Catch Up Week 2: Erin's Weekends

We are so thrilled that our little sis and Micheal are getting married in less than a week. What a perfect time to post about her fun weekends.

The second week of December we had her Bridal shower. Her best friends put on a beautiful shower at the Cannon household. For the pics click HERE.

The next weekend the girls headed to Santa Barbara where we stayed at the Canary Hotel for the night. Pouring rain, shopping, burlesque dancing class (no details will be given, except that Erin would say Dayna gives one great lap dance), dinner and nail beautification.

The girls prepping for some intense booty shaking.

Yummy dinner only because there was a gluten free pasta option on the menu!

My more than beautiful sister (-in-laws). Love the bachelorette crown!

Catch Up Week 1: Christmas Sweater Party

Everyone's doing it! Put on your tackiest Christmas/holiday sweater and join your friends in holiday merriment.


We ventured to our old apartment, in which our good friends Neil and Amber Esposito now live, to hang out with cool people in old Christmas sweaters.

We played the best rendition of White Elephant that I have ever seen. Amber has been doing this with her family forever. All you need is at least one present per guest, a "Trouble" game board, a stop watch and many amped up people to steal cheap gifts.

Neil and Amber- The Hosts

Me and Nicole won cutest Christmas sweater

The craziness of "Trouble White Elephant"

SO MUCH TO CATCH UP ON!

I'll start from where we left off.

The week of Thanksgiving I had 9 clients that I was tutoring after school and I had been working as a substitute in the same 2nd grade class for two consecutive weeks. On the Monday after the long 4 day weekend the office secretary informed me that I would be a "long-term" substitute until February 1st. Good for our financial status, bad for free time and relaxation.
Our routine has been like a one trick pony for 5 weeks. Tucker and I leave the house at 6:40 in the morning, Tucker drops me off at Dixie Canyon Ave Elementary at 7:10, goes to work, then picks me up at 3:00, and zig-zags around Sherman Oaks dropping me off and picking me up at my tutoring clients killing time in between. After teaching 21 7/8 year olds for 6 hours and one on one tutoring 3 kids hourly after school we would arrive home at around 7:00 each night except Friday. It takes all my energy to make dinner and take a shower just to do it all over again when the alarm goes off at 5:45 the next morning. Wah...Wah, right?
In order to get life back to normalcy I will clean house, put away the Christmas gifts, call friends, and catch up on the blog (because I know at least one person is out there reading it).

Abandoned

I did not abandon the blog.
I have been thinking about it everyday.
I haven't been able to get to it because of the 12 hour days and booked weekends.
I will be back.
Happy Holidays!

Gobble, Gobble, Turkey Bowl

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!



























































We are thinking of our family that are not celebrating with us. We love you!

Some Old News

Aunt Paula came to do her annual summer visit to the states from Holland in August. First, she stopped into Washington, DC to visit her lovely daughter Danielle in her new home. Danielle showed her mama around her new neck of the woods. Then, Aunt Paula head to LA to be with the Castronova clan.
She saw our new place. We laughed, ate appetizer treats, and heard some stories of what Topanga was like when she was a teen.

We spent time with grandma and grandpa.

We had a birthday party for my mom at Uncle Eli's house. I my mom turned 39 again this year (she looks good for her age). PS- Please ignore the political sign in the background.

We always have fun when Aunt Paula is here. Now we have to wait a whole year before we see her again. Maybe she'll bring Uncle Gerard and Derek with her next summer.

In October my cousin Danielle came back to LA to see her family who has missed her so much. Danielle moved from here to Washington DC in June to pursue a job at the Dutch Embassy. She loves her new home and has made many new friends. She even lost her American accent when speaking Dutch (she grew up in Holland speaking American and Dutch then moved here to go to school when she was 21). Danielle was able to brag about all the cool things she has been doing for the last four months. We miss her so much and can't wait to see her in January.

*How many chickens can you count in this picture?

Hint: Danielle and I don't count.

