In my dream

So I forgot to mention (in more detail) going to the Coldplay concert while in California. Aaron had gotten us sweet tickets as a birthday gift for me. It was our first time to see Coldplay and it was worth it. There was a random mix of people there, but the show was awesome. Play on.

We originally had tickets to see them back in 2001 at Bricks in SLC. Oh how we would have killed to see them at bricks. This was before they blew up. But they had canceled the show because the lead singer had been hospitalized for anorexia--which explains why he's married to Gwyneth Paltro. Poor chap.

He's got lungs though, and it was a great birthday surprise.

back to life, back to reality

It has been a week since everyone left and I've got my house and kids back in order. So now I need to gear up for Back to School. The kids start on the 17th. Little Bryn had her kindergarten assessment: she did alright and I'm not worried about her. Although, she's a bit of a social butterfly and if Tyler or Hailey are in her class, her teacher is dead from day one. She's a ringleader in her CTR 5 class, and we've had several discussions about being more reverent and respectful at church. We'll see how she does at school. I'm excited for her, and I'm excited to have only two at home. It will be weird.

The WAR (wilson amazing race)

We got back from California on a Saturday night, and the following Wednesday my family came to Denver for a Wilson family reunion. Liv and Kusch even made it from Minnesota. It was awesome to have everyone together. It was crazy loud--16 grandkids all under 9--under one roof but it was a blast. We went to the pool, played games, had Mom's Dan-in-real-life-talent-show, played pranks (everyone was a victim) and of course the (adults only) amazing race.

Highs for the reunion:

• The sprayer ploy: more frags than suicides this time
• The black mamba: we have a new technique (thank you addy), instead of slapping or poking, you use the sock to frantically rub the face of the victim.
• Livy getting snapped on the toilet.
• Fruit basket.
• Kids on the slide and lane races between brothers. Sunny and I just got water in our faces; I don't know what we were thinking swimming against Ryan and Kusch.
• Ryan's cinnamon challenge. It isn't a wilson reunion until someone pukes.
• The favorites CD. Ryan and Christy put together a CD with everyone's (including grandkids) current favorite song. It's awesome. We have it in the car and the kids call out whose song is whose.

Lows:

• The noise: the kids together are unbelievably loud.
• The last hour of watching the kids before the adults got home from the amazing race. Amber, Mom and I were fried.
• A few bravas between cousins. Bryn and Zoe were banished from my bathroom.
• Sunny and Jonathan's hotel room flooding.

The Race
So I put together an Amazing Race around Denver. We split the adults into two teams: Team Deech (Kusch, Dad, Aaron, and Sunny) vs. Team King (Stewart, Jonathan, Livy, Ry, and Christy). I gave each team a wad of cash and ten clues/challenges:

• Run to the Reservoir, pedal two boats around a buoy, then run back to Faveros.
• Drive to Boulder, find this cool store, buy kites and kazoos. Then perform in the street with the kazoos while others danced.
• Drive to Red Rocks, crush a souvenir penny then run down to the stage and sing from the stage at Red Rocks.
• Drive to Willy's Wings and eat a plate of Rocky Mountain Oysters (goat/sheep testicles).
• Drive to Lakewood Amusement Park and ride three rides (this place is run down and ghetto; like the Santa Cruz Boardwalk but way more ghetto.)
• Drive to The Track (a pro go kart track) and complete 10 laps.
• Drive to Chick-fil-A and suck down a shake.
• Drive home, first to the pitstop got a surprise: all the grandkids waiting with silly string.

Everyone had a blast and now a friend and I are going have a race with a bunch of families this month. We need to make it a bit more family friendly but it should be fun.

barney

So the morning before we fly home, Aaron and others go out on the boat for one last run of the vacation. And of course last run, Aaron falls wake boarding and blows his knee. We weren't sure what at the time, but we can now confirm that he tore his MCL and Meniscus. I wasn't on the boat because I chose to be responsible and stay home and pack up before our flight. So naturally, when he hobbled in and laid down on the couch: I was pissed. And it isn't like he meant to do it, it was an accident but I was pissed. Instead of being a kind wife like I should have been, I blew him off. And then we booked a ticket for Megan to fly home with us so that I could have help with the kids because Aaron was barney at this point. Megan was a saving grace. And thankfully our flight home wasn't full so Morgan got a whole row to herself--allowing her to be one of the better kids on the plane...not the best, but at least not a pill. Once we landed, juggling the kids, bags, aaron and finding the car took forever. We didn't get home till midnight when our flights got in at 9ish. Ridiculous, but still grateful to have had Megan. And grateful to be home. Aaron now hobbles okay without crutches and he'll go back in two weeks to see if he needs surgery. Awesome.

ya feel me

I'm a bit late to the party but I wake surf now. Not a lot, and not well but it's fun. And much easier on the body than wake boarding.

8 seconds

So we made the trek to California. Two separate flights (thank you frequent flyers). I had Bryn and Ava. Aaron had Lore and Morgan: yes he got the short end of the stick. And she screamed the majority of the flight. Oddly, I had little sympathy. We arrived on the 3rd of July and the girls and I stayed till the 18th. Aaron flew back and forth between California, Colorado and Texas; it wasn't much of a vacation for him. Commiserations. The two + weeks were full of fun, cousins, aunts, uncles, grannie and pa. I admit, I was very nervous about going for so long (I don't like to spend that much time with my own parents), but I was pleasantly surprised how fast and great the trip was. It did take a toll on the kids, the second week the kids were beyond over tired, but gratefully we slowed down the second week. Here are the high and low lights of the trip:

top ten

1. Shopping with Jamie
2. Coldplay
3. The Folsom Zoo
4. Fairytale Town
5. Baby chicks at the farm
6. Running with Megan and Kiersten
7. Man aerobics with Bryan
8. Slumber Parties and Pool side with cousins
9. Cranford but not Little Dittle
10. My black mamba and other various pranks...suckers every time.

bottom five

1. Aaron blowing his knee hours before we flew home
2. Grandpa Favero
3. Dumping the kids on Jamie for Coldplay
4. Losing Morgan at Fairytale Town for about 7ish minutes. Heart pounding awful.
5. The kids not sleeping.

wait for it

yes, I've been AWOL for the month of July. I can't believe it is august and that school starts in two weeks. I have much to recount but you'll have to wait a bit more...luckily, aaron is going to be gone a bunch the next two weeks so I'll find some time. But for now, I must run some errands and wipe some bums.
cheers.