Cruz News

Happy Birthday, J.T. - by Susan

2008-11-23T00:04:00.000-08:00

So sad for J.T. We do not have any pictures of his birth, like we had for Eden. Maybe it's because J.T. decided to surprise us 5 weeks early. Maybe it's because we're unorganized and can't find them. Anyway, Happy Birthday, J.T.

Firestorm!!!

2008-11-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

Most of you who read this blog (all 2 of you) know where we live in relation to the affected areas where fire has broken out, but just in case, we wanted to post an update on us and our respective immediate family during this tragic time of loss.

The Cruz Jr.'s (Nick, Susan, J.T. and Eden): We are out of harm's way. School was cancelled for Monday although Susan still has to report for work. =( One of the preschool teachers lost their home. One of our friends had several homes on their street burn down, but not theirs. Susan's cousin, Angel, whose house was a few blocks away from the affected area in Anaheim Hills was safe. Church was really difficult to get to this morning, due to the 57 Fwy Northbound being closed at Lambert and the 57 Fwy Southbound being closed altogether. We were a lot more late than usual.

The Cruz Sr.'s (Noel, Julie, and Sarah - Nick's parents and sister): They are probably about 1-2 miles from the burn area. They had a "Mandatory Evacuation" on Saturday night. Although they were packed up,ready to leave and stay over at our place, they did not go. While perched on their roof, they witnessed some potential looters driving around. No cars were allowed in or out of the area so they rode their bikes around instead. Chickens and koi fish are okay.

Villena's (Ed & Vicki - Susan's parents) - They are about 2 miles from the burn area. They are not worried.

Please pray for all of those in this area that were affected or could potentially be affected. It really makes you appreciate all you have and to focus on the less trivial things.

We've been checking ocregister.com for updates as well as abc7live.com and the fire map

Principal Eden?!?! by Susan

2008-11-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

So Eden was RANDOMLY chosen to be the Principal for the Day at school. I stress RANDOM because I'm the one who arranges the drawing. Well, not "arranges" it. I mean, sets it up. Well, not "setting it up". Anyway, I organize it. And not like "organized crime". Each student who completes their Reading Log gets ONE raffle ticket. I stress ONE. Their names get put in a big plastic bowl and someone, usually a student (i.e. NOT me), reaches their hand in there and pulls one ticket out and that name happened to be Eden. Signal deep sinking feeling. I was super happy for her, but I always get that icky feeling that someone might be thinking way deep in their mind that I set it all up. J.T. was also the Principal of the Day when he was in Kindergarten. Some kids turn in their Reading Logs every single month and still don't get picked in the drawing. Some get picked twice. I guess it's just the luck of the draw, but I'm totally okay with my kids not being lucky.

Anyway, (geesh, stop distracting me!) Eden got to be the Principal of the Day on Wednesday. So she got to walk around with a clipboard with two other students (also randomly chosen) and pretend like she was important. We even bought a "principal" outfit, although she absolutely would not put her hair in a bun!! She got to ring the morning bell and stand with the principal at our morning assembly. She also got to enjoy a coffee (a.k.a. cocoa) break and treated herself to lunch at In N Out. She was with two other older boys and I heard she was bossing them around! Luckily, they were the two sweeeeetest boys who were very tolerant and patient. I had to explain to Eden the difference between being "a boss" and being "bossy".

I am in love...by Susan

2008-11-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

.....with Fresh & Easy, grocery store!! When all the "normal" grocery stores around your neighborhood close down and you're forced to shop at Food 4 Less, you get pretty excited when a shopping center gets built nearby and it looks like there' room for a grocery store. About two years ago, they closed the Albertsons and the Ralphs, which were about 1/2 mile from us in either direction, so we were forced to shop at either Henry's which doesn't have a lot of "normal" food like roll-out piecrust or canned chicken. And Food 4 Less is just plain ghetto. I don't want to bag my own groceries.

So last night we went to the Opening Day of Fresh & Easy. We went after Pajama-rama so we were all in our pajamas and we must have looked like a nominee for the World's Worst Parents, traipsing around little kids at 9:00 at night.

Anyway, the store is awesome!!!!!! The primary draw of the store is that they have a lot of prepared meals, for those of us that are too lazy to cook. They have a good variety - all the stuff in a normal store and their prices are cheap. Plus, around 4 or 5ish, they mark down some of their stuff by 50%!!! And the store is super close - I would definitely ride my bike there with the kids, although we would have to go under the freeway overpass and pass the homeless people on the corner, but, hey, it's worth it!!!!

