If you have the Troggs on your iPod, you are a hippie - May 28, 2008 -
I was informed by my 13yo this weekend that Bill and I are hippies. Hippies, people.
We were returning from picking up one of his friends, I had “Get Together” by the Youngbloods playing on the iPod and his exact words, delivered with a totally adorable smile, were “You guys (Bill and I) are so totally hippies. You surf, want to spend all your time at the beach, you want to live on a boat, and you listen to all that hippie music.” Hippie music being all the 60’s music.
I was like “Dude, Peace out!!” and his friend was smiling and laughing in the back seat.
Hippies. Whatever gave him that idea?
Stainless, baby - May 23, 2008 -
I had ordered Sigg, but cancelled the order when I realized that they are aluminum. Aluminum + boat = dents, high heat (which = ruined “secret chemical liner” and leaching of yuk into the water) and lots of money down the drain.
Let me emphasize that normal, everyday land people do not have these issues. I would find it highly unlikely in a normal household for a Sigg to launch itself off a shelf and fly across the room unaided. I also doubt that one would reach thermonuclear temperatures sitting on a kitchen table. So, Sigg is uber cool, and I wiped away a tear from Mia’s face when she realized she was not going to get the Hello Kiddy water bottle. I need these puppies to be able to withstand a visit with Mother Nature and her mighty powerful waves.
Since ours will primarily be used on Calypso, I had to take these things into consideration. Boats get hot. I mean, since they float around on the water soaking up the rays and with no air conditioning, well, we get toasty. Stuff also gets thrown around. Yes, we stow things when we are in motion, but I refuse to be the water bottle police with my kids, chasing them around asking if they have put them someplace safe. I will be too busy drinking rum and getting a tan on deck for any of that nonsense.
So, I found Klean Kanteen, and called the company and fell in love. Stainless steal + boat = cold water, no leaching, and no dents.
The Kanteens came in the mail yesterday, and I LOVE them. They are thick, sturdy, and I have not had one dirty cup in my sink since I handed them out. The kids fill them with filtered water from the fridge, so I have not even had to bring down the water dispenser yet.
Then I found these cool thingies, and I ordered 6, with a different color for each one of us, so now we can tell our bottles apart, and avoid the sweating that stainless is known for. (I got the cool dots. Awesomeness)
I bought the bottles off of Kleen Kanteens website, but due to HUGE numbers of orders with the BPA publicity freak out, they are taking a 2 week break to restock and figure out how to meet such huge demand for reusable water bottles. So, I browsed around on the Reusable Bags site after ordering my wetsuit thingies and found this pairing. That is a pretty big savings when you buy them together like that. I found a coupon code for 20% off as well.
So, if you have not jumped on board with saving our planet yet and reducing the risk of our children having 2 headed babies one day, go get a reusable water bottle.
I bought the 27oz for everyone except Mia. She got the 18oz and it fits her perfectly. I am also very happy with the water bottle lids. They have a little cap that is attached to the neck of the bottle, so it won’t get lost. The top pops up easily. Mia has no problems with it.
I’ll let you know how I like them in a few weeks after we have tossed them around a bit etc.
And if you are wondering…….no, I am not advertising. None of that horse s&*t here. I am just really pleased with the quality of these bottles and wanted to share the love, dudes.
Icehouse - May 22, 2008 -
I just freeze
Every time you see through me
And it’s all over you
Electric blue
Be prepared - May 19, 2008 -
It was overcast, and we were offshore. The seas were wild. Everything looked gray and gloomy.
The boat we were on was a Formosa 51′. I find it weird that this detail was in my brain. The decks were wooden planks, but every time a gust of wind and a wave hit us, she heeled over and you had to grab onto something to keep from slipping across the deck in spite of the wood.
I was at the back of the boat tending to something, when I turned and looked toward mid-ship. I shook my head in disbelief at what I saw, but as much as I tried to wish it away, the image of Mia (3yo), in all her tinyness, standing on deck without her life jacket on would not go away.
The boat was in the trough of a wave, and therefore somewhat flat, but I turned to see a wave approaching, so I flung myself toward her. See, I knew what was going to happen and it did. The wind hit the sails, the boat rose on the swell, then heeled over to port as it raced down the wave, and I watched in horror as Mia slid down the deck toward the life lines. I screamed out “Man overboard” as I saw her tumble over the side of the boat.
I looked behind the boat to see her attempting to swim and stay on the surface. I made a mental note of where she was in the boat wake, and then jumped off the boat. Bill threw me a life preserver, and I grabbed it and started to swim toward where I thought she was.
The waves became smooth and rolling. I screamed out her name. Everything around me got silent. She did not reply. It was at that moment that I knew she had gone under…..that I would never find her, and I jolted awake.
This is what I dreamed on Saturday night. To call it a nightmare is an understatement. It was so real. All the way to the feel of the teak wood deck and the humid air around me, to the utter panic I felt when I knew without a doubt that she had gone under and there was no way that I would find her in the murky, murky, enormous depths.
When I awoke, I pulled my daughter close to me and held her, listening to her breathe. I put my hand on her chest and the beating of her heart slowed down the pounding of my own. I was disturbed beyond belief. I finally fell back to sleep at dawn.
I had no idea I was harboring such thoughts. Such tremendous worry. I have had a dream like this once before. I think it is every sailing parents nightmare.
I am asked questions all the time from parents who don’t sail and can’t believe that we do with 4 kids.
“How do you watch them all?”
“What would you do if one of them fell off?”
“How can you put them at such risk?”
I have friends who keep little special hammers in their cars in case their auto gets washed into the water during a flash flood while they and their kids are in it. I have heard people verbalize fear of this happening and they ask “How would I get them all out in time?”
