Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Ashland Trip

Hey kids,
Daddy here.

Lounge Day 2016

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today was Lounge Day 2016. What that means is, we don't get out of our PJ's all day and play with our new stuff.

Christmas Day 2016

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Christmas morning, Jake and Izzy came in out room about 7am and woke us up to get the festivities started. I told them to go back to sleep, so Izzy came in and cuddled for a few minutes while Jake for on Destiny with Jack for a few more minutes. Eventually, I rolled out of bed, got a cup of coffee and we settled in to open. It looks like the big guy tooknow good care of the MansClan again.


After our family opening, the guests started to roll in. When Grammie and Papa got here, we had breakfast. Eggs Benedict is our standard Christmas breakfast with Papas world famous bloody Mary's. Then it was another round of opening.


We had 15 people here, I think. Not including Arthur!

We also had snacks galore.

Christmas Eve 2016

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This year Christmas Eve fell on Saturday, and was the first day of my vacation. We decided this year to flip flop or traditions and have Christmas Eve at Grammie and Papas and Christmas Day at our house. So, we got the house all cleaned up and when the girls ran out to get their nails done, we had to wrap Mom's presents. I can't tell you guys how glad I am for you and your help. I have the hardest tone with that stuff. Anyway, we got it all done and to when Mom and Izzy got home, we headed to Grammie and Papa's house for dinner.







Before dinner, we had our second round of presents. Then, it was time for crab and pasta  (we may change location, but we ain't changing the meal).



After dinner, we headed to Midnight Mass (at 10pm this year). I was reading the proclamation and the 2nd reading and Alex was the lead alter server. Jake was the leader of the extra servers and I was so proud. Grammie sat right next to me and kept telling me how great you guys did and how proud she was. 
After Mass, it was pretty late and we had gone head home before Santa beat us to the house. We headed home and all got to bed real fast. I can't wait until tomorrow morning!! I love you guys, 

Daddy 

Monday, December 19, 2016

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This weekend, we started off on Friday with a Christmas concert at the school. In the morning, when we were getting ready for school as he walked out and look absolutely adorable.


Jake walked out in a flannel shirt and jeans . I said, "Look at what your sister is wearing and try again." He said, "But girls always dress nicer than boys." I said,  "That's true. Now go put on the boy equivalent of what she's wearing." He came out wearing this:

Much better.  I headed to work for a few minutes and then it was off to school for the concert. Grammie, Papa, and great grandma Dorothy met me there. We heard some awesome music and heard some great singing. Papa and I were laughing and having a great time.


After the concert, I had to come back to work but Jake got to go with the Landacres and play. So I took Iz home and left her with Alex and came back to work. At dinner time we decided to call Westside Take and Bake and get that awesome chicken mushroom pizza and the 6 meat pizza. It's very good there, I think it's my new favorite place.

Saturday was chore day around Casa de Mansfield, to the delight of no one. But like I've said before not every weekend can be filled with merriment and adventures. Sometimes we have chores to do. So when our chores were done, I had to make a quick trip to Ace. Alex came with me and when we were done at Ace, we headed up to Saint Joe's for confession. I'm so very grateful for the sacrament of confession, the ability to unload all our sins and be forgiven is truly a blessing. Our priests are so good about hearing it too. I just love Father George.

When we got home, Mom and I planned our route and we went out and looked at Christmas lights. As we were all starving we decided to get dinner on the way, so we stopped by Baja Burrito and got four burritos and an order of taquitos for Izzy. One of the places we saw had an inflatable nativity scene and I said I've never seen an inflatable nativity scene. Mom pointed out that not only had I seen an inflatable nativity scene before but it was probably at that same house last year. Later, I saw an inflatable outhouse with Santa squatting a grumpy and a roll of TP on the outside of the inflatable lighthouse.

Now THAT I had never seen before. We cruised around for about an hour and a half and look at lights. Izzy passed out and Jake had the worst farts any human has ever had. We made it back home and all went to bed.

