Hansberry Happenin's

Time for swim team

2010-06-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

Baseball is over and swim team is in full swing. The boys have already had 3 meets and are improving each week. It is really fun to watch their strokes and their competitiveness improve. Jack's favorite strokes are: butterfly, breaststroke and freestyle (like his mama). Ryan's favorite strokes are: backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle (like his Aunt Lori) :-)

Ryan is the only 6 & under swimmer to have swam all 4 strokes in 6 events at the last meet! It was a big undertaking since they haven't worked on butterfly yet this season...luckily after a quick on deck instruction from Mom, he remembered it from last summer. :-) He was such a trooper...no complaints...just a lot of excitement about being included on the 8 & under medley and free relays! :-) The videos are from the 2nd meet...we forgot the camera at the last meet...but trust me, each week it is amazing how much their strokes improve - we almost don't recognize them by their strokes from week to week. :-) Ryan is usually in lane 2 in these videos (he has a black cap and bright green goggles). Jack has a black cap and blue goggles.

THE BRACES ARE OFF!!!!

2010-04-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

So today Jack got his palette expander out and braces off. YIPEE....we hardly recognize him!

Y-athalon awards and rock climbing

2010-04-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Here are the boys on their hay bail podium along w/ a little rock climbing fun. Ryan, the little dare devil made it all the way to the top (green shirt) and was mad when we wouldn't let him go again! Jack wasn't so sure...he got about 8 ft up and thought that was good enough. :-)

YMCA Healthy Kids Day Y-athalon

2010-04-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

So, the YMCA has a Y-athalon for kids once a year. This year, miraculously we didn't have a baseball game so the boys thought they'd like to try it. The Y-athalon is a swim and run event. For Ryan's age group, he had to swim 75yds (3 lengths of the pool) and then run 1/2 mile. For Jack, it was a 125 yd swim (5 lengths of the pool) and a 1/2 mile run. There were 10-15 kids in each of their age groups. I was very proud of both boys...they both swam freestyle the WHOLE way. We even encouraged them to "frog" swim part of it - but they both continued freestyle - with no stops! Unbelievable! Ryan was 2nd for kids who swam independently and 3rd overall for his age group. The lifeguards had to jump in to help pull a couple of kids on kickboards, who were not strong swimmers. And Jack took 1st place! His swim was awesome...he was first out of the pool! Unbelievable. They both felt very proud for finishing their first Y-athalon and for doing so well. They were given awards and got to stand on hay bail podiums. :-)

Easter

2010-04-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

Just a really low key Easter this year. The boys were concerned about the bunny arriving - that they left him a cookie and a song. :-) The Easter bunny left some wonderful eggs in the yard for the boys to collect. Then we had brunch at Dove Mtn with G. Jim, Nana & Papa along w/another egg hunt at Nana's house.

Aunt Lori sent wax lips for Ryan - Zebra stripe gum for Jack (in preparation for his braces removal) and some candy lego bricks..which they enjoyed building with. :-)

April Fools

2010-04-17T15:43:00.003-07:00

Ryan decided to go to school as his long, lost cousin Filipe. :-) Wow - do we have a future ahead of us! :-)

Baseball

2010-04-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

So, right before their first baseball game of the season, Jack breaks his foot AGAIN. He was playing tag on the carpeted stairs at Parks n Rec after school and twisted his foot and then landed on it. Just a hairline fracture, so the orthopedist gave him a removable boot to wear this time rather than a full cast. Thank goodness! Jack is still waiting to get back to the baseball field. We're planning for Monday, April 19th...sounds like a great day, eh...Lori! :-)

Here are some pictures of Ryan playing...such a big difference from last year. He's hitting the ball really well and his throwing has really improved. In this game he got to play catcher...the gear is bigger than he is. :-)

Little League Opening Ceremonies

2010-03-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

Parker, Jack, Bennett (back row) Peyton, Ryan (front row)

Both boys are on the same team this year...yay! They are the orange and black Giants...love the colors! :-)

Jack and his friend Kaden.

Harlem Globetrotters visit Tucson

2010-03-07T14:41:00.000-08:00

Bye Bye Pinky...Hello Shed!

2010-03-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

So - we have this crazy neighbor out in Oracle. He likes to watch us w/binoculars and keeps a log of when we visit our cabin and how many people are there...I think to track our water usage...since we are on a shared well. I could go on and on...so, to combat the nosey-ness of Pinky, we had a 10x14 ft shed built and moved into place to block some of his view. We've also planted some fast growing privacy shrubs which we hope will also cut down on some of his spying. :-)

It was also our first time allowing a friend to join us at the cabin. For this visit it was Ryan's friend Daniel. They enjoyed doing puzzles and exploring the land...finding rocks and bugs.

Ian's visit part 3

2010-02-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

More from Ian's visit

2010-02-25T12:46:00.000-08:00

We got to feed the giraffes and see the baby Zebra (Tucari) the combination of Tucson and Arizona.

The Harris's visit AZ!

2010-02-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with Lori, Jeff and Ian. We went to the zoo, Build-a-bear, played Rock Band, went to the park, went swimming and played lots of hide and seek!

