Ding, Dong soccer is DONE!

What a season...0-10 (ok...we did tie two games).

A word to sum up the season...painful.

I know, I know, don't expect too much they are only 6...so I won't go into a long winded explaination of things. I will just say this, Jack did a really good job when he got down to business...and Chris will be coaching next year. Enough said.



Ah, I think I have a loose tooth.



Checking out the competition



GOOOOALLLL!

Halloween

Living in the country, trick-or-treating just doesn't work...unless you feel like spending the evening in a car driving around from house to house. Lucky for us, the Drakes invited us over to join their gang for dinner and an evening adventure.

Ben decided to go the traditional route and was a "Lego Bionicle" again this year (it is a strange action figure guy...that unless you have boys you would have no idea about!) Jack wanted to go as a Starwars character, but we waited to long to go shop...so he settled for a spooky ghost!

Check out the pictures:





(check out Gail as "Spongebob" in the back!)

Livin La Vida Loca

Alright...Chris and I really aren't living the crazy life, but we did go to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for Gannon and Jen's BEAUTIFUL white wedding a couple of weeks ago.

Great friends....great location....great food...LOTS AND LOTS OF FUN! Come on, you know it is a fun wedding when you toast the bride and groom with shots of tequila!!

Here are some assorted pictures of our adventures...

Life in the country....

Going to Ben's preschool has become a bit of a nature drive. Last week, on my way home I saw a donkey (ok...so I am not sure what classifies as a donkey...could have been a mule..ass...burro), YES a donkey snacking by the side of the road! Where did it come from, where does it live?? Needless to say, I don't think you see a donkey walking along everyday in suburbia!!

Then this morning I was taking Jack to school and I can now say that I have contributed to road kill in Placer County. We hit a squirrel. I tried hard to miss it...but that little guy just couldn't get it together in time...oops! OK, so my driving record isn't exactly all that good...but I swear I tried to miss it.

And if that wasn't enough on the excitment meter for the Beeman family...on the way home from preschool, Ben and I saw a coyote running across the street (he's lucky I didn't hit him considering my track record today!)

That is it for my exciting country news...I'll keep you up to date on any new animals I see (I know you are DYING to know!! Try to contain your excitment about this posting!!)

Going on a pumpkin hunt

A nice yummy apple
Sitting on top on of the hay
Ben and his little pumpkin


Ben had a field trip to a little local farm up here in our neck of the woods. We got to see how they sort apples, all kinds of animals and go out into the pumpkin patch and pick out a pumpkin (Ben picked out the only green one??!! which he has now painted rainbow polka dots!!)

Open House

Alrighty then...Martha (as in Martha Stewart, who I try to channel from time to time) came out in full force this weekend for our fall open house. It was the biggest party I've (ok we...Chris was a host too) thrown besides the wedding oh so many years ago...around 75 people...and I think it was a big success. Lots of fun...food...friends...and don't forget the drinks! Come by next year...I think I will have recovered by then!

The ladies and gents enjoying the evening...

When did it become October????

My how time flies when you are having fun!! I can't believe that it is already October and I haven't updated in about a month...YIKES! I was waiting to download some pictures...but haven't done that (and don't plan on doing it today)...so here is a quick update (without pictures!!)

-Jack is doing GREAT in school. He came home with a blue certificate yesterday for four weeks of "green" (good) behavior. WOOHOO. Now we just need four weeks of good behavior at home...I'm not holding my breath on that happening...but he is a sweet guy most of the time so I can't complain.

-Jack's soccer team the "Tazamanian Devils" is now 0-4...and I have to admit it really gives me an ulcer just to watch-I don't think I am destined to be the soccer mom that I invisioned. There are some slight improvements every week...so by the end of the season maybe we will have scored 2 goals!

-Ben is LOVING preschool. He has some new buddies, Colton (or Molton as he first called him) and Parker. And just today he told me that he likes our new house and his new friends...big improvement from a month ago.

-I have two words to add to the "Beniese" dictionary..."wame" means lame, as in, "Mommy, that is totawwy wame!" and "wucky" means lucky, as in, "This must be my wucky day"...I think he might be having a bit of trouble with his "L's"...but I have this to report-he now calls Hack...Jack! So we are making progress!

-Golf IS a contact sport! Who knew?? One can actually draw blood and be scarred for life in the game...or maybe that only if you are Jack and Ben. Jack was practicing his swing outside a couple of weeks ago and didn't notice (!!?) his brother running behind him. Somehow the club made contact with Ben's ear and split it open, all the way through. It looked like he had an earring for a couple of weeks (he's cool-but not that cool!) It is now on the mend...but we will always have a reminder.

That is about it for the younger boys. My older boy (ok-husband) is busy working his magic at work, making monies (as the boys say) and golfing from time to time. He is also battling yet another rash...it is not poison oak this time but some other weed grass rash that will not go away even after a trip to the doctor (4th time since we have moved up here). Lets just say this....I am not sure if Chris is cut out for this country life...he may have to become the boy in the bubble!!

I am doing good too. Not much to report, the classrooms are fun...we have another nature docent day this week (so far so good). I am trying to train for a half marathon for the end of the month...I think my mantra for the race will be "slow and steady".

