Karting
Nascar has been a sport we have enjoyed for a few years now and ever since Dylan learned that Junior in the Pixar movie Cars was based on Dale Earnhardt Jr, he has wanted to be a race car driver. Every weekend we’d watch Nascar and cheer for our favorite drivers: Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson and Mark Martin. I added Carl Edwards to my favorites list after he had a terrific crash on turn 4 of the last lap. His car flipped, crashed into the safety fence protecting the crowd and landed on its roof. He climbed out and jogged across the finish line. A couple other amazing displays of good sportsmanship and he became my fave.
Becoming a race car driver has become Dylan’s passion. We looked into how some drivers got started and Kart racing was the beginning for some. There are opportunities for this around here so we booked a driving class for Dylan and Jayke decided he wanted to try to. After all the rain and rescheduling 5 times, today was the day.
We drove to the kart track and the boys got suited up. Their instructor began the lesson with some classroom time, learning how to operate the kart, where to enter and exit the corners and some safety tips. Dylan could barely sit in his seat, he was so excited. The moment had finally arrived and he got into his kart. The instructor took them around the track and then let them go on their own. Dreams were coming true at that moment.
Winterfest
Our city has an annual winter festival so we decided to check it out. How fun! It’s like what you’d see on TV about a small town festival. There was a little train, crafts, secret Santa store for kids only, and, get this, SNOW. Yes snow. An hour wait, (I held the spot in line while Phil and the boys did the other activities) $3 each (it was a charity event) for 3 minutes in the snow. Needless to say, it was a giant snowball fight that was well worth the price. We did it twice, the second time being only 1/2 hour wait. I love living in a smaller city and this one is very family friendly so I’m looking forward to more fun festivals like this. I think the next one is an Easter egg hunt at city hall…
Christmas
Christmas dawned bright and early with Dylan running around wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Of course we had to go wake up Ty, the one morning he decided to sleep in. What joy it was to see their excitement and hear their gasps of delight as they surveyed the presents under the tree. As the boys began to unwrap, we noticed something that hadn’t really been present on Christmas morning before. Jayke was so excited. I have never seen him excited at Christmas or his birthday, for that matter, even though he was opening presents I knew he really wanted. This time was different. I have never seen him shaking with joy as he realized what he was unwrapping. We have seen some definite improvement in his condition, the physical pains have been gone for over a week and seeing him this way is encouraging that perhaps being here will have a positive effect on him. The lack of snow didn’t dampen our spirits and the boys got to play outside with their new basketball hoop. It was a fantastic day. Merry Christmas.
School
After we got unpacked I started to get the school registration process started. One of the reasons we chose this neighbourhood is because of the school. Phil had come here last year and this school was his favorite so I headed off to register Dylan and Jayke. I had researched the California school system and found that the cutoff for kindergarten enrollment is in December and their curriculum is about a year ahead of what our kids were doing in Edmonton. I had decided even before we moved to register them in grades 1 and 3 even though they were in 2 and 4 when we left. They understood the reasons and were ok with that decision.
When I got to the school and handed the secretary the forms, she told me their grade 1 classes were full but there was room in grade 3. I knew kids had to go to their neighbourhood school but I had no idea there was a reason they couldn’t. We had 2 options: put Dylan in grade 3 and Jayke in grade 1 at a different school or put them both at the alternate school. Since we didn’t want to break them up, they needed to go to the same school.
I spoke with the principal of our school in Morgan Hill and he suggested testing them to see which grade they should be placed in as they had room in grades 2 and 4 at their school. I agreed and the boys did some math and language arts first term tests. The boys both did great in language arts and Jayke did really well in math even though it was above what he had learned but I really noticed the curriculum difference in the grade 4 math test that Dylan took. In their first term, they did division, algebra and factorials. Dylan had just started multiplication at the end of grade 3 last year and hadn’t even touched division so I knew he’d be in way over his head. The principal felt that he would do ok with extra help and so after discussing with Phil and the boys, decided to go ahead with registering them in grades 2 and 4.
I woke up the next morning feeling completely distressed over this decision and for the next 5 days, I constantly had to try and convince myself that this was the right decision. It was a miserable time. There was the whole church thing, Ty was really sad about not going home to his house in Edmonton, Christmas was coming and we’re feeling very far from home. I felt that it was not the right decision to put them in those grades and I woke up early Wednesday morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I started to pray and for probably an hour and a half, asked God to give me wisdom and peace. I finally fell asleep and when I woke up in the morning, everything was different. Everyone seemed happy and it was a great start to the day. I told Phil that I thought it was a mistake to put the boys in the grades we did and that I felt we needed to change them to 1 and 3 even if it meant them going to a different school. He agreed to the change, as did the boys, and I felt total peace about the decision.