Blue & Gold Cub Scout Banquet

2010-02-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

It's the 100th Anniversary of Scouting. Our banquet including catered dinner by Nana's kitchen and the typical blue and gold decorations. Ryan won "the funniest" pinewood derby car for the whole Pack and received a LARGE Hersey bar. :-)

Valentine's Day 2010 and Mother-Son Sports Night

2010-02-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

Ryan is too cool in his new V-day outfit and a quick picture before heading out to the Mother-Son Sports Night at the school.

Ryan's Valentine's Party

2010-02-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

Ryan with his teacher, Mrs. Johnson

Ryan with his friend Ty

Ryan with another friend Logan.

I'm playing catch up here...but here are a few photos from Ryan's Valentine's party.

Pinewood Derby special effects

2010-01-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

So the Pinewood Derby was today - the cub scout car race. This year we made 3 cars - Jack's, Ryan (for the sibling race) and mine (for the leader's race). Todd wanted to feel apart of all the fun too - so he whipped up (over the last several weeks) this special effect for the arrival of my car. This was the first year of the leader's race and there was quite a bit of trash talking going around! :-) As it turned out - our special effects were better than the actual race car. So, it's back to the drawing board for next year!

OMG - Ryan gives himself a haircut

2010-01-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

Not sure what possessed him...but as I went to investigate the silence...I found myself following a trail of hair...when it hit me...Ryan had given himself a haircut...Ryan down the middle. Here's a "before" mommy fixed it and after mom and dad fixed it! crazy kid!

Snowballs, snow angels, snowmen, snow down your jacket

2010-01-23T16:24:00.001-08:00

Lots of fun sledding, throwing snowballs, making snow angels and shoving snow down each other's jackets.

Snow 2010

2010-01-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

Oracle got 4-6 inches of snow last night...so we decided to head up and play in it! It was the first sledding trip for the boys! Fun times!

Sleepover Fun

2010-01-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

Ryan had his first sleepover (at a friend's house) last night. This really cool sign was waiting for him when he arrived. He and his best little buddy Daniel were so excited! Jack had his friend Bennett over last night too. They spent the evening playing head to head Mario Kart on their new DSi's from Santa. Then read a little before bunking down in their own beds for the night.

Flag Football has begun

2010-01-10T08:11:00.001-08:00

Both boys are playing for the COLTS a 6-8 yr old parks n rec flag football program. Yesterday was their first game. They did great - Ryan participated, which is what we were hoping for and Jack actually knew what to do and had a great catch and some good flag pulls! :-)

Birthday Bumper Boats

2010-01-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

I just had to post a few more pictures from the day - the expressions on their faces is just priceless....so serious! :-) If you can't see it, just double click on the picture and it should enlarge it. :-)

It's Birthday Time...

2010-01-03T17:56:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow Jack turns 8...unbelievable...8 already! Today he had his birthday party at Funtasticks with a few of his friends. They drove go-carts, drove and squirted on the bumper boats, road the airplane ride, played mini-golf and laser tag and just generally had the run of the whole place for most of the 4 hours we were there! We really lucked out this year...it was a beautiful Tucson winter day - with a high of 73...so we were able to do all the attractions. Last year we tried to have his party there and it rained...so they were stuck inside w/arcade games and laser tag, which was fun...just not what we were hoping for...so today was vindication! :-) It was awesome...we all had fun!

Still more...

2009-12-29T20:49:00.001-08:00

Still a few more Christmas morning from Todd's phone:

More, more, more....

2009-12-29T20:45:00.000-08:00

Just downloaded some pictures from Todd's phone.

Here is Ryan working feverishly on Christmas Eve on Santa's thank you card. And here the boys are the moment they woke up and found that Santa had come during the night (excuse the underwear shot)! Santa also left the boys litle notes to thank them for the cookies and carrots and to remind them that he is watching ALL year long! :-)

Las Vegas fun

2009-12-29T20:36:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed our brief stay in Las Vegas by visiting NY, NY, the Excalibur and a quick trip to Egypt (Luxor). The kids really thought we visited Egypt. hehe We also got to ride two 4D rides, the Polar Express and Spongebob. The boys enjoyed them as well as a trip to the M&M store and some fun time in the Excalibur arcade!

Las Vegas Bowl Game

2009-12-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

So, we all headed up to Las Vegas to watch OSU play BYU in the Maaco Bowl - Dec 22. What an awful, miserable game that turned out to be. The day of the game, they forecasted rain and high wind gusts. Luckily we avoided the rain, but the temperature and wind was enough to drive most of the Beaver fans out of the stadium by half-time (along w/a miserable game).

More Christmas Pics

2009-12-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day 2009

2009-12-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

Santa was very good to the boys...they must have been good! :-)

Ryan:

20in Mtn Bike - a little big still - he said next time we need to get good measurements to Santa! :-)
500 piece lego set - Pirate Ship
Wii Indiana Jones II game

Jack:

Nintendo DSi
900 piece lego set - Indiana Jones
Wii Lego Rock Band game

Grandpa also did a good job selecting for the boys - with 2 Star Wars sets, new games, Batman cars, and Spongebob scented coloring pages

Aunt Lori sent the perfect gifts - a box FULL of lego people for Ryan...exactly what he loves and Mario Kart for the DS for Jack!

