Lacrosse is a weird sport

Claudia decided to try Lacrosse this Spring. What a weird sport it is! I had watched some women's college highlights earlier in the week and Peter had googled about the game, but that wasn't enough for us to completely understand what was happening. When they first started playing and a girl had the ball and was just running full speed toward the goal I said it felt like traveling. Later Claudia told me it felt the same to her. She's adjusting to the new sport too. But after only 2 weeks of practice with the team, she seems like she gets it. She runs fast (her teammates refer to her as the fast freshman) and she understands getting open and passing.

I'm pretty amazed at the sport and amazed at how the girls can run when they've got someone jamming a stick in their face. I wouldn't be able to do it!

I compiled 10 or so different plays into one video from her 1st game. Claudia is number 3 in white, though it's hard to make out numbers. She's got her hair in a low ponytail. The first few plays she's playing defense, and looking a little timid - doesn't get any touches. Then about the 4th play, she's playing midfield. She came out of her shell at that point. There were lots of times when I couldn't tell who had the ball and I think in all of the videos you'll hear us when she's got it. And you get to hear my other commentary on the game. It's hard for me to keep quiet. 

Juliet's Level 5

Videos from one of Juliet's Level 5 meets:

The Floor:

The Vault: (Not the girl on the floor. :-) Juliet starts running from the corner.

The Bars:

The Beam:

The back walkover on the beam was her nemesis this season, but she conquered it! She's now working on doing a back hand spring on the beam!

Twirly bird on the beam

It's fall which means it's gymnastics meet season! This past weekend Juliet had her 3rd meet of the season. Just one more, then states in mid-November. She had a great meet! Beam was the only event she didn't place. Before this meet I mentioned that she hadn't fallen off the beam during a competition. So I was certain I jinxed her, but whew!

Twirly bird on the floor

She placed 2nd on the floor and got her highest level 4 floor score: 9.075. We don't see where all the deductions come from, but we are biased.

Leaping lizard; monkey swinging on the bars

Vault judging in level 4 has been tough. Juliet placed 3rd with a 9.0. Peter got the best angle that he could for the vault, way in the corner.

2nd place on the bars. Unfortunately there was a big bar in the way.

 

She got 2nd place all-around. Nice job!

Sports weekend!

Claudia's soccer started a couple weeks ago. Yesterday was her 2nd game. She was all over the place and scored from outside the goalie box with a nice high kick that the goalie couldn't reach. I didn't get a video of the goal, but got a shot of her kick.

 She also played goalie in the 1st half but a few got by her. The other team was good and older and bigger and our defense just couldn't keep up. But they played hard.

Today was Juliet's first gymnastics meet. She did really well. 5th on the vault, 3rd on the bar, 4th on the beam and 4th all around. Her team came in 2nd as well. She had a little oopsy on the floor. She told me she had so much energy that during her back bend her hands came off the ground. But she recovered and today was the first time I got to see her do her round-off back handspring! I won't lie that I don't understand the vault. But for her level, this is what they all do. (Gimme me a leotard; I'll try the vault. :-))

 

Hot, happy and tired gymnast!

What happened to 2013?

Other than me not blogging. Maybe because I upload pix to facebook and didn't want to upload twice...  I'm trying get back into the swing of updating the blog.  Here's a look back at some highlights of 2013.

Conquer the mountain, dude!

After coming back from the midwest for Christmas, we started our 2013 at Squaw Valley, getting some relaxing and skiing in. This time, Juliet was old enough to take lessons so she did a half day, while Claudia did another full day lesson. That meant that Peter and I got to go for a few runs together. I hadn't skied in at least 10 years. I had some good wipe outs but by the end of our 2ish hours, I was doing pretty good. Next time we'll be able to go longer since Juliet will do full day lessons too. 

Family photoshoot

I can't pass up a good groupon, so off we went to a park in Sunnyvale to have some pix taken. This was a fun one. I've always liked the look of other people's photos when the family is holding hands and walking. Our photographer had us do it too, and boy is it weird while you're doing it. :-) But still fun.

And then of course there were some intentionally silly photos: 

                                     

Juliet turns the big 4!

Juliet wanted to have both a Wow Wow Wubzy and a Caterpillar party, so we split the difference and for her actual birthday, we had the traditional Chiffon cake (made my Mom) and I decorated it with Wubzy on the top. 

Wow! Wow! Juliet turns 4!

We threw a caterpillar/bug party with her friends. I always have fun decorating the cake and throwing the parties. I'm lucky that the girls (and Peter) just let me run with the themes.

And this year I thought it would be easy to make a shirt for the party, so I whipped that up the night before. Perhaps took me longer than it should have, but it turned out well. 

The kids caught butterflies with elefun, decorated their "bug jars", and then went on a bug hunt. 

 

And then it was time to sing and have cake.