It was an amazing day and after supper, Ty asked if we can stay here in California. He said he really liked it here. Our homesickness has gone and we are really enjoying our time here as we get ready for Christmas.
Homesick
The last 4 weeks have been some of the most physically and emotionally challenging times I have ever experienced. In addition to having to leave everything and everyone we know behind, we’ve had to coordinate packing up our lives, driving down and finding a place to live, figuring out which school to send the boys to, and all of the related logistical items like getting social security cards, banking, utilities, and on and on. In the midst of all of this, we’ve been so busy and exhausted to think about missing our old lives back home. Even as I write this, it seems like it was a lifetime ago.
Unfortunately, the overwhelming feeling of homesickness hit both of us full force last Sunday. Through this process, I didn’t think being homesick would be something that would be a problem for me. Of course hearing the boys tell us about missing their friends and Ty still associating Edmonton with the word “home” doesn’t help. But it wasn’t anything I was too worried about. I’m going on record to say I was 100% wrong.
When I woke up on Sunday I think things just came crashing down after everything we had gone through. I felt a sense of, “why did we just leave behind a great life and everything we know and are comfortable with and come here where we are basically starting from scratch.” Following that were questions about whether we did what was best for our family and more importantly, our boys. I mean, this was not a decision we made quickly (about a year from discussing the idea to getting our visa) or without thinking through. But there was a sense of regret that was overwhelming and I couldn’t control the emotion that came along with that. After a lot of reassurance from Christine that we did make the right decision and that we can always go back to Edmonton, I felt better and we went to church (being a newcomer in a church for the first time in 20 years and how that felt is a seperate post in itself). The emotions continued to flow during the service and there were tears shed by both of us. For me though, it was a really encouraging time at a time when I needed nothing better. However, on our drive home, talking to Christine, it was evident that she was feeling the sense of homesickness too. In fact, she even said how she looked around in church and even though we didn’t know a single person, in her mind, she was associating faces with people we know back home and that made it really hard for her.
I think part of the reason God instituted marriage is so that when one of you is weak, the other can be strong. Just a couple of hours earlier, I was ready to throw in the towel and head back to Edmonton, and was encouraged by Christine, and now it was my turn to be the encourager. Though it was incredibly difficult on both of us, we agreed that we needed to look at the opportunities and experiences this would bring instead of how much we missed home. Maybe this will be the most exciting time of our lives, or maybe this whole thing will be nothing but hardship. Either way, Christine and I are determined to make sure the relationships between us and our boys grows stronger through it all. And if that’s the only thing that comes through this time, then it will have been worth it. Of course, we’re hoping for much more, but I think we’re starting to see things in proper perspective.
Church
Today we went to church for the first time in Temecula. As with a lot of things with this adventure, we researched a lot and thought we’d try Rancho Community as it seemed most like our church in Edmonton. Even though Phil had a rough morning, I was really excited about going to a new church and beginning a new chapter in our walk with God there. As we drove, I started to feel really nervous. We had been at WECA for 20 years each and had connected with so many people there that it truly was our church “family”. There are people at WECA that I considered brothers, sisters and even 2nd parents and I was excited to begin new friendships and I kind of thought we would walk in and it would all be the same.
As the worship started, I began to cry. I felt so alone. The reality of moving away hit me at that moment and going to a place that usually helped me feel connected, suddenly made me feel the opposite. A few times I’ve seen someone here who reminds me of someone in Edmonton and I found myself seeing a few “familiar” faces at church this morning: The drummer looked like Rob Given about 30 years ago (I’ve only known him for about 15 years so I’m imagining), and the tall bald guy looked like…you guessed it, Per Lidman. Although I didn’t see her at church, I could have sworn it was Dianne Eklund at the gas station a couple days before.
I finally stopped crying and the rest of the service was great. A really excellent message and the worship was really great, too, even though I cried through it. This experience really gave me an appreciation for what a new person experiences in church. It must take so much courage for someone to go to church for the first time. I’ve been in the church for years and it was that hard for me, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be for someone who doesn’t go to church to walk through those doors. I’m glad I have this new perspective.
Home
After looking at a few rentals, we put in an application on a really nice house but the next day i felt that it wasn’t the house for us. It had everything we were looking for but it wasn’t in the neighbourhood that I knew Phil had wanted us to live in. The day our application was approved for the one house, we found one that was available in Morgan Hill and after a quick walk through, we decided to take it. It was such a good feeling to finally have a new home. We’re starting to get settled and Ty is happy to play with his trains and Dylan and Jayke are happy to have their Lego. It certainly doesn’t feel like home yet but it’s nice to have familiarity around us in such an unfamiliar place.
