A Winning Day All Around

Today was a busy day, but a winning day all around. Jacob had a dance competition in Redondo Beach. He decided that it would be nice if Marlon could be there for his competitions because usually I go to them (they are all day and often late into the evening and even over two days, although this was a good schedule of 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and Marlon usually does the "Saturday Sports" stuff. So, we switched. Marlon took Jacob to the competition and I stayed here to handle everything else.

It worked well and everyone enjoyed the change of pace. Marlon found the dance competition fun, although he said it was a lot of sitting around and there's an awful lot of drama surrounding the whole thing.

Jacob competed in three groups (three different numbers). His large group jazz, which has been doing really well at competitions and got platinum (highest you can get!), his boys honor group jazz number, which hasn't been doing that well, which got silver, and his large group hip hop production which also got silver, which was surprising because it got platinum last time. He personally did really well and was very positive about the day, so it was a success. He has a nice trophy to show for it.

I took Harrison to rehearsal for the Irvine School District Spring Honor Band, which lasted all morning. While he was there, Michela had the house to herself to play, which she really enjoyed, and I got a ton of stuff done in the office on the computer. It was such a joy to be home all morning and ALONE (well, Michela was here.)

We picked Harrison up, re-grouped and then I had to get them both ready for their games. They were back to back, so I was able to be at both. It was the last saturday game before playoffs, so it was important for both of them to determine their standings.

Michela's team won 12 to 6. She had a great hit and walked to get on base one inning. Then, she was hit in the head by a pitch the last inning, which got her on base. Thank goodness for helmets.

She played excellent at catcher for 5 innings and it was a great game for her.

Harrison's game was also fantastic. They won 11-5 and it puts them in a great position for the playoffs. in order to be ranked first in the standings, they needed to win and the Diamondbacks needed to lose and both things happened, so they're number one right now! He did great in the field, playing catcher, third base and left field. His batting wasn't the greatest - he's been in kind of a slump for hitting since we got back from our trip, so we're going to get him some privates with a private hitting instructor to see what's going on.

But he got on base by running on a 3rd drop strike and, due to overthrows, it ended up being a triple. That was amazing. He also got on base by getting hit in the head with a pitch and it knocked his whole helmet off!

Marlon and I are in charge of maintaining the electric school board (with a remote thing) and doing the announcing, so that was fun - I like being the announcer and saying the boys names all official like and doing commentary.

The team went for dinner at Soup Plantation afterwards and now everyone is in BED!

Hope you had a great day too.

Cruise pictures, at last!

Here are the long-await, much-anticipated pictures of our cruise! Sorry it took me so long! Enjoy and let me know how you like them. I took a lot of pictures, but I only put a select few on the blog -- these are are a variety of the ones I took.

This is one of the many pictures the cruise photographers took - I only bought a couple. I couldn't figure out the scanner, so I took a picture of it! It's a nice pic of the family.

Sorry, this picture of a picture isn't that great, but I liked the picture itself. It was our "embarkation" photo.

Just one of Michela's many talents!

At the "muster" drill

Harrison asleep in his cot they set up
Michela loved her upper bunk
Jacob loved being next to the "window" even though there was just a wall behind the curtain! (we didn't spend the bigger bucks on an outside cabin - maybe next time!)
The nightly "towel creations" by the room steward were an anticipated event!
Cuddles in the dining room

Marlon goofing around
Marlon and Barbara sleeping. Oh wait, that's not me! That's a towel creation made by our room steward using Harrison's clothes!
Ole! (In Ensenada at the flea market place)
In front of La Bufadora (the geyser)
Just a nice picture

Exhausted in Irvine

Ok, still in Irvine (duh, of course!) but no longer as overhwelmed. Now I'm just exhausted from cooking a HUGE Passover meal. We had several cousins and good friends over for dinner tonight and to say "I've been cooking" is an understatement. I didn't really event start until yesterday afternoon, and today we had Michela's softball game and Harrison's baseball game, but somehow I got it all done and the dinner was fabulous, if I do say so myself!

Here's what we had:

Munchies during seder service (which marlon led and everyone participated and it was really nice.): carrots, sugar snap peas, grape tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and matza w/artichoke dip, hummus, tzadiki dip and cheese spread.

1st course: gefilte fish and chopped liver

next course: homemade (from scratch!) chicken soup with chicken, carrots and passover noodles and of course homemade matza balls

dinner buffet: beef brisket, apricot chicken, potato kugel, baby "new" potatoes (cooked with the brisket), potato kugel, matza stuffing, roasted vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, red and orange peppers, tomatoes, red onion), steamed green beans

For dessert (which others brought) - ice cream w/chocolate sauce, delicious fruit salad, cool whip, cookies, sponge cake

The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins and we had a great evening.

