The Hultgrens - The USA Journey: July 2008

It’s coming up to summer and the sun and hot weather is here and here to stay. Our month started out as busy as ever. Kristie and the kids went away camping and Carlos was in between trips for a couple of days so he came over for some dinner. Which as you all know, is always a pleasure. I spent the rest of the week putting together Conner’s class’s ice cream social basket. Work was the usual busy and working up to really busy. Really getting into the moving swing of things, added with the marketing materials and usual work stuff, I’m busy. The boys had the usual school week and well Bruce as per usual is sitting at the desk. The NBA finals started so Thursday night was s complete loss, boys basketball game.

Our week ended on a fantastic note, on Friday night, we all (7 of us) jumped into Paula’s new 8 seater car and drove to the Charles’ house for dinner. Which is always so much fun, we realize how much we all miss each other when we get together, but with the guys all travelling and the kids sport getting together is a struggle. When we do it’s sooo much fun. The adults v’s kids tradition continued, kind of. They got a WII so after dinner we had a boxing tournament!! It was so much fun!!! I made it to the second last round. Kristin beat me, so the final round was Kristin and Dylan (after he beat Bruce) it was the long and the short of it, I got a picture, FUNNY!!!

My Saturday was a little hectic, out in the morning doing some errands, then later in the afternoon I had a hand bag party at Kristina’s (baseball mum) to go to. All the big brands, I got a D& G bag, very nice, not really cheap but compared to what you would pay in the store, it was but, wouldn’t buy them that way all the time. It was fun, I sat down with Kristina and her friend and chatted got home around 10.30pm. It was fun and we will spend more time with them, they are a nice family.

Sunday morning EARLY, is when the party started. Jamieson ran to the bathroom and didn’t make it, so we had vomit everywhere, right after I made it to ours….this continued on into the day and Bruce had to drive himself to the airport for his overnight to LA. Luckily I didn’t go as we were thinking of doing. I’m not comfortable leaving the boys with anyone while we go so far away. Also if jamieson is in a mood, misbehaving happens no matter where he is. Once he figures all that out I will be happy to leave them. I pushed Bruce out the door and I lay in bed and Jamieson slept for the afternoon. Conner was great, he came in and checked on me every hour and got me flat lemonade.

I woke up Monday morning, Jamieson was fine to go to school so the boys went off and I went back to bed, feeling ok but not 100% especially to go back to the germ phobic office. I got a call from Conner’s teacher in the afternoon and had to walk over to school, he was out for the night. Bruce got home and was fine, until I think it was the Wednesday. He was out for a day or so. Its gross and usually 24 hours, not fun.

The rest of the week was kind of normal. I got the ice cream social basket to class on Thursday and Friday rolled around. I was at school helping for the ice cream social at 4.00. Bruce came up and helped put up a couple of high posters. Then he bought the boys back around 5.30. I started the popcorn machine at 5.15, Paula arrived to help around 5.30 and we popped and sold water (it was 100F+ outside) until 8.30 when the event finished. Apparently, the event went really well and the boys, all 3, said they had fun. Bruce helped us out a little, the boys must be growing up cause they had ice cream and a quick way around then they were off with their friends. It was a successful event and a great fundraiser for the PTO.

Our weekend was a full one, we had a kind of cruisey Saturday, the usual things around the house. I did go out to get Bruce’s fathers day gift, then later in the day the Hikido’s called and asked us over there for a BBQ. So off we walked around the corner with our bag of goodies. We had a really fun night, the kids swam for a lot of it, and the adults sat there watching the kids and chatting. We met some of their neighbors who were really nice and we were invited to their court block party for 4^th July. We got home around 11.00 and it was since end to the day.

We woke up on Sunday morning and the boys waited for Bruce to wake up, we made him some breakfast and gave him pressies, a back massager, and the kids made him some stuff from school which he loved and is in his office. Conner’s spend some of the day finishing a school assignment and we ended the day with a nice dinner and Bruce watching his Lakers play. Exactly what Dad’s wanted to do on their special day.

The next well, I suppose you could say was a big one, Conner turned 12 years old, and yes I do feel old. We woke up and Conner opened his presents, mostly Lakers stuff, as well as a dock for his IPOD so he was very happy, bug huge smile. The boys went off to school he had a good day at school. We had friends over for dinner, I had a big pot of spaghetti and the Daneluk’s and Rivera’s came over. The kids played outside for a bit and the adults caught up inside. We had some dinner and everyone left around 9.00 and 10.00pm when the Rivera’s left. I think Conner had a really fun birthday, which is the whole point really.

The rest of our week was fairly usual. Friday night Conner had 3 friends over for a movie ( Kung Fu Panda) and a sleep over. Bruce took them off to the movies and I stayed home and organized some dinner and dessert. They got home and had pizza and cake etc. They all had a fun night by the sounds of it, Bruce went out at 12.00 and said that was it…They got up in the morning and we had a big breakfast, the boys left periodically over the morning. I was in and out doing some errands!!! I went and got some block out fabric for our skylight in the kitchen. By the afternoon the house was quiet again…aarrrhhh!!! I think it was a nice end to his birthday; turning 12 was definitely a good birthday, I think his 11^th he thought sucked. We put up the fabric and you have no idea what a difference it makes, we were putting it up and you could feel the difference. I said to Bruce this is staying up until September and his answer was a very quick “YEP”!!! Bruce left a little later for the basketball tryouts for a few hours later in the day.

Sunday was an interesting one for us, Bruce was volunteering for Kristie’s playground project, so I dropped him off at the park at 8.00am and the boys and I had a chilling out day. I cleaned the house and told the boys it was time for hair trims, Conner surprised me with “ can you shave it off like Jamieson’s?” COOL!!!! So I did…. He enjoyed scaring everyone for the next couple of days, which was fun for him. I picked up Bruce from the park at 4.00, and saw the progress, which was really cool to see, they had put up a lot of the playground equipment so you cold see the real difference.

The last week of June was a busy one for all. The boys had their last week of school so there were excursions, and play days and movie days, I spent most/all of the week finalizing our moving plans for Tuesday 1^st July. The kids finished school at lunchtime on the Friday, I left work and came home cause Paula’s boys were coming over for the afternoon. The boys ended up going Paula‘s place for some dinner with Steve and the boys and I went over to Andrea’s to help her do some prep for her garage sale. It was fun seeing her in her own environment, we had some dinner and lots of laughs, freaking her out about the weird people who may come around and how early they are going to start showing up, it was lots of fun to see her face.

On the weekend, I volunteered in the morning at the playground and I spend it planting trees and moving mulch around. When I left at lunchtime they were ahead of schedule. I sat and had lunch with Kristie and her kids and then Bruce picked me up cause we had our 1^st basketball practice, Jamieson’s team will do ok, most of the kids have a clue, I think only one that has no idea which will be good. Jamieson has some serious practice to do to stay up to speed with the other kids who are older than him, so we’ll see how that goes. Conner’s team for me, could go either way, it’s a wait and see, I think. The rest of the weekend was really doing nothing, the usual house stuff, cleaning and chilling, Bruce did some gardening and the boys just played and watched a movie. It was tiring for me, but the others just had light weekend, some time to re charge the batteries, which was nice.

And that’s the June that was….. Big Happy Birthday’s the Maxy and Oscar!!!!

Hope you are all well, enjoying your footy and staying warm!!! I’ve been checking the weather and bbrrrrr! Even Conner said the other day he’d rather be here than in 12C at home, now that’s saying something.