"Mama Mia, Happy Halloween-a" by Susan

2008-11-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

Do you know how much I hate Halloween?? And the reason I think it's the lamest holiday ever is because......... (pick one):

a) Kids are basically begging for candy.
b) Kids are obnoxiously hyper after eating said candy.
c) Costumes are expensive.
d) Kids wear said expensive costumes once!!!!!!!!!
e) I am cheap and don't want to spend money on costumes or candy.
f) All of the above.

Yes, the answer is "F" all of the above.

So this year was the first year that we did not buy ridiculously expensive costumes, which made me even more bitter, because that meant that I would actually have to be creative and put work into their costumes. My pattern in the past was procrasting until the week before Halloween to decide what the kids were going to dress up as and then spending an arm and a leg on getting on my order to be shipped overnight - not surprisingly, this makes Nick very bitter. However, I love the fact that J.T. and Eden usually dress up as a pair - Peter Pan & Tinkerbell, Mickey & Minnie, Batman & Robin (my favorite), Superman & Supergirl!!! This year J.T. decided he wanted to go as Mario from the video game, (which was okay since it was pretty basic) and naturally, I wanted Eden to dress up as Luigi, they would be more recognizable. Alas, although this would have my life super easy since all I would have to do is buy another pair of overalls and a green shirt, she did not want to dress up as a boy - even with the promise of a mustache - so she went as Princess Peach. Mario will always be a classic!!!

The cost of J.T.'s costume
Home Depot Painter's Hat....$.98
Red long sleeve shirt....$7.99
Getting J.T. to fit into Eden's overalls.......Priceless

They stuff their faces like little monkeys!

"Naked Girls" by Nick

2008-10-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'll BET that got your attention. You know, as I am preparing to write yet another witty entry into our blog I can't help but notice that most of the funny things that happen to us have to do with JT. I wonder why that is, because you would THINK that Eden, and all of her personality, would carry the brunt of the stories. But, apparently, you'd be wrong.

Ok, so on with the pasties, I mean details. The other day we were all heading home after school. I had picked the family up at school on my way from work so we were all together in the car. Out of nowhere, which seems to be the MO for JT, JT asks, "Can you keep secrets from your parents?" In my head, I'm saying "Of course, you CAN keep secrets, but you shouldn't." Sensing that he had more to say but was afraid and/or embarrassed to say it, I approached the conversation very carefully. I said "Well, its very important for us all to be honest with each other. We want to be able to trust you no matter what and we also want you to trust us. Also, your mom and I, want you to know that you can tell us anything, even if you think we might be upset...." etc etc, you get the point. "Some kids at school were talking about being naked and then I went on the computer and I saw pictures." JT said quite sheepishly. "I see." said I. Now my mind was reeling!! Who is involved, did this just happen, are the kids in school talking about porn and naked girls, are there older kids involved? Aw man, now we were going to have to tell the teachers that there is a problem on campus and then all of these other parents are going to get involved and a bunch of kids are going to get busted...."Lets talk about this when we get home, ok JT?" I replied, not wanting Eden to hear all the really bad things that were going to be said.

So, we get home, do our homework, have dinner, etc. Then when it was getting close to bed time I sent Eden upstairs and Susan, JT and I sat on the couch together. I was seriously freaking out at this point and I was really disappointed that JT had already discovered the Pr0n at such an early age!! I started by telling JT that he was NOT in trouble and that we were really glad that he was being honest and open with us. Then it got WORSE! JT started telling us a story about a kindergartener that came out of the bathroom naked with another boy!!! WTF?! (Turns out the other boy was there because the kids have to go to the bathroom with partner and the other boy wasnt IN the stall with the first boy, he was closing his eyes so he wouldnt see anything!) Then JT starts in on a story about some boys (I won't name names) that kept talking about "naked girls" and their "boobs" and commenting on size, etc. And, so, JT being the ever curious one, decided that the next time he was at his Lola's house (his other grandma) he would do some research to find out what they were talking about. Not knowing what to search for, or really, HOW to search. He types in "naked girls" in the address bar. At this point, Susan is really trying to stifle a laugh. She had her head buried and I could see her body shaking with the laughter. At first I thought she was crying hysterically. But not me, I maintained my composure. JT continued "I typed in "naked girls" and then a picture came up on the screen. The website said that I had to be 18 to continue so I tried to press cancel and then the pictures kept popping up!" He was so precious at this point and I could tell that it really scared him and he probably freaked out because of all of the pictures that kept popping up.

Well, at this point I was a bit relieved but still a bit upset that the kids were doing this. I asked JT if this happened over the weekend and he said no. Then I asked if it happened recently, and he said No. "Did this happen once?" "Yes" Hmmm, "Well, JT, when DID this happend." "Ummmm, first grade." FIRST GRADE!!!!!???

