Grandpa's Lil Helper

As I mentioned in a previous post, there was cactus blocking our shortcut down the hill to Jacob's summer camp so he brought all his gear to help grandpa cut back the prickly points of the cactus.  Here he is telling you all about it.

Here's Jacob walking with Grandpa down to the cactus.

Jessica said this was her favorite all time photo with Jacob and Grandpa holding hands

And here they are in action.  You can see why this needed to go!

Sorry I've been MIA!  I really need to stay off the computer because sitting makes things worse.  I went to my doctor yesterday to take care of the pre-op bloodwork and chest xray.  Have a great 1st day of summer (whoo-hoo!) and wonderful weekend!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Our dogs have it good!  One of the main reasons we decided to buy a Prius over other hybrid cars is that we realized that with the back seat down combined with the hatchback space, there would be plenty of room to take the dogs with us on short trips or even long vacations.  The only problem was that once we bought the car and came to love it, we worried about the dogs messing up the interior.  We bought a nice WeatherTech Cargo Mat but that only covered the hatchback area and it also didn't protect the sides of the interior which seemed like it could easily get dirty and scratched up.  So Jeff went to Home Depot and bought a large roll of a nice gray outdoor carpeting.  He cut it to fit the whole area with the seats down and it also goes up the sides and is held in place with existing anchors that the car has and some cut pieces of PVC.  It goes in and out easily so we will only put it down when the dogs are passengers.  We took them on a test drive and they settled in right away.  They like that they can be real close to us in the front seat.  Here's a blurry photo I took on their first ride along.

You can see what I mean about the carpeting going up the sides in this photo.  Maybe Jeff should take his invention on Shark Tank!

Jacob's first day of camp went well.  Ryan and I walked down the hill to pick him up at noon and we saw him before he saw us.  He looked a little forlorn but brightened up when he saw us.  The teachers and young camp counselors said he was a little shy but he didn't cry or anything.  As we walked up the the hill, the girls shouted good-bye to Jacob and said, "He is SO adorable!"  That he is!

Last Day of School Pix

As I mentioned in my last post, Friday was the last day of school for Ryan and I took Jacob along to get in on the festivities.  You saw their batman face-painting in Friday's post and here are several more photos from the day.

Ryan and Jacob on the slide.  Jacob was proud of his "Visitor" badge.

Ryan tossing beanbags in Cookie Monster's mouth for a chocolate chip cookie reward.  That's his teacher looking on.

They both enjoyed smearing around in shaving cream

All topped off with a pizza party!  Good times!

Today Jacob starts his camp that runs for 9 weeks every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 AM to noon.  We've received zero communication from them so I hope everything works out.  

School's Out for Summer!

I still love the last day of school.  I didn't dislike school as a child but I sure did look forward to summer vacation...which in those days, seemed endless!  Now it seems it's over in a blink of an eye.  I went to Ryan's school on Thursday for his last day celebrations because Jessica and Pat were both working.  They had lots of activities, games and a big pizza party.  There was a lady doing face painting and Ryan asked for Spiderman but she said that was beyond her talent so he and Jacob settled for batman masks.  Jacob loves red so his had to be red.

Weekend Plans:  on Saturday evening, we have a retirement party for a fire chief friend.  We've known Jim and Vanna since Jeff first got on the LAFD around 35 years ago!  It is being held at the beautiful Getty Museum overlooking all of Los Angeles.  Should be fun.  Also on Saturday is the annual "Touch a Truck" event in Thousand Oaks.  The boys wait all year long for this.  And then Sunday is Father's Day!  Wishing all of your dads and husbands a Happy Father's Day!

It's a Go!

Two things actually are a go:  first, I got my surgery date.  It will be at the crack of dawn on Friday, July 12th.  Geesh!  That was the first available?!?  I'll probably be healed by then!  I asked if I could have a day other than Friday because the doctor isn't available over the weekend and if you have problems they just tell you to to to an ER.  They told me he always does his "minor surgeries" on Friday.  Well, I've never had a surgery so it's not minor to me but whatever...

