We're Back In The Saddle Again!

School has begun in Claremont, and that means that Eric is at the high school from early morn to late afternoon. Maria has switched her 50/50 job share days, and now is teaching 1st grade on Mondays, Tuesdays, and every other Wednesday. Zac is now in the 2nd grade and Claire is a Kindergartener! Luke will be going to the Early Childhood Center Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and he will spend Tuesdays with Grandpa Butch and Grandma RoRo. These two aging phenoms will be walking Zac and Claire to school and pushing Luke in the stroller on many days.

The first day we all hit the sidewalk for the trek to school, and it was already super hot. Butch took Zac to his classroom, and Luke and I took Claire to her room. She has the same super teacher that Zac had. How nice! Claire, of course, could not eat breakfast because she was so excited and anxious about this new experience. When we got to school and I asked if she had any questions, she replied that she wanted to know what she was supposed to do if her tooth came out on the playground at recess? Zac, in a very matter of fact manner, informed her that the teacher would take her to the office and they would take care of her. Claire seemed satisfied with that answer.

There were only about 200 million parents and grandparents at school to see their "preciousnesses" go in their classrooms for the first day. As Luke and I checked out Claire's classroom, I noticed that one mother was videotaping and taking still shots at the same time. That's quite a feat! Butch reported that when the teacher told the 2nd graders to select the seat where they wished to sit, Zac went right over to the grouping of desks near the teacher's desk, sat down, put his books in his desk, and turned down offers from friends to move to other locations in the room.

Yes, Butch and I answered Maria's quick call at recess to see how things had gone. Butch made a solo run in the afternoon to pick Zac and Claire up, while I stayed with a sleeping Luke. It wasn't long before two smiling, happy kids came in the door with ice cream from 21 Choices. Grandpa Butch is a good man! :-) All reports were good and everyone - both children and adults - were happy campers! Life is good indeed!

Dining Out With Friends

To me one of life's biggest treats is dining out with friends. It's fun to relax in a special place that we've chosen and enjoy good conversation over/around/above good food. In the deepest sense, the food doesn't matter. What is important is the connection and the caring and the genuine desire to spend time together. Today I'm getting to experience that twice. How spectacular!

Happy 49th Anniversary, Butch!

On August 18th we will celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary. We will also celebrate the fact that we have known each other since the 5th grade. To share almost all your life with someone is special indeed. We'll look at pictures of when we got married, we've already talked to Mark, we'll spend time with Maria and Eric and the kids, we'll do something just for the two of us, and we'll smile when we think of all of the fantastic times. We'll hold close in our hearts those who aren't here to share this special day with us. Happy anniversary, Butch! I love you "all the much."

In Celebration of Claire

Today would have been Claire's 44th birthday. In this picture from childhood friend Jenny that she posted a while ago on Facebook, Claire is the one sitting on the basketball.

First thing this morning we got an email from Wendy. That really touched our hearts. Then we found that Wendy had posted on Facebook, and the responses from other friends were heart-warming and simply beautiful. We miss Claire and all of the love and gifts that she shared with all of us. We celebrate the fact that in a most meaningful way she lives on not only in our hearts and minds, but also in the lives of the girls who are named after her. It means so much to be in touch with all of these Claire's either directly or through their families.

This afternoon we saw the youngest Claire - our granddaughter - who came over with her family to swim and have dinner. Yes, she had on a princess dress. I hope that sometime she'll have a chance to wear one to Kindergarten this year. Princesses seem to bloom where ever they're planted.

Fun Family Celebration in Dallas

The celebration in Dallas was just that - a spectacular time for family and friends to gather to celebrate Shelly's and James's 1st Wedding Anniversary & to meet Owen, Ben, and Henry. We all loved being together - all of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cousins - plus friends from childhood and all through our lives. Mary and her family and friends planned wonderful opportunities for all of us to visit with each other. The smiles were nonstop as were the conversations. Yes, this is a super hot summer in Dallas, but the excitement of getting to see each other far overcame that. We laughed, we danced, we talked, we smiled, we took lots of pictures, and we celebrated all the love and caring shared among friends and family. Thanks to Mary & to everyone who came together to make this a once-in-a-lifetime, oh-so-memorable experience. Fantastic!

Father's Day 2011

Father's Day this year for the California Hendersons was centered around a first trip for all of us to Peterson's Auto Museum in LA. Since both Butch and Eric, Maria's husband, are "car nuts," it just seemed to be THE thing to do for Father's Day. After taking a quick look around, we had a delicious lunch at Johnny Rocket's which is located inside the Museum. What a perfect place for a burger! Then we went back for more. Butch and I found a 1959 Cadillac convertible like the one that we drove off in after our wedding reception. We also saw a 1939 Packard that looked so much like the one that Butch restored - color, details, etc. The kids loved seeing all of the cars and especially enjoyed the floor with activities just for kids. We got home in time for the kids to "swim" in the spa and then to all enjoy dinner on the patio. Butch, Eric, and Luke took a spin in the Model A. They headed home and we had a good visit with Mark who had celebrated with his family, Susan's parents, and Susan's sister and her family. What a special day for them to all be together. Father's Day was indeed super all the way around!

An Exemplary Principal Retires!

Today Ley Yeager bid farewell to students, families, & friends whose connections with him spanned some 20 years as Principal of Vista del Valle School in Claremont. What a man! The tributes, the entertainment, the gifts, the lunch, the celebration all added up to a great sendoff for a "one of a kind" gift to students, their families, and the school staff. In this picture that I "borrowed" from CVR (one of the most talented & creative amateur photographers I've ever known), Ley is looking at a drawing of the mural that the staff and friends have commissioned for him. As the staff - both past & present - stand on the stage, Ley sees it for the first time. There have been several very special principals with whom I've been associated through my life. How nice it was to celebrate with one of them today. Vaya con Dios, Ley. You are a spectacular person.