Sunday, refreshed from confession and a good night's sleep, we headed to church. Alex and I were the readers at the 9 o'clock mass, so we got our readings straightened out and practiced and did our best. I love to see you read at church Alex. You're becoming such a wonderful, Catholic, young man. As per standard, you got many compliments on how good your reading was. Father George even said you would be the new teacher to instruct the new generation of lectors. After Mass, Mom and Izzy headed out to Grammy and Papa's house to go make Pirogi's and I took Alex to work at the radio station. Then, Jake and I went and picked up his friend Jack and we went back to the house so they could play Destiny together. At lunch time Jake, Jack and I went to Jack In The Box and when we were done it was time to go get Alex from work. We headed home to rendezvous with the girls and wind or weekend down. You guys are off work and school all week comma so it should be fun for you. I've got one more week of work and then the Christmas festivities can start. I love you guys,

 Daddy

Madrigal 2016

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This post is going to appear out of order because I forgot to publish it a week or so ago, oops!
Anywho, it's time again for Madrigal and Alex is once again going to be in it. Last year was not only Alex's first time in Madrigal but Mom and my first time going to it. I have to say it was absolutely outstanding. The singing, the music, the acting and Alex's accent at our table with his buddy Arjan was pretty spot-on too.

This year Alex was a table host and the three girls that were the table servers or Grace, Sage, and Soha. Two of the three of those Alex was very excited about the third... Not so much. Anyway, prior to the event we had a pre party at our house  with the family and our friends. Like last year Tia Donna and Uncle PP bought a patronship so they got to choose their table and get tickets for the entire table before they went on sale to the public. So we had the whole family there including Jula and Russell Doc & Yaya, and Liz and Barker even joined us. Michah stayed at our house with Jake and Iz. Yes, we left Jake in charge.
When we got to the Madrigal, Mom and I decided we would be announced as Lord and Lady of Manshire. How awesome is that?! (Mom came up with it) As it turned out, we were just announced as "Pruett Family" Bah. Not to let that deter us from a good time. We sat down and met our host and servers, and let me tell you. Sage, quite chatty that one. Soon, the play started and the castle was filled with singing.  Once again the performances were outstanding, including Al as one of the Knights of the squareish table and we had a great time. At one point in the dinner, someone spilled soup down Papa's shirt and Alex dropped a cornish game hen in Great Grandma's lap. After the Madrigal, we headed home. All went their separate ways, and we crashed. You did great Alex, as always. Mom and I are very proud of all your hard work and dedication to Madrigal. I can't wait to see what part you get next year and beyond. I love you guys,

Daddy

Monday, December 12, 2016

Weekend recap

Hey kids ,
Daddy here. Friday night, Jake finally got to spend the night at Rudy's house. So, Mom and is he went to bed and cuddled while Alex and I stayed up and watched some TV.

Saturday morning, Mom wakes me up and tells me that the toilet is backed up. "Which one?" I asked. "All of them." she said. Great. It had to be a problem with our septic system. Long story short, I had to locate the overflow valve in our septic tank and open it to see if it was clogged. It was.

It was totally full of water and poop and TP. I didn't know how bad the clog was, so I rolled up my sleeve and stuck my arm down that pipe, while Mom screamed. I'll tell you guys something, when you've been elbow deep in poop and disgusting grossness, you realize, sometimes you've got to do some pretty awful things but it all washes off in the end. While I was trying to get to the bottom of the toilet clogging issue, it came time for Mom and Iz to go to the ballet recital.

 I called the guy at Big Valley septic and he was near the area so he decided to come by and take a look at it. He helped me get it unclogged and everything started flowing normal. He noticed my Muse Trucking sweatshirt and asked me if I knew Frank. I told him, "Yes I record with him at the radio station and he's a heck of a nice guy." He smiled and said, "He's my brother-in-law!" I asked him how much I owed him for his trouble and he said nothing. So I'm not sure if that sweatshirt got me out of it or he's just a heck of a nice guy but I do know the next time we have septic trouble I'll be calling that guy. I took a shower and washed my hands 17 times and made my way to the ballet recital 45 minutes late. I didn't miss Izzy's part, thank goodness. But, at intermission Jake called me and told me he and Rudy needed a ride out to Igo to the basketball game so I had to leave before her part. So, I take Jake and Rudy out to Igo for the basketball game while Mom, after watching Izzy's ballet recital with Grandma headed home to get Alex to take him to the final night of Madrigal. After the basketball tournament, which the boys won by the way, they hoisted the tournament trophy, took a couple pictures and we headed home. When we got home, I dropped off Jake and headed out to the Reagans for their Christmas party. Mom and Iz went back for Izzy's 2nd show of the ballet recital, and Jake got to stay home and play Destiny.  The Reagans, the Larson's and us had a great visit, as always.