Once I get some new pictures downloaded I will add some more to this lovely little blog...but I think you all are nowe updated in our fast (yeah right) exciting lives!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

BACK TO SCHOOL!! I never thought I would look foward to school starting as much as I have this year...the boys gave me LOTS of gray hair this summer!

Actually school started a couple of weeks ago...but due to crappy internet service since we are "out in the country"...I haven't been able to post any updates on the blog.

SOOO, anyway, here we are two weeks into the school year and all seems to be going quite well (knock on wood). Jack is making new friends and settling in to his new school.






Ben is going to a great little preschool three mornings a week and seems to be doing just fine...he doesn't want me to pick him up (a good sign I think!) Although there is still a lot of talk about his "old house" and his "old preschool"...he misses it and his friends...but "sort of" likes the new house...hopefully things will change soon and he will love the new house and area as much as the rest of the family does.

I start working in both their classrooms next week, should be interesting! This year, they got me again (I think I have "sucker" on my forehead)I am now the new Nature Docent(???!!!!) for Ms. Gallagher's first grade class. I think I get to help them plan and plant a garden at the school (It is clear that Ms. Gallagher hasn't seen the hundreds of flowers/plants I have killed over the years!)

We hope that it will be another GREAT year at school for the Beeman boys...wish us luck!

Once, twice, three times a tooth

SOOO, the summer is quickly wrapping up and Jack has been losing teeth faster than you can say "watermelon".

The second front tooth turned brown...yuck...and then I had to bribe him with $10.00 to let us take it out (yes, I know...I have incredible parenting skills...keep taking notes!!).

Then a week later the third tooth got super lose and almost fell out when Jack said "french fry"...double yuck...seriously hanging on by a thread...but at least I didn't have to bribe him this time.

I think ribs, corn on the cob and apples are off the menu for awhile...hopefully there will be some new ones growing in quickly!!

To tell the Tooth

You won't believe it....the news is incredible....it is almost scary


There is a tooth missing....lost it yesterday....check out the hole

A new smile


Rock on Brother...hope the tooth fairy is good to you!

Speaking Beniese

If you are planning a visit here soon (which we would love) or a phone call with Ben, I thought you might like this helpful "Beniese" dictionary of terms:


Hack means Jack (he will say "Jack" when he is talking about other friends called Jack, but for some reason he continues to call his brother Hack)
Hat means Jack (when he is REALLY trying to get his attention)
chunny means funny ("Hey, that not chunny!")
shit means fish (no he is not going around cursing...but for some reason this word sounds very much like shit right now)
peed means speed (cause for alarm when he was yelling "I got peed" in the pool...then we all realized he was talking about his "peed boat")
lello nade means "yellow" (has to be yellow) lemonade
tishes means kisses (as in "no more tishes mommy")
tank you means thank you ("tank you, tank you everybody" then he takes a bow??!)
aden means again (as in "what dat mean aden?")
nack means snack (he wants one every five minutes)
yet has double meaning..."yes" ("yet, I want that nack") and yet("I'm not ready to go to bed yet!)
wizards another double meaning word...lizards ("Mommy, did you see that brown wizard?") and wizard (as in "Harry Potter is one great wizard")

He probably needs a little speech therapy, but for now it makes me laugh/smile...just thought I would share about my chunny little guy....

Walking around Winchester

So I went on a walk last night and saw the following:

-27 lizards (seriously!)
-1 beetle
-1 owl
-2 hawks
-1 squirrel
-1 motorcyle
-2 cars
-1 truck
-1 guy with a dog
-20,000 dragonflies (approximately....I can't count that fast)

Actually, reviewing my list...I think I have a recipe for some sort of witches brew...do you think if I drank it, it would get rid of gray hair or cellulite??! AH, life in the country....

FORE!

Golf fever has hit record heights in the Beeman household this summer. Jack is a boy after his Daddy's heart and hasn't been this excited about something since...well, since....I don't know if I have ever seen him this excited (hopefully it will continue) He has been doing some clinics up at the club and from what they tell us, he has one hell of a swing for a six year old (what does that really mean??!)


Check out the swing...


Future PGA star


Making contact


Can't wait to get back to the range

Safari West

If you are ever in the Napa Valley and have kids, after you finish visiting my parents shop "On the Vine" (check out the link to their webpage on the right) go check out "Safari West".

Nana and Papa took us there last week and we had a blast. They take you out in Jeep and you feel like you could be on safari in Africa-lots of fun.

Here are some pictures from our adventure:

Out on the trail


Look how TALL


Two males trying to dominate...or looking for support


The look on envy...does the competition ever end??

Ben turns the BIG "4"

It is official...the little guy isn't so little anymore....he is almost a teen (or at least in 9 years...it will be here before we know it...and I think we are in trouble too!).

He turned 4 on the 3rd but still thinks he is 3 (still acts like it too...I guess it has only been a couple of days so I shouldn't expect too much!!) We celebrated in big Beeman style with a Dinosaur Party with A LOT of buddies. I think everyone had a good time...we did a dig, treasure hunt and a pinata...WOOHOO!! Here are some pics:

The boys on a dig...go Vancy!


Lunchtime


The birthday boy


Check out what I found Daddy!