Lombardi Family

Cub scout chess

Learning chess at cub scouts.

Wolf trail complete

Last night the wolf pack completed their final achievement on the Wolf Trail. What a fun couple of months this has been. Turns out the wolf trail has a great combination of physical activities, arts and culture, patriotic, community focused, spiritual and 'boy' related. I had no idea and have been pleasantly surprised. I'm excited Jackson has accomplished this goal, the trail is a great way for Jackson to measure his progress.

Way to go Jackson!!!

Wolf trail complete

Last night the wolf pack completed their final achievement on the Wolf Trail. What a fun couple of months this has been. Turns out the wolf trail has a great combination of physical activities, arts and culture, patriotic, community focused, spiritual and 'boy' related. I had no idea and have been pleasantly surprised. I'm excited Jackson has accomplished this goal, the trail is a great way for Jackson to measure his progress.

Way to go Jackson!!!

Jackson's first phone call

Well it's happened - the phone has started ringing, and it's not for me anymore - it's for the young boy of the house.  

This afternoon at 4:43 pm, I picked up the phone as I normally do, by saying "This is Elizabeth" - not the most friendly, I realize, but's it's my cell phone and it's what I say.  On the other end of the line there was some stammering, some fidgeting, and I said "Hello?"  

This time, I heard a little himming and ha-ing.  I asked "are you calling for Jackson?"  

"Yes" came the little voice.  

"Who's this?"  I asked.

"Cameron".  

"Oh Hi Cameron, Jackson just went out to play.  Can I take a message?"

"Umm, I don't know."

"Do you want me to have him call you, honey?"

"Yes."

"Is your number 555-1212?"  

"Yes"

"Ok, I'll have him call you back.

"OK, bye"

I hung up the phone and smiled, chuckled, sighed, and of course remembered how my mom always said my friends that called me needed better phone manners.  Cameron had fine manners - I just caught him off gaurd.  

My husband who was standing right beside me didn't call me out on it this time, but he says I need to stop calling Jackson's friends "honey".  I probably do.  

I can't believe I have an 8 year old getting phone calls.  I can't believe I have an 8 year old who likes to sport a mohawk.  I can't believe I have an 8 year old.

December was a crazy blur

December comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.  I know it's not spring, and I probably have that lion/lamb thing all backwards, but it accurately represents how I feel.

I always look forward to Christmas.  I love the "magic" of it all, lights, a beautifully decorated home, doing things out of the ordinary and special for the holidays, and friends and family.  I have great anticipation for this time of year, so I'm full of energy and a to-do list a mile long.  And my December 26 I'm pretty done.  

This year is no exception, I had a great couple of weeks in early December when my energy was high, and then a super busy work load and feeling the need to create a fantastic holiday gets the best of me and I have a couple of rough days just before Christmas.  But it turns out by Christmas Eve when there is nothing left to do, or rather when everything is done whether it was how I had pictured it or not - I am content.  

This year my (future, official) brother-in-law gave me a boost in my joy when he asked Mike's sister Jennifer to be his forever and ever.  We were in on it from the before he popped the big question, when Joe called Mike to have "the talk".  When Mike called me with the news I cried (of course - that's what I do).  I'm so happy for them, they have lots of love for each other and take such good care of each other, they are blessed to have one another in their lives and now they'll have a piece of paper to prove it.  So two days before Christmas it was just the boost my Christmas spirit needed.  

So here is our holiday season in pictures.  

Creating the Advent Log is a MUST. 

Walking and knocking through a neighborhood with scouts for a community food drive.

Decorating Jackson's room with his tree and special ornaments.  I love putting the special winter bed linens on his bed and getting it all ready for him as a surprise when he comes home from school the first day after Thanksgiving.  He loves that too.

The scouts ran an Elf training course at one of our December meetings.  It was the cutest!!  They had to put on an elf hat, put a package in a big bag, run through someone's legs, put the package under a tree, eat a cookie, put a candy cane on a stocking, and run back to tag the next elf in.  The pack was split into two and they raced each other.  Fun!!

And then a fun little gift exchange (that included siblings - hence the little cutie next to Jackson).  One of the Den Leaders told the night before Christmas adding lots of "right" and "left" and the kids passed the packages all around the circle.  I love that one!

Of course somehow yet again we managed to find the perfect tree.  Happens every year amazingly enough.  