Maybe I'll have the time and energy to post the cruise pictures tomorrow.... AFTER I clean up my kitchen (every pot is out, all the china and crystal needs to be handwashed, the table linens need to be washed, etc.)

If you are one of my Jewish friends/family, Happy Passover!

Feeling overwhelmed in Irvine

Time for an update! Sorry I haven't put the cruise pictures on the blog yet. I just haven't had a chance. Marlon is either on the computer (and I can only do it from our main computer that has the Kodak software on it) or it's too late at night or I'm just too busy doing other things.

I must admit I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed since we got back, and you know I don't usually get overwhelmed by our life, even though it's quite busy. I just have way too many things to do and there's no way I can get them all done. I recently updated my "to do" list (most of you know how I HAVE to have my to-do list to be able to accomplish anything) and it was distressing to see that I ran out of room in every single column/category. That's NEVER happened before. (In case you're interested, my categories are "errands," "call/emails," "household" (things like paying the bills, doing the laundry, basic correspondence, etc.), "household projects" (more long term, like organizing pictures, cleaning out the closets, etc.), "regular work" (my work with Patti), "other work" (things like steps to take for the book I want to write, any help I might want to give Marlon for consulting, my monthly Kids Konnection articles, etc.), "kids activities" (anything I need to do in relation to their activities or things *they* need to do in relation to their activities), and now I added a new category of "Bar Mitzvah" (things that need to be done for the planning of the Bar Mitzvah).

Anyway, I'll just be plugging through things and doing things as best as I can. Each and every cateogory could single handedly fill all my time.

Today I made work a priority because I needed a really good work day since I hadn't been working while the kids were on break. It was so hard to try not to touch the other stuff I need to do in the house, but I was disciplined all day and it felt good. I rewarded myself with a nice long swim while the kids were at hebrew school and now I'm allowing myself the luxury of blogging while dinner (salmon) is in the oven. Maybe tonight I'll even find time/engergy to post pictures.

I think part of why I'm feeling overwhelmed is that I know our spring is going to be chaotic. It always is. There will be baseball and softball playoffs. Harrison's honor band will have its performances. There will be extra rehearsals and the technical week and performance weekend for their musical theater play. Then there will be a tech week and other stuff associated with harrison's musical at school that he's in. Jacob and Michela will have dress rehearsals, pictures and a 5 days of shows for their dance studio. All of these involve some parent volunteer time as well. And the end of the school year is always busy with projects, reports, spring concerts and other things.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll manage like we usually do. A friend's husband was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a diagnosis which blindsided them and came out of nowhere. As he goes through chemo and fights for his life and she spends day and night juicing, cooking vegan foods so they can eat healthy, taking care of her husband, and taking care of their preschooler, toddler and baby, I count my blessings that my feelings of being overwhelmed come from simply being too busy and not from something like that. We all know that a diagnosis like that can happen to any of us and our lives can change in an instant. I'm sure she'd rather be overwhelmed by school projects, baseball games and dress rehearsals than chemo and cancer and it really puts it all into perspective.

On a lighter note, Harrison had his 12th birthday this week. I can't believe he's getting so old. Where did our baby go? He had a fun skating party at a roller skating rink on friday night. 15 of his friends, including his girlfriend Danna, came and they skated and had pizza and cake. Everyone had fun, including Jacob and Michela. It was WEIRD to see him skate by hand in hand with Danna (I thought Marlon was going to have a heart attack) but I guess we'll get used to it. She's sweet and its innocent. His actual birthday was yesterday and he had a baseball game. They won 20-6, so that was a great bday present! I had asked to be in charge of snack that day, knowing it was his bday, so I had pizza delivered to the field and brought grapes, carrots and cake. Everyone enjoyed it. We got him a new cell phone for his bday (his old one was very basic and didn't work well.) He's enjoying texting with his friends, the new "thing." He even taught me how to do it!

That's about it for now. Keep checking in for pictures.

The Cruise - In Words

Ok, this post will be about the cruise - in words. Check back later this weekend for the cruise - in pictures. I'll have to blog later this weekend about Harrison's bday party, which was this evening. Lots to catch up on.

Overall, it was a good vacation. It was wonderful to have time together as a family without any activities that we had to be at, without any other people, without homework, without cooking or household chores, and without work. There were definitely some high points, but there were also some low points, which is what keeps me from saying it was a great vacation. You all know that we travel quite a bit, so you know we take lots of vacations and trips. Unfortunately, this was just not our best trip ever.

