to keep cool, and while Eli preferred to stay dry, Addy ran right in.

The western outpost came complete with a wagon, horses, a barn, a jail and a general store.

This is where the Bad Biddles go ...

This is Where the Wild Things Are ...

This is what happens when you spend too much time in jail ...

When we made our way to the carousel just before calling it a day, Eli finally agreed to try a movable horse for the first time.  Usually he likes to sit in the buggy and people-watch as we spin.  But one horse was painted in red, white & blue, and because it was wearing Captain America's colors, Eli agreed it was the horse for him.  Addy also took her first spin on a moveable horse and loved every second of it.

Here's one of the only full-family pictures we have!  Poor Eli was so tired by this point (Addy was lucky enough to nap in the car on the way).  On the way home we swung through Jamba and indulged in fruit smoothies.  A perfect end to a great day.

Thanks Nonni!

Addy's Adventure Time

It got really hot in the middle of the week, so I decided to take the kids up the street to the park attached to the elementary school because it has a water feature.  You hit the button, and it spits jets of water high into the air for the kids to run through to cool off.  

I thought it would be a huge hit, and it was - but only for Addy.  Eli much preferred to stay dry and climb the rock walls and slide down the slides.  But Addy was having a blast running through the water, surprised each time the jet shifted and sprayed her from a different angle. 

And she's so fast!

Musician Again!

I started playing music again.  

I haven't picked up my guitar for anything beyond random plucking for over 8 years.  I haven't played a live show in almost 9.  

Myk Parsons has a group that he's been playing with for about a year.  A 4-piece with 2 guitars, a bass and drummer.  All acoustic.  One of his guitarists moved down to L.A. recently, and he asked me to sit in for a show that they had scheduled.  I picked up the bass and started practicing - had blisters by the end of the first day that are still popping and hardening.  The music consists of the songs that Myk wrote back in high school and a handful of covers that I'm not familiar with.  And I've never really been a bass player.  I played bass for the Phirocious Allstars in high school because no one else wanted to, then immediately switched back to guitar with Free Sample in college.

But I love to play!  

And I especially enjoy the adult time I get away from the house about once every week or two when I head over to Nick's for practice.  The new tradition is bringing a grab-bag of brew to each practice for something new and different (although Nick brews his own beer, and the Porter he has on tap at the moment is especially delicious).

This last Christmas, Kendall & Nicole gave Taryn & me something called Chimay.  I'd never heard of it, but it was fantastic when we tried it.  It's a beer brewed by Trappist Monks, using a famous recipe they created in the 1800's.  Delicious.    

Last practice's grab-bag consisted of the Premiere, the Cinq Cents, and the Grand Reserve.

When I joined, there were 8 original songs, with a 9th in the works.  Well, since picking up the guitar again, the juices have really started flowing (plus I found a kindred spirit in Will).  There are now 5 brand new songs just waiting for vocals to finish them off, plus another 7 waiting in the wings for Will & I to complete the progressions and arrangements.

Fun!

There are shows scheduled for later this summer, and I'm sure I'll get a few pictures and videos to post later.

Capitola

Capitola is hands-down one of mine & Taryn's favorite places on this Earth.  It's beautiful.  It's peaceful.  The ocean on this strip of beach is incredibly clean, the locals are as friendly as can be, and the town itself has the best vibe.  We try to visit at least once each year, but it was 2 summers ago that we were here last with Eli.  Addy had never been.  

There have been some startling changes to the beach since we visited last.  The erosion is astounding, and where 2 years ago you could choose any one of the multiple stairs leading down to the sand, there is now just one that's fit to use because the sand has been washed away so completely.  There's a solid 4-5 foot drop from the bottom of the concrete stairs to the sand and beach below.  

We left first thing Saturday morning and arrived at the beach at 9:30.  And because we had Taryn with us (with that infamous Cooper luck) we had the best parking imaginable all day.  Our first spot was right in front, next to the beach stairs, almost literally on the sand it was so close.  When we hit our time limit and had to move, I scored a spot right across the narrow street from Zeldas on the main beachfront strip, where we always choose to spend lunch since the patio is right on the beach.  Couldn't have been better.

Eli was in heaven.  The kids absolutely loves the beach.  We walked out on this super long concrete half-wall that extended into the water amidst the rocks and seaweed.  We must have stood out there for half an hour watching the waves, pointing out all the different sizes and styles of boats, and saying "wow!" each time one of the handful of surfers in their wet suits brave enough to face the freezing water caught a wave and rode it in to shore.  

Here's Taryn & Addy walking the half-wall on their way out to meet us.  If you look to their left, you can see how severe the erosion is and how large the drop-off from the street to the sand.  

