Hargreaves Visit

Wow, look how far we have come since college!

Last weekend we were finally able to go and visit with Hargreaves. We had such a nice visit with them. The kids all loved playing with each other, especially Emerson playing with Baby Austin. We were able to help celebrate Andrew's birthday (a great surprise for him!) and even enjoyed a nice adult dinner out on the town.

Thanks Connie and Andrew for a wonderful weekend!

Hayden enjoying his ride on the swing.

Brennan swinging!

LOL! Isn't this face great!

Brennan loving on Austin

Lots of love,

The Grady's

San Diego Fun

So after an amazing Buffett show we were able to stay in San Diego one more night for a little more fun. We spent Friday in La Jolla, enjoying the great weather close to the beach. We had a great lunch outside, then walked to the beach. We were able to the seals, surfers, and the sea.

Friday night we had a great dinner celebrating our friend Amy and Tad's brother Eric's engagement. We rode a roller coaster (crazy!), walked on the boardwalk, and had a late night cruise on the Bahia Belle, a smaller riverboat on the bay. What a awesome getaway it was!

Lots of love,

The Grady's

We are the people your parents warned you about!

Seven Buffett shows and counting....this one certainly did not lack in excitement, great entertainment, and awesome memories with great friends. Our group totaled 18 people, some Buffett "virgins" in the mix as well. One of the highlights for me was surely the fact that Carrie and Austin flew all the way from Ohio to join our crazy mix of friends at our annual Buffett party.

Good times with the girls!

Nina and Tif pre-partying

Jeff and Austin

Carrie and I enjoying the fun!

Jeff and I

Whitnee and Joseph

Eric and Tad with their "Buffett" Hats

Lots of love,

The Grady's

Fins UP!

The car is packed. The suitcase has the appropriate Hawaiian shirts folded and ready. The ice chest is full, ready for ice. Chairs, leis, blankets, decor, and much more all ready to go.
Tickets printed and ready for use.
How do you make a crazy week great? Go to a Jimmy Buffett concert with 18 of your greatest friends of course!!!! Tomorrow morning at 9am the fun starts!
Making it even better? Great friends flying from Columbus, Ohio just to join the craziness!!!! CANNOT WAIT.

Lots of love,
The Grady's

My Day.

What a day. I am not even sure where to begin.

• Teacher union meeting (before school EVEN started) discussing how the district doesn't care about teachers and how if we back down on negotiations we will lose some pay and they may also stop paying for the PPO insurance our family desperately needs.
• Students come in for ELD time, trying to teach kids correct English=EXHAUSTING
• Meeting with parent about child's potty mouth.
• Phone call to Ob/Gyn because I have a sore breast and "might" be feeling a lump. Yes, a lump. They tell me that I need to come in today at 3pm. Friend/coworker comes to cover my class while I rush the 20 minutes to the Dr. Dr. does his exam and decides that I do have lumps but nothing that needs to be worried about because I have Fibro-Cystic Breast Disease (or rather condition). Basically, there is nothing wrong except for breasts that are more prone to cysts that can cause pain. Great.
• Race from my doctor's office to get Emerson from school to her dentist appt. all the way across town. We arrive 3 minutes early only to wait for 20 minutes before we are seen. Then spend 40 minutes getting x-rays, cleaning, Dr. visit, etc.
• Finally get home after 5pm, unpack backpacks, go through mail, make dinner, etc.

I should really be going to sleep now...but oh well. Why rest now?

Lots of love,
The Grady's

Apples, Pumpkins, Fresh Air

It has been months since we have been outside and been able to really enjoy the weather. Our weather the past few days has been incredible, dare I say, almost fall like. Saturday morning we decided to take a trip up the hills to Riley's Farm.

It was a very brisk day, but beautiful! The kids had so much fun running around in the cool weather and open fields.

Brennan and Lauren looking at the goats, sheep, and horses.

Lauren proud of her little pumpkin.

A trip to Riley's Farm would not be complete without some apple picking. We picked our fair share of apples and promptly made an apple pie when we got home. Yummy!!!
Now that is my idea of a great Fall day!
Lots of love,
The Grady's

OH goodness...

I am SO annoyed by Obama right now, watching the debate. He irritates me behind belief! If he has to interject one more time, with a retort to something McCain says I might just scream. So irritating, follow the rules, you idiot. I feel so bad for poor Tom Brokaw. Best quote of the night by Tom Brokaw"Don't worry, I am just the hired help." (LOL!!!)

Lots of love,
The Grady's

p.s. can you tell who I am voting for?

Bad way to start a week

You know it is bad when you are sitting at your desk, Monday morning and wondering how quickly Friday will be here.
Bad.