They each gave each other lego sets as well. It was an all out lego year!

They also got socks, underwear,books and a new game from Mom and Dad. All in all a great haul - they are very lucky boys! :-)

Christmas Loot 2009 post 1

2009-12-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas gifts with Nana and Papa...

LOVED the Nightvision goggles...Todd too. :-)
Enjoyed the comforter for the cabin bunkbeds...very cozy!
They love...me...not so much...the air hockey game and chess and trouble and candyland...well, actually it's the air hockey game...Chess is very quiet - air hockey...not so much. :-)

Thanks Nana and Papa!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T18:23:00.001-08:00

The kids truly enjoyed Christmas this year. Jack's big plan was to set his alarm for 12:00 midnight and try to catch a glimpse of Jolly Old Santa, but after a couple of folks telling him that they might make Santa mad AND he might leave w/o leaving him any presents...he decided to turn off his alarm and not risk it! :-)

Ryan decided to make little cookies for the elves, he left 2 regular sized cookies for Santa...he didn't want to overload Santa - since he is getting a little chubby. He required full size carrots for the reindeer and Jack decided theere should be 9 carrots left - one for each reindeer. Ryan left very specific instructions for the cookies and carrots, but they didn't show up in the pictures. :-( Ryan also decided to leave Santa a thank you card - complete w/pictures and his wish list on the back. I think he got this idea from the Christmas episode of Phineas and Ferb. :-)

Picture w/Santa

2009-12-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

Headed to the mall yesterday to have a little chat w/Santa. The boys LOVED it...Jack got a little shy around the big guy - but both really enjoyed having their picture taken and telling Santa directly what they wanted for Christmas. Still can't get rid of that cheesy smile though! Something to treasure forever. :-)

Ryan gets his FIRST Badge of Honor!!!

2009-12-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

So, Ryan has been working all year to earn the Badge of Honor at school. It is the highest award a student can earn...and teachers do not give them out lightly. So, today - Ryan earned one for his excellent listening and being a good helper. He was soooo proud! Way to go Ryan! We're so proud of you!

Sorry -the picture isn't great - it was taken with Todd's cell phone while we were bowling for scouts tonight. :-)

So - did I mention that Jack broke his foot?

2009-12-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know I've been very slow to update the blog...but here's what happened. On Monday, October 26 (yes, October), Jack came home from school complaining that his foot hurt...but we had scouts and had to get dinner, so I didn't think much about it. At the cub scout meeting, he complained about standing during on of the activities, but I thought he was just tired. So, by the time we got home and in bed - I finally had a minute to take a look at his foot. Sure enough - it was swollen (on the outside edge between his pinky toe and his ankle). I thought sheesh...maybe he broke it. Todd thought maybe he had twisted his ankle and it was no big deal. The next day he got up and it wasn't swollen anymore - just bruised...a yellowish color. Again I thought...hmmm..I'd better take him to the doctor - but Todd thought it was just a sprain. I thought, well, he couldn't possibly walk on it, if it was broken, right? Jack stopped complaining about his foot and continued attending soccer practice on Tues/Thurs, jumprope on Friday and had a game Sat. No complaints. The same schedule continued the next week along w/2 extra hikes at the Arizona Trail. By the third week he started complaining again and when I looked at his foot - he had a pretty good sized bump on the outside of his foot. So, after soccer practice Tues/Thurs and jumprope on Fri I took him to the pediatrician - who sent him for x-rays. AND GUESS WHAT????

It really was broken. Apparently you can walk and run and hike and jumprope when your foot is broken. Jack broke the 5th Metatarcel (sp?) bone - near the growth plate. The pediatrician gave him a temporary cast and crutches and said he could not play in the last soccer game the next day. :-(

We went to see the orthopedist the following Wed and he casted him in a walking cast. Now, 3 weeks later - he's had it removed! And none too soon...that thing was SMELLY!!! The walking cast did not slow Jack down ONE bit - he still hiked, built forts at the property, played kickball and by the end of week 2, had worn a hole in the heel of the cast. BUT, lucky for him...his mom and dad are experts with duct tape!

A little hikin' fun

2009-12-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

We decided to explore the Arizona Trail...we found Hippo Rock...Can you see it? Don't you think it looks like a hippo?? We do.

A little morning workout

2009-12-11T18:53:00.001-08:00

How does that saying go??? A family that works out together stays together?!? Something like that...anyway. :-)

Halloween Fun

2009-10-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

What happened to my cute little 6 & 7 year olds??? I got over ruled. So, Zombie Rocker Jack, and Zombie Ryan. A few pics of the neighbor crew...even Lucy got in on the action..we dug out the old devil cape and horns!

Spirit Week

2009-10-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

So - Spirit Week fun...

Mon - PJ & stuffed animal day

Tues - ??

Wed - Steve Erkel Day

Thurs - 60's day

Fri - Book Character/Costume Day

Jack - Soccer

2009-10-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics of Jack's soccer team...and recent game. Jack is number 10.

Shark boy finally loses 2nd tooth!