Birthdays
Wednesday we celebrated Jaykes birthday at the park and had a great time, even though the lineups were so long. A couple of highlights: the birthday button (everyone who saw Jayke said happy birthday), watching Jayke march up to the monorail driver and ask if we could ride in the front (it took a few tries as sometimes someone else was there before us but he kept trying and Phil and I stood there amazed at his confidence – Master Kim’s Taekwondo classes helped with that, I’m sure), supper at Goofy’s Kitchen (always so much fun and amazing food).
The last thing we wanted to do on Jayke’s birthday was watch the fireworks which would have been amazing but as we’ve learned on this trip, something can always go wrong. We were rushing down mainstreet to get through the crowd so we could see and Jayke dropped his little Mickey stuffy that came with his birthday supper at Goofy’s kitchen. I told Phil to wait with the kids and I’d retrace our steps but couldn’t find anything. After the fireworks, Phil took the kids back to the hotel as I continued to look. Still empty-handed, I returned to the hotel to let Jayke know I would continue to look after he went to sleep and he burst into tears. I know it was just a stuffy but our Jayke has gone through so much and this day had been so special for him that the thought of it ending this way was heartbreaking. I set out again, tears streaming down my own face, and praying that I would find it. Through a bit of Disney magic, I was able to locate the Mickey and returned to the room to place it in my now 7 year old’s sleeping arms. I tried everything to wake him to let him know his birthday memory was saved but to no avail. In the morning when he woke up, I showed him what I had found and saw joy and relief fill his face. Thanks Disneyland!
We spent Phil’s birthday at Disney as well and it was really special. Happy birthday boys.
Vacation
Well, after the crazy weeks leading up to our move, we decided that we would take some time and vacation while we got settled. The first stop was Disneyland. Jayke’s birthday was on November 24 and although he wanted to go to Legoland for his birthday, we kind of convinced him to pick Disneyland as we wanted to surprise the boys with a couple of nights at the Disneyland hotel.
We didn’t realize that the schools in California had the whole week off and we had figured the beginning of the week would be less busy with Thanksgiving on Thursday and the long weekend. Wrong! It was so busy on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday that the staff at the park were commenting that they couldn’t believe it was busier than summer. We basically went on 2 rides, Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters and Autopia and that was it for the first 2 days. Tuesday night we stayed at the Disneyland hotel and planned to be there Wednesday Morning right at park opening at 8:00 am as this was Jayke’s birthday and we wanted to make the most of it. By the way, the hotel room was amazing. It had a headboard across both beds and fireworks that lit up on it which was our favorite feature of this room.
Thursday we got a magic morning pass and got into the park at 7:00 am. We took advantage of this and spent the morning and most of the afternoon in the parks. It was considerably less busy and we got to do lots of rides, especially Toy Story Mania. That afternoon, we headed to Carlsbad and spent a few days there. We took a train ride along the coast to San Diego and spent some time at the harbour. There was this amazing statue of the famous kiss that was about 30′ tall.
Now, I was under the impression that it is always warm in Southern California so when I packed our stuff, it was mostly shorts, short-sleeved shirts, a couple pairs of socks, 2 pairs of pants, etc. I realized after we arrived in California that I forgot to pack in our luggage and on the moving truck the boys’ fall coats so we’ll have to have them sent down. Since all we had was their winter stuff, we stopped at a Walmart to pick up a couple of hoodies and I scoffed at all the fleece sweaters and puffy winter jackets that would rival the ones in Edmonton stores. I figured they might need a little something but really people, you don’t know what cold is until you’ve lived in Edmonton.
The thing is, the days here can be warm, if you’re in pants and a long sleeved shirt, and maybe for a few minutes, you might feel hot but it is freezing in the morning and evening starting around 4:00. Add a breeze from the ocean and I can understand the touques, mitts and fleece sweaters (still not the puffy parkas though, come on people). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining at all, just surprised. It’s not quite what I expected and I bet there will be quite a few things that won’t be as I expected.
We finally made it to Legoland which is like heaven to the boys. They are so passionate about lego and every chance are trying to figure out how they can get a new set. This was a great place for Ty as well as the rides are very mild and he loved looking at the mini city which is a huge area of the park that has models of buildings and trains and is awe-inspiring.
One of the final things we wanted to do on our vacation was kart racing. Dylan has been interested in a career in NASCAR for many years and some of the drivers started with kart racing so any time he can get behind the wheel of something, he’s there (Grandma’s tractor included). The day finally came when we could go and it was so fun to watch Dylan and Jayke (Ty was too little but he enjoyed the driving arcade games and is content to watch…for now). They have very different personalities, Jayke being the more cautious one while Dylan seems to have no fear (which causes me great fear). The karts they rode on were like nothing we’ve ever seen for kids in Edmonton. They were super fast (up to 40 kph) with a gas and brake pedal and the track was long and had lots of tricky corners. They suited up and started their race with a couple other boys.
