Nectarrific

2008-09-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

LAST SWIMMING LESSON
Saturday was the boys' last swimming lesson of the summer. The fun thing was that my mom & dad were there to watch it. Tyler ended the "season" with a BANG by "diving" into the pool in the deep end, swimming to Teacher Cindy and then swimming ALL BY HIMSELF to the edge of the pool!! He really is an incredible swimmer for a 2 year old!

Look at him go. Cindy would give him a little shove, and he'd swim all the way to the edge

Tyler warming up on the hot concrete afterward.

Gabe calls this dive, "walking on water"

2008-08-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

First Day of SCHOOL
Wow, what an exciting day. Both Jack and Gabe went to school today. They both have wonderful teachers and thankfully, both of them marched happily off to class with no tears at all. Tyler tried to sneak in to Kindergarten a couple of times. In these pictures, he's wearing a backpack because well, he's 2 and therefore needs to be exactly like Jack and Gabe. It's a big change for him to be home all alone without his brothers. He's looking forward to pre-school next year!

2008-08-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Swimming Lessons
This is our neighbor Cindy with Gabe. She's been teaching the boys for a couple of years now and they are becoming really great swimmers. They love their lessons and we love her!!Gabe relaxing on his back - i love this picture

Gabe doing the strokes

Gabe diving in

Hee-hee...go Jack

Jack reaches the wall

Look who has freckles!!

Jack dives in...

Tyler's turn

2008-08-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Ventura Harbor

Last week Jack finished his at-home summer bridge program that we were doing to help be sure he was ready for 2nd grade. The reward was a day at the Ventura Harbor and the enjoyment of as many sweets and treats as he wanted (within a $10 limit). Here are just a few of the pix from a very fun and memorable day.

2008-08-16T16:57:00.001-07:00

Tropical Thunder Storm
Geoff got up in the middle of the night to take some pictures of a thunder storm we were having here in Newbury Park the other night. Cool!

2008-08-12T10:49:00.001-07:00

Tyler Gets A Haircut

...without sitting on Mommy's lap. As you can see, he's very concerned about what's going on - but this is a HUGE improvement over freaking out the whole time.

concerned....

concerned...

even more concerned...

...finally, a treat and a balloon

2008-07-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

Zucchini
Gabe was so proud to have discovered this giant zucchini this morning. The leaves on the plant are so large that the veggies "hide" under there and I can't find them. The kids are just the right height to see them and they are so happy when they do. Now, what am I going to do with it?!

2008-07-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

The Millikans Do Marshmallows
Geoff and I had the gift of hosting his parents at our house this weekend. It was such wonderful timing, since we were in need of the support after experiencing a difficult week. We enjoyed a fun day by the pool , resting & relaxing, laughing & talking. After dinner, we pulled out s-mores supplies and roasted away...SO MUCH FUN!

Joyce (J-Ma) & TylerG-Pa (Greg) & J-Ma

Me...I guess...with a mouth-full...whatever

Me & Tyler sharing a bite

2008-07-23T19:55:00.001-07:00

Tyler's 1st Night In His Big Boy Bed
Tyler is spending his first night tonight in his new bed with his brothers in their new room.
Yay, I like my new bedThe covers are so soft

Snuggle in

Hey, wait...

NO BARS!!!

2008-07-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

THE BOYS' ROOM
Well, we're finally getting somewhere...although I feel I'm working harder than I should, being that I'm in a "delicate condition", I couldn't be happier with how things are turning out. The beds are in, but Tyler's still needs a mattress. We also still need to discover our favorite wardrobe/armoire and bring that in, too. Overall, though it's finished. In the pix, you can't really tell that the back wall is a different color than the ceiling...it's really quite pretty. Tonight will be Jack and Gabe's first night in this room...Tyler has to wait for his mattress to arrive. I think it's all working out beautifully.

Jack's first artwork at his new desk! Please note the "I love Gabe" sign at the bottom...so sweet!

Gabe's first artwork at his desk. I'm not sure what the little sign is supposed to say. Maybe "Jack". Gabe always draws his people like this, complete with food in the tummy and a spot on his bottom so you can see "where the good Lord split him"!

2008-07-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

THE NEXT STEP
So we are done with the painting portion of our project! Today, Geoff and I spent the day at IKEA buying all the furniture for the boys room. I'll post pictures once it's all assembled. The really neat thing was realizing that it was almost exactly 9 years ago that we were here together buying furniture for our new house as a newly married couple. Anywho....we love what we got and we love the price - now if only I can find my screwdriver!

2008-07-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

CERAMICS
Today I got "inspired" to take the boys to the ceramic shop to paint. They chose these super intricate castle money banks. I'm wishing now that I had made them choose a plate or a bowl. Oh well, next time...they had a great time!Isn't this cute of the boys picking their paint?

I told Tyler to smile a pretty smile and this is what I got...

Finished products!

2008-07-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

Helping with the Paint Project
...pulling their weight...it is their room after all!!