2009-10-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

So, I have been calling Ryan shark boy for about a month. He's had a wiggly tooth for several months - but hasn't wanted to pull it out...really - he pretended to try - but I think was a little afraid. Remember, his first wiggly tooth came out after a game of tug-o-war w/his brother. So, while the baby tooth was wiggly - the permanent tooth was growing in BEHIND it - producing 2 rows of teeth. This time, Ryan could actually push the tooth at a 90 degree angle out front of his mouth. I had him show his dad - not wanting to be the one to help pull out the tooth - because honestly, it was rediculous that it hadn't fallen out on it's own yet! :-) So.....his dad pulled out the pliers. Ryan stood bravely and by the count of 2 the tooth was out and Ryan was cheering. Aside from the shocked look on his face - he swears it didn't hurt at all! The tooth fairy came and filled his treasure chest and all is well again! :-)

However, Ryan has yet to pull out his own tooth - 1. brother tug-o-war 2. dad w/pliers 3. ??? we'll have to wait and see

Ryan's field trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

with buddy Ty

Ready for hay ride

Ready for the day - w/water bottle pack, boots and hat! :-)

Getting on the bus - ready for 1st kinder field trip!

Last week Ryan's kindergarten class went to Aqua Linda Farms on a field trip. It was a 55 mile ride, but the kids loved it. The farm at horses, donkeys, goats (including a baby goat), geese, chickens, pumpkins and was a real working farm. Here are a few pictures from the trip:

Jack's Mini-Muster Event at School

2009-10-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

Loved this event. The fire dept came out and did a whole fire safety - learning event while making it a game/obstacle course for the 2nd graders at Jack's school. The kids LOVED it. The adults even found it educational as we were forced to crawl through a smokey trailer to a door or window - it was pretty intense - even though we all KNEW it was simulated...there was still something intense about it. Here are some pictures:

ALMOST DONE....

2009-10-15T06:52:00.001-07:00

Golly - this seems to take forever...it's such a hard process when the house is done and ready LONG before the rest of the logistics! We are waiting on the awning and patio now and then we should be ready to visit the cabin. We were really hoping to be there this weekend...but the awning won't be ready until next week...so maybe for Halloween weekend!

As you can see the house matches the dirt color - so landscaping will definitely be a necessity!

And still more...from the disco party

2009-10-12T05:44:00.001-07:00

You can't tell, but we transformed our living room in a disco dance floor - complete w/darkened windows, 2 disco balls and some jammin' tunes! These pictures are taken "at the disco".

More pics from the birthday party

2009-10-12T05:40:00.001-07:00

Ryan's 6th Birthday Party

2009-10-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

So, the long awaited birthday party finally happened this weekend! Ryan and 8 of his friends dressed up as their favorite Star Wars character and we had a blast...defeating evil, rescuing Yoda and celebrating our Jedi status! Obviously, their favorite parts were making and using their marshmallow blasters and earning their lightsabers and defeating Darth Maul and Emperior Palpatine! Here are some pictures:

Todd's race in the Twin Cities

2009-10-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

Todd and I went to the Twin Cities, for his marathon. It was beautiful and we were treated like royalty. The people there were very nice and we were shuttled, fed and informed really well by the race coordinators. Can't say enough about the beautiful location. We stayed right on the Mississippi River and wandered St. Paul's beautiful downtown and theatre district. Todd's race went well - given that he had been suffering from an injury for the last couple of months and wasn't able to get the miles in that he wanted. Part of the excitement of the weekend was running into my former student, Ilsa Paulson. She ended up winning the women's race and $25,000! Pretty exciting!

Ryan's Un-Birthday Party

2009-09-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

So - because we all managed to get sick this week...we had to postpone Ryan's birthday party - originally scheduled for today, Sunday 9/27. So, in the spirit of his un-birthday party - we let him open Jack's present and one of our presents..he was THRILLED! Jack got him a Lego set and we got him an Anakin as a Pod Racer costume.

More from the inside..

2009-09-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

Master bath

One of the guest rooms

Utility Room

View from the front door

Dining Room

We got inside...

2009-09-19T05:48:00.001-07:00

Master Bedroom

Guest Bath

Kitchen - Todd's kicking the cabinets! :-)

Kitchen Island

View from the Great Room

So we went out yesterday and got to see the semi-finished state of the house. We are getting pretty excited - they said hopefully by the end of the month! :-) Here are some pictures of the inside and from the inside looking out. We also met another set of the neighbors - they seem very nice...although it sounds like we've moved into a retirement area - didn't know those existed in rural Oracle!??!

The cabin has arrived!

2009-09-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

so - does it look like it's leaning a little bit?!?! :-)

So - on Friday our manufactured home was delivered to our property! It was really fun to watch them manuever the two sections around 2 hair pin turns and up to the pad...let me just say...these drivers are GOOD! We can hardly wait for it to get all hooked up and the inside finished so we can officially call it complete! Here are a few pictures of the move and with the two pieces sitting side by side...they were in the process of connecting the halves when we left Friday afternoon.

Soccer...soccer...soccer!

2009-09-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

The boys started soccer games this morning. It was so fun to watch them both learn the game.

Ryan plays U6 (4 & 5 year-olds), has a lavendar uniform, is #9 team name: purple dragons, plays 3-on-3, has 4 - 5min quarters.

