Casa De Lopez

School Pics...last year and this year in red

LVZL0PEZ — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:20:42 GMT

Advent

LVZL0PEZ — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:20:42 GMT

First...get the kids dressed up then head off to St. Johns where I was (no volunteers really till the last two days) preparing a pasta buffet for about 200 people.

With time to kill between rehearsal and the Advent program Vince took the kids to see Santa.

Zoey is in the front row second from left

Sledding

LVZL0PEZ — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:20:42 GMT

Checking out the sloeps...me with my figers crossed that they don't notce that Milo is about 2 inches below their height requirement...although when measured at home he was right at 42".

Self portrait while riding the tow rope up.

Skiing

LVZL0PEZ — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:20:42 GMT

So, I made friends with the owners of Bella Nails, Katie and Andy Ngo. Their son, Jackson also takes piano with Zoey. He has been really interested in skiing for a while and I told his parents I would show them the ropes at the hill...and Jackson also cornered me after piano lessons...and of course I promised him I would help his parents get him on skis. He's in black next to Zoey and his little sister Sophia is in the pink pants. Milo...very independant, didn't think it was necessary to hang with family and friends. He scooted to the other side of the line near the instructors.

Christmas

LVZL0PEZ — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:20:42 GMT

First there was a free carolling concert at the Grand with the Wausau Conservatory Choraliers...this picture made the Wausau Daily Herald. Behavior broke down mere seconds after the photographer finished with us...yes, we are sitting under a table.
Decoration day...I waited til the last minute and did the minimal.

All the next pictures we were just ready to go to Kevin and Kristins...all dressed up and playing around with the camera.

Whisk broom eyelashes!

Presents at Kevin and Kristin's on Christmas Eve...we opened Santa's presents Christmas Day but our camera is so bad we didn't get any worthy pictures.

Backyard Hiking

LVZL0PEZ — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:24:18 GMT

Where do they learn these poses? Cute AND sassy!


Smile Milo...uh, thanks!

LOVE this picture...little boy wandering solo through the woods, sun streaming through misty air and fall color everywhere.

Miscellaneous Pics at home

LVZL0PEZ — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:04:58 GMT

Dana was having a special at her salon putting in semi-permanent feathers. The next day she said she wanted to be a "feather-putter-inner" when she grows up. Needless to say, she was obsessed with those things! They couldn't get wet, they couldn't blow in the wind...

Always a fun game if your legs can handle it.

Making mini bundt cakes early on a Saturday morning.

This month at the Races

LVZL0PEZ — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:00:11 GMT

The kids actually did a second racet his month. Just a 400m at at "Track and Field Day" . They let Milo run with the Kindergarten girls because they didn't have a PreSchool division. Zoey took home a 5th place ribbon but only because she kept stopping to talk to the volunteers.

Milo with me at the start...


And she's OFF!


LOVING this run! It really was a beautiful 1K course through the school forest. Milo kept calling it the Jobi Wood forest but you need to be a Thomas the Train Misty Island rescue fan to understand. Zoey was way ahead running by herself the whole time. MIlo and I ran together. He kept up a steady pace and steady chatter with me the whole time.

At the finish. All the kids got finisher medals. Zoey went to every kid and told them that she won only to get excited that the kid she was talking to also had a medal and had won as well!


I think this was my first overall win. Do I need to admit that there were only like 10 women who did the 10K and it didn't seem that many of them were "runners"...oh well, a win is a win, right? It was a really pretty run...twists and turns, single track through the School Forest.

Gratuitous pet pic...

LVZL0PEZ — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:31:10 GMT

Thanks for this cute pic Kristin!

Guess how many times he's knocked over the vase or chewed on those flowers. Or how about when you are walking by and (even though he's not supposed to be up there) he leaps onto your back from the kitchen counter as you walk by... claws work well to grip into skin. Or it's especially nice when he thinks it's fun to play with my fingers as I practice piano or better yet...jump on the lid and shut it on my hands while I play! Meet Chamois...Sham-OW!?

Apple Picking

LVZL0PEZ — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:25:28 GMT

So, apparently (I didn't realize this before) apple orchards are to Wisconsin what wineries are to California. We took a mini tractor out to a specific tree to pick apples.