HOLY CRAP!! First grade! For crying out loud that was last year! And not only that, but the boy in the bathroom? Yeah, COMPLETELY unrelated! That story, DID happen recently but it was not tied to the porn story AT ALL! Oh man, oh man, you can imagine our relief! This was the whole point of putting him a private Christian school...to keep them away from this stuff!!!

So, in closing, we told him that we loved him and really appreciated his honesty and were glad that he felt that he could tell us the story. We also wanted him to know that he shouldn't wait A FREAKING YEAR to tell us something but that he could tell me, Susan, Susan and I, teachers, anything. Then we prayed together.

I think that we really handled it well and it could have gone horribly wrong with us slamming a door in his face that would lead to him never trust us again!

Farmer Day! by Susan

2008-10-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

It was Farmer Day at school today... here are a couple of the kids.

All I have to say is thank goodness I don't work on Fridays!!

Drama!!!!!!!!!! by Susan

2008-10-09T17:02:00.001-07:00

I love drama, as long as it's not happening to me, so keeping in line with Nick's post below, I've decided to share some news about one of our neighbors.

So I'm totally drained from a long day at work topped off with physical therapy and at about 8:45 last night I fell asleep on the couch. Didn't even say good night to the kids....pretty much left them to fend for themselves. Nick strolls in at 9:30 from a Homeowners Association Meeting (he's officially on the board!!), and he says "Oh, my gosh, they're arresting someone!!"

Being the caring, nosy neighbors that we are, we shut off all the lights and stood in the doorway, looking out across the pool. Through the pool gate, I could see a guy on his knees, his shirt unbuttoned and his beer belly hanging out. There was a fire-truck and an ambulance, along with two police cars. I saw the flashlights moving around and one of the officers, who thankfully, had a loud voice, started to question him.

This is the very unoffical transcript.

Loud Officer: Looks like you have a stab wound.
Arrested guy: [Giggling] Yeah.
Loud Officer: Who did this?
Doug: Me.
Loud Officer: You did? Are you remorseful about something?
Doug: [Inaudible]
Loud Officer: Is there anyone else home?
Doug: No.
Loud Oficer: What's your name?
Arrested guy: Doug.
Loud Officer: Greg, are you on any illegal substances or medication?
Doug: [Inaudible]
Loud Officer: Hey, I just gotta ask.
Doug: I'm taking [inaudible].
Doug: I'm a manic-depressive.
Loud Officer: You're a manic -deperessive? Have you been drinking tonight?
Greg/Doug: [Giggling] Yeah, alot.
Loud Officer: What have you been drinking?
Doug: Vodka.
Loud Officer: You're a vodka guy?
Loud Officer: What did you scrape yourself with?
Doug: A knife.
Loud Officer: Have you done this before?
Greg: Yeah.
Loud Officer: When?
Greg: September.
Loud Officer: And you weren't successful back then, either, were you? Do you have any
relatives in the area? Mom, dad, aunts, uncles??
Greg: Yeah, but they're pretty old.
Loud Officer: What does that mean, "old?"
Greg: [Inaudible]
Loud Officer: Yeah, 82 is old.

Then they made him walk himself to the gurney and climb up there.

Sorry...no pictures available. I love my neighbors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Susan has a hunger for a little speed!

2008-10-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

Susan is a crazy little monkey! A couple of weeks ago my family took me out to the indoor Karting track. I always have a blast racing, and I am pretty decent, if I do say so myself, but this was Susan's first time out on something a bit faster than those cheezy karts at Family Fun Center.

Even though Susan did not WIN the race she did come off with this evil grin that went from ear to ear. For one, she successfully blocked me from lapping her more than once. I can usually intimidate someone I am trying to pass by really coming up on them fast into a corner, but Susan would have none of it. I had to stage a 3 car pileup in order to just get by her! Now, the problem that we have here is that Susan did not win. That is not necessarily a problem for me, directly, but it is an issue

Community

2008-10-06T12:12:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of actually keeping this blog fresh and easy (By the way, when the hell is that Fresh and Easy on Euclid and Orangethorpe going to be finished?! Im sick of going to Food4Less!!!!)...ahem, sorry. Like I was saying, here is a little diddy that I wrote for our last block party. It was geared specifically for our neighborhood but I think that it actually has a much broader scope than just those who live on Mako Ln.

