Golf, Birthdays and Cousins

Steven warming up for a tournament

Sean and Steven have been playing golf. Lots of it. Three tournaments a week most weeks.

Sean teeing off on his birthday

In their infinite quest to test how skilled the parents of the golfers are at juggling schedules and driving over the speed limit on the freeway without getting a ticket, the San Diego Junior Golf Association schedules tournaments for Steven and Sean on the same day at the same time at golf courses that are sometimes over 60 miles away from each other.

It keeps us busy, that's for sure. And no speeding tickets yet, someone must be watching over us.

Sean holding his birthday-decorated golf balls

Sean celebrated his ninth birthday on June 30. I decorated his golf balls with birthday wishes.

Pig Races at the Del Mar Fair

The celebration was low-key, many of his friends were out of town on vacation. We took a group of folks down to Ultrazone to play Laser Tag, then went out for burgers and ice cream. One friend had a sleep-over.

Gannon, Steven, Ian and Sean

There was a week off from golf, and the boys and I decided to take a last-minute mini-vacation. They desperately wanted to grab some more time with their cousins, Kyra's brothers, who live 500 miles away from us in Santa Cruz.

Ian, Steven and Sean on the hang-glider ride at the Boardwalk

So we headed north. We took the kids to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and got them unlimited ride tickets, all the spinning and dizzying drops their stomachs could handle.

And their usual pastime, Magic The Gathering, and sword-fighting (this inspired by the Pirates movie).

Sean, Ryden, Luke, Steven and Ronnie

On the way home, we stopped for a short visit in Coalinga, where my nephew Adam and his family live now. A much more affordable place for them to live, but we miss them.

Now, as our summer rapidly dwindles, golf is back in full swing.

And Memphis is on the horizon as I try to stay in denial, the less thinking I do about that in advance, the better.

- Kathleen