Eric Stitzer Comes To Town....

This week we had a visit from Andy's cousin, Eric Stitzer. David is named after Eric's Dad, and Eric is one of David's godfathers. He came in Monday morning after a trip to Denver to see college friends. (He lives in NY) Monday was a scorcher, so we came home and went swimming in a neighbor's pool. I'd like to say we were super sneaky and broke in to swim, but it was an actual open invite to swim when we want while they are gone. The pool had a cover on it, and when we took it off and got in, it was a refreshing 90+ degrees. Pretty gross. We stayed and swam anyway.....

Tuesday was a beach day for us. We took Tyler and Lexie with us (neighbors) and once at the beach, we ran into some of Lexie's friends from school. Eric was a good sport and let all the kids bury him in the sand. I wouldn't have been as gracious, but I'm not 24. The water was great, about 75 degrees. It was a great day to actually swim in the ocean.

Wednesday, Eric and I took the boys down to Petco Park where we took a tour of the ballpark. The camera broke literally 5 minutes before we went in for the tour, so we only got 2 pictures from the outfield before heading in. It was pretty interesting....and a beautiful ballpark. I spotted the Padres GM, Kevin Towers, outside the ballpark before we went in. (He was on the phone, so I didn't say hi or talk trades....like giving away Jake Peavy.) Rose was spending the day with Lexie and her family at the beach and Belmont Park, a local amusement area right at the beach, then stayed with them for a sleepover.

Thursday was another beach day. This time we just took the boys as Rose spent the day with Lexie..... too much beach for her. Andy and Eric managed to watch the Yankees together in the evenings, and went for dinner a few times. Unfortunately, Andy couldn't take any time off. (We are headed on vacation tomorrow...a week cruise to Mexico with the in-laws and a few more relatives on Andy's side. More to follow after we get home.) Andy then took Eric to the airport Thursday night for his red-eye home. We had a great visit!

David and Joey LOVED all the attention from a Big BOY cousin

Eric being buried....Lexie, Hadley, Rose, Tyler, Joey...

David wanted no part of it

It's ALIVE!

The water was warm....and beautiful!

Even I went in swimming

A view from just outside the outfield at Petco Park. The area is called Park at the Park. It's open to the public when games aren't being played. Pretty neat. You can buy a ticket for $5 and sit out on the grass and watch the game. (Eric was facing the grassy area) There is a big screen out here too you can watch. When the Padres are away, they televise the games on the big screen and you can come and watch. We have been to a few games sitting here. It's a pretty nice option with little kids. There is a playground for the kids. You can walk around the ballpark during the game, you just don't have a real seat. There are a few bars and restaurants you can visit. Some day I will get to do that....sans kids. But for now, a fun way to watch a Padre game.

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby......

We had another birthday in the family over the weekend.....this time it was Andy! He turned 42 on Saturday, July 25th. He celebrated the day at Del Mar race track, betting on the ponies with his friends. It was guys birthday day. As a good wife, I let him sleep in till 10, made him breakfast (really!) then off he went. At one point he called to inform me how bad he was doing....then later in the day, a better phone call. He called to let me know he had to go pick up his winnings at the IRS window.... a nice long shot had come in! That always makes your day at the track better, especially on your birthday! So after the races, he went to eat, drink and be merry. He had a great day!

During the summer, Poway has concerts in the park at Lake Poway and Old Poway Park. This past Sunday it was a band called Help!, a Beatles tribute band. We have gone to see them before, they are really good. So, we had plans to meet some friends there and have a great Sunday evening at the lake. Well, as a good wife, I bickered with Andy pretty much all day on Sunday. (A bitter wife, sore that she had the kids all weekend while her husband went off to the races? Perhaps.) So when it came time to get ready and go, Andy decided he didn't want to come. Off I went with the kids....and Andy's birthday cake. Ok, off I went with Joey, Rose and David drove with the neighbors.....always a treat for them. We got there, met up with our friends and family and had a great evening! The band was as good as anticipated and played longer than they were supposed to. I of course didn't get any pictures of the band. (The picture of Andy above was 2 weeks ago for The Stilletos concert at the lake.) David and I danced a little, and he ran into his 'girlfriend' Emily. Poway is great that way....small enough were you run into people you know when out and about.

Happy Birthday Andy!!

Let them eat cake! Before, during and after...and Andy, it was good cake!

Madeline, Mike, Tyler and Joey..... The Doubravas

Uncle Mike and Joey..... Owen, Karen and Madeline

Rose and I, Joey on the shuttle after the show

Lisa and Donovan Roche.... David, Tyler, Rosie & Lexie on the shuttle bus

Pretty in Pink.....

I went into Rosie's room this morning and the song Pretty in Pink started playing in my head. Had I made the shot a little wider, you would have seen even more pink blankets....plus she has pink curtains, so the room is cast in a pink glow in the mornings. Ah, the angelic sleeping child.... my favorite time of day!