Let's start with the negative, so I can end on a positive note. This was our 2nd cruise with the kids, our 3rd cruise together and my 6th or so. Of all of those cruises, however, this was our first time on Carnival and in some ways it was just not as good as the other cruise lines we have sailed, like Royal Caribbean. The main negative was that the boat was very rocky and there was a lot more movement of the ship back and forth than we had experienced on prior cruises. I don't know if it was because it was the Pacific Ocean vs. the Atlantic Ocean (or gulf of Mexico), or if it was the weather or if there was a problem with the boat's stabilizers, but we were really rockin' and rollin' out there. I noticed it more, but it doesn't bother me. It did, however, bother Marlon A LOT! He didn't get sick to his stomach and throw up (Michela did one day!) but he felt off balance, dizzy and lightheaded most of the time and he absolutely hated it. He's never been a huge fan of cruises and that put him over the edge. Needless to say, he has warned me that this was his last cruise and if I want to go on another one, that is fine, but count him out. He hated the feeling of the movement and could hardly wait to get back to land.

The other main negative was that I was really, really disappointed with the kids program. On our last cruise 3 years ago, the kids loved the kids program so much that I had to beg them to spend time with us. This time was much different. Harrison's "teen" activities were "ok," but not great. Jacob and Michela's activities for the 9-11 year olds were downright awful. They lacked creativity and originality and had only a couple of events a day. The schedule didnt' work well for us, either. They were closed from 12 to 2 and 4 to 8, which was the main time our kids wanted to do stuff. Around 2-3 is when we were eating lunch (b/c we had late dining, so ate dinner at 8:15) and in the evening we were in the dining room, then going to the shows, etc. The best kids activities seemed to be on the port days, when we were doing fun stuff in the ports, and the day that we spent at sea, they had some fun stuff planned (water balloon toss, relay races at the pool, etc. and the kids were excited about it, but then disappointed when we found out those things were for adults only!)

Without the kids activities, the kids were actually bored at times. They went in the pool some, enjoyed the water slide (but how much can you do that?!) and we played ping pong and miniature golf. We also played poker, yahtzee and backgammon in the various lounges. But they didnt' really do much on their own or with the Kids Club, so I didn't really have any time to relax on my own, which I was hoping to do.

Those were the two main negatives, but they were big negatives. The food in the buffet was "ok." Plentiful and a good variety (and of course the kids really loved just going to get food whenever they wanted) but just not that great quality. The food in the dining room, however, was superb and our wait staff was also excellent. We had wonderful dinners and breakfasts - it was dining in a 5 star restaurant every night and it's so nice that the kids can order steak, prime rib, lobster, etc. without us worrying abou the bill. Our dinner meals would easily have been $150 and up in a nice restaurant.

Our cabin was also great and our cabin steward was fantastic. So attentive and cleaned/straightened our room twice a day. The kids loved the towel creations he made for them. Surprisingly, having 5 people in the cabin wasn't a big deal at all. There was plenty of room for us and our stuff and it didn't feel like we were tripping over each other.

the ports were fun. In Catalina, we rented a golf cart and drove around the island and explored. In Ensenada, we just got off the ship and started to explore on our own, but then took a bus to the downtown where we signed up for a tour to La Bufadora, one of only three natural geysers in the world. It was cool and we enjoyed shopping and bargaining with the guys at the open air flea market.

More tomorrow, I'm exhausted!

March Kids Konnection article -- "Keeping in Touch with Family is a Great Way to Keep Memories Alive"

This picture is my Aunt Florence on the left, my Uncle Erwin in the middle and my mom on the right. It is the picture which accompanied my March Kids Konnection column in the Orange County Jewish Life Magazine, which I talk about below!

Where does the time go? It's been a whole week since my last post! We had a fun week of lots of playdates with friends, time by the pool, seeing a couple of movies, hanging out in the evenings with our new little friends from Japan (who have left already), going to usual baseball, softball, dance, theater, hebrew school, etc. The days just flew by.

It's been on my list of things to do to send copies of this article to all of the family, but, of course it's been a month and I haven't gotten to it yet. So, I really think the best way for everyone to have a chance to read it is for me to post it here on the blog. So, here it is. I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your feedback.

This way friends and everyone else can read it as well, although some of you locals have read it already in the magazine! (For those of you who don't know, the magazine goes to every Jewish family in Orange County who belongs to a synagogue or the JCC!)

When we get back from our trip, I'll post my April Kids Konnection column, which is out already too.

We're off tomorrow for 4 days aboard the Carnival Paradise cruiseship. From Long Beach, we spend a day on Catalina Island, a day in Ensenada Mexico and a day at sea, before returning home. A short get-away, but we're looking forward to some relaxing and fun family time, which we desperately need!

I'll write again when we get home and post pictures.

