San Diego Photographer, Families and Teens

I love the rain!  LOVE!  If I could find a place with the weather here and then like a good downpour once a week, I would be in heaven.  Dallon woke me up at 7 somthing wanting to set up his stand and help tying off more beads on the oragami stars.  But the rain got in the way, darn;). 

I am kinda diggin this blog thing.  It gets me thinking about my day.  It also gives me a mental break from whatever I am doing whether it is housework or design work and I like it.  I am really enjoying reading others too.  I have found a few friends from a previous design team I was on and it is fun to see what they are up to, what their interests are, etc.  You can really learn a lot about someone by the music they listen to, the books, websites they visit, and what they write about each day.  I highly recommend it!

Today was a crazy day.  The house was a mess from unloading the ‘perfect vacation’.  My leg muscles were feeling the pain from running up hills of snow (what was I thinking) and I still have this looming project that is due soon.  After breakfast, Dallon decided that he wanted to make oragami stars that a kid in his class taught him how to make.  I thought it was pretty cute and he tried a few other shapes as well.  As I was getting myself mentally ready to work, Dallon came up with the idea that he would like to sell his oragami pieces and how much do I think they would sell for.  Selling oragami?  How is he going to do this?  So I say, "I think you will have a tough time selling them to anyone."  But he was certain and kept asking about it.  As I was telling him again that it would be very difficult etc., I realized I was dashing my 7 year olds creativity, entreprenuerial spirit, and his excitement all in one blow.  Through the conversation he turned the oragami shape selling into, "We could put beads on them and make a little stand and sell them out front."  So in my head I know this is huge… make a stand?  Beads??? Get BEADS out??? Are you kidding?  I had so much to do… 

He was so excited, so bursting with enthusiasm.  So we started with making the "oragami ornaments".  He did it all and I helped tie everything off.  Tucker joined in too.  Then Dallon spied a large box and decided that would make a great stand.  So now I am totally into it.  I mean, this kid has wanted a lemonade stand since he was five.  Have we ever done one?  No! And why?  Because I was too lame to put it together for him… too busy, too something.  But not this time.  And while we put together the ornaments, he decided that lemonade selling was in order.

I actually did try to keep with the selling of ornaments and told him I was SURE his grandparents would buy some of his creations.  We didn’t actually have to sit outside and wave cars down.  But he was sure they would be a big hit and so we continued with making the stand and the wares to sell.

By 1:00, I had done a few loads of laundry, made all the beds and picked up a bit as well as made the stand and ornaments with the boys.  That was a lot to accomplish.  So it makes me wonder… why is it so hard for me to do the things the boys want to do, the creative things I so want them to use their time for?  I know why, it takes my time.  But I tell you, I can waste time like no other.  And no doubt if we didn’t do any of the oragami or the stand, I would have completed the same amount of housework and no work work. 

From 1-3 dallon did errands with me and Tucker went out with a friend.  Dallon and I had a great time, just the two of us (rare).  But Dallon was itching to set up the lemonade stand.  So we got home and the excitement from that boy was about the cutest thing in the world.  So I sat out with him while he tried to wave down cars that wouldn’t stop.  Tucker came home with his friend and they wanted signs on their helmuts.  So they rode around on thier bikes with lemonade signs on their heads.  A few friends stopped by and then a car full of late teenage boys (they still remember what it was like). 

Dallon made $5.50.  No oragami ornaments sold today… as I was sure they wouldn’t. But who am I to tell Dallon, "It won’t work, don’t try."  Of course try!  And did he care that none of them sold? Nope!  Does he want to go back outside tomorrow at 8am and sell lemonade and ornaments to people going to work? You bet (we will?, no, I have my limits;). 

Is my office a total mess from the creation of the ‘stand’? Yep.  But will I miss my deadline becuase of today?  No.  I can catch up.  Am I totally tired and wiped out?  I am… but it’s ok.  I hope I remember today and how just taking the time to help my boys with their crazy, creative ideas is really important for their own growth.  I don’t do it enough and this may be the first time in truth.  Anyway, I had to share.  It was an important day for me as a mother.

We just got back from an awesome short vacation at Lake Arrowhead.  We went a month ago and had so much fun that we had to go again before the snow melted.  We went with our friends the Alexander’s and shared a cabin.  The first day we went skiing/snowboarding and the weather was perfect sunshine.  When we went las month, it was a bit stormy and the snow was actually hail pelting our faces.  So we were quite happy with the sunny weather. 

The boys love going with their friends Matthew and Jordan.  These boys had a blast.  I remember doing trips with other families when I was a kid and they were some of my favorites.  The cabin we stayed at this time was really beautiful and quaint.  Perfect for all of us. 

The second day we decided that sledding was in order.  And it was a perfect day for sledding.   All the boys were sure that sledding was going to be ‘dumb’ but they found out that sledding was just as fun as snowboarding.  We all went down the hills which is pretty scary when you are bigger than a kid.  And then we had a snowball fight, the Beachem’s vs. the Alexander’s.  I love trips like these…

  The boys had ski lessons most of the day on Monday.  They ended up learning Falling Leaf and Tucker caught onto the "S" turn.  They were really excited and have decided that snowboarding is the best. 

They can’t wait to go next year and neither can we.  Joe and I got to spend the day together skiing which was really fun.  I did my best keeping up with Joe but going fast just isn’t my thing… well not REALLY fast anway;).  Snowboarding looks pretty easy… on the bunny hill.  I kinda want to try it but for now my ski’s are just fine.   Maybe next year.   I wonder if the boys will ever ski.  It is possible that they just snowboard forever which seems really weird. 

I love that they are old enough to do these trips.  It makes it so fun when they can learn new things and have a great time doing it as well as enjoy playing with their friends.  I think I see more trips in our future for sure.

Tucker was singing God is a DJ all morning so I had to add it to my music list.  The song is on the mix tape I made for Tucker for Christmas along with some Blink 182, Good Charolette, and Green Day.  He has always loved music and it is cute too see him in his room listening to it on his headphones.