Sunday Galaxy Showdown

The Los Angeles Galaxy beat Chivas 1-0 on Sunday night and we had 2nd row tickets. We saw Becks and Donovan up close and personal this time with our Galaxy gear in hand. Tucker's favorite part was when Becks took off his shirt at the end of the game and through his shirt into the crowd.

The flop that got us a penalty kick.

The penalty shot that won the game.

The LA Galaxy play Houston this Friday and then it's off to the MLS Cup Final. Go Galaxy!

Update: Tucker and Hadyn went to the semi finals game on Friday and the LA Galaxy won 2-0 and will be playing in the MLS Cup Final.

A Saturday Morning Workout

Some may think a relaxing Saturday morning workout consists of a quiet walk or a peaceful hike. Not around these parts. We climb rocks!

*Chase reaching for sky on Boulder 1

Coley and Chase were definitely showing up Tucker and I on the cliffs. Tuck is suffering from a shoulder injury due to a snowboarding mishap at Mt High yesterday and I had the only excuse of it being my first time. Rock Climbing was a childhood favorite of the Cannon boys at Stoney Point thanks to Dad Cannon, so of course they were well trained and taught all safety precautions.

I am amazed at what a crazy "sport" this is; gear, guts, muscles and balance. I can't wait to hit the rocks again.

*This is about as far as I got this time : (

*Cole looking down after powering his first climb on Boulder2

Hey, look at me! I think I just earned another Cannon badge.

*Tara getting up on stairs Boulder2

I Missed My Own Awareness Month!

I know I'm new at this but it is truly disgraceful when you don't know when the month that spreads awareness for the disease you live with is!
October is Celiac Awareness Month. Celiacs Disease is a genetic disease that causes the body to react negatively to wheat and gluten when it is ingested (and in some cases topically).
Not only do I live gluten free, my loving husband does as well and it's not by choice. The gluten free diet is a healthy diet for anyone that chooses to live this lifestyle. I'm very passionate about my diet and I promise to blog about this topic more often to spread awareness every month of the year.
For now I'm attaching some links for the curious.

celiac.com
G-Free Diet
Web MD

BOO!

Happy Halloween!

This year we opted to not use our typical stencil pattens for the pumpkins. Instead, we came up with our own fun face ideas.

Our Halloween this year consisted of cupcake making (G-free and flour), pumpkin carving, pizza, candy, a devastating USC loss (which we don't mention), and a scary viewing of Friday the 13th cuddled on the couch.

Political quote, anyone?

I am not one for email forwards, but my dad sent me a list of political quotes that get the ol' thinker thinking.

"When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation."

"The night Max wore his wolf suit he made mischief of one kind... and another."

I have the book memorized, I read it to my students and I will read it to my future kids. It is a story that everyone can relate to. Fun, mischief, adventure, imagination, and taming our biggest fears.
The new PG movie, Where the Wild Things Are, is not for kids. It is a story about a troubled boy who needs an escape from is torn apart life. The story is so deeply emotional and terribly disturbing which leads kids to think the story is sad, scary and even boring. The little girl behind us in the movie theater, who couldn't have been older than 5, kept asking her parents, "is the movie over yet?" The score is complied songs by Arcade Fire and the imagery/cinematography was wonderfully done.
Kids should only have access to the book Where the Wild Things Are, the movie will ruin the grace and journey of the book.

Together Again

The Snow's have made an announcement this week....They are coming back to California in less than 4 weeks!
After 3 years in Japan they are returning with: a new world knowledge, tons of Japanese kitch, a total of 10 memorized Japanese words and phrases, 10 years of marriage, and one more kid (named RoRo) in tow.
In less than four weeks we will all be together again.

Thank You Ladies!

We can't wait to try the first fruits of our chicken labor.

Seeing Pink

There's nothing like seeing large grown men in tight pants, wearing bright pink cleats, bright pink wrist bands, and bright pink gloves, running down the football field.