Barbara Jean Edwards Heffernan

My Grandfather (Mom's Dad) was among other things, a professional photographer. He passed away about 13 years ago. My Aunt LuAnne and Uncle Steve have had the daunting task of taking thousands of slides and putting them on DVDs and now on Flickr. This is a photo of my Mom, Barbara, and my Uncle Ward. She would have been about 5 here....Rose's age, and he was probably about 2. (My mom is one of 6 siblings from 2 moms... Barbara, Ward, Carolyn, Becky, Steve and LuAnne) This looks like it was before Aunt Carolyn was born, and most likely taken in Michigan. She was a BEAUTIFUL girl! It's funny, I can see now that my brother Dale looks a lot like her. I'm having a great time looking at old photos.... I'm sure I'll have more to add soon. BTW, today would have been Uncle Ward's 73rd (?) birthday.

You Say It's Your Birthday..... It's My Birthday Too, Yeah.......

Well, David is now 4! All of a sudden I'm looking at him and he just seems so much older. I don't think I like it! He has lost all signs of little guy... and now is more young boy. As his Mom, his birthday brings up memories about the day he was born...getting up really early to be at the hospital for the scheduled c-section at 7 AM. (Not a bad way to go, I must say) I had the same room as I did when I had Rose. (Pomerado Hospital is really a great place to have babies.) Anyway, it's David's day...but it makes me remember being pregnant and waiting for him to come along. And when he got here.....AH.....what a great day!

David started his day by waking up to balloons decorating his door and other parts of the house. He loved that! He spent the morning with his good friends and neighbors, Tyler and Lexie, playing video games. We went to my Dad's house in the afternoon to swim and spend the day with the family. He loved his present from Rose and Joey, a battery operated turtle (named Yurtle) that swims in the pool. It was a good day with the family.

Friday night we took Tyler and Lexie with us to Chuck E. Cheese where we spent the evening with Helene for DELICIOUS pizza and fun! The kids have a great time.....but really, couldn't they figure out how to make better pizza and have better beer so parents would enjoy it as much as the kids do? (Hmmmmmmm......I just had a great idea for a new business, brew pub / pizza place with a play palace for the kids! Sort of like Dave and Buster's, but more family friendly where they have a kid's check, like they do at C.E.C.) Back to the story.... so after a fun evening there, we came home and got the kids off to bed for yet another party on Saturday.

Saturday came, and of course the hot weather finally arrived. 3 years ago we had record breaking heat for his party. It was 112 degrees and the A/C conked out with a house full of party guests. This year (with a new A/C unit) it was hot again....about 100 degrees, maybe a little more. We had a slip-n-slide and water slide party. The kids all had a great time. The heat didn't really seem to be an issue. Somehow I didn't get a single picture of the kids in the yard having fun on the slides. Too busy sitting in the house with the A/C, drinking a beer perhaps? Perhaps. It was a great day with good friends.

David with Yurtle

Rose got brave and went down the slide all by herself

Birthday day at Grandpa & Grammy's house

David didn't want to invite any of his friends to his party, so the usual suspects came.....our close friends and their kids. (He has loads of girlfriends to choose from when he gets older!) Pictured left to right in the top photo: Lulu, Carson & Abbie Escobedo, Ashley & Emily Doubrava, Joey, Brandon Doubrava, Sydney & Cassidy Standing Warrior, Lexie, Rose, David and Tyler

Alex & Pete Llewellyn

L: Mike, Abbie, Lulu (Olivia) Carson & Lisa Escobedo
R: Cassidy, Kellie & Sydney Standing Warrior

Megan, Bob & Emmet Lucey


Joe & Helene, The Supergreats: Ann & Andy

L: Jason Doubrava R: Emily & Kristin Doubrava, Erik, Alyssa & Isabella Bayus

Let them eat CAKE! David LOVES CARS, so for the third year in a row, he had CARS cake. This year it was 2!

Happy 4th Birthday to You, David!

Hurray! Today is David's 4th birthday. We are headed up to my Dad's for a pool party. The morning has been spent playing Mario Kart at Tyler & Lexie's house while I ran errands for his birthday. He is in heaven! I'm sure he will put up a fight for round 2 of his birthday. More to come..........

Shave and a Haircut, 2 Bits!

I've been looking through old pictures of the kids today. I love to see how they have changed. So this is just a post of before and after pictures of the kid's first haircuts. Somewhere I have those first locks of hair tucked away. If I were a good Mother I would lovingly place them in a keepsake book of their early years. Problem is, I'm NOT a good Mother! HA! But hey... I did take them to the get the haircuts, so that should count for something, right?

Rose was about 2 1/2 here. I would hack away at her bangs before this, but I don't count that as a real haircut. We went to a kids place with all sorts of fun toys and dress up clothes to play with. The cuts don't always turn out so great, but the kids have fun!

Ok, WHY did I let David's hair ever look this bad? Perhaps I was contemplating letting it grow and raising him as a girl, or a celebrity baby, or rock star? I think he was about 14 months here. We went to Fantastic Sam's in Poway. Karen had recently jumped into the salon business and opened up the franchise. Karen has since sold the salon and owns a higher end salon.

Joey was about 9 months when I took him for his first cut. He was SO good, sitting in the chair all by himself. This was at the kid place too.