At one point Mack asked me when Mom and Izzy would be there and I took a guess and set the timer on my phone. When Mom arrived and was still saying her Hello's, my timer went off, pretty good guess, old man.  Alex ended up getting a ride to the cast party and home from Mr. Lawrence. He got home about half past midnight. I had waited up for him, and as soon as I saw that he was home safe, went straight to bed.
Sunday morning, we went to church like we always do and when we got home, Alex and I got up on the roof and clean the gutters out. Not quite as nasty as sticking my arm down a poop tube, but still pretty nasty. As much as I'd love to say every weekend we get to kick back and relax that is simply not reality. We have chores to do. The chores are done now and the house is in good shape. One more week of school for you guys and then it's two weeks off for Christmas. I love you guys,

Daddy

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Thanksgiving 2016





Hey kids ,
Daddy here. Thanksgiving is upon us alteady and this year, we decided to have it at our house. All said and done, we were expecting 17 people!! The events of the long weekend got started on Wednesday. Alex was off all week, but Jake, Izzy, Mom and I had school and work Monday and Tuesday. So, when Wednesday finally got here, we cleaned up the house and got everything set for the big day.
Thursday morning, as per MansClan tradition, we headed out to the Turkey Trot. It's been a few years since we all went, and this year Mom had to bow out in order to get ready for the big day. So the 4 of us went and had a blast.


Remember, Last Trash? Lol . When we got home, we showered and got dressed up and began welcoming our guests. Grammie and Papa were the first to show and Papa brought this Jalapeño beer that was awesome! We had so much food prior to actually eating, I was afraid I'd be full when it was time to eat! I had a very nice visit with Russell and his sister, Andrea. As the night went on, we finally ate, had a nice prayer, and eventually everyone started leaving. Izzy and Violet went to watch TV.
After everyone left, we crashed, having successfully completed our first major holiday gathering at our own house! I love you guys,

Daddy

Monday, November 21, 2016

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Another fun weekend around the MansClan abode. It started off Friday night. I had a remote so I got home a little early. Izzy spent the night at the Reagan's and Rudy had to cancel plans to see Dr Strange with Jake, so I hurried home, grabbed Jake and we went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It was very fun and we had a great time just us boys.
Saturday morning, I had another remote, but before the remote, we had to get cracking on the benches for the table. At 10:50 or so, I headed to the mall for a rain soaked remote. When I got home, we finished the benches!!
Yep, this project is coming together nicely. Tomorrow, we will sand, stain and seal them. For tonight, it's Papa Murphy's and relaxing.

Sunday morning we got donuts from the place around the corner.

Then, we hit our regular 9 am Mass time and came home to get finished with the benches. Mom was working on that while I took Al to train again at the radio station. He's learning how to run the 49er games for our sports station. When I got home, Izzy and I went for a quick walk/bike ride down to the end of the street. I love spending time with you so much Iz. It was great just the two of us.

We got home and you asked me if I'd play princesses with you. Of course I'll play princesses with you! You chose Barbie as your Queen and I chose Merida. We set up our girls and got them all dressed up and looking good.
After the princesses, we decided to play memory. You won the first round and I think you would have won the second, but I started gettin sleepy and you very sweetly said I could rest and so I did.  Mom had to apply the poly every 2 hours on the benches, but eventually, we got em all done!