We traveled to the North Pole on the Polar Express.  Although since we recently drove to Vancouver, Canada and Jackson knows the North Pole is further than Vancouver, he seriously doubted how we could make it all the way there in about 30 minutes.  Ah the magic of the season.  

And then Christmas morning.  A giant basketball hoop just for this boy!  He was so excited!

Christmas was a joy.  We created wonderful memories with friends and family throughout the season.  We saw plays, we played games (Christmas-oploy), we watched movies (A White Christmas captivated Jackson this year).  There were crazy things too, like Grandma Sharon telling Jackson that Santa stored the hoop at her house, Jackson didn't believe her.  I was reminded that when I wrap the gifts early it makes me feel organized.  And a simple meal is really delicious on Christmas day.  

Merry Christmas 2011, and welcome to 2012!!

 

Post-Christmas Crafting - a Christmas Craft

It's weird, Christmas is over and I'm actually pretty ready for it to be over.  But when I went and did a little post-Christmas sale shopping the day after, you know what I did?  Picked up the supplies to make a Christmas craft.  A couple of the elements were on sale, and while the iron was hot (also know as an idea in my head), I decided I better get to it.  And how fun will it be to pull out a brand new decor item next holiday season?!  

I was excited to try a new technique.  Ok, it is new to me - I know it's been out in the crafting world for quite some time, but I just hadn't really tried it before...glitter. I was quickly reminded the glitter gets EVERYWHERE, but doesn't everything just need a little hint of glitter?  

And vinyl lettering, which I didn't grab a picture of.  But, I love the look of the vinyl lettering, and have been itchin' to try a project using the lettering.   

So most of this idea came straight from one of the display items at Craft Warehouse.  I've always said, I'm a really good at plagerizing, but I do my best to make it my own.  I looked for a similar item to link to on their web site, but I couldn't easily find one.  

Here is the finished project (bad picture but I wanted to grab it tonight)

So don't mind all the holes in the wall (there is usually other items on this wall that cover all those up), don't mind the crooked-ness of the hanging, don't mind the extra ribbon hanging out (see I really wanted to get a photo tonight), and especially don't mind my low-light photography - blech!

The glitter portion in the red piece on the right.  It's a little chalk board that can be used to count down the numbers.  And I'm all about the magic - whether it's Disneyland or Christmas, I think the magic is the most amazing.  So that vinyl was just made for me.  Anyways, I think I'm into the project for about $20.  And I'll be super excited to hang it up next holiday season.

 

Bobcat Advancement

This past Tuesday, Jackson was awarded his Bobcat badge.  We are a little late to the scouting adventure, Jackson would have earned his Bobcat badge in first grade, but Jackson did what he needed to do in the first couple of weeks as part of the pack to do the work to earn the Bobcat rank.  At our monthly meeting, the packs' cub masters called Jackson up to be awarded his rank.  They painted his face, and said the following words:

The blue is from the sky. The blue paw print of the Bobcat on your forehead is the spirit of the bobcat, and to remind you to do your best on the Cub Scout Trail.

The yellow is from the sun. The yellow marks under your eyes will help you see the light of the Cub Scout Trail, and symbolize the bright spirit of Cub Scouting.

The white on your nose is for purity and to help you know right from wrong as you go along the Cub Scout Trail.

The red mark on your chin is for courage to always speak the truth.

Finally, the green mark on each cheek symbolizes the spirit of nature to guide the Cub Scout in living in harmony with the great outdoors.

As I stood there with Jackson I was overwhelmed with pride.  Surprisingly so, I must say.  Not surprised that I was proud of my kiddo, but more in that I'm buying the scouting process.  I never really understood this scouting thing, but in our short time I'm so pleased with the message scouting has and the encouragement it gives Jackson.  As much as I fretted about finding the right pack, I think we have found a good place.  

Congratulations Jackson, may you continue to live these colors along the scout trail.

 

Mike golfed at Makena one day while Jackson and I soaked up more sun surfside. That's Molikini - beautiful view!

I love to have great food on vacation. Our first trip to Maui we found this great little spot called the Gazebo. We couldn't wait to get back this trip! This time we tried the fried rice and it was the best food EVER! Oh my gosh, I just craved it the whole trip - luckily we got it once more before we headed home. Best breakfast spot on Maui (OK, I haven't tried many others, but this has to be the best!)

We headed to a luau on vacation - it was a great time. Jackson was entranced with the fire and hula dancers. Jackson snapped this pic of Mike and I just before our long walk back to the hotel (we foolishly thought it couldn't be that long of a walk back - it was!)