Jack plays U8 (6 & 7 year-olds), has orange and black uniforms (w/white socks??), is #10, team name: speeding bullets (parents liked smashing pumpkins or flaming balls - but thought inappropriate for the team banner :-) ), plays 6-on-6 with longer quarters and half time.

Both boys really enjoy it and run a lot! This morning Jack scored a goal - although Grandpa described it as Jack dragged the opposing team (who had the ball) through the goal post. And, Ryan had an assist to the one goal his team scored! Both boys are the tallest on their team - and therefore got the biggest uniforms - if you're wondering why they look so big! The weather was great - overcast w/sprinkles...reminded us a little of Oregon soccer!

Losing an incredible Mother, Grandmother and Friend

2009-09-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for awhile, mostly because we were dealing with the loss of Todd's Mom. It came on very suddenly, but the cancer returned and ravaged her bone marrow - we lost her within 4 days of learning that her cancer had returned. Since her death on August 24th, we have been dealing with the affects on the children, ourselves and Jim by spending a lot of time together. She was a brave, incredibly giving woman - who battled this cancer for 10 years, enduring countless treatments and 2 stem cell transplants. We find some peace in knowing that those years she spent here with us have provided us many, many special memories. The woman known to us as Grandma Jane, Mom and my friend is dearly missed.

Here are a few pictures from some of the fun and special memories we have with Grandma Jane.

And after school pics..

2009-08-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

2009-08-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

So, Ryan started kindergarten today and Jack headed off to 2nd grade! Both came home w/a thumbs up and saying it was a "GREAT" day...as a parent, you can't ask for more...can you?!!? They seemed happy and tired! Here we are on our way to school...

Surprise...Todd turns 40...well almost

2009-08-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today we had a surprise 40th birthday party for Todd (even though his b-day isn't until Wed). I'm still not sure if it was truly a surprise...but at the very least it was a lot of fun! Some pictures of the "birthday suit" Todd had to wear...along w/a toast from Jim and pictures of the cake - that Jane had made along w/some really lovely 40th gifts from a friend (ie. ensure, preparation H and some reading glasses). All-in-all a really fun afternoon!

Our lovely accomodations...

2009-07-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Check out the cabin behind us...thanks to my Uncle Steve and Aunt Doris...isn't it beautiful! We had a great time at Crescent Lake! Jack and Todd enjoyed making this teepee on the property too. :-) Isn't Ian a cutie! Look at these cheesie grins! :-)

Water skiing - Tubing

2009-07-27T07:07:00.001-07:00

BOTH boys got up on skiis on the very first day...can you believe it?!? It was amazing! We don't have any pictures because Todd was in the water helping to hold them steady and I was videotaping...but believe me...it was awesome! They also really enjoyed tubing...look carefully at the pictures - you'll see them airborne!

Children's Museum

2009-07-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Boy - did we have fun with our cousin Ian at the Children's Museum!

So much to tell you...so little time

2009-07-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Ok - so these next few posts will mostly be pictures for now...we've had a fun week! 101 Dalmations musical (sooo cute) the Friday before we left for Oregon and then fun at the Children's Museum and Uncle Steve's cabin where BOTH kids learned how to water ski after just 3 tries! The boys also enjoyed tubing! Soooo amazing!

A little friend...

2009-07-05T14:13:00.001-07:00

Look what we discovered crawling up the side of our house...near our front door! It was fun to see this tarantula...he was quite big!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T14:52:00.001-07:00

Here is our attempt to be semi-patriotic today...A flag shaped fruit pizza - well sort of...it's kind of round...but you get the point! :-)

More from the last swim meet

2009-07-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Jack did great this season. It was his first year and the competition is fierce. I think he enjoyed it - learned a lot and will enjoy another year of swim team as an 8 & under next summer! At 9 they have to start swimming 50 meters, instead of 25's! All of Jack's strokes improved a bunch since the beginning of June (it's a short season)...and we're very proud of him. The last meet was a bit chaotic - they kept combining heats to move the meet along quicker...but they also meant that the heats were mismatched and we didn't always see them start - luckily, we got Jack at the finish here! Here are some backstroke and breaststoke pictures from his last meet.

Last swim meet

2009-07-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ok - so our last swim meet was Tuesday night...the kiddos were excited...but the summer monsoons had different plans. About 1/2 way through the meet the lightning and thunder were too close and they closed the pool and cancelled the rest of the meet. Jack and Ryan got to swim 2-3 events before it was cancelled - so here are a few pics of Ryan from the last meet. Funniest thing...on the breaststroke..you'll have to look closely, but you'll see Ryan and another boy battling it out...Ryan was determined not to let the boy beat him...and swam almost on top of the lane line so he could be eye to eye with the other swimmer. It wasn't until the very end that the other boy noticed Ryan as Ryan passed him at the finish. :-) Most of the strokes were illegal...but Ryan got the competitive spark...right at the end! :-)

My baby loses his first tooth!!!

