2001

Kim takes the jet ski out for a spin with the kids. Someone takes a turn riding on the back and watching while the others hold on to the raft for their lives. Monica is out there hanging tough with Chris and Charlie.

Gabe gets the Santa Cruz look going for school today. He’s sporting the Hawaiian shirt and the spike hair. The girls better watch out.

Back east the stuff to watch out for is poison ivy. Out here in Santa Cruz, the nasty stuff is poison oak. All you have to do is rub up against a leaf or branch and the oil gets on you or your clothes. From there you can spread it all over the place without even knowing it. We’re not sure where Nick got it, but he clearly rubbed it into his face. Time to break out the cortisone. Poor guy. ...

Charlotte’s friend Debi is in town with her son Jared. Here they are hanging out on the deck catching up with Charlotte.

Charlotte headed down to San Diego to spend some time with our friends the Mishkys. We both have known Lynn since our days in Boulder long ago. Charlotte and Lynn headed out to Palm Springs to spend some quality time at Merv’s Place.

This summer the kids all attended soccer camp. It really was a lot of fun even with the huge number of kids all playing at the same time. Nick, Monica, and Gabe each played in separate groups. There was a fair amount of waiting on the sidelines for your turn. Once a group was called out, there was no shortage of running around. The coaches did an awesome job coordinating this many kids. ...

Monica has quite a few collections going. She’s got the stuffed animals, dolls, rock collection, Pokemon cards, and figurines. She’s particularly fond of these teddy bears that are on proud display.

It’s double feature night at the drive-in and time for some family fun. We load up the car with pillows and blankets, and swing by Pizza My Heart for some dinner. The place is crawling with families. People are playing football, soccer, and making plenty of trips to the concession stand. It’s pretty clear that the actual movie is secondary to the whole drive-in experience. Families have really taken over, so I’m not sure how much teenager action will be going on. Guess they’ll have to wait until it gets dark. ...

Nick, Monica, and Gabe all attended Parent Participation Preschool (PPP) in Scotts Valley. They all went for one or two years before kindergarten. We all built great memories of the times spent at school, but the best memories for the kids were clearly their friends and their teachers Kathy and her son Nathan. We’re very sorry to see that the school has closed, but it was a great time while it lasted. ...

Monica had a school biographies project where she played the part of Hellen Keller. She looks so pretty with her hair up. I’ve also included a number of her friends: Colleen as John Muir, Heidi as Pocahontas, Hudson as Lincoln, Justin as Edison, and Ocea as Eleanor Roosevelt.