Thank you all for coming tonight. Before we start the movie I just wanted to say a few words about what tonight means to me and hopefully to you as well.
Look around you, we sit on approximately ½ acre of land and in that ½ acre there are approximately 600 people living together! If you really boil it down and think about it, when you turn in for the night you are probably sleeping not more than 5 feet from your nearest neighbor! But do you know their name? Do you know what their favorite food is, or what they do for work or recreation? I would be willing to bet that you know more about the characters from “The Real OC” that you do about the person that lives across the drive from you. It becomes so easy to just come home, pull into the garage and forget all about the world outside our own 4 walls. But who do you call If you forget to close your garage door? Where do you go when you need to borrow a cup of sugar? Who do you wave to when you pull into Lakeview Townhomes?
Now, most, if not all, of you would agree that we live in a community. But what is a community? Webster’s defines “community” as
1: a unified body of individuals: b: the people with common interests living in a particular area; c: an interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common location d: a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society

To me, though, community means so much more than that dry, drab, depressing definition. Community is when I can call Bryan, my neighbor, and ask him to feed our cat for us while we are gone. Community is being able to trust your house with your neighbors, knowing that they will look after your house while you are out of town. Community is baking your neighbor a pie because you know that they like it, or saying hello to those that you pass by while you are on a walk. Community is knowing that your kids are safe when they are playing outside, knowing that they have many pairs of eyes watching to make sure that they are always ok. Community is knowing that if, by chance you accidentally leave your garage door open one of your neighbors will close it for you. Community is offering to help pick up a water heater from Home Depot (thanks Jeff). Community is calling your neighbor, whom you know is alone, when there is an earthquake, just to make sure that they are ok.
I feel blessed that you all came out tonight. I hope that you are enjoying yourselves and I hope that you have met someone new and feel that you are now more a part of this community than ever before. If you still feel that you haven’t met someone new then I will help you out with that.
My name is Nick Cruz and I live at XXX Mako Lane. My wife’s name is Susan and we have two wonderful kids, JT and Eden. We are born and raised Orange Countians. All four of us were birthed at St Jude Hospital in Fullerton (no, not at the same time). We recently started going to church in Yorba Linda, and we have season passes to Disneyland. Susan plays in a women’s adult soccer league and I like to do Crossfit. Both of us are card carrying SCUBA divers. Both JT and Eden are in gymnastics, Eden loves to sing and JT loves to read. Susan is a librarian at JT and Eden’s school and I am mechanical designer.
Now you know some things about my family. I would like to encourage you to share some things about yourself with someone new. Community is not about one night per year, it’s about a continual building of relationships with those around you.
In order to stay in good graces with the HOA I would ask that you please pick up after yourselves when the movie is over. There is a large trash can over here for your convenience. We also have fresh popcorn over by the tables. Please silence your cell phones and pagers at this time. I hope that you will enjoy our presentation of Nim’s Island.

Thank you,

Nick, Susan , JT and Eden

....Did I mention that Sarah can really tickle the ivory's?

2008-10-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Seriously, if you thought I was kidding about hunting you down, go ahead, test your luck....Vote now!

Can you believe that this is my sister?!!! =)

2008-10-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

Im so proud to be related to such talent! Now vote for her song or I will hunt you down.

JT wants to be a Republican....

2008-09-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Funny story, and 100% true. First a little background. I have been trying to follow the election coverage as much as I can. In doing so I usually have the radio on to one talk show or another, both right wing and left (I try to get a balance but thats the subject of another post). The other day on the way to school we were listening to commentary on the RNC from the previous night. JT asked me what the difference between Republicans and Democrats was. Now, my answer may well have been a little one sided but I didnt want to go into a drawn out monologue about the nuances and positives and negatives of each party and I happen to have more conservative fiscal and social leanings so I said something like..."As a rule of thumb Republicans are for personal responsibility and they want to lower taxes and Democrats generally want the government to tell you what to do and they want to raise taxes." I then had to explain briefly what being taxed meant. Bottom line, taxes bad, personal responsibility good.

So I thought that was the end of that. But, JT, bless his heart, must have been quietly stewing on that conversation for the past few days. Yesterday, JT's teacher had been going around the classroom asking the students, "If you could trade places with someone, who would it be?" According to JT, the answers were all in the vein of Hillary Duff and Babe Ruth. Yeah, I know, Hillary Duff? WTH? Anywho, when it was JT's turn he promptly responded with "A Republican." HAH! And then when asked why, JT answered, "So I could lower taxes." Classic! Maybe I should go and pick up a copy of Milton Freidman's "Capitalism and Freedom"

I wonder if he will be the next Alex P. Keaton?!

First Day at School

2008-09-04T12:09:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, September 3rd was a big day in the Cruz house. Wednesday was the first day of school for JT and Eden. The kids were both very excited and have been for at least the past week. Eden loved getting to pick out her own backpack (pink with little skulls with hearts for eyes) and her own lunchbag. We went to bed early the night before school but the kids packed their own lunches before turning in. In the morning we did our normal "1st day of school routine..." I woke up extra early and made my world famous pancakes, bacon and eggs. Eden and JT packed their lunches into their bags and Susan and I shared a few smiles and a few tears.

