The last week in dining & a short note about a lost friend

Pretty boring week of dining for the fam.  1 night of grilled pork loin with frozen veg & instant mash potatoes made by Andres, 1 night of fully cooked HEB pot roast (again with the instant mash potatoes, kids love those!). The kids advised me that they wanted grits, evidently something they enjoyed frequently with their foster family.  That was an easy breakfast to whip out and they were unusually pleased with it.  


Finally, last night we attended the memorial celebration for our good friend and the bass player for After Hours Band (www.afterhoursbandsa.com), Larry Stock who passed away a week ago.  Very generously hosted by RK group at the beautiful Sunset Station, funded by the band members and AVTS it was a lovely tribute to a man we all loved.  If you're interested there is a short video of his last gig with the boys on the band's Facebook page. Larry was not only an absolutely amazing singer, bass player & band mate, he was also a great Dad, his relationship with his two sons was so fun, but there was also discipline and respect evident.  He raised two great sons & I look at him as a role model parent.  I also met some really great people there, that I hope to spend time with again.  


Back to food; Andres voluntarily ate a raw carrot off the buffet last night! (I like to celebrate the small victories).  And more good news, my tiny neighborhood farmers market finally returned.  Wednesdays at Rainbow nursery on Thousand Oaks, it's usually only half a dozen vendors but that's good enough.  I picked up Kale, zucchini and bell peppers yesterday. So tonight I'll make garlicy kale with tomatoes  and Billy will grill some chicken breasts that Andres is going to Marinade.  


That'll be the last home cooked meal for the week.  Billy and I have likely made a decision we will regret by Sunday.  We are having over around a dozen little boys Saturday night for movies and video games projected on large screens indoor and out.  It's a summer kick off/schools out celebration for them, and it commemorates the 2 year anniversary of the day we met the Andres & Albert at the OC Schnabel park matching event.   I really can't believe it's only been 2 years! It seems like there was never a life without them. I'm just giving in to little boy favorites for this, $5 pizzas, popcorn, movie candy and sodas.  Albert keeps doing a little dance and singing"YAY, sodas after 9:30!!!!"  Wish me luck! This summer is starting out so much better than last year.  I'm starting to get the hang of this, keep 'em busy! We hit the zoo this morning early, with the membership Billy gave me for mother's day, we get admission as early as 7am.  It was so fun to watch the animals waking up! We really had a great time and were outta there before the heat & crowds arrived.  They even hit Sams with me for $1.50 lunch combos & shopping for party candy.  I didn't let 'em rest long, and got 'em to the pool at Shadow Cliff by 1pm, I'm not going to say they were worn out because that never  occurs, but they did return home for a quiet movie afternoon.  


We can't wait to get back to the lake this weekend! The kids amazing performance behind the boat last week has us really excited to see what they do next.  Check 'em out! Picture Album

And here's a little comparison, Nov 2009 Zoo trip and one from Today... Andres won't even fit under that statue anymore! It's amazing...