The second thing that's a go is Jacob's little Tiny Tots Camp!  The last time I signed him up for something it was cancelled due to low enrollment but I called and they told me this was definitely a go!  I'm really happy for him because he needs the socialization.  He is the sweetest little thing but is very shy and just needs to have some experience with groups of children.  This is for 3 to 5 year olds and he will be 4 in September so should be just right for him.  It's right down the hill from my house- a stone's throw really- and it goes from 9 to noon, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  It starts next week.  He is very excited!

So glad Annie is back and I'm beyond thrilled for her that her surgery was a success and she continues to improve with her mobility!  Yay!

Boys Will Be Boys

Bet you thought this post was going to be about Ryan and Jacob.  Nope, no matter their age, boys like fast cars and dirty things.  Jeff, Justin and Chris went racing on Sunday at the track at Ventura Fairgrounds and Liz and I cheered them on from the stands.  We didn't realize the track was going to be dirt and the stands were covered in a layer of dirt and dirt chunks.  Went really well with my pristine white blouse I was wearing.  Here's a photo of the guys suited up in their racing gear.

The track is at the beach, hence the palm trees in the background.  I took a video of each of the guys racing around the track but they decided it looked way too slow to show anyone.  While speeding around the track, each of them thought they were surely breaking track records for speed.  I guess the sensation of actually being in the car seems a lot faster than it appears from the spectator point of view.  Here's a shot of Chris in the red car going around the track.

They all agreed it was a fun time and we capped it off with a trip to an Irish pub- Dargan's Pub- on Main Street in Ventura for lunch and a few brews and an exchange of war stories about their racing adventure.  Liz and I insisted on a nice lunch to reward us for sitting in those dirty bleachers!

Ergonomic!

Jeff suggested that my desk chair may not be as ergonomic as it could be and that perhaps a better chair would make sitting at the computer more comfortable.  So I googled ergonomic office chairs and teased Jeff that I found the perfect chair for me!  What do ya think?

How hilarious would this be?!

Actually I did get a new chair at Staples that was on sale for only $99.00.  I figured it can't hurt and it has a way more padded seat than my current leather chair.  They also sell these really nice cushions at Costco and at Bed, Bath & Beyond so I may get one of those, too.

The boys are enjoying the spa and they love their "swimming uniforms!"  That's what Ryan calls them.  Here they are in the spa together.

  

Weekend Plans:  Justin and Sarah are coming this weekend.  Jeff, Justin and Chris are going to go race cars.  They bought a Groupon for this a while ago so they finally found a time to schedule it.  It's the Cory Kruseman Sprint Car and Midget Driving School in Ventura.  I guess they get lessons first and then they take 15 laps around the course.  Not sure if the girls will be cheering them on or just shopping and lunching in Ventura.  Have a great weekend!

Back

Yes, I'm back but just to write about my back.  I'm going to have microdiscectomy surgery for my herniated disc.  It'll probably be at least a couple of weeks before I have it because they have to get pre-approval from my insurance company and I also have to have medical clearance from my regular doctor.  The surgery will be done at an outpatient surgi-center... the same place where I had the epidural cortisone shot.  It takes about 60-90 minutes and must be done under general anesthesia because they don't want you to move around since it's your spine.  They will give me Michael Jackson's milk- propofol- to put me under.  Not happy about a general anesthesia because I've never had one but not much I can do about it.  For 2 to 6 weeks after surgery, I have to wear a back brace and no B, L, T:  bending, lifting or twisting.  The good news about the surgery is that it has a success rate of @ 95%.  I'm sorry it had to come to this but it's been 5 long months of 24/7 pain and I'm ready to get it over with!  I may post from time to time but I'm trying to stay off the computer as much as possible as sitting is not comfortable.   Will let you know when I have a date for the surgery.