Man, those look good! We have a total of 17 people coming for Thanksgiving this year and I think it all may work out ok. I cant wait to see what this short week reveals for our holiday plans and such. I love you guys,

Daddy

Halloween 2016

Hey kids,
Daddy here. It's Halloween time again, and for the first time is quite a few years, we are not going to the Fig's neighborhood. We have our own awesome neighborhood to trick or treat in. Before the night, (which was Monday this year, ugh) there was the Fall Festival at school. Mom, Jake and Iz all dressed up and went to the Festival and Alex and I stayed home.






When it was time for Trick or Treating, despite the fact that it was raining pretty hard, Mom, Jake, Iz and I headed out.

We saw some cool costumes and met some nice people. A couple houses had their garages decorated up like haunted houses. We got to one and there was a G rated side and a PG side. Izzy was scared to go to the PG, so her and I went thru the G rated and when we got done, she said, "Really Dad? That was it?" So, we went through the PG side and she was sufficiently scared, lol. We knew the Lemos' live around the area, but were not sure where exactly their house was. We decided to hit 1 more place and head home, since we were all getting pretty wet. I went back to get the van and wouldn't you know it, they found the Lemos' house! With our bags full of candy, we headed home to dry and have a bit of candy before bed. When we opened the garage door, Jake found a friend.

Tomorrow is Tuesday and the week continues for the MansClan. I love you guys,

Daddy

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Friday, Jake and Iz were out of school, so when it was lunchtime, I headed home and we hit a surprise lumch spot, THE SNACK SHACK!! We have been waiting months to go there and it was totally worth it! Jake and I both got the Pastrami sandwich and Izzy got Tuna. We had a great time.

This weekend a new Marvel movie came out, so the boys and I made our way to see it first thing Saturday morning. It was Dr Strange and it was totally awesome!!  Kinda wierd and mystical, but we really like it. After the movie, I had to get home and finish the table that Mom and I have been workin on. After a good ammount of work, Mom and I headed out for a date night at Cattlemen's. I say it a lot, but I sure love hanging out with Mom. She is my best friend and favorite person in the world to be with and a chance to have a great steak and a quiet date night is invaluable.

We ad a great time and ever got to watch someof the UFC fight!

Sunday, we went to 11 o'clock Mass because Jake had a confirmation meeting afterwards. While Mom and Jake were at that meeting, Izzy and I took Alex to his job!!! Yep, the boy has a job at the radio station, and Sunday, Nov 13th was his first day of work. I can't believe that you've grown up this fast, Al. Anyway, while Al was working I went back and got the rest of the fam and we headed home to finish the table. I'm pleased to say we got it done!!


I think it looks great. I can't wait to see how good it looks when we get it all stained and sealed. Back to work tomorrow, but only 1 more week till mini vacation hits. I love you guys,

Daddy

Thursday, November 10, 2016

A crash in the night

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Last night, Mom was awoken to a terrible sound in the middle of the night. She sat up, wondering what it was and a minute or so later, Jake came in to tell us that the bed had collapsed!!

What!? I had no idea that could even happen. Luckily, everyone was okay. In fact, Alex even slept through the whole ordeal! Mom actually had to go in there and physically shake him to wake him up to tell him that the bed had collapsed. So you guys slept on the couch that night and we ordered new beds. This time, we decided to get full over full so you guys would have room to grow into the beds. They seem to be working out pretty great so far.


There's never a dull moment around Casa de Mansfield. I'm glad you guys were both okay. I love you,

Daddy

Birthday Weekend

Hey kids ,
Daddy here . This weekend was a big ol round of birthday's . On Saturday morning , we headed out and dropped you guys off in Chico at the Clickner's . Mom and I them headed to Sara and Dean's house for Sara's birthday. We had some corned beef, played some liars dice and had a great time. We got up the next morning and watched a little football and eventually made our way to Chico room rendezvous with you guys for Lily's birthday party. We had some cake and some more laughs but couldn't stay long because we had to head to Julas house for Violets birthday party!

Boy, isn't Alex having a great time, lol. While the little kids were running around and getting their faces painted and such, Papa and I were drinking beer and watching the 49ers get killed, ugh. After the party goers all left, we had our family celebration with pizza presents. We eventually said our goodbyes and headed for home. We got home and crashed. What a great, albeit, long weekend. I love you guys,

Daddy


Thursday, September 22, 2016

Monster Weekend!!