2009-06-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

So, tonight Ryan lost his 1st tooth! His tooth has been wiggly for like 2 months, but tonight the boys were playing tug-o-war with a sock and Ryan's mouth...and bam...out popped Ryan's tooth. Ryan was in shock, afraid to swallow, eat or drink - Jack was soooo excited for Ryan, he could hardly stand it...he was bouncing around the house - like it was his tooth...it was too cute! :-)

Little bunnies

2009-06-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

So, we've got 2 little baby bunnies living in our yard. They come out at dawn and dusk to nibble on the grass. We really enjoy watching them...they are so cute! On Friday, Ryan thought he should give them a carrot, so he threw a large carrot into the grass - it is larger than both of the bunnies together. The boys have watched that carrot for 3 straight days - and I'm thinking...yeah, right the babies aren't going to eat that gigantic carrot! Well, tonight I was proven wrong. We tried to get a picture of the bunny nibbling the carrot - but through the glass, it was impossible...so here is a picture of the bunny "hiding" under the palm tree (look closely and you can see the glowing eye) and a picture of the carrot - you can see the nibble marks - actually you can see the ants who have also discovered the nibble marks. It is really cute...and frankly - much more welcome than most desert dwelling critters! :-)

A little morning fun!

2009-06-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

While Jack was at a sleepover last night - Ryan and I slept on the trampoline. After what felt like one, long sauna night, we got up and I treated Ryan to Krispy Kreme. Had to share this cute picture...

Ribbons galore

2009-06-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

So - the meet was a big success! Ryan won ribbons for each of the events he swam (that's a 6 & under rule) and Jack won ribbons for 3 out of the 5 events he swam...such a big accomplishment! Very proud..and motivating!

And they're O-F-F....

2009-06-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Ryan diving (jumping in)

Jack diving in off the blocks (in middle of the pool)

Jack swimming butterfly - 1st time ever.

Hansberry boys relay hand-off (Jack finishing butterfly - Ryan ready to finish with freestyle)

We had another successful swim meet last night. The boys swam different events than at their first meet...and did really well. Last night they swam in the medley relay, butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle relay. Lots of swimming + lots of junk food = lots of fun, I tell you, it's the foundation of any good swim meet!

A L-O-N-G day!

2009-06-17T20:29:00.001-07:00

It looks like Ryan had one L-O-N-G day - just the usual camp and swim team...but today must have been exceptionally tiring. Jack and I went to walk the dogs around 7pm - Ryan layed down on the couch and this is how we found him. Well, actually his dad put the eye patch on him as a joke...

Swimmin'

2009-06-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

Our first swim meet...went well. We'll get some pictures of Jack this Thursday and update the post...but it was MASS chaos for their first meet - getting them both where they needed to be and calm and ready to race. Todd captured these with his camera phone...we will be more prepared this Thursday! :-) Ryan got 2 ribbons at this meet - by swimming 6 & under backstroke and freestyle. There were 24 8 & under boys at this last meet and only the top 6 get a ribbon - Jack still has some work to do to get there...but the motivation is there. :-)

Ryan swimming backstroke - he is closest to the wall.

Hikin' in Oracle State Park

2009-06-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

So, after an eventful trip out to the property, we stopped at Oracle State Park to do a little hiking. Oracle State Park is only about 4 miles from our property...and they had bathrooms. :-) About 1/2 way around the Nature Loop, there is a wildlife viewing area...and looks what we saw! Pretty cool, we all thought!

All in all, a fun way to spend a Saturday - up close w/nature!

Lots of fun...things to see

2009-06-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

So, we went out to the property today - it's been almost 2 months since we've been out there (can you say...Little League was all consuming?!?) Anyway, while we were out exploring, we ran into a herd of cattle. Now, we've seen these guys before in the neighbors yard...thought they were cool. But let me tell you how startling it is to look up and see a GIGANTIC bull cow - w/very large, sharp looking horns staring at you through the brush! He was H-U-G-E! Not sure how they can eat enough roaming the desert to get that big, but let me just say...he was big! Anyway, we quickly gathered up the troops (meaning husband and kids) and walked quickly back to the car! From the safety of the car we could see that there were probably 2 Bulls, at least one female and a couple of calves. I tried to snap some pictures, but the one kept a close eye on me...so I didn't dare get too close! :-) Do you see him staring me down???

While we were out exploring, before we ran into the cows we found half a set of antlers. Pretty cool, we thought! :-)

Bikin' -N- Hikin'

2009-05-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today - we really tried to enjoy the overcast...misty, dare I say rainy day. So we went bikin' in the morning and then hikin' in the afternoon. We hiked almost to the top of Sombrero Peak (the peak behind our house) However, much to our surprise, by the afternoon most of the clouds had cleared away - and it caught us w/o sunscreen. :-( We had plenty of water, though so that was great. We saw a cool desert tortoise on the trail and much to my relief...no snakes! :-)

Three Nanny Goats Gruff

2009-05-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from Ryan's pre-k production of Three Nanny Goats Gruff...there were so many kids that there were 3 Nanny & 3 Billy Goats as well as 3 Troll Brothers! :-)

More camping

2009-05-16T20:26:00.001-07:00

Just a little boo-boo for Ryan...gotta love the face though!