The reason that we had such mixed emotions is obvious to those of you out there that have kids. But for those living viacariously through your "Frarents" (Friends-Parents?. work with me people!!) Sit back, let my words wash over you like a warm South swell on Maui as you make your way down the golden path of enlightenment.

Yesterday brought many smiles for Susan and I. But yesterday also brought a few tears of sadness. You see, yesterday JT and Eden started school. Of course it was a big deal that JT started 2nd grade this year, but it was a much bigger deal for Susan and I that Eden was moving on. Yesterday Eden officially began school. I mean SCHOOL school. Sure she did pre-K last year, but honestly, that doesnt really count now does it? No offense Eden, but its not like you were learning trigonometry or theorizing about supply-side economics or learning how to differentiate between Pablo Picasso's blue and rose periods. No, your days were filled with finger paints and elbow macaroni, nap times and potty breaks. All the wonderful things that little 4 year olds do so well. The activities that constantly keep the smiles and the cameras flashing. This year Eden joins the ranks of the myriad of other kids as they start their painfully long but surprisingly short journey into education and career paths. Eden is our little baby girl, my little punkin and it pains us to see her growing up so quickly....excuse me.......sorry, I had a piece of dust in my eye.

Now, unfortunately for us, Eden was more than ready for her first day in the big leagues. She busied herself preparing her lunch bag, making sure everything was perfectly in line and neat. She didn't put up much of a fuss when Susan did her hair up (big shock!!). And she was ALL smiles going into assembly and finally into her class. She could have cared less about our "pain". She is so awesome and I am so glad that she has so much confidence in herself!!

"But what about JT?" you may be asking yourself. Well, it was a big day for our 2nd grader as well! Although, JT is a seasoned pro by now. He went straight into the assembly hall (after saying "Hi!" to Mrs Morgan of course) and found his assigned seat. From there it was straight off to class and we almost missed him walking by! When we went to check on him (secretly of course) he was the first one in class with his hand up ready to answer his teacher's question. Oh yeah, he's good.

So that was that. JT and Eden are now in school as I write this post and I can only imagine what they are doing or learning at this very moment. JT and Eden, if this blog ever stays up long enough for you to find and read, I want each of you to know how proud your mom and I of are you. You two bring constant joy to our hearts and we love you very much.......hang on a sec..........sorry, more dust in the eye. I do not doubt that the Lord has great plans for your lives and we are just so thrilled and grateful that we will have the privilege of seeing what those plans are. Eden, we just know that you will grow into those britches soon enough ;)

Happy Anniversary to us!

2008-08-05T23:35:00.000-07:00

Today is our 8th Wedding Anniversary!!!!

Exactly 8 years ago we were married on a very warm summer day....I really think it was the hottest day of the year....hot enough to take off my trousseau under the table. One of my favorite memories of that day was in the dressing room of the church. The bridesmaids and I were getting ready and we were just kicking back then I pull out this hot dog that we bought at Arco and I started eating it - mustard and ketchup and all - in my wedding dress. Needless to say, I was 4 months pregnant, starving and my bridesmaids were freaking out!!!

Nick is the best husband ever!!! Just last weekend he literally pulled the shirt off his back to give to our goalie so she would be wearing a different color than the opposing team. He's continually pitching in with the housework and the kidwork. He makes me tea in the morning before I wake up. He takes me to the batting cages when I'm depressed or antsy (better the balls than him, right)?? He still cares about the way he looks to me (i.e. he hasn't "let himself go") and he's actually in the best shape he's ever been. He patiently coaches me when we go snowboarding.

(The videos below - they're all short, I promise - are just a few of the runs that I made trying to land this tabletop. I would start, chicken out and slow down, either fall off or go around the tabletop at the last minute, then walk up the hill and start again. I think I did this about 10 times while Nick patiently waited in the cold snow off to the side. I did finally land it.........then I got nailed by a medic while I was celebrating at the end of the tabletop. It was so coooool!).

And although there's been a few bumps in the road (some not so small), he is always willing to work it out and stand by me. I could never tell him enough how much I appreciate him and love him. There is no one else I would rather be with now and forever.

I love you Nick!!!!

p.s. We're going out to dinner, so don't bother calling us.

p.p.s Please do not stand under our window and sing "Let's get it on" in your best Marvin Gaye voice.

Mako Lane Block Party!!

2008-08-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had our 3rd annual Mako Lane Block Party/Movie Night. Nick and I love to foster the sense of community spirit and what better way to do it than with dinner and a movie.