The NFL got me in the mood for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this weekend when the whole football nation joined in on the pink festivities. It is chances like these that allow us to remember to do our part in the great race for cancer awareness and donating to find find a cure.

So, here are some links ladies (and gentlemen) to some fun pink apparel and accessories to show your support for the cause.

Ellen Shop

Susan G Komen

NFL Shop

Playing Substitute Teacher

I'm accepting my new role in the world as substitute teacher. The transition is slowly killing me in reverse. I still have my rough days where I long to have my own classroom filled with 25 little students, sitting at 25 little desks, with their 25 intelligent minds. I've let go of the resentment that I held for Arnold Schwarzenegger for approving a class size increase to headway the drastic LAUSD new teacher slaughtering (AKA budget cuts...even though we've yet to see any other ways the district is cutting down on their big business spending). It's cleared my mind to let go of that hate.
I've been working consistently thanks to the wonderfully lovely people at the elementary school I previously worked for. They boost my confidence and my ego continually. I'm not sure how well I'd hold up if it weren't for them, the parents at the school, and the students who express their distress of my loss and the support that they provide.
It's strange walking into some other teacher's classroom. I'm not sure you'd know what I fell unless you have went from being a full time teacher to a substitute teacher. Each classroom has their own routines, structure, and schedule. Each teacher has their room set differently, with materials and books in various places. I can't help but want to judge, or to clean/organize, or to long for what they have for a job. Yet, I come in, dust off my rusty teacher legs and give those students my all just for the day.
Playing substitute teacher isn't my favorite game and I don't think it ever will be. But I think it is a lesson to me to take my challenges in stride and overcome the hardships of leaving behind the job I spent 6 years in mind bogging school for and two years of blood, sweat and tears working as a 2nd grade teacher. By encompassing my new role I'll learn, becoming a more rounded teacher and more experienced educator. I think I will be able to learn the tricks and strategic moves to become the winner in the end.

Spotted

a California Condor on our morning hike.

Bookstore Strolling

This is what I came home with today after 2 hours in Barnes and Noble:

Which do I read first....

....the instructional guide created by the over-the-top Jewish godmother of problem solving life's dilemmas telling me how to be a more serving wife?

....the wanna be Twilight series where a girl named Ever gains magical abilities while being drawn into the mysteriously hunky boys world?

or

....the story of four people unlikely to meet while living two very different lives in the same small Topanga community?

Ladies Night

Grandma Cannon stepped out of the woods last Wednesday to have a ladies night. Joanna's back from school so what better way to celebrate than to have a girls only date night. Of course we are missing Kimmy, Marissa, Robin and a few others but we've been together since 8th grade and I couldn't have found a better group of girls to share the last 14 years with.

What night with Jo wouldn't be complete without a Spice Girls shot? If you can't tell they always make me be Scary Spice, huh?
The original is somewhere girls (now that's scary) who has it?

For Sale

Dad Cannon may call it a mid life crisis but it is a bittersweet event for all of us.

Last Thursday the for sale sign when up on the lawn of the Cannon residence. Mom Cannon saw that it is time to move on to bigger things. The Cannon Clan is growing larger and there is no possible way to squeeze one more chair in the dinning room and we know that Griff is tired of being the one to get the stool on the corner. We all love this house and it holds such wonderful memories for all of us. This house served as a home for six kids, two supporting parents and endless in and outs from numerous friends and family. It's days are numbered but I think this house has felt the love that has lied within it for 20 years.

Ryken Gary Funk

Born: 9/11/09 9:09am

Parents: Kim & Dustin Funk

Weight: 7lbs 8oz

Length: 20 in

Baby test: 9/10

Cuteness: 20/10

Ryken,

You are so lucky to have two wonderful parents, drooling grandparents, a loving aunt and wide eyed uncles. You are surrounded by people who love you unconditionally. We cannot wait to watch you grow, play and be happy. Welcome to the family of friends (I think you'll actually like having us around).

Love,

Tara & Tucker