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This weekend was big. It started Friday night when the boys and I made our annual trip to the Monster Trucks. This year it was in Redding, which was awesome for a short drive. We met Jake Mangas and Coby at the event and settled in. CR Gibbs was serving dinner, so that was wagger. The venue was a lot smaller than Red Bluff but I think it was another great night for us. On the way back to the car, what do you know, Alex finally caught Squirtle!!
Saturday morning Alex had to be at the church at 5 am for the youth group trip to 6 Flags. So, Al and I got up at 4:15 and got there. Gabe ended up not going because he got sick, which pissed Alex off. He ended up hanging out with Ryan and had a great day. Back at home, it took me forever to fall back asleep and when I finally did, Mom woke me up to scoop poop and mow the grass. We had lots to do to prepare for the Big Top Party. We got the finishing touches on everything and people started showing up. It was a bit into the party and we were wondering where the Reagan's were. We found out that they had been involved in a car accident! Mr Donaghy went to check on them and they eventually made it to the party, no injuries. It was a miracle. The party was awesome.  The face painter was great and everyone had a great time. Once all the temporary company had gone, the family started rolling in. Once again, we had a full house. The Clickner's, the Reagan's and all our family were all here. I have to say, I think my favorite sound in the whole world is that of my family just hanging out and laughing and talking. It really does make me so very happy. I cooked up some sausages and we had dinner. Once the second party had wound down, we finally made our way to bed. Izzy and I fell asleep in our bed.  Not long after, I got a text from Al saying he was at church and needed to be picked up. It's 1am now. Off to get him and then back home to bed. Al asked me on the way if we could sleep in in the morning. Nope, Daddy is doing both readings at 9.
The next day, we groggily headed to church. Jake served and I did both readings and all the announcements. Father George was back and told us about his trip to Italy. It's pretty amazing that he got asked to serve at the canonization Mass for Mother Theresa. After Mass, we came home for a lazy, football day. Not Ling after we got home, Tia and Uncle PP stopped in so Uncle PP could fix a sprinkler that he'd broken the night before. While he was here, I asked for his help in fixing the stupid wiring problem in the bedroom and we got it all dialed in! As soon as they left, we got a text from Rachel who was in town for a visit. So, she came by and we had a nice visit. After she left, Mom and I took a quick trip to Home Depot for the light bulbs and came home to crash. It was indeed a Monster weekend. I can't wait for our next adventure. I love you guys,

Daddy

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Izzy's Weekend

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This weekend we had a greattime. Friday night, I got home from work real late and was very grouchy, but sitting by the pool withMom for just a few minutes can do wonders for my attitude. I'm so very thankful for her and for youguys in my life.
Saturday was Mackenzie's party, so we got some chores done and Mom, Izzy and I headed out while the boys stayed home and played xbox. It was a Star Wars party and Cory and I helped the kids put their lightsabers together. We had a blast. Eventually, we got hot and hungry so we went to Mary's Pizza Shack for dinner. We got a meat call one for the boys and headed home for a hang out and a swim. We all love hanging out and laughing, it was great.
Sunday, I got up around 5:15 and enjoyed the early morning. I don't usually get to do that, but watching the sunrise was pretty awesome. Before I know it, the birthday girl had rolled outta bed, looking dazed and adorable. Mom was the first one to wish you a happy birthday and she said, "Oh I forgot!" I gave her the traditional morning squishy and told her I loved her. Mom then reminded me also that it was her birthday, lol.  What's the morning was actually started, we showered got dressed and headed for church. On the way to church Kama Dragonite popped up on the mini map and Jake freaked out! I was sure that he would not show up, but I'm pleased to say that I was wrong! Mom and I both caught him but he ran away from Alex, :-( we got to church and Jake was the second reader. I know I say it a lot, but man, Jake was good. I don't mean good for a kid good I mean good better than most adults good. Very impressive Steve-O. After church we headed across the street for the Knights of Columbus breakfast in the cafeteria at school. We had a wonderful breakfast with our friends and family. Then we headed out to Target to let the stinky pick out her birthday present. She picked out a Jeep for her American Girl dolls. We then headed home to relax before heading out to dinner at Red Robin for her birthday dinner. What a wonderful weekend it's been, I look forward to our next great adventure. I love you guys, Daddy