They took it slow at first but on the second lap, Jayke crashed straight into the wall! He sat there for a second, then turned his wheel and kept going. I told Phil I was sure he’d be done after that but as he drove by us, he gave us the thumbs up and kept going. By the end, he was taking that corner with a little more speed and after the race he said it was really fun and would do it again. Way to go Jayke! Dylan, after a couple of cautious laps, found his niche and was driving like a pro. After their second race, he was passing people on the corners and reading the track like he’d been doing this forever. The karts they’ll be using for competition will be faster and more powerful but this gave them a taste and they want more. The really neat thing was after their second race, Dylan finished first with the fastest lap time and Jayke was telling me that he saw Dylan was in first. He said he thought it was really cool. Dylan came over and Jayke put his arm around him and told him he did really good finishing first. Dylan encouraged Jayke for going really fast too and then they hugged each other. For 2 boys who complain when the other gets in the truck first, it was a nice moment.
ThirtySeven
Yesterday was my 37th birthday. As you get older, you learn that a birthday is just a reminder that you have 1 year less to accomplish what you want to in life. However, for one day, yesterday November 30th, 2010, all of the worries of life seemed to fade away, and I got to experience quite possibly the most magical birthday of my life (to date). Let me share some of it with you.
We decided we were going to spend my birthday as a family at Disneyland. So right off the bat, I knew this was going to be an all day party. Waking up, it was a glorious day (yes, I said glorious…that’s my new word to describe the weather here…every morning I tell Christine, “Well, it’s another glorious day”). I think when you’ve lived in Edmonton for 35 years, you’re able to appreciate warm weather in November, and I plan to NEVER take that for granted. And from start to finish, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to celebrate my first birthday here in California. Here are some of the highlights:
- Toy Story Mania. You wait in line 45 minutes for a 5 minute ride and always feel like it’s worth the wait. It’s genius.
- Green Army Men performance. These guys are truly the unsung heroes of the California Adventure park. They put on a great show, get the kids involved and are hilarious!
- Riding up front with the driver in the monorail. The kids get a much bigger kick out of this than me, but it’s neat to see how excited they get about it.
- Playing rock, paper, scissors with the boys while waiting in line at Toy Story Mania. We must have played for 15 minutes straight. And (no joke), every second time, I would throw paper, Dylan would throw scissors and Jayke would throw rock. Ty played a few times too, but usually he would throw something that was like a rock that morphed into scissors (he’s 3 so we cut him a break). It was a hoot.
- In that same line, I had Dylan and Jayke play a game of “Who can go the longest without touching anything” (except the ground with their feet). Jayke actually asked if he could touch stuff he was wearing, and I told him it was ok because if he couldn’t, he’d have to be naked in order to win. It’s amazing how well that works at keeping them out of trouble (at least for a couple of minutes).
- Riding Splash Mountain. Honestly, I’m not a ride freak. There are certain rides with some level of thrill that I enjoy. For example, I actually like the Materhorn. But I generally avoid anything resembling a rollercoaster or anything that suspends you high above the ground. Splash mountain falls into a gray area, but Dylan really wanted to go on it, so I went with him (Dylan is 9 and he’s MUCH more of a daredevil than I have ever been). So we went together, and it actually ended up being a lot of fun. Unfortunately, Dylan didn’t want to go in the front, so I had to, while he sat behind me, so Christine has a picture of us as we went down the final drop, but mostly it’s a picture of me (you can’t see Dylan) doing that face that people do to try to fake that they’re having fun when in reality, they’re praying that they don’t die. That’s one you definitely won’t see here.
- Having supper at Goofy’s Kitchen. I don’t think seeing Disney characters live will ever get old for the kids so I’m sure we’ll continue to go there for years to come. However, it’s clear that some characters are more, how shall we say, well known than others. For example, at the table beside us, as Princess Jasmine came over to say hi to them, Christine overheard a boy say “Who are you?” Not sure what was more sad…that comment, or the fact that I actually KNEW that was Princess Jasmine in the first place.
- Jayke on the Thunder Mountain Railroad. Jayke is a lot less of a daredevil when it comes to rides. Even so, he went for a spin on this ride which he had never tried before and was largely unknown to us in terms of “thrill” level. He LOVED it. So much so that they immediately went again. There are few things more exciting to a parent than seeing your kids try something new and absolutely rock it. This is now officially his favorite ride at Disneyland.
- Getting birthday wishes from virtually every staff member at Disneyland. I know they don’t know me from Adam, and it’s in their job description, but it still makes you feel good.
- The perfect end. We stayed late to watch the World of Color show which is one of those things that leaves you wondering how someone thinks this stuff up. Mind blowing stuff. I was carrying Ty so he could see over the people in front of us and about 5 minutes into it, I could feel him leaning on my cheek. I looked over and he was fast asleep, while sitting straight up with music blaring. It was one of those moments that is frozen in time in your memory.
I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my 38th year of life. Looking forward to a lot more.
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