Showing off their qipaos

Gralu and Grandpa sent qipaos for the girls; they did a quick pose in front of the 4 seasons. 

What else would you do with laundry baskets, goggles (swim and ski), straws, and scarves? 

Hiking with Mom & Dad

We try to take Mom & Dad for at least one hike during their winter visit. We headed to Henry Coe on a foggy morning. And Don Edwards where the poppies were in bloom. 

Happy Easter!

These are the Easter dresses that Gralu (Peter's mom) made for the girls. So cute!

"And that's how you play the trumpet!"

Now that she's in 3rd grade, Claudia gets to choose an instrument. She chose trumpet. Here's her 2nd day's practice. If nothing else, she's into it!

I may be sending out warnings to the next door neighbors that we don't have an injured baby elephant; just a novice trumpet player. :-)  I think I'm going to learn along with her.

Uncles!

Uncle Michael came to visit overnight while he was on a business trip in the bay area. His flight out was delayed so we were able to play miniature golf with him. 

The next week Uncle John was in town for business too. We went to Happy Hollow with him and then  took him for dim sum. After dim sum we spent lots of time throwing pennies into the fountain.

Good times in Monterey

We spent part of the long Labor Day weekend in Monterey. When we go, we usually go for part of the the day - to the aquarium and home. So it was lots of fun for us to spend the weekend there as tourists.

Moonlight over Monterey

I think it was the blue moon weekend. It was amazing to see the bay in all the moonlight.

Peter & the big fish tank

We took a chance and went to the aquarium on member's night. We thought if it was busy we'd just spend 30 minutes there and come back the next morning or night. It turned out there was hardly anyone there. In the picture above, at the big tank, you can rarely get up to the glass because the crowd is 5 feet deep. This was amazing. We got to see so many exhibits that we normally walk past or don't get close enough to because of the crowds. The girls loved it too!

Cheesing in the clam shell

On Saturday we headed to Dennis the Menace Park. Everyone with kids that we talked to recommended this park, so we gave it a shot. It was lots of fun with all the slides and different play structures. The girls loved it. We also took a paddle boat ride around the surrounding lake/pond.

Racing down the slide

Hanging out

Cracking up on the roller slide

Playing with sand

Later, while Peter and Juliet napped, Claudia and I walked down to the beach, just a few blocks from our hotel. It was a little chilly at times, and I forgot to bring sand toys, but none of the that phased Miss Bean.

Running from the surf

Claudia spent a lot of the time building this "castle" with no tools. I got to just sit back and watch and soak in the sun.

I love, love, love this picture. So sweet.

Life's a beach

Peter and Juliet made it down to the beach after a couple hours. Juliet was more interested in playing at the water's edge rather than digging.

A little bit of digging

Portrait by Claudia

Checking out tide pools

Running from the surf

Digging together

We went back to the aquarium on Saturday night. It wasn't member's night so it was a little busier than the night before, but nothing like weekend days. We were one block off of Cannery Row and we walked on or crossed a coastal bike/walk path to get to the aquarium. We saw these surreys on Saturday and Claudia was begging to get one, so on Sunday morning we rented one and trekked out to Lover's point. Though it was mostly flat, it felt uphill both ways. The girls loved it!

Surrey ride

Backyard camping....and OUCH!

We've made it a tradition of camping in the backyard on the weekends in the summertime. Sometimes Juliet heads back into the house, but she seems to be staying out with us more often.

In this last picture, it was probably the last time that Juliet was smiling that night. :-(  She decided she wanted to sleep inside so I sent her into Peter. 15 or so minutes later I could hear her crying and assumed she just wasn't ready for bed. Then Peter came to the window and asked me to come in. He was holding her and as I was walking back into the house I could see something dark running down her face. She had tripped on her way into the brush her teeth in our bathroom and clipped her eyebrow on the corner of a nightstand. The bleeding stopped and she was able to sleep (Peter and I didn't though). But by Sunday morning it had started bleeding again so I took her to minor emergency where she ended up with 5 stitches. She was a trooper (I was directed by the Dr to rest afterward to let the blood rush back to my head. Whew!). 

Hoot n Howl at Happy Hollow

We were guests of the Schoennauers at the Hoot n Howl fundraiser at Happy Hollow. Food, drink, drink and drink, playing on the play structures, riding in bathtubs, and NO KIDS. It really was a hoot.

Posing with Danny the Dragon 

Peter driving a bathtub. He should have been pulled over for a DUI.

Art camp!

Claudia did the SJ Museum of Art art camp with the twins again. At the end of the week they have a showing and reception of the art work. It's fun to see what the kids produce and Claudia takes us around the museum to talk about her favorite art pieces in the museum.

The monkey's monkey 

Super Claudia!

Show us your guns

Juliet looks a little suspicious of me taking a photo of them in front of the artwork...

Outside the museum