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This weekend was Labor day weekend and so we got an extra day off. We started the weekend off by attending a recitation of the Rosary for Candi Keller. On Saturday, we went to her funeral at church. The church was completely packed. It was a wonderful tribute to a wonderful woman's life. I've only been to a handful of funerals in my life and there are no fun. But we're not there to have fun we're there to show our support for the family. Mom and I hugged Jeff and her parents and told them how sorry we were. When we came home, I just wanted to spend some time with you guys. You never know how much time we have with our loved ones and that's one of the reasons I write this blog . So you guys will always know how much Mom and I love you. I love you guys ,

Daddy

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This weekend was Labor day weekend and so we got an extra day off. We started the weekend off by attending a recitation of the Rosary for Candi Keller. On Saturday, we went to her funeral at church. The church was completely packed. It was a wonderful tribute to a wonderful woman's life.
Saturday was her funeral. I've only been to a handful of funerals in my life and there are no fun. But we're not there to have fun we're there to show our support for the family.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

UFC 202

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This weekend Sara and DeanO came to visit and watch the UFC fight. It was the second match-up of Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Diaz won the first fight and I was really hoping Conor would win this one, not just because he's my current favorite fighter but I always like to see them even the score. We had a few beers, we had some dinner, and settled in to watch the fight. I tend to get a little bit excited when I watch the UFC fights, which is why I didn't want you guys watching it with me but I let you stay up anyway. So, I'm sorry for what you heard that night as I have a tendency to scream at the television during a UFC fight. All in all it was a pretty good fight although there was a little too much dancing around and not enough hitting in the face for my taste. We took it easy on Sunday and Sarah and Dean ended up going home around 1 in the afternoon. We got the house cleaned up headed off to church and hit MOD Pizza on the way home. I love that place. I even got a Mega Mod so that I'd have some mod for lunch this week. We'll see what the next adventure brings. I love you guys,

Daddy

Monday, August 15, 2016

First day of School 2016

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today was the first day of school for the 2016-2017 school year. Or as Izzy called it, the 2016 minus 2017 school year. This year Al is taking zero period so he has to be at school at 6:45, ouch! Mom is gonna take him in and hopefully get a few minutes alone to get her day planned. I'll be taking Jake and Izzy to school. After we got all ready we had to take a pic.

It cracks me up that's you can't even read her sign, lol. After work, I asked you guys about the first day and you all seemed ok with it. Iz is happy in third grade, Jake is happy in 7th and even Al seems pretty happy in 10th. Mom also had a great first day in her new class. I'm so glad you guys had a good first day. I can't believe you're so big already, but I'm sure this school year will bring many fun adventures and memories. I love you guys,

Daddy

Friday, August 12, 2016

Dad and Dude day- Al version

Hey kids,



Daddy here. So, as per usual we did our second round of Dad and Dude day yesterday.  This time Al was the man of honor. I wanted to hit the driving range, so we did something that I've never done in all of our years living in Redding and that was to go to aqua golf. Driving range overlooking the river so that you can hit your golf balls right into the river.


 It was totally awesome. On the second-to-last ball for both of us I went first and hit an absolutely killer shot I followed up with an equally killer shot of my own. We hesitated for a moment thinking we should not hit our last ball for fear of going out on a duck. That was a fleeting thought however and I quickly lined up to hit my last ball. It was a terrible shot and didn't go very far. All lined up for his last shot and similarly tufted. We said our last shot was the equivalent of finding Pidgey. When we're done at the driving range we both found ourselves absolutely starving so we headed up to Dill's Deli.