We have about 47 homes on our side of the complex and we invited them all with a hand-delivered invitation and a fake movie-ticket to see an outdoor screening of Nim's Island. Just delivering the invitations helped us to meet some neighbors - some are old and crotchety, some are single and swinging, some don't wear pants (don't ask), some are new to the neighborhood, etc. About 15 families showed up, most of them with kids. We also invited some friends who had kids. We played games, ate a ton of food, enjoyed some great music and entertainment, and watched a movie. It was a jolly old time and if you were there, thanks for coming!! (From the pictures, it looks like just my family and other adults were there, but I assure you, other kids were there but I don't like putting pictures of other people's kids on the internet.)

After living in a time and place where I could ride my bike around the neighborhood and where I could be gone for hours at a time at a neighbors house, we wanted to recreate that sense of security. When I was little and my parents came home from work, we would play outside until the streetlights came on. Of course, times are different now, where we rush home after a busy day of work, taking the kids to soccer practice, picking up dinner, going to the dry cleaner and countless other errands, etc. and then we come home, park our car in the garage and close it behind us.

I remember playing horses with my neighbor Lisa Fouchey and spraining my elbow on her front lawn while her sister Alison was spinning me around. I remember Alison letting me borrow her cowgirl costume for our school's Western Days Square Dance. I remember having mud wars with my neighbor Mark across the street and eating frosting for lunch with him on summer days before we could drive. I remember sitting at his house waiting for my parents to come home when I forgot my house key. I remember watching Wizard of Oz for the first time at Michelle's Braun's house. My parents would have never let me experience any of those things if they did not trust the parents of these kids and how do you earn trust from someone you don't know. (My dad is a social butterfly, I admit).

I think it's such an important feeling to feel safe in your own neighborhood. It leads to lower crime rates because everyone is looking out for each other and knows when a stranger does not belong there. I like being able to ask my neighbor to feed our cat when we're on vacation and I love the fact that two of my neighbors came by to check on us after our recent earthquake. I love that my neighbor volunteered his screen and projector for our movie night. I love being able to say hi and have a conversation with someone at the pool instead of acting like they're not even there. I love the fact that the neighborhood kids play in our cul-de-sac and the grown-ups are all especially on alert when the weird old guy tries to talk to them from the other side of the fence.

In my neighborhood, I don't like the saying "Don't talk to strangers".

Sidekicks are not shutout!!!!!!! by Susan

2008-08-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had our last game of the summer season against the Black Widows - whose uniforms, strangely enough, are white. We did not lose....but we did not win either. We tied 2-2! After a no-scoring 1st half, I thought "So far, so good." Then we scored early in the first half, then they answered with a goal of their own. They scored another one after that, but we were determined not to lose yet another game. Somehow we got another ball in the goal, which was heavily debated by the other team..... it was a very messy goal with people on the ground, limbs flying, etc.

Even though it was tightly taped, my ankle was still hurting me. I did play...my dream position of right forward, nevertheless. (Does someone on my team actually read this blog??) However, you could tell by the way I played that I was really apprehensive about further injuring myself. I felt like I played the worst game I had ever played - continually passing to the other team, missing a ball between my legs, forgetting my position (!), running like I was in mud, and just making a total ass out of myself by not being in the right place at the right time. This is like the recurring nightmare that I've had since highschool coming true - where I'm playing soccer and I'm running in slow motion and I can never get to the ball in time and I think I'm going to nail it, but I completely just flub my kick.

I'm glad to be done and I think I will take next season off to recoup.

J.T. is the bees knees (I mean bees knuckles)

2008-08-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

J.T. finally went through a rite of passage....getting stung by a bee. He got stung last summer on the bottom of the foot and wasn't really affected, except for a stinging pain (how else do you explain it?).

This time he claims he was "just walking" and got stung on his finger. When it first happened, I rolled my eyes and said, "Shake it off". Me, never been stung. I saw the embedded stinger, which was pretty big and removed it with some tweezers. We went on with our day with no further problems.

The next day, his hand turns in Eddie Murphy's in the Nutty Professor. His hand, especially his ring finger was so swollen that he couldn't close it!! The joints on his fingers had no lines. It got so big that I was worried for his life...like his whole body would swell up, or worse, just his tongue and he wouldn't be able to breath. I kept looking to see if the swelling was spreading to other parts of his arm. But alas, a few days later, he was fine.

We've got culture!! by Susan

2008-08-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

How often do you get to see your friend from forever ago on stage in a musical? Not very often, unless you're in highschool watching the umpteenth performance of Fiddler on the Roof.

Anyway, my friend Andy was in the local production of "Seussical, The Musical" and he invited us to see it. It was so awesome and the kids loved it!! The story focuses on Horton, the elephant, trying to protect the residents of Whoville who reside on a tiny speck of dust on a clover.

