Ponies at Fiesta Island

I had never been camping on Fiesta Island - actually have never even been out ON Fiesta Island in Mission Bay. It's famous for hosting the over-the-line (OTL) tourney, but never made it to that either.

Anyway - great venue, there's a Youth Camp / Yacht Club out there on the North-East corner of the island that we get to monopolize and setup tents. There's actual sites scattered around the street the rounds the area.

Chief Stace tore his achillies tendon a couple weeks before this, so he was there on Saturday only, in full boot, crutches, wheel chair. Had a great time riding bikes around the loop, Avery and I took a longer ride around the island, saw where OTL is held, and a small cove with a water ski slalom course and a ski jump.

Cardboard boat race in the afternoon - Ponies entry sank almost immediately, but Stone swam a small piece of it around the course.

Swim across the bay
When Stace was there with the boys (last season?), he swam across the bay to the mainland where the hotel is - barely making it by his own admission. Got "stuck" over there, not being able to get back - long story short, he flagged down a random jet skier to give him a ride back over.

So this time, when we were all sitting on the beach watching the girls frolic in the water, Stace laid down a challenge (from his wheelchair). 8 of us jumped in and proceeded to swim across. (OK, a couple of us, including me, needed some coaxing). 6 of us made it back after a short rest on the other side. Dan, Scott F, James H, James E, Chris, Tom, Jon, Kevin, Stone

Stace, you gonna join us next year?

Bounce Out
Typical bounce out session for the girls "graduating" out of Princesses (usually 4th graders). Avery has 1 more year at least, technically she could do another one (age 10 when you start in the fall). Create a line of dads, pass the bounce out girls above our heads down the line. The Ponies section of "tall vball dudes" flipped the girls as they came through. End up on the tarp for a true "bounce out" at the end of the line.

Aztecs at Hurkey Creek

Took the boys to Hurkey Creek with the boys this weekend. Ben's second campout - he's a real veteran now. :)

Ben did the 6-aims again, this time rattling them off pretty well to MedMan Jim Babcock. Stuck just for a couple secs on a couple of them, and then the great last one: " ... preserve the great spirit's beauty in forest, field, forest field, and stream ..." Love it.

It was FREEZING at night. WeatherUnderground says it was 25° at Lake Hemet which is just 200 yards down the road. Probably a little colder there cuz it's on the water, but ranger on site at Hurkey Creek said low of 31°. I was jealous of the 82" arctic sleeping bag (down to 5°) that Herb and Brook have - think I'll be making a run to Sports Authority. Considerably warmer on Saturday night.

Tribal comp was laser tag. Portable outdoor setup from some company, looked like the old x-games setup. IR based guns, headband with velcro sensors. Ben didn't play - prepped him before the campout that it probably wouldnt be his thing. He was super patient when having to sit and watch the whole time. Took forever to get through the games, about 15 mins each for 2 tribes against each other. Us Aztecs sucked - lost all 1st round matches split up into A, B, and C teams.

This was Chief Brook "Big Foot" last full event. Next month he'll pass the reins to Rod Dargie, and usually even by Friday heading over there, the new chief is already in charge. What a great year with Brook at the helm.

Aztecs at Dos Picos - Ben's First Campout

"Snuck" Ben into his first Indian Guides campout this weekend at Dos Picos. He's 4 now, will be 5 in June, so he's "close enough" to check it out.

Ben did great! It's a LONG couple days without naps, and just being outside in the sun all day, doing various activities, and then up late for the nation fire. Tried to have him nap a bit on Saturday afternoon, he laid in there for about 45 mins, but didnt ever really get any sleep.

Ben rocked the 6 aims! This is his FIRST campout, and not even 5 yet, and he recited the aims to MedMan (Jim Babcock). Connor and I were working on them with him throughout last week, and I wasn't sure he'd remember many of them. Worked on them again on the drive out there, and then after the geocaching tribal event, he found MedMan and started doing them. I didn't even know he was doing them until the end, captured the ending. SO proud of you Ben! I've heard of other braves doing the aims on their 1st campout, but never a 4-year-old.