We each got a dirty Pig  and it was exactly perfect with our bellies full we headed over to GameStop From there, we headed over to GameStop because Alex wanted to buy Call of Duty used had he found one for 10 bucks! After GameStop, we headed to the movies to take in Suicide Squad. I've heard a lot of people bitching about the quality of that movie but I'll be honest, I thought it was pretty awesome. After the movie we checked out a few more places to hang, but everything was closed. We decided to head over to the Sundial Bridge and hunt for Pokemon. We didn't catch anything good comma but as long as we get to spend time together it was totally worth it. We got home kind of late comma and headed to bed. Another successful dad and dude day on the books. I love you guys,

Daddy

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Dad and Dude Day- Steve version

Hey kids,
Daddy here. This year for Dad and dude a, we had to split it up into only the later part of the day. So, last night I left work early and came home for me and Jake's dad and dude day. He had already planned it all out and written it down.


I'm pleased to say we got to almost everything on that list, just a bit out of order. We decided to go to Baja Burrito 1st to get some food since we were starving. We then headed over to the batting cages and SteveO batted an incredible .818! After the cages we headed to Oasis Fun Center for mini golf. I managed to get two holes in one in the first four holes! We also ended up dying on like five holes in a row, it was awesome. We checked the time and decided we still had enough time for go-karts. Jake started out ahead and manage to stay that way for about five laps and when his foot got tired, I made my move and took the lead. I thought I had it all wrapped up, but I went too wide out of a turn and he was able to overtake me and stayed in the lead to the end of the race and won! It was a great race though. Getting short on time, we headed over to the dollar theater to catch TMNT 2. We debated on seeing Civil War again but decided we should see something new. Rather than getting your traditional movie snacks we were so parched we decided to get water and Mike and Ikes. The movie was fun and we had a great time. After the movie it was getting late, but we decided we still had enough time to head over to the Sundial Bridge and try to catch some Pokemon. We had a few jump out and escape and caught a few others but nothing spectacular. We played until my battery died and decided to head home. On the way, we stopped at WinCo and got some cereal and milk per Al's request and when we got home, I showed Jake my new Demon Hunter character on World of Warcraft. I know he and I didn't want the night to end but we were both about to pass out, so we headed for bed. I hope when you grow up Jacob you'll always look back on Dad & Dude Day and remember how much fun we had. Getting alone time with you and having fun like we do as one of my favorite things ever. I love you son,

Daddy

Monday, August 1, 2016

Weekend Recap

Hey kids,
Daddy here.

Al's Day

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today is Alex's birthday. Number 15. Fif- freaking - teen! I don't even know where to start with his post. I could talk about the day you were born, I could talk about any one of the 14 birthdays you've had up until now,  I just don't know. I just know that I'm very proud of the young man you are becoming and I love hanging out with you. I hope you have a great birthday dude, and I look forward to having many more adventures with you in the future. I love you Al,

Daddy

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

The Move

Hey kids,
Daddy here. In October of 2002,  Mom and I bought our first house. A quiet little house on a quiet little street called Mercury Drive. At that time we had a little baby boy who was a little more than a year old named Alex. Suffice it to say a lot has happened since then. We now have a SteveO,  a beautiful little Izzy, a Rudy and 14 years of memories.  We've tried to move numerous times because the Mercury house just got to be too small for our family. It would seem, that the Lord knew what he was doing and waited for this time for our house to successfully sell. He wanted us to be in Louie and Carmen's house on Riverside Drive. The first time we saw the house, Mom and I liked it immediately. So after months and months of escrow hell and our trip to Hawaii thrown in the mix we have finally closed escrow and get to move in. Kristin, Cory, Sara, Dean, Grammie and Papa helped us move all of our stuff into their garage. Monday, I had to go back to work but you guys went with Mom over to the new house to get moved in. You were unable to do so however because Louie and Carmen were still there. While talking with them and walking around the house, despite the fact that he was expressly told not to open the door as the cat would get out, Jake let the cat out and he ran away. This has been known has the Mr Shitters incident. After much frustration, Mom decided to head back to Grammy and Papa's for one more night. I'm very grateful for Grammy and Papa to let us stay there while going through this moving debacle. Tuesday morning I headed to work and you guys crossed your fingers and headed over to the new house to find that they were gone! We can officially begin the move in. Before we get working too hard, Let's test the pool!
It was awesome. I'm so glad that we finally have a pool living in this town. I didn't really love the Mercury house but I did love who I shared it with. Love it or hate it, it was a big part of our life for the last 14 years. All I can think about now is what kind of adventures and memories we will make in this house which we all love. I love you guys,

 Daddy

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Hawaiian Vacation Day 11

Hey kids,
Daddy here.