 I believe in this shot, Eli was daring the ocean to come and get him.  Because it was still so early and a bit cool, none of us had changed into our shorts yet.  We had to roll Eli's pants because he wanted so badly to play the game where you run down to the water line, then run away when a wave breaks, trying to keep from freezing your toes in the water.

Addy, usually our fearless wonder of a child, was a bit timid when she first hit the sand.  She didn't know what to think of the texture and spent the first couple minutes saying "ow, ow, ow" with her big pouty lips sticking out each time she took a step.  She had Taryn take off her shoes, took a few steps, then wanted Taryn to put them back on ... took a few more steps, then demanded that Taryn take them off again.  Eventually she acclimated though, and she too played the wave dodging game.  But, of course, being the Fearless Wonder, each time the water receded, she tried to run after it and follow it back into the ocean.  I kept trying to explain to her that if she was patient and waited, the waves would come back.  She wasn't interested.  

Poor Eli.  In the middle of dodging the waves, he got distracted when laughing with Mommy, and a large wave broke behind him without him knowing.  It came up out of nowhere (and as I mentioned earlier, the water is COLD) and soaked him to the knees.  He was so surprised that he lost his footing and went down, right into the water.  The entire left side of his body was soaked.  The look on his face was priceless.  Daddy rushed him back to the car and changed him into his shorts, and when he was clean and dry again, he thought the experience was hilarious.  So we rushed back down to the beach and spent another few hours playing before having lunch.

After leaving Capitola we decided to drive into Santa Cruz and visit the Boardwalk before heading home.  Again, Taryn's presence scored us front row parking, and in short order we were walking through the crowd.  And boy was it crowded!  The place was completely packed!  We strolled the children's rides section and found a couple that we thought the kids would enjoy, then went back and purchased some ride tickets.  By this point we had already spent half the day running on the beach in the sunshine, and the kiddos were starting to get pretty tired.  Addy only slept for the final half of the ride to the coast, and a couple minutes in the car on the road between Capitola and Santa Cruz.  Eli of course hadn't slept at all.  We thought we were going to lose them both while waiting in the line for ride tickets.

The first ride was a haunted mansion, where you use laser guns to shoot targets on the ghosts and skeletons and such.  Eli thought it was the coolest thing ever (and his final score was pretty impressive!).  Addy rode ahead of us with Taryn, and she too thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  The ride was very silly - not scary at all.

The other ride we tried was the "dinosaur train."  We sat in the middle car and watched as cavemen and dinosaurs went by, doing silly things (think The Flintstones, but very generic).  The kids, however, loved it.

By the time the two rides were done, the kids were on their last legs.  We thought it would be fun to visit the arcade, but it was on the complete opposite side of the Walk.  We both got stuck carrying our tired children, but I carried both for half the trip.  Wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been so crowded.  

But we made it!  Both Eli & Addy headed straight for the car games.  These ones were very large, and the chairs were on hydraulics so that each time your car hit the wall or another driver, the entire chair bounced and vibrated.  Addy was squealing with delight, and on the third lap, she flipped her car, causing the chair to buck like a horse.  Eli wasn't lucky enough to get his car to flip, but he sure tried his hardest.

We played a couple games in the children's section (Eli rode a boat, Addy tried hitting popcorn into a bowl, etc.), then called it a day.

Almost as soon as we hit the highway, both kids were out.  It was such a great day.  Hopefully we'll have a chance to visit again  before Fall.

Health Report

So I finally went back to the Dr. to have another round of blood work done.

2 years ago I received some pretty disturbing news - my cholesterol was over 260. Not good when you're only 28, and have the wonderful family history that I do. Over those 2 years, Taryn & I made some moderate changes to our diet. We started cooking more at home, watching Top Chef and destroying our kitchen about once per day, 4 or 5 nights a week. I've cut down on the chips and switched from something like the Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles to the Whole Grain Pepperidge Farm crackers. It's a start - I'm weening. Having a Toddler has made sure that I'm getting additional exercise - not just the 10 hours on my feet at work, but another couple each night rough-housing with the Biddles. We've been going to the park on days off (weather permitting) and spending time walking around our neighborhood.

All very slight changes - but I guess they add up. I went to see my Dr. on Wednesday, following up on a visit I had a month ago, where the new blood work was ordered. I found out that the results for the testing they did for Diabetes and blood-sugar levels, thyroid, kidney & liver function, etc., were well within normal range. I could lower my blood sugar a bit further, but it's not bad.
Then the big news. I lowered my cholesterol by 60 points!
2 years ago my LDL (bad cholesterol) was 196 - it's now 134.
My Triglicerides (another bad cholesterol) were 120 - it's now 75.
My HDL (the good cholesterol) was just 42 - it's now 53.
Overall, I went from a total of 265 down to 202. Not too shabby for a half-assed effort. With a little more progress on the food and exercise, I should be looking pretty good for a while. I'll be going back each year to check my levels and keep up on my progress. But what makes me really happy is knowing that I don't have to rely on a prescription medication to keep myself healthy.
Onward.