Mt. Lemmon - Cub Scout Campout '09

2009-05-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our really fun 24 hour campout on Mt. Lemmon this weekend. It's a lot of work to camp for just one night...but it was really fun. The boys LOVED the great outdoors and we really enjoyed the cool evening and morning! I think there will be more camping in our future!

As part of the camp-out the kids crossover to the next rank...by physically walking over a bridge and then having the previous rank neckerchef removed. They are given their new rank book and a new neckerchef. You can see the difference between the orange Tiger rank in the flag ceremony pictures and the new yellow Wolf rank after the Crossover. The Tigers, now Wolfs got to lead their very first flag ceremony - bringing in the flags to start the meeting...Let's just say, the flags took 3-4 kids and 1 adult to hold upright! :-)

Ironman is here!

2009-05-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the day...Jack got 2 front braces, complete w/red rubber ties (not too bad really) and the facemask, which we have nicknamed "Ironman" which must be worn at night. Good times at the Hansberry house! :-) Actually, Jack was a really good sport. His orthodontist even called tonight to check on him and said the Jack was a really great patient! Yay, Jack!

Oh yea, and while we were there...they pulled out one of Jack's really wiggly baby teeth because he didn't really want to. :-)

Our little creative...

2009-05-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

Need I say more??? I think the outfits speak for themselves! :-)

Teeth

2009-04-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Who knew teeth issues could be sooo much fun?!!? So Jack got his palette expander today. Sat like a champ while the final fittings were made and we were out the door a few minutes later. He didn't seem to mind that it made him talk funny...actually made him want to try to say all kinds of words, just to hear how they sounded. The biggest surprise was the drool! :-) Jack is having to re-learn how to swallow...so for the first few hours, there was a lot of drooling and spitting. Pretty darn funny really. By tonight he's a real pro! On top of the expander he also received a bite guard for his lower teeth. Apparently as the top gets expanded, it also can move forward - which for us is a desirable effect. We want his top front teeth in front of his bottom front teeth. Currently they are not. Long story short - he now was a retainer type device that fits over his bottom teeth. He is supposed to wear it 24/7 for the first week. Great, right? Except that he must remove it to eat. Here in lies the problem. Jack has trouble finding things staring him in the face...so I'm sure it will be a challenge to keep track of this removable move guard. Oh well....it will be a learning experience - he's only 7 right?!?

AND then - yes, that's right, the story is NOT over. So, tonight as we are eating our dinner - the new expander hasn't slowed Jack down one bit in this department. So as he's shoveling in his dinner - I noticed blood on the back of his hand. We searched and searched and finally I noticed that the snarly, side-ways, twisted, half-in/half-out tooth in Jack's mouth is gone. He's eaten it! So, he wrote the Tooth Fairy a letter explaining why there is no tooth tonight. Too funny! So, let's just say...we've had our share of teeth issues for today!

Next week - will be a whole new story...Jack gets his face mask...aka...Iron Man! :-) Good times to follow.

Serious baseball

2009-04-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics from the weekend t-ball and baseball games. Just look at the concentration on Ryan's face...sheesh! :-)

A little fun at our house

2009-04-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

So, we've got quite the crew at our house... The sombrero picture was for Aunt Lori's birthday - then Ryan the pirate..arrrrggg mateys and Ryan and Jack's loot from our first visit to the brand new Monkey Business eatertainment business (that is direct from the sign - I did not misspell the word entertainment) that just opened up in our neighborhood. The boys certainly have a lot of fun...

Water games

2009-04-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

The kids had so much fun at the regatta, in large part to the games they got to play after the races. They tossed water balloons, they had to hold a bottle full of water on top of their head and then run and hop down and around a cone and back. The last race was one child got to lay on the ground holding an empty bottle on their head, their partner ran to the other end with a sponge, filled the sponge with water and raced back to their partner. They squeezed the sponge into the bottle (kind of) and then ran back to refill the sponge. As you can see...more water landed on the child on the ground than in the bottle! :-) Then of course they switched places so both were soaking wet! You can see by Ryan's large smile..that he didn't mind getting wet one bit! :-)

Raingutter Regatta '09

2009-04-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from our Spring Scout event...the Raingutter Regatta. Basically the boys get a balsa wood boat kit, shape, paint and decorate it. Then on race day they set them in a raingutter full of water and using only their own hot air and a straw, blow them to the end. The first boat to the end wins. We had a lot of fun racing and watching...we've got some strategies for next year! :-) Because only 2 boats race at a time, it takes awhile to get through all 50 scouts (they race multiple times)...they didn't allow siblings to participate, however they did have really fun water games and races...more pictures in the next post! :-)

More Easter fun ~

2009-04-12T19:35:00.001-07:00

A little Easter fun~

2009-04-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a beautiful Spring day. Here are some of the things we did today... hoola hoop, bubbles, egg hunt, fly kites, and eat chocolate!

Jack starts coach-pitch baseball

2009-04-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

Jack's also playing little league. He plays in coach-pitch for 6-8 year olds. I guess by the end of the season they want the older kids to actually start pitching at the games...I can see all kinds of issues w/that...but we'll just wait and see what happens. Right now the kids are rotating positions and they are supposed to be getting 3 outs - but we're still working on that. They hit and throw pretty well at this age - it's just the catching that requires some work! Let's just say...a single can turn into a home run in 1 or 2 throws! :-)

Only have a few pictures of Jack right now - but w/2 games a week and 1-2 practices a week, there will be plenty of opportunities to take more! I can tell you that we are living at the ball fields 5-6 days a week...ahhh, I think we're getting a glimpse into what our lives are going to like in the pre-teen, teenage years!

