Hampton Court Palace

Brittney, Emma and I recently spent a day at Henry VIII's home.  It's only 10-15 min. from our house so we figured it was about time to check it out.  It's lovely and we also enjoyed the gardens (including Paddington's Marmalade Maze--not really the name, just the title of a book but a maze nontheless).   The grounds are beautiful and Emma loved all the daffodils!  She's such a picture poser.  I thought the gift shop was funny since Henry and his six wives took up most of the postcard displays.  I'll have to brush up on their history but no "Tudor" episodes for me, please. 

Warning: Raw Meat Photos Ahead!

Mark and Nico took a quick trip to NM a few weeks ago and he recently downloaded his pictures.  It almost makes Alamogordo look tempting with it's flora, fauna and dazzling sunsets . . . almost :)  The highlight was visiting with Aunt Judy and Uncle Bill, as Judy is battling cancer for the 3rd time and Mark felt a great need to see her again after a few years of absence.  Nico also hung out with Granpa H., making beef jerky and chopping wood.  The joys of retirement!  Great Grandpa Ashdown also paid some visits to the Hamberlin homestead and the boys very much enjoyed their brief but meaningful stay.  Thanks Mom and Dad Hamberlin!

So Good, So Deadly

These mint chocolate Kit Kat bars are too tasty for words.  They're like the mint chocolate Girl Scout cookie crack that I've been fortunate to avoid for years . . . but now this is jeopardizing all that.

Seussical and the Paris Semi

Man, there aren't enough hours in the day to blog so I'm constantly playing catch up.  Marina had a few whirlwind weeks with ACS's production of "Seussical Jr."  It was the first time the school attempted an all-ages involved musical and it turned out so well, with so much hard work involved on everyone's part.  I wish I had taken more pictures, but I volunteered to help behind the scenes and couldn't take any pictures.  The one performance I did see we were told no flash photography allowed so I obeyed.  She was a Who and really enjoyed learning some dances and songs as part of the chorus.  Most of the chorus was made up of her fourth grade friends, in fact, thus practice was more play for them I think.  Now she is going through withdrawal and listening to the soundtrack everyday, even in the shower.

Marina didn't have too much time to reminisce as we boarded the Eurostar soon after her last show on Friday.  Actually, Mark told me to take an earlier train and he would come later with the kids so I could relax a bit and not stress before my half-marathon.  We had to laugh, though, as it was twice as hard to get our two groups here and there with all the transport and taxiing involved.  Fortunately we have our sweet friend, Brittney, visiting from CA, and she has been a huge help with the kids and with helping me get things done.  I did enjoy a quiet train ride and walking around Paris in the crisp weather, getting my race info. and number, eating my baguette sandwich and flan with no interruptions, and taking pictures of the Chateau de Vincennes.  Not as glamorous as it may sound since it's the end of the metro 1 line and not the most picturesque of neighborhoods.  But I can't complain, it's Paris so you can't go wrong, right?  The next day, Sat., we met up with our friend Micheline, and passed Mason off to his friend, Max, for a sleepover.  They had a party of sorts with other guys from school (lucky boy).  The other kids were disappointed they didn't get to see their own friends with the breakneck speed of our trip, however, I've promised them a week trip after school's out to visit with their ASP chums.  We visited the Pompidou and shopped a wee bit, walking a lot more than we should have, but it's Paris, right?  :)  Ok, I am annoying.

Long story short, I survived, my knees were good with Mark's braces (though I think I resembled an old woman), and I finished in the frosty wind and rain.  It made me want to do another one and not do another one.  We'll see what the future brings.  Mark's training for a mini-triathalon so I'll leave the next race to him.  We really miss that place and the people!  Micheline even showed up in the cruddy weather to support me and I was very touched.  She is such a kind-hearted person and Emma is lucky to have a sweet bond with her.

Grommets and Sucettes

Nico had grommets (tubes) put in his ears and his adenoid removed last week so we've been taking it easy--not really--since his big hospital day.  He had to stay home from school for a week to keep from catching anything, thus he was one bored dude.  At least he had Emma to fight and play with . . . I didn't take pictures of his experience but all went well.  As he received the injection of anesthesia in his hand (through the prepared tube), he remarked, "That feels cold and weird."  Then a few seconds later the eyes roll, he sneezes three times, and a big chunk of snot shot out his nostril.  Poor kid, unconscious and lying there with a big boogie on his face.  I was a very proud mother as the doctors had never seen such marvel before!  Let's hope this is the end of his ear infection era.  He is back at school and in gymnastics with a bang.

Marina's school musical, "Seussical Jr." is almost ready to premiere this week.  She's had a ton of rehearsals and the kids are doing a wonderful job.  I've been able to help out at some of the practices and it's so fun to see it all coming together.   She's a Who in the chorus with most of the lead parts going to the high school students.  I think it's been a great experience for her and am happy her confidence seems to have grown, too.

Our friend, Brittney, has arrived for three months from Morgan Hill.  She has already been a huge help with the kids and routine, and we hope to repay her with some travel and adventure.  That shouldn't be too difficult with our kids :)  Her boyfriend recently entered the Navy so she is loyally writing him letters and keeping in touch with his/her family; we hope the time passes quickly for the lovebirds while he is at bootcamp and she is here.

I also had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower for my friend Holly and her sweet baby, Tristan.  They are a fellow Cisco family and we have kids around the same age (you may have seen pictures from our trip to the Bath area in Oct.).  We had a good turnout and Holly got some really cute things for her little girl.  I think most of the moms had older children so we didn't waste their time with baby shower games and the like.  We did the important stuff, like eat, talk and open gifts!  Holly was a good sport and even helped me set up the food since I am an organizational mess.  Brittney also saved the day with her child watching and fruit-cutting skills!  This weekend we'll be heading to Paris for my semi-marathon and hope to catch up with a few friends (especially Mason's friend, Max) and Micheline, Emma's buddy.  If you're reading this please pray that my knees can withstand 13 miles of pavement!  I'm serious.