There was a hay bale maze for the kids

And a hay ride through the property...if I remember right they said they had around 6500 trees and over 35 different kinds of apples here at Bushel and A Peck Market.

Camping...BRRRR!

LVZL0PEZ — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:16:24 GMT

OK, so we waited a bit too long to do this trip but, well, life has a way of whizzing by and before you know it you're squeezing the kids first camping trip in on a weekend that turns out to be in the low to mid 20s overnight. Oh...I might want to mention we all slept in a tent. F-f-f-freezing! I'd have taken more pics but the battery on the camera kept dying even though I kept it inside my jacket at all times. Oh well, the fire was warm, the S'Mores were a hit, the chorizo and eggs were spicy and the brined chicken turned out good.

Piano lessons

LVZL0PEZ — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:00:46 GMT

This GoDaddy thing sucks...It never lets me post video. Please go to Casa De Lopez on Blogger.com but don't forget to come back to this blog because there are 5 or so more posts under this one for the month.

Animals...

LVZL0PEZ — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:44:45 GMT

There has also been a snake but that picture was taken by someone else.
They aren't statues...

Caught a turtle on the road...

Let him go by the river.

Trichordestra Legitima moth caterpillar...at least that's my best guess.

No comment yet on this little guy...yet to be named

Day with Thomas the Tank Engine

LVZL0PEZ — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:37:06 GMT

On the bus waiting to see Thomas

Riding one of Thomas' coaches

Milo checking out the merchandise

Loving each other...Awww

Pullman BigBoy

Looks like what I imagine a Taggart Transcontinental Train to look like

Tons of rolling stock to play in

Riding a caboose

Elkhart Lake

LVZL0PEZ — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:24:46 GMT

Was it a race or a family vacation? It seemed like it was really neither for me. It was nice to have people at the finish line...but admittedly an added stress to have to pack for the kids and worry about them when I really needed to be in my "space" for the race. Oh well.

Finish line hugs for the kiddos...too bad they couldn't ease my disappointment over yet another terrible swim, slow, wet bike ride and hilly run.

Father's Day

LVZL0PEZ — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:18:57 GMT

For Dad's day I booked a flight tour and intro lesson for Vince. it was only a 4 seater so we had to split up. I endedup taking the tour with Milo and of course Zoey and Vince did the lesson.

Where's Milo? Clang, bang, crash and here he comes running out of the hangar. Oops?!

Top Gun? LOL

Pre flight

Our Backyard

LVZL0PEZ — Sun, 01 May 2011 19:44:00 GMT

Aunt Kristin's for Brunch and More Egg Hunting

LVZL0PEZ — Sun, 01 May 2011 19:39:00 GMT

Thanks Aunt Kristin..for feeding and entertaining while I was gone.

The Home Egg Hunt

LVZL0PEZ — Sun, 01 May 2011 19:25:00 GMT

So...I was heading out to Florida just a couple days prior to Easter (and would be gone for the event itself) so I had to prepare this scavenger hunt up and make it easy for Vince to set up with minimal confusion. Uh, thanks Kristin for setting the bar so high on this. The first time the kids ever did the Easter thing was when Kevin and Kristin came out to visit us in California...this was her idea and now I can't imagine doing anything less...climactic. The drill is that the Easter Bunny (E.B.) leaves a basket with an egg, rings the doorbell and hops away unseen. Inside the egg is a picture of a place near where they will find the next one, and so on. Six or so eggs (per kid) later they are led to their Easter Baskets. The first year Zoey was so focused on the hunt that she didn't even notice the prize (basket overflowing with candy)...she was just disappointed there was no egg.

First of Three Egg Hunts

LVZL0PEZ — Sun, 01 May 2011 19:21:00 GMT

This was hosted by someone in our neightborhood the day before Easter. Cold and rainy but all the neighborhood kids searched for eggs/treats anyway. The invite said to drop off 2 dozen filled plastic eggs the day before as an RSVP. Stealthily, I bought the eggs and candy but the kids busted me filling them...hmmm, how do I explain why I'm doing the Easter Bunny's work? Well, E.B. was so busy he asked me to help out for the party and he said Zoey and Milo could help too.