Obviously, sailing parents wonder the same thing….how do I keep them safe in rough weather or if we, God forbid, capsize?
As my husband says, simply: “Well, you will just do it. Stop worrying and just be prepared.”
My children are in life jackets at all times on the boat. When we are at anchor, they are allowed to take them off below deck, but on deck, they must have them on, no questions asked. My 13yo is the only one who is allowed on deck without one……in the bay. Offshore, EVERYONE will wear a life jacket and be clipped into a life line.
My nightmare is not a far fetched scenario. It could happen. Mia knows how to take off her life jacket by herself. She could wander on deck in the confusion that happens during a storm.
The key word here is “could”. She could. But WOULD she? Probably not. She has been grilled and trained that the life jacket is a part of her, and she knows this. She has been educated about safety on a boat until she probably wants to bang her head against wood. And she will continue to hear about it. See, it is much like anything that you teach your children, such as wearing a helmet when riding a bike, or not touching a hot stove.
But the fact of the matter is…she is 4, and I am the one in charge of her safety, not her. Same with my 7yo, 10yo and 13yo.
I love the Congers motto, that the most dangerous thing on the boat is probably mom, because it is so dang true. I take being vigilant to a new level when we step on the boat.
For the first few months, as I bellowed orders and freaked out every time someone even approached the life lines, my husband would have to tell me “Back off. We want this to be FUN for them. No one is going to die”.
Your damn straight no one is going to die. Hyper-vigilaaaaant Mooooom is on duty.
And then I started to chill out, and life got enjoyable on the boat…..
Secretly, I have my supermom costume on just below my clothes. I am always on guard. I watch them constantly, and never let them out of my site while on deck. I make the little ones go below in squalls and heavy air, always. I believe in avoiding tragedy and will leave the life learning lessons for dockside. It is one thing for your child to learn that the stove is hot by touching it, it is quite another to learn the shock of falling off a boat while under sail offshore.
My dream is not some premonition of things to come. It is a reminder that the unexpected can happen and it is my job to think fast and never let my guard down. I do believe I can handle that.
But I can tell you one thing……..the image of my child, in that dream, rolling off the boat without a life jacket on in heavy seas will NEVER be erased from my mind.
**The above image was taken on a day that the weather predicted partly sunny skies and winds 5-10mph. I snapped it right before the first of many squalls came blowing through, then sent the littles down below. Those calm waters didn’t last long. The bay got just a bit angry, and the winds were blowing 15-20 with gusts up to 25 and higher. By offshore standards this was a nothing day. Bill laughs that I use it as an example. We have certainly sailed in much heavier weather. My point is, being prepared, regardless of weather predictions, can be the difference between going home smiling and talking about a fun day of sailing -vs- having to shell out some big bucks on a ripped sail or much, much, much worse….an injured kiddo.
Defying gravity - May 15, 2008 -
I love this picture. Why? Well, for one thing it has a hot surfer in it. But you knew that, right? Slim, broad shoulders…ahem.
It is a baby wave….nothing spectacular. Kinda sloppy and mushy as waves go, to tell the truth. But I love it because it is so typical….the arm flying out, sometimes grazing across the water. The way his body leans at angles that defy gravity. How relaxed he is on a board. I am not sure if I can say that I have ever seen him fall.
I love this picture because it is my definition of contentment. Laid back, healthy, hanging on a board on an island in the sun.
La flippin’ buena vida, baby.
On an island in the sun, we’ll be playin’ and having fun. And it makes me feel so fine I can’t control my brain. ~ Weezer
Introducing the newest grommet of the family! - May 12, 2008 -
Wading out into the surf with her dad
Are you ready? Here you go!!
Steady!! You can do it!
Almost up!!!
Whoo hoo!! Go wahine Mia!!
And down she goes…
She was so stoked, she turned the board around and was ready to do it again.
She pretty much stood up on every wave Bill pushed her into. Bill would shove her into the wave, and run behind her, so she was safe. It was a blast to watch….and a bit nerve wracking. The board flipped over and landed on her at one point, but she stood up, flipped it around and was right back out there again. She is tough as nails.
At the end of the day she told me “I want to go home and watch “Surfer Girls” (Blue Crush) with you, Mom.” (imagine my heart exploding)
There is no doubt about it…….she is hooked.
Would Madame like some dessert - May 9, 2008 -
Heathers dog Chuck is dog cool to the 9th power. The pup is obedient and well trained, no doubt.
But can he do this?
**edit to add that this little lizard creature is named Geek. He belongs to my son Quinn and is a Leopard Gecko. He is the most docile creature ever. Mia was playing “house” with him in her Pony Teapot, and was putting little pony food etc on Geek and this is how I found him. I spewed coffee, LMAO and ran for my camera.
God’s gift to me is seeing him enjoy the sea again - May 8, 2008 -
And we climb and climb, and at the top we fly. Let the world go on below us, we are lost in time……………….. 
In My Dreams by REO SpeedwagonÂ
Helmsman - May 6, 2008 -
I have been away from the helm here for a bit. We had a family emergency and had to travel out of town for several days. My FIL was quite ill and to make a long story short, ended up with a couple of stents around his heart.
All is well now, and they are on their way back home as I type this.
Things I am grateful for today:
-God and his miracles.
-My FIL….the man is the sweetest, most gracious man and I am so happy we will have him with us for a longer time frame than what was supposed on Wednesday.
-My MIL, who loves her husband and is a most awesome example of a wife.
-My BIL and SIL who made Bill and I laugh like we have not in a very long, long time.
-My friends who took my children in and cared for them so we could go and tend to my FIL.
-Life. Because it is a short ride, and we really need to spend more time appreciating it.