From a librarian's standpoint, I loved seeing most of Dr. Seuss' works incorporated into one giant production - McElligot's Pool, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Andy did an awesome job as The Grinch), The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, Yertle the Turtle, One Fish Two Fish, The Lorax, and the list goes on. The kids loved the zany and colorful characters, especially the crazy Cat in the Hat.

Plus, it was just fun going to the theater!

#99 is injured

2008-07-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

So if you were to take an x-ray of my bones, I'm sure it would be rittled with holes. "Soda leeches the calcium from your bones," says my friends mom.

Back in April I rolled my right ankle super bad after hopping around with Eden on my back. My friend said I looked like I had hamhocks.

I just finished the Mia Hamm biography, "Go for the Goal" last week and I was so inspired that I wanted to try out all the tricks and technique that she mentioned. Last Wednesday, Nick graciously went with me to do some soccer drills and I tried shooting the ball with the top of my foot. "Lock the ankle, toe down, dig under the ball" Mia Hamm says. My right ankle was killing me afterwards.

Saturday I was originally supposed to go on a short 3 mile run with some girlfriends. That run turned into a 5 mile walk.

Sunday, my back was killing me, like it was bruised, but I still went to my game. During warmups - again taking standing shots on Nick, this time with the inside of my foot - I totally ate it and rolled my left ankle. I tried playing on it, starting out as right forward - my dream position - and subbed myself out after about five minutes. I went back in as left fullback and, again, pulled myself out after five minutes. My ankle was killing me!!!!!!!! We still lost. However, we did really well, the end score being 3-4, the most we've ever scored!!

Our last game is next Sunday and I have soccer camp in a few weeks. Will I be able to play?? Should I go to physical therapy, like I was supposed to a few months ago??? Will I ever be able to ice skate? Is this caused by too much soda?? Stay tuned. ............

Cruz 5 by The Cruzes

2008-07-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

So I obviously don't follow directions well. I was supposed to do only 5 facts and I was supposed "tag" people after I shared my 5. Here is our family's 5 Facts:

1) Between the 4 of us, we have 12 piercings.

2) J.T. can bend his finger back and touch his wrist. He is double-jointed as well. Like most kids, they are very flexible. Eden and J.T. are both in gymnastics.

3) Eden suffers from really bad migraines, to the point where she throws up and then falls asleep for hours on end.

4) We have all participated in a race at one point in time - J.T. and Eden have completed two 1K's and Nick and I have completed various 5, 8 & 10K's.

5) We love to play Rock Band. Some of us fail out more than others. I think it's funny when the kids get excited when they hear one of the songs on the radio. Eden's favorite song is "Juke Box Hero", but she changes the lyrics to "Juice Box Hero".

Finally, here are the rules:
Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

I was unofficially tagged by Kim & Bradley http://bradleytrancarpiuc.blogspot.com/

and even more unofficially by Mark: http://www.thellamaforever.blogspot.com/

Tag, you're it:

Jill http://jillzbop.blogspot.com/

Kristine http://www.sweetpeastudio.blogspot.com/

I love this blog! by Susan

2008-07-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Nick, to bump your askaninja.com post from the top, but I just have to share something with y'all. I love this blog. I love that I can put stuff up here about my family. I love that my family does so much stuff that we have a blog. Even though I'm sure no one is reading this right now, I like that I can post stuff so when someone says, "So, what are you guys up to?" I can say, "Read my blog, foo!"

So, I was on my friend Mark's blog, which is super funny http://www.thellamaforever.blogspot.com/ and he talked about he got "tagged" to share 6 random things about himself. I was super excited at this prospect, desperately hoping that someone would "tag" me, but alas, either no one reads this blog, or no one wants to take the effort to tag me, so I sucked it up and took on the challenge of tagging myself.

But then I was stuck like a deer in headlights....at a road block - what 6 things should I share?????????? If you have more random facts to share about me, please add them, I would love to hear what you know.

1) I cannot survive without chapstick. I think I will literally shrivel up and die. My favorite is the light blue. I buy them in bulk at Costco and put one everywhere you can imagine - car, bathroom, purse, bible carrier, bedside table, desk, junk drawer, etc. It's one of those "deserted island" kinds of items.

2) I used to be in high school marching band. I know, SHOCKER!!! I played the alto saxophone. However, to tone down the dork factor, I was also in ASB.

3) I'm double-jointed. Just my thumb, actually. The rest of my body is not very flexible at all.

4) I'm a self-proclaimed claustrophobe. The submarine ride at Disneyland is quite possibly the worst invention ever and my idea of hell...which leads me to Random Fact #5.

5) My dream car is a gun metal gray (or pink) 1967 Ford Bronco with a rollbar...no top. Not like I'm ever going to go off the city streets with it but it just looks bad-ass. Bigger is better.

