A good walk spoiled???

Well, the boys went to golf camp this summer and came home with some 'video analyses' of their swings. Since the camps were a gift from Grandpa and Grandma, I was thinking of how best to get them the videos and voila, thought of phoenamenal days! Also figured the rest of the family (and like) would like to see it... so....

I also found some old phone videos of their swings just a few years ago..(they only started to play Spring of 2006). i'm still in shock to see just how much they've changed in those years.

Connor's Swing circa 2006

Connor's Swing June 2009

Mason's swing circa 2006

Mason's swing now - June 2009

Went to the local Hispanic Supermarket

Some colleagues took me on a field trip to a local hispanic supermarket...

ate some food off a combo plate of pork, beef, re-fried beans and chips..

on the way out, took a detour through the deli to look at what the locals eat...

as it turned out, the food looked right back at me...



Mooooooooooo..... (and kimchee with cabbage and red peppers is supposed to be gross?)...

Oh Sweet Distraction!!

In the course of a homeschool year, families have to deal with many distractions....

...computers

...games

...phone calls

...youtube videos

...legos

This year was no different for the family here at Phoenamenal days... well...except for one thing.... one distraction that almost got the best of us...

One distraction that we willingly gave into each day--for at least a little bit of time.

I warn you, this is a distraction hard to ignore... and once you've enjoyed this distraction, you will find yourself regularly tempted by it... again and again.

Don't say I didn't warn you....

prepared?


here it is...

The phoenamenal days biggest

and sweetest

and happiest

distraction:

Little Miss Kate

Little Miss Kate is almost a year old and we have never introduced her to all of you (all...three of you :))! So, here is the official introduction.

Ahem.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please welcome Kate Elizabeth S! (applause).


She loves food of almost any kind (frozen peas are favorites, as well as bagels and apples). With curly hair and blue eyes, Kate's newest addition is her four teeth. She goes by many names, the favorites in this house being Katie-bug, Peanut, and Katie-lou. Hugging legs (that's all she can reach) and giving smiles, Kate has won the hearts of everyone here at phoenamenaldays. Even One Cent, who allows her on certain occasions to borrow her stuffed monkey.

We love you, Kate.

Although these pictures are older, you can see some newer ones at her mommy's blog: www.noraeshank.blogspot.com

Minnie trying to get some school done... oh sweet distraction!

Mommy and Little Miss Kate making jam.

I think she was only a few monthes old when this picture was taken. She looks a little starstruck. :)

This is my personal favorite.

A few more recent pics:

She loved playing in this box... we played peek-a-boo, where's kate? , peek -a-boo, and where's kate. It was tons more fun than teaching algebra.... ahem... which I quickly went back to after a few stimulating rounds of the above listed games....


So as you can see, Little Miss Kate has brought us many sweet distractions. I think everyone knows how to make a bottle, change a diaper and help a little one learn to walk. We all know how to play peek-a-boo, chase and tickle, tickle. It has been it's very own learning experience.


~The Mom and Twinkle

Sweet Summer Days

Monday marked the first real day of summer. Bike ride in the morning, pool in the afternoon, and Chip's basketball game at night. A good first-of-the-summer day. Tuesday, Matt E came over to play with Mickey. They spent at least five hours in the pool, playing with a small rubber basketball and the pool-hoop (thanks Maw-maw and Pappy! :)) Mickey got enough sun for the whole family. That night, the whole E family and Mr. Mac popped over for dinner and sundaes.  And Wednesday, the used-to-be hump day of the school week, was filled with volunteering for Twinkle, basketball for Chip, and reading and playing with friends for Minnie and Mickey.

And now it is Thursday. Smoothies, chubby Little Miss Kate, wet One Cent, golf, walk, run, pool, sunshine...

Ah, sweet summer days. 

Lemonade coming right up!

Mason L. and Mickey shooting hoops...

...and this basketball game has just turned into a wrestling match!

Minnie with her home-made double-raft.

One Cent loves the pool (and her orange torpedo).

Pink cheeks!

One month will fly

Yes, the Dad was right. It was eternally priceless to go back for my friend's baptism. While I was there, I stayed with the N's while the Dad was at the WWO X. 

We shopped for six hours, got makeovers at the mall, stayed up waaaay too late talking, watched movies, spent hours straightening our hair and commenting on each others makeup, went to swim team practice, took a trip to Jimmy Cone, went strawberry picking (which means strawberry eating too), grabbed lunch with a few friends at Chipotle, and talkedtalkedtalkedtalkedtalked! And cried when the cab came to pick the Dad and I up on Sunday to go back home. It was a sad goodbye, but one month will fly and I will be ringing your doorbell soon!!!! :) 

P.S. I don't have many pictures from the trip so these are from Mrs. N and Rach Cz. Thanks :)

After dinner on the patio. Left to right: Bryan A, Brett J, Laur, Nat, Rach, Hannah, AJ, me, Brett L.

Hanging with his dawgs...er, I mean dogs.

<3

Laughing about something.

At Hannah and AJ's swim meet! They both were awesome! 

Chipotle with friends. Smile! 

After running outside in the rain and thunder and lightening. Hey, we're still kids. 

At Jimmy Cone. Delicious!

Okay, really goofy. But, whatever. 

I love you girls. So muchos. Four weeks will fly.

WWO X has a winner

For those of you not familiar with this 'tradition like no other,' the Dad and a host of life-long friends went away this past week for the 10th anniversary WWO trip - (World Wide Open). it's supposed to be about a golf competition and we think it's been held for about 10 years, but there is considerable debate about whether it's either. (Here is the link).

For sure, i can say it IS about:

-Friendship - not much to worry about with fellas who've known you upwards of 25 years (pre marriage, jobs, kids and the rest of the trappings from adult life)
-Letting the 'hair down,' since most of us are losing hair, this is easy (imagine a reasonably cleaned up version of Andrew Dice Clay, post-conversion)...
-Trying to do something darn near impossible for middle-aged men who've seen their best days behind them (at least athletically).. that is.. to make a 3-foot putt when the only thing at stake is an ugly red jacket and a name on a plaque that will be landfill as soon as we're done this thing for good... and sometimes, the impossible does happen - like the best player actually winning the WWO (congrats to Scotland!)
-Good food - the resort food was barely passable, but Surf and Turf is generally on the menu.
-Trying to catch up on a personal level with friends who might live in the same town, attend the same church, but rarely get to "visit" with friends given their responsibilities.

-finally, the 10 years has been special, but this year it's been:

-Airline ticket, lodging and meals - $1000
-Taylor-made Super Quad driver (sold new at retail for $400) purchased on ebay: $70
-Used Irons to improve the game - $150
-Posting an all-time low score in front of all your buddies who are used to seeing you barely break a 100: Priceless
-Taking your eldest daughter back to MD to attend a lifelong friend's baptism: eternally priceless.

Thanks to all my boys at the WWO for making X happen and to our friends back in MD - we miss you.

the fellas loading up on a Breakfast of Champions before the day's rounds.


ahhh.. the benevolent dictatorship of the Commish and the Asst Commish.


Italy, Korea and the Chaplain.


Another case of the Asst Commish trying to pull a fast one on Scotland.




Obviously, this pic is BEFORE the round when hope runs high and disregards the track record of past performance