2008-07-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

Our Paint Project
Geoff and I have been wanting to move all 3 boys together into one bedroom. The only way to make that work, is to convert the slightly-larger-than-Jack-and-Gabe's-current-bedroom playroom into their new bedroom. It's long and skinny, so there will be 3 bunk beds...2 of which will have desks underneath instead of a bottom bunk...and it'll be dorm style - isn't that SO cute?! We've been at it for a few days now and I'm finally done with the MAJOR primer that we had to use to cover up the brightest primary colors you've ever seen...purple, yellow, red, green and blue. Each colored wall has a different colored design on it and it's SUPER hard to cover up.
These pix show the purple wall with yellow squares...probably the easiest of all to cover.Here are the boys being helpful by tilting the fan just where I needed it.

The trim is a really beautiful color called "trail paint"

...so is the back wall

The ceiling will be a very light greyish color - you can't tell in this picture cuz it's so light

Stay tuned to see the color of the other walls. The plan is to have them all move in over the weekend of July 19th and 20th...hope it's done!

2008-07-04T10:54:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!!

2008-06-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Rock Climbing in Malibu
We headed for Zuma beach today so we could play in the water AND climb. It was a windy day so both activities didn't last that long. We left in time to hit Islands for dinner where Mommy gets her favorite fish tacos (no cilantro). We had a good day.
Tyler giving it a whirl - free soloingSomeone's happy about his new sport

Go, Tyler...go!

Not bad...for a baby!

The guys gearing up

Gabe

Daddy teaches Gabe a little something about rapelling

Cute...he was trying to show Gabe that he had to actually get his body away from the wall

Jack

Jack likes coming down more than going up...understandable

Tyler watches from a shady spot

2008-06-29T21:06:00.001-07:00

A Day at the Beach
We like to go to Zuma beach in Malibu. Today, it was super windy (almost annoyingly so) and kind of cold. But, no matter, we managed to have a good time anyway. Jack and Gabe love to chase the waves and have the waves chase them back. Tyler is a sand baby...especially in the wind...I think with the wind AND the big waves, it's just one too many elements for him...so he chased birds, played in the sand and Daddy made him a special wind-blocking seat.

Tyler and Daddy in the "seat". That's Jack and Gabe in the background.

Tyler's custom wind-blocking sand-seat

Tyler chasing a seagull

2008-06-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

A Motorcycle Ride With Mr. Danny
We love our neighbors Danny and Cindy. Mr. Danny has a Harley Davidson and the boys we invited to go for a ride today. Jack said that another one of his dreams had come true! They loved it...
Jack & Mr. Danny

Gabe's turn

So cute!

2008-06-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

AWWWWW

Declan...he's getting so cute

2008-06-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER NEW COUSIN

...and this time, it's a girl!
It feel like only yesterday that Barb's baby Declan was born! We are so excited to have Larissa Joy joining the family. Geoff and Gabe had the wonderful privlage of driving up north to see the new pumpkin...Isn't she so cute?! So THAT'S what a baby Millikan looks like as a girl.Hilary and Larissa (only 2.5 days old)

I think she has Asher's little jaw and eyes

And, just for fun, here's Tyler being so cute in the pool the other day

2008-06-22T14:38:00.001-07:00

Lemonade....Lemonade...Get Your Lemonade Here!!!
Jack and Gabe have been wanting to do a lemonade stand for about a year now. We finally got it together this weekend. It was certainly and all-day affair. "Uncle John" was over for the weekend and he helped the boys peel a TON of lemons which we "processed" into juice. The boys were so cute standing on the sidewalk attracting customers with their Lemonade Song and Lemonade Dance. With the price of cups and ice removed, each boy made $9.50!! What a success. We sold it for $1.00 for a "large" and $.50 for a "small". It was really hot out, so it turned out to be a good day for a sale. It turned out to be Jack's "dream come true".

2008-06-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hellllloooooo!

It's so so so super hot outside...

2008-06-19T13:29:00.001-07:00

Visiting the USS Hornet
Grandpa Dick took the boys to see the USS Hornet in Alameda...it's a World War II ship...here's the link USS Hornet
The boys had a great time exploring the ship and Grandpa knows an awful lot about it having been stationed on one almost exactly the same many many years ago. What a treat!
Giving Grandpa Dick his Father's Day gift (or more like "taking" it!)

Aboard the Hornet

"Sleeping" in the bunks

2008-06-19T13:24:00.001-07:00

Chabot Space and Science Center
Grandpa Dick with Tyler on the way outJack operating a space shuttle (kid-version)

The guys outside our movie, "The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket"

Inside our movie

Jack & Gabe are experiencing "weightlessness" while doing common space shuttle tasks

2008-06-19T13:21:00.001-07:00

"Over the Fence" with Lotte
Lotte is my parents' next door neighbor. When I was a kid, she used to have my sister and I climb the fence so she could give us treats. Now, 30 years later, my boys are visiting Lotte "over the fence"Lotte