Lots of love,
The Grady's

Taking a moment

Every night our routine for bedtime is the same. Brushing teeth, two stories,, prayers, and then goodnight kisses all around. I tuck Brennan in his bed, then onto Emerson's room. Brennan inevitably calls for Daddy to come in, to tell him something or to coax him to hang out for a few more minutes to delay bedtime. Emerson is getting much better at curling up and going to sleep on her own. Although there are many nights when she will also call for me a mere minutes after I have left her room.
Tonight is no different. Emerson calls for me and I go back to her room. She wants me to lay with her and I tell her to try to fall asleep on her own. Because honestly I have loads of laundry to fold, lunches to make, a kitchen to pick up, a husband I haven't seen all day, and many other mindless tasks to get done. But as I walk out of her room, I stop and change my mind. I lay down next to her. I realize that someday she will stop asking me to lay with her. Someday she won't "need" me to help her fall asleep. Someday I will be hurt because she wants me to leave her room quicker than I am ready to.
So tonight, I lay there and watch her fall asleep, because I know it won't be forever. I know that this is a moment I should not let pass.

Lots of love,
The Grady's

Autumn is here...

At least the calendar says so. Don't mind that it is still over 100 degrees outside. I figured if I put out the fall decorations, then maybe it would actually start feeling like it.

Lots of love,

The Grady's

10 on Thursday

1. I love Thursdays...they mean that Friday is less than 24 hours away!

2. Counting the minutes until the premiere of Grey's Anatomy, c.a.n.n.o.t. wait.

3. Brennan was a fussy butt tonight....tired? getting sick? just being a pill? Who knows.

4. I received a great phone call tonight from my brother Jeremy...it has been too long since we have chatted. it was great to hear from him.

5. When will I have control over my class, complete control? I mean, these kids have this righteous mentality, like they deserve to do whatever the heck they want. SO annoying.

6. Emerson's sight words this week are tough for her. You would think that being a teacher I would have some great memorization ideas and I am at a loss, so frustrating.

7. DVR is my best friend on night like this one. Three of my favorite shows all premiering and I know I cannot possibly watch them all tonight.

8. I hate this time of year in the desert. I just wish it would cool down enough to make it feel like fall. I would love to have even a slight chill in the air.

9. I rearranged my classroom desks this afternoon, after the kids left. I am hoping that the talking problem is helped by this...we shall see tomorrow.

10. Emerson had to memorize her phone number for school this week. The kids' reward? Mrs. Torgerson called each one of them at home tonight using the number they wrote down. Emerson thought it was the greatest thing EVER.

Lots of love,
The Grady's

If you guessed...

DISNEYLAND, you are right! What better way to spend a Monday, but at the happiest place on Earth!

We bought annual passes on our last trip in August so we needed to break them in. The passes are only good on weekdays, and since the kids were out of school I thought, why not?!?

My mom and I headed over to Anaheim Sunday evening with the kids, got Olive Garden take out, and settled in to watch the Emmy's. Monday morning we got ourselves ready and headed into the park right when they opened at 10am. We went in between both parks, but spent the majority of our time at CA Adventure.

We went on the new 3D Toy Story ride.

Rode lots of other rides, including a favorite, the carousel.

But the best part...look who Emerson stole a hug from!

(poor Brennan missed her, as he was sound asleep).

Lots of love,

The Grady's

Can you guess where we went?

The kid's did not have school yesterday, as it was a teacher inservice day. So I took the day off of work...can you guess where we went? Here are a few clues!

• It was sunny and warm.
• There were other people at this place skipping work/school.
• Food was quite expensive.
• We had to drive a bit to get there.
• People could be heard saying, "Wow, that was SO fun!".

Any guesses? I will update later tonight!

Lots of love,
The Grady's

That same zip code

I know you remember it...yes, admit it, 90210 had to have been a part of your high school/college years. Tell me you didn't have special night dedicated to watching this show?
Am I the only crazy one who is suddenly addicted to this show AGAIN? Please tell me I am not?!?!
I mean really, who is Kelly's son daddy....aren't you dying to know??? How has Nat not really aged over the years? Being an actress and all, why didn't Brenda get that gap between her front teeth fixed yet? Are all the people in that zip code really that "privileged"?

Lots of love,
The Grady's

Back to School

Tonight I had the opportunity to switch roles, from teacher to mommy. I loved the new view:)

Jeff and I attended Emerson's Back to School night tonight. We are so excited to hear about all the amazing things that Em has ahead of her this year in kindergarten. Learning all about shapes and patterns, over 100 sight words, animals and plants, prayers and symbols...so many exciting new things. She said they would even be writing sentences and small paragraphs by the end of the year...I can't wait (and I'll believe it when I see it:))
I have to admit that being on the mommy side, rather than the teacher side, is so much more fun and exciting!

Lots of love,
The Grady's

Are you ready for some football?

I absolutely LOVE this time of year....the weather is finally cooling down (at least below 100 degrees), autumn decorations are starting to spring up in stores, the smell of candles creating artificial fall scents are encircling our house, and the sound of FOOTBALL is one t.v.!

I am really looking forward to the big game this Saturday, USC vs. Ohio State. Living in S. CA now for over 5 years, we have become avid USC fans. But the problem is, I also have this strong affinity towards Ohio State, thanks to my friend Carrie...so the question is "Who do I cheer for?".

I think the only fair answer would be to hope for a great game that comes down to the last few minutes!