Here's the article:

Orange County Jewish Life - Printer Friendly Page

KIDS' KONNECTION
By Barbara Boarnet


Remembering loved ones who pass away is important in Judaism. From when we are young, we listen to the Rabbi announce the names of those for whom people are observing the Yahrtzeits, the anniversary of their deaths, and we join together in reciting the Kaddish. This is the most important way we honor the memory of our relatives.Another traditional Jewish way to honor the memory of family who has passed away is to name our children after them. Our oldest son, Harrison Isaac, is named after my father Herbert and Marlon’s paternal grandfather, Irvin. Our daughter, Michela Emily, is named after Marlon’s maternal uncle Mendel and Marlon’s paternal great-grandmother Etta. Our youngest son, Jacob Maxwell, is named after my paternal grandmother Jen and my paternal grandfather Max. Our children know who they are named after, and we tell them stories about these wonderful relatives.Losing my father to cancer fourteen years ago was devastating, but the impact of the death of my older relatives was not so pronounced until recently. Sadly, my mother’s brother Erwin and my mother’s sister Florence (her only siblings) recently passed away within two months of each other. I grieve not only for the void they leave in our lives, but for the fact that, with the exception of one of my mom’s close cousins, who is ninety-six and going strong, my mother’s entire generation of relatives is now gone… her siblings, all the spouses, and her many cousins. As I realized that I no longer have any aunts and uncles, I was struck by the realization of how much I will miss them. I was in the habit of regularly keeping in touch with them – sending emails, letters, pictures of the kids, and even copies of this column, and for that I am grateful. Growing up, I was very close to both of them and saw them both regularly. I can't think of a single event or occasion in my life that Aunt Florence and Uncle Erwin were not a large part of, and it saddens me that they will not be here for future momentous events. I'm forever grateful that they were both such a large part of my life, will carry with me the fond memories I have of them, and will make sure that my children and their children know and remember what wonderful aunts and uncles I had.Uncle Erwin lived in Pittsburgh and had not been to California since my wedding in 1994. Our children had never met him until last year when we had an opportunity to spend time with him during a trip to Pittsburgh. They enjoyed hearing stories about him and my mom growing up. They were amazed at how much he knew about their lives and how interested he was in what they were doing. I fondly recall a birthday card that Jacob sent to Uncle Erwin a few years ago, before he got to know him on that visit. He wrote something like “Happy Birthday Uncle Erwin. I love you very much. But, who are you again, anyway?” Uncle Erwin called me and laughed about that.My Aunt Florence also lived in Pittsburgh, but we saw her more often over the years at family events and when she came to visit. We were fortunate to be able to see her as recently as a couple of days before she died. She had a stroke in Florida just a week before we were already planning to go for my cousin’s (her great grandson’s) Bar Mitzvah. Although she was unable to attend the Bar Mitzvah or weekend festivities, we were able to visit with her in the hospital. I know all of us being there made her so happy, and we cherish those moments that we were able to see her, hold her hand, and tell her that we loved her.Aunt Florence was like a second mother to me. She was always there for us and was a huge part of our lives. Marlon and I have always greatly appreciated how generous she has been with us. When she used to visit, we would laughingly ask her if she wanted to wash any clothes in "her" washing machine and dryer or watch “her” TV set, since we bought them with checks she had sent for various occasions. I have felt privileged that I have always been treated like one of her grandchildren. Sometimes I think I forgot that I actually wasn't one. I know that she loved me as much as I loved her. My mother, as you can imagine, is devastated by the loss of her sister and brother so close together. Although they were separated by geographic distance for all of their adult lives, they were always there for each other, kept in daily phone contact, and had many, many visits over the years. It was truly a special relationship. My sister and I are equally close, and I hope that never changes. I hope that my children share such a closeness and special relationship when they are adults.The void that the loss of these relatives leaves is large, but I am comforted by the knowledge that, at eighty-nine and ninety-one, they lived long, full, and happy lives. It is difficult for all of us to lose people that we love so much, but I am hopeful that they are in a wonderful place, reunited with their spouses, my dad, and all of their many relatives.As we all face the loss of our parents and their generation, it is now our privilege and our responsibility to keep our families close together. My extended family of relatives has always been close -- in large part because of the closeness the older generation shared. I would hate to lose that closeness. I regularly keep in contact with everyone, because that has always been important to me. I hope the rest of my extended family will join me in continuing to keep our families connected and strong as time goes on, by regular phone calls, emails, and visits. I want my children and their children and their children beyond that to continue to share the close relationship that we have all shared over the years. That is the greatest way we can honor the memory of our wonderful parents, aunts, and uncles.

For feedback, contact editor@ocjewishlife.com.
Printed from: http://www.ocjewishlife.com/stories/xarchive.php?id=480© Orange County Jewish Life, All Rights Reserved