6) My dream job when I was a kid (and especially now) was to be a Zamboni driver. I love the prospect of making something completely clean and unblemished....plus there's the tiny off-chance of meeting Wayne Gretzky or Luc Robitaille.

Finally, here are the rules:
Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Ask A Ninja

2008-07-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Good morning all, lookin good out there, no really I mean it.

Its time that I really let you all in on a secret. There is one website that is perhaps one of the funniest sites that I have ever been on. No no no, not the farting preacher youtube video. Although, that one may or may not have actually brought a tear to my eye. No, dear friend (I know there is only one of you out there reading this) I am, of course, talking about Askaninja.com. Here is a sample video from Ask A Ninja where our friendly neighborhood ninja answers a question about how ninja's have helped shape the American language.

Ive been watching the episodes on an off for a couple of years now and I still dont get tired of watching them. Well, that's all I had for this morning. I hope you enjoyed my little funny.

PS, don't forget that "Talk Like a Pirate Day" is coming up on Sep 19th Aarrgh!!!

Last place blues by Susan

2008-07-13T23:08:00.001-07:00

So I'm on a soccer team called the Sidekicks. It's through the YMCA and it's for ladies 30+. I love it because I get to play with a couple of other moms from school (Yea Cindy and Karen), plus a couple of girls I used to play with when I was in elementary school (Woo Shelly & Stacy).

I think I'm the youngest on the team and before I started playing last season, I hadn't played for 15 years......since I was in 8th grade!!!!! Anyway, I was on two different versions of the Sidekicks, a 7 vs. 7 team and a 11 vs. 11 team. I had never played 7 vs. 7 and it's hard to get used to because the rules are so different - there are "kick-ins" instead of throw-ins, there are no off-sides (good, because I never really understood that rule) and the goalie cannot punt the ball past the half-way mark. Plus, obviously, there are only 7 people on a team instead of the regular 11 person team, so there's a lot more running around and the games are shorter. Anyway, I'm torn whether I like the 7 vs. 7 games better than the regular 11 v. 11 games. Not that it's a life-changing decision, but I have to pick one because I'm getting burnt out playing 2 or 3 times a week with the two teams. Some of the same ladies that play on our 7's team play on our 11s team. We just had our last game on Friday for our 7 vs. 7 team. Guess how many games we won? 0.......nada.....nill....zip. We were 0 & 10!!!!!

So our 7 v 7 season is over and we're in the midst of our 11 vs. 11 season. Guess what our record is? 0-7. We are in last place. Now, don't get me wrong, we aren't that bad as individuals. In fact, we have a lot of ridiculously good players. You'd be surprised at how these ladies really hussle and play rough. I admit, I've been knocked down twice already this season, once by my friend from forever ago, Stacy P., but that is actually an adrenaline rush for me and I'm happy to get knocked down because that means I'm in it. However, we are a team in its infancy and playing together as a team is still something we're working on. Communication, strategizing, and team work is needed for us to do well.

I love the fact that I've gotten back into playing soccer, something that I really loved as a kid, but it is frustrating not winning any games. Before I started playing again I had recurring nightmares about me playing soccer and running in slow motion or trying to score and just completely flubbing the kick, so I think it was something I had to do. I think I'm faster than I was before and a lot less scared to get kicked in the face or knocked down. If you're ever in P-town on a Sunday afternoon and want a good laugh, come to one of my soccer games. I can promise you shade, but not a porta-potty. That's a whole different blog subject. My games are listed somewhere on this blog.

Keep checking this blog to see if we win a game!!

SURPRISED!!! by Susan

2008-07-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

So I wasn't too happy about turning 30 years old, much less 31, back in January. I'm pretty sure I sat around in my pink bathrobe and hid from well-wishers because celebrating it would be acknowledging that I was 30+. Anyway, so I realized I hadn't seen a lot of my friends in awhile and I wanted to have a little pity party and throw myself a half-birthday party. Who does that, right?? Too make a long story short, I ended up cancelling it, but Nick, the sneaky bastard, rescheduled it, and to say that I was "surprised" is a complete understatement. I spent time with half of the people that were invited the day before, either at soccer or at a local bar and was not tipped off at all. You guys are good.

We went to a Orange County Flyers baseball game (formerly the Fullerton Flyers), where I got to throw the opening pitch, and then out for a couple hours of bowling at Concourse. Note to self: The more Nick drinks the better he is at sports. Thank you, to everyone who was able to make it and help me celebrate my special day. I was really shocked, and still am, that you were all able to pull one over on me! I had a blast!!! I must be getting older and wiser because I didn't end up with a hangover the next day! Woo hoo!!!