Rest of wkend was pretty typical campout. Connor and Ben mostly hung out with Harrison and Hayden Logan, probably their best buds in the tribe. At one point, they were off biking around the campground and Ben got "stuck" - couldnt make it up the (very gradual) hill (sill on training wheels). Harrison rode back to our campsite, and then ran back to push Ben past the sticking point. Turned in Harrison for the good deed - he ended up getting an award at Sunday Zocolo.

Next up - Hurkey Creek in May.

Ponies at Indian Hills

Always one of the favorites, and this time Elena Trask went with us! This was her second campout (first one Marston last month), so Avery's loving having her around. In fact this time, Travis had sports commitments with the boys so we took Elena on Friday and had her with us until Trav showed up Saturday at 4pm. (shared our Costco tent with them)

The highlights:

• Zip line - no hands by Avery. Fun to think of the difference between now and when she was 5. Super scared to even DO the zip line.
• Paint ball - Robert Baron stood at the back of the range with a helmet and a sheet (like a ghost) as the girls pelted him.
• No gold mining this time, instead a hike to the observation tower and "split rock"
• The girls didn't do the BMX track nearly as much as the boys do (Avery never did)
• Wheelbarrow "races" - more about precision: girls sit in a wheelbarrow and hold a dish of water and try not to spil any as the dad takes them around the first couple turns of the BMX track, then pour their water into the tribe bucket. Tribe with the most water per girl wins. Stace super slow - got tons of crap, even A SKIT from the Painted Ponies about how slow he was going.
• Poker: first night Ponies joined by Bob and Jeff Lynch, two sharks. (Bob from the Cotton Tails is hosted the nation poker event in Rancho Santa Fe). Next night a couple more sharks that acted like they didn't know how to play, then took everyone's money, then they booted him (drama). I didn't play until after all that went down.

Guh, Guh, GO

We've been working with Ben on some of the sounds he has trouble making, mostly hard C's. Over the weekend, Jamie taught him about the hard G sound.

He can tilt his head back and say "guh, guh" like he's gargling water (I think that's how she taught him in the first place - with water). So when we want him to practice a hard G, he'll do that drill - a couple "guh, guh"s and then the word.

This morning, he's in an anti-school mood and said didn't want to "DOE" to school. We wanted him to say GO:

"guh, guh, NOT DOE to school"

Jacuzzi and Naw-Naw Fingers

Ben (still) has this obsession with his two left hand fingers (index and middle), putting them upside down in his mouth while he plays with a tag (aka "Naw Naw"). Nowadays, he usually only does it when he's tired.

XMas night, Jamie and the kids went over to the Holiday Inn where YaYa and BaPa were staying to use the jacuzzi. When they returned, Ben asked:

Mommy, after you go to the pool, and you put your fingers in your mouth, is it good for you?

(Wondering if the chlorine taste on his fingers was ok for him)

Christmas 2008

Santa's Delivery:

• Avery - American Doll clothes: matching outfit for Avery, a vball uni (including knee pads and shoes), a stand-up dresser for the clothes
• Connor - 2 Nintendo DS games: Mario Kart, Super Mario Bros
  
• Bennett - Nintendo DS system, black case with Mario on it, Kung Fu Panda

Other presents from the 'rents:

• More DS games, Khet laser/mirror board game, balance board with maze, bead mania (melt beads with an iron to make a design), twister hopscotch,
  

Dan: "Sport Comfort" Bike (looks like a mountain bike, but isnt)
Jamie: Ugg boots (the real ones, with the good treads), cookbook

Kids to all:

Avery

• Dad - bungie cords
• Mom - glass ornament
  
• Connor - book light
• Ben - big bird wrist watch
  

Connor

• Dad - book light
• Mom - vase
  
• Avery - stuffed animal penguin
  
• Ben - SWAT kit (handcuffs, suction cup gun)
  

Ben

• Dad - wind spinner
  
• Mom - bear
  
• Avery - wrist watch
  
• Connor - LCD sport watch