Slippery When on Ice

As a mother, one of my biggest joys is watching my children experience something for the first time. Doesn't really matter what it is, could be big like Disneyland or small like eating corn on the cob. These moments matter.

When I was a kid, my mom encouraged me to try everything - gymnastics, dance, music, drama (you get the idea). Unfortunately, nothing stuck including the ice skating lessons (though my sweet mother knit me a beautiful sweater to match my cute little outfit and I looked adorable - which is really all that matters if you're clearly not going to be the next Kristi Yamaguchi). I havent' been on skates since my 13-year old was 3 and I certainly wasn't going to try to teach him how to skate when it would have been potentially tragic to all on the ice.

Enter - our dear friend Brad - former pro-hockey player and coach of his son's team. He's known as "Coach Bellsey" (I made the mistake of calling him "Coach Ballsey" - not good ...).


Anyway, this guy's a natural with kids - a total gem. He invited David to come out for a free lesson & I saw this as a wonderful photo opp.

First the skates.



Brad wanted to start slowly, but my kid said, "Let's just go play hockey!"


Hey, I get it ... why waste time?

Finally, it came time to put blades to ice and this is what I saw. First holding hands ...


... then Brad grabbed this handy little 'walker' (or in this case I guess it would be a 'skater'). Back in my day, I don't believe they had these nifty helpers. If they had, who knows the possibilities that may have lay ahead for me. But I digress ...



Brad's son joined in the fun at the end helping my little one adjust to his new surroundings. So sweet, this kid. Loved watching this morning unfold.


New experiences rock.

Easter Sunday in SD

Bear with me while we get caught up ...

We went to Easter Vigil on Saturday night which freed up Sunday morning for some much needed beach time.

My happy kids.


This one does handstands.


This one doesn't EVER stop running ...


... or smiling!



Walking together.


Holding hands.


The end to a perfect day.


Hope you had a Happy Easter.

problems already ...

I just sent out a email announcing my 'blog launch' and some of the pictures aren't loading. I'll fix it tonight ...

JNQ's in LA

Through my posts, you'll learn more about me and & my current (and i stress 'current') interests. Right now, I have a few personal interests, but for my family, it's volleyball. My adorable daughter took a liking to the sport in 6th grade and now four teams, numerous camps and an unmentionable amount of money later, we find ourselves fully enveloped in what has become a central part of our family's life.

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I am one of 'those moms'. You know ... the ones who sit on the sidelines, wringing their hands together when they're not cheering, screaming, or, much to my daughter's dismay, dancing on the sidelines celebrating a hit that would make Misty May blush. Yes, I admit it - I do get worked-up a bit, but it's so hard not to.



This is my kid.



She's amazing.

We were in LA a couple of weeks ago for a 3-day tournament. To say that the girls played their hearts out would be an understatement. They gave it their all, even playing until midnight on Friday. Good grief ...

'Our' coach, who I simply adore, said, "We're the team that doesn't shut up!", and they didn't. They cheered, clapped and celebrated their way to day three where 'we' played at the Home Depot Center. Not your typical volleyball venue.





Wierd, huh? That's because its a velodrome. What's a velodrome, you ask? Here's a hint ...






Yes, everything was going fine until the bikers showed up. Suddenly it was, "Volleyball? What's volleyball?". The girls lost their concentration and we went down. Despite our cheering from approximately 3 miles away, we lost in three games. Still, a good time was had by all.

my first time ...

So, I'm having lunch with a client on Friday and she tells me she has a blog. In fact, she has three blogs, though two go unused. She blogs so regularly, she can "do it in her sleep". I'm thinking, "Well, if she can do it ...". So I decide to sit for a bit and give it a whirl. So far, not too bad ...

She starts throwing out ideas of how to use a blog not only for sharing pics of the kids (which everyone does), but to share information with others. Brilliant ... Sounds like something I'd say to someone else fearing to dip their toe into the unknown.

The first time is always the hardest. What the heck do I have to say that anyone could possible care about? What will people think?

Honestly, who really cares? In the end - I hope to use this as an outlet for my own thoughts and share them with those I love and reach out to those I hope to love one day.

Here goes nothing ...