Lots of love,

The Grady's

Weekend Getaway

We spent this past weekend in Lake Arrowhead with our friends Whitnee and Joseph, Craig and Pam, Tad and Tif, and of course all our kiddos. It was just what we needed!

It was such a mellow weekend spent playing games, relaxing in weather that was actually comfortable to sit outside in, and watching all 8 of our kids run around outside and pretend to be explorers. I would love to show you pictures, but would you believe I forgot my camera at home! Oh well, there will be more visits to this great place and pictures to take then.

Lots of love,

The Grady's

The end of summer

It is here...and I am trying to bargain for more time. I promise that it was just yesterday that I was SO excited about the end of the school year, and now here we are again. Knocking on that same door! Ugh. Don't get me wrong, I really do like my job, but it is really hard to get back into the swing of things again. It will seriously take me at least a week, if not more to not regret having to wake up and get dressed and out the door right away in the morning.
So at 9:30am tomorrow, I will be in full swing...think of me as I tackle all of those 3rd graders!

Lots of love,
The Grady's

P.S. The last few days have been tough in our house. Jeff lost one of his employees on Thursday. Please pray for his family as they handle their loss.

Randomness

Here is another addition of my random thoughts...

1. I am so glad that the kids are loving school so much. Especially Brennan, he is adjusting to life in preschool so well!

2. How in the world am I going to handle 32 3rd graders? That is DOUBLE my class size from last year almost...what is this darn district thinking?!?

3. It is SO humid lately, I am not sure how much more I can take. I swear we are all sweating by 8 am! And now is it raining and 98 degrees!

4. I wish I could shut my mind off at night, like a switch, because I seriously haven't slept a full night in at least a week. Ugh.

5. Explain to me why talking on your cell phone in your car is not legal anymore in CA, but text messaging while you are driving is? Honestly, think about which one takes more hand/eye coordination.

6. What am I supposed to do with all the papers Emerson brings home from school? Now I know what parents feel like when I send home stacks too!

Lots of love,
The Grady's

The Boy's BIG day!

WOW! My little boy started big boy school today! We started our normal routine today, with Jeff handling drop off, since it is in the opposite direction from my work. The kids loaded up, I kissed them goodbye and said a little prayer that all would go well.
Jeff called me about a half hour later to say that Emerson cried (sad, but honestly not surprised) and Brennan walked up the steps and said "BYE, Daddy!". and walked right on in. LOL!

I guess as the morning wore on Brennan had a few tears, but overall he had a great day!

Fast forward to later tonight...we headed to our friend's house for dinner to celebrate Tad's "real" birthday. As we pull onto the street Brennan's says, "Mommy! This is where my FRIEND Patty lives!!!". Patty is whom he has been with for daycare for basically his entire life! We have been at Patty's for over 5 years, and this is our first year without walking through her door. I have certainly felt the loss, and apparently so did Brennan.
This is the "boy" smile he has... growling at the camera!

Lots of love,

The Grady's

Kindergarten, Here we come!

Well, it is official, we have a kindergartner in our house. Emerson had her first day of Kindergarten today. We started preparing weeks ago... buying her a new backpack, lunch bag, school supplies, all the essentials to start the school year. Last night after a bath, Emerson requested that we put her hair in curlers for the big day. So she awoke this morning with beautiful little ringlets. I made her favorite breakfast, cinnamon rolls, and we headed out of the house. She was a little quiet in the car, but started to tear up once we arrived at school. The nerves were definitely getting to her. She was very teary upon entering her class, but her teacher, Mrs. Torgerson put her right at ease with her name tag and a "Key" to kindergarten. We went about putting her things away and chatting with her classmates. At 8am the class lined up to head outside for morning prayer, flag salute, and their first day welcome. Emerson jumped in line with her friends and headed outside. This is of course when I began to have a hard time. My little girl is not so little anymore, wow. Not so easy to take.

As I picked her up at 12pm today (their first day is a half day), she welcomed me with a big smile and plenty of stories about her first day. Phew, one down and so many more to go!

Lots of love,

The Grady's

P.S. Brennan has his first "real" day tomorrow for preschool. The preschool has a "meet and greet" on the first day, but the kids don't stay. So, more pictures to come tomorrow with our little man's first day.

Lauren's 3rd birthday

We helped celebrate Lauren's 3rd birthday on Saturday with a pool party! The Black's pool is finally finished (as of Friday, talk about close!) and we were able to celebrate Lauren's birthday in the cool water.

A tired birthday girl taking a break

Getting ready for her candles

Lots of love,

The Grady's

Wine

A trip to Napa would certainly not be complete without a trip wine tasting.

Sunday morning we made breakfast and hung around the house. Then, we packed a picnic lunch and headed out to Pine Ridge winery for some great tasting and our yummy lunch. After a great lunch, we made our way to Chimney Rock winery.

We finished our day with a champagne toast at my favorite, Domaine Carneros. This is the winery where Jeff and I took our before-wedding photos...and now 7 years later we are toasting our great friends' 10th anniversary on the balcony. What a great way to end our weekend!

Lots of love,

The Grady's