Hawaiian Vacation Day 10

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today was a Sunday, and there happened to be a Catholic Church right across the street from our hotel, Saint Augustine's by the Ocean. It was beautiful.


Saturday, July 9, 2016

Hawaiian Vacation Day 9

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today we have to get off the ship (BOOO!) We don't have to go home yet tho (YAY!) So, we got up and headed up to the Aloha Cafe for our final meal on the ship, a good breakfast with the family. We all filled up our bellies for the last time and headed to the room to do a final check for anything we may have left.

We grabbed what was left of our stuff and headed to the Hollywood Theater on deck 5 to meet up with our tour peeps. We were eventually lead out to the final card swipe off the ship and said Aloha to the Pride of America, she took great care of us.  We got on the bus and met the awesomest driver ever. Kaleo'olani, the voice of heaven. He took us to the Pearl Harbor Memorial site. The first thing we did when we got there is go to the USS Missouri Memorial.

Hawaiian Vacation Day 8

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Today is our second (and last) day in Kauai.

Hawaiian Vacation Day 7

Hey kids,
Daddy here.

Hawaiian Vacation Day 6

Hey kids,
Daddy here.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Hawaiian Vacation Day 5

Hey kids, Daddy here. Today, we awoke to out first trip to Hawaii island. We got some breakfast and headed off the ship.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Hawaiian Vacation Day 4

Hey kids, Daddy here.

Hawaiian Vacation Day 3

Hey kids, Daddy here. Today was the first day we woke up on the cruise ship. We docked in Maui, so the plan is to rent a car, since we know what we're doing on Maui.

Hawaiian Vacation Day 2

Hey kids,
Daddy here.  after a wonderful sleep with the hotel how about we got our stuff packed up and left it by the door and made our way downstairs to catch the bus to the ship.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Hawaii!!! Part 1

Hey kids,
Daddy here. Well, we've been talking about it for months and it's finally time to get our vacation to Hawaii started! Last night, when I got off work, we drove down to Sacramento and stayed in a hotel. We didn't get there till 11 o'clock at night and were almost too excited to sleep. We finally got to sleep a little after midnight and the alarm to wake us up went off about 4:30! Al says that he wasn't able to sleep at all because he was so excited. We all wiped the sleep from our eyes and got to the shuttle by 5 am. We got to the airport, got through security (ugh) and made it to the gate by 6:10. A few minutes later, they told us that the flight was delayed by an hour and a half! Ugh! So, eventually we got on the plane and since they managed to set us together, we got the first row behind first class!


We played cards, we played on devices and Alex and I tried to get Cody to eat that stupid gumdrop, but eventually, we made it! We got off the plane and immediately saw Tutu, smiling and waving. We all hugged and kissed her. I have to tell you, it's kind of a weird sensation to not see your mom for two years, but we're here now and I'm so very happy.

We decided to take a taxi to the hotel rather than pay $140 dollars for a shuttle. We got checked in, and decided that we needed to eat. We walked down the street, past St Augustine's Catholic Church to....Cheeseburger in Paradise.  As we waited in line, Alex and I talked.  Jake and I got a Kahlua pork an Al got a seared Ahi sandy. After lunch, we headed back to the hotel to get settled in our room. We changed and headed straight for the pool. We splashed around for a bit and I decided to take the kids for a little excursion to the beach. We walked down to the beach and hung out in the ocean by the pier and behind this little cement wall. The boys jumped off it a few times and even Izzy jumped off! After a little bit, we headed back to the pool and met up with mom and Tutu and headed back to the room. We decided, after not finding anything easy, to get Pizza Hut. We rented Zootopia and ate pizza. It was awesome. We all fell asleep, and after a few minutes mom woke us up and Jake, Mom, and I headed back to our room for a well deserved night of sleep. We had been awake in total for about 20 hours. We all fell asleep in about 2 seconds. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. I love you guys,

Daddy