Ryan starts t-ball

2009-04-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

T-ball has begun...in full force. Ryan is playing little league for the first time. A big step for us...2 games and 1 practice a week...kind of a lot for 4 & 5 year-olds! Ryan seems to be enjoying it though...and he is pretty darn cute!

One Full Day!

2009-03-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Look who's driving! Scary! :-)

We started this beautiful Saturday by participating in the Marana Founders Day Parade. Jack and I walked with our fellow cub scouts, while Todd and Ryan...along w/the grandparents cheered from the streets! Picture the Hillsboro 4th of July Parade about 30 years ago! :-)

Then we spent some time racing around in our go-carts. Let me just say - Jack is going to be one scary driver! Thankfully we've got another 9 years before he's ready for his driver's license.

More fun with family...

2009-03-02T06:10:00.001-08:00

Can you tell that we had a blast w/cousin Ian, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lori visiting?!?

Ian meets Lucy

2009-03-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

Ian loves dogs...you can see he isn't the slightest bit afraid of going nose to nose w/our old dog Lucy. In the first picture Ian is carefully crafting the word "Oooooogg". Pretty good we all thought! :-) With those baby blues, how can anything he says not be adorable!

Ian's here and we're LOVIN' it!

2009-02-28T05:56:00.000-08:00

Some pics from our fun times with cousin Ian! Ryan has mastered the art of singing Twinkle twinkle or The Wheels on the Bus any time Ian starts to fuss. It works like a charm...Ian stops fussing, swivels his head around to look at Ryan and for the moment is fascinated (until Ryan stops). :-) Jack loves playing peek-a-boo in one of our tunnels with Ian. Ian LOVES books!

Haircuts!

2009-02-22T15:06:00.001-08:00

Phew - finally today we got a minute to cut the boy's mops off! Their hair had gotten soooo long it was rediculous! Jack swears it made him run faster though!?! :-)

Cub Scouts to the UA baseball game

2009-02-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

One of our requirements to earn our Tiger badge was to attend a sporting event. Due to the generousity of some friends (who happen to be one of the baseball coaches), the den was able to get into the game today for free!

It turned out to be VERY warm in the stands, but it was a good game none the less...at least for

as long as we could stay. The boys enjoyed the atmosphere of the game...you know...rolling down the grass hills, eating hot dogs, peanuts and sody pop!

Here are a few pictures of my crew! :-)

Mother/Son Sports Night

2009-02-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

Jack's school has a father-daughter dance and a mother-son sports night (formerly mother-son dance, but trying something new, due to low turn-out). It was our first time attending and Jack and I had a GREAT time. 10 different sporting events, mother/son teams organized into larger color teams...very well organized and allowed us to meet mothers and sons of different ages as well. We came home super tired after 2 1/2 hours of fun Friday night! :-) It was the perfect night for the event...it had been an 80 degree day - but cooled way down once the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

The funniest part of the whole night and probably a lesson the organizer will never forget...after 30 minutes...the sprinklers came on and every 10 minutes was going to move to a new section of the outdoor area we were playing in. the organizers were scrambling to find out how to turn them off. The first 20 minutes were fine - no activities there...but the next section doused our friends on the hippity-hoppity balls and sack races! The screams were hysterical - especially since we were a dry distance away! hehe I bet next year, making sure the sprinklers are turned off will be the first thing on her to-do list!

My Nana & Papa went to Australia and New Zealand and look at the cool shirts they brought us...

2009-02-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

More pics...snow capped peaks!

2009-02-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures...it snowed over night. We're expecting snow down to property level Tuesday night...Woohoo! Today a 4-point buck was grazing on our property and when we drove up, he leaped the fence and onto Nat'l Forest land. More cows...the kids loved it!

Can you say....

2009-02-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

P is for Pajama Day

J is for Jack-o-lantern teeth!

Look at what we did...

2009-02-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official...we own a little piece of country. :-) We purchased 4 acres on the back side of Mt. Lemmon. It is at 4300 ft elevation. We are super excited...we plan to make it our weekend getaway. It is about an hour out of Tucson. We have seen a small herd of cattle roaming through the property, white tailed deer, jack rabbits along w/many other desert creatures. It makes for fun sightings!

Our plan is to build a garage w/loft apartment for now and eventually build the cabin home we have envisioned. Here are a few pictures. Keep in mind...we live in the desert...so no pine trees, no grass, just lots of cacti, dirt and scrub trees, that we've heard turn beautiful this spring. The flat mountains in the distance remind us a little of the Grand Canyon. The sunsets from here are beautiful...pink and purple colored mountains!

We may get snow and it will definitely provide a little temperature relief in the hot, hot Tucson summer. We are 3 miles from Peppersauce Cave, Oracle State Park, the Arizona Trail and about 20 miles from the top of Mt Lemmon (and pine trees, camping and fishing).