Rooms

Just before Addisyn's arrival, we were able to finish updating both kid's rooms.

We're still renting, so we haven't been able to paint or go the whole nine yards. But we've done as much as we can, and are really happy with the outcomes.

Eli has an outer space theme. His bedding is the Star Wars stuff from Pottery Barn, which is very cool. His Poppy Jim painted his dresser and bookshelf beautiful shades of dark blue. And he also re-stained his bed frame a nice dark tone. Taryn painted a nebula, which we mounted above his bed. And he's been in his full-size big boy bed for some time now, sonce we found such great safety bumpies online.

Eli also has some music stuff (even though the space stuff is cool, Daddy can't not have music stuff in his son's room), like the Moody Blues album that his Grambot & Grandpa framed for him when he was born. The hat rack mounted next to his closet has the two picture frames made from old records, given to him by his Auntie Niser and Uncle Jay. And we bought him a new silver clock. Note the Buzz Lightyear CD player/MP3 player, and his Star Wars Potato Heads - the "Spud Trooper" and "R2 Potatoo" (also gifts from his Auntie Niser and Uncle Jay). We'll definitely be adding the "Darth Tater" to the collection.

Here's the dresser, and mounted above it the guitar painting that his Aunt Margie got for him when he was born. Originally it was a light powder blue, with purple writing and stars. Taryn took my Gretch electric from upstairs and repainted it to match. She did an amazing job.


Taryn has always said that she isn't a girlie-girl, or too big on pink. But you'd never know it from Addisyn's nursery. Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely beautiful, and very girlie cute. It's just ironic. We moved the recliner over from Eli's room, and kept Taryn's old console table for additional counter space.The butterflies on the wall are mirrors. The lamp shade is a light pink, and at night when we turn it on it makes the walls of the room look light pink as well. Very cute. The bedding is gorgeous, and so soft. I think everyone involved in creating Eli's crib bedding was relieved to just go out and buy some this time.


Unlike the letters that she made for Cora, Taryn decided that she would use fabric as a backer for Addisyn's. More time effective. But they turned out fantastic.



Note the bright pink changing pad.


Here you can see the roses that Taryn found, which we hang her bows and stuff on. Also, next to the closet is the bow hanger that her Auntie Niser bought her.

We can't wait to get a home and really go to town on these rooms. But we think they look pretty good for the time being.

Thank you Sweetheart for being so creative, artsy and awesome.

The House Hunt Continues

Unfortuntely, Taryn & I had to walk away from the first house we put an offer on. It was a short sale with multiple Lenders, and while our offer was good, their infighting kept us from bagging what we thought was our dream home. But you know what they say: no matter how devastated you may be about losing a house, there's always another, and probably better, one out there for you.

Seems they're right.

We continued our search in Benicia, knowing that the town is definitely the place for us, for many reasons. We were worried that with such limited inventory, it would either take too long to find the right place for us, or it would be somewhere that we would have to make too many sacrifices.

Seems we were wrong.

Our Agent called us about a few houses that had recently come on the market, and although we were still waiting for final word on our first offer, we went out and had a look. What we found is a house that needs A LOT less work (but still A LOT of work!), is situated in a better, quieter and more private neighborhood, is much larger both inside and out, has all of the rooms that we need to accomodate not only our family of four, but also a study/office and a dedicated guest room, and a kitchen that with a little work could be amazing.

It's certainly the shabbiest house on the block, but that's a good thing. It should make for a great investment, and provides us with enough room that we could stay there indefinitely.

Here are a few pictures (there are still occupants, so we tried to keep the interior pics minimal). Notice the tiered front yard. Lots of potential.

The house is a split-level, with 3 separate floors. To the left is the entry way, straight ahead is the large kitchen, and to the right is a living room/dining area, with access to the upper level of the backyard.


Here is the reverse shot. On the bottom level is a family room, with access to the lower level of the backyard, a guest room, full bathroom, laundry room and access to the garage.
On the upper level to the left is the Master bed and bath, the main full bathroom is straight ahead, and two additional rooms are kitty corner to each other to the right.


The backyard is enormous. Here's a shot of the upper level, located off of the living/dining rooms.


Here's a shot of the lower level located off of the downstairs family room. Gotta love the old-growth tree in the middle of the yard. Perfect for forts, right?
We figure that with a little work (okay, maybe a lot), some retaining walls and new sod, the outdoor space could be great for the kids.


This house is also a short sale, and also has multiple Lenders on the property. I guess we're just gluttons for punishment. But the Selling Agent was very happy with our offer (even though it came in well below asking), and felt good about sending it to the banks. So here we go again. Keep your fingers crossed for us.