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9/26/2001 2:40:00 PM
Boulder Creek, CA
In the Santa Cruz mountains and the redwood forrest

June/July 2001

The first week of June Robert was at a conference in Orlando and the weekend after at a paragliding maneuver clinic, so he can learn what to do in emergency situations

Hallo you all!

I actually started with my June report early July, but shortly after noticed that there was not much going on that month and wasn't in the mood for writing anyways. Therefore I  decided to write a 2 month report and regret it deeply now. My computer was out of order for 2 weeks,  just the week that Robert had left for a business trip and I had all the time to write... We finally got it fixed again but since my nephews are here to visit I hardly find the time to sit down. So I thought I'll take the few minutes in-between, otherwise it will never get done. Here is what I had originally started with in June:

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Hallo here are the Schmids again,

lets see if I will be as successful again to finish my report in one sitting (yeah right - comment from August!). Sebastian is at a friends house, Benjamin is sleeping and I try to  escape the heat, since it is almost unbearable outside (100 Degrees). Except last week, where it was a bit cooler and also rained a few times in-between, we had the most gorgeous summer. It has been incredibly warm and hot, sunshine from early morning (which is unusual since we normally get the coastal fog which only moves out at lunch time) and wonderful warm evening and nights - very unusual as well - I love it and we get to sit outside a lot more! I sure hope it will stay like this so that all our summer visitors can enjoy this lovely Californian whether.

The first week of June Robert was at a conference in Orlando and the weekend after at a paragliding maneuver clinic, so he can learn what to do in emergency situations. Even though the weather conditions were bad he had learned a lot from his trainer and is happy he did it. They have to fly over a lake and try different collapses of the glider, with the help and instruction via radio from the trainer they fix it again and should there be a situation were they cannot get it up again they can fall into the water... I was very glad he did this, since he is going to fly his first competition next month.

They boys and I had a nice and quite time at home, Sebastian had a friend over Monday to Tuesday and on Wednesday my friend Terry and her kids (Mike 4 1/2 and Sheryl 1 1/2) came to stay for a night. That is always very exciting and our week alone got to be very short. Till mid June we were busy with our regular schedule for pre-school and swim class anyways.

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Well, and now I continue with the news - the end of June our friends Danielle, Scott and Abby (14 mos) from Seattle came to visit  for 4 days. Unfortunately it was the week with cold and rainy weather, so we got to be a bit house stuck. Abby and Benjamin are on totally different nap schedules which mend we had to be home from 10am till 4pm anyways (unless we would break there routine..) So we really didn't mind and had a very relaxed and enjoyable time here. One night the four of us went out, which is specially nice since we don't get to see each other that often. I hope we will be able to visit them up north the next time!

The first week of July Robert attended his first paragliding competition. Originally we all wanted to go but that I thought it would be better if he doesn't have to schedule us into his day and can enjoy only paragliding for a week. I also feared that there would be too many "fanatics" (only talking about flying etc.) and I would be better off at home.. Well it turned out that Robert had always been back in the early afternoon and many other participants had brought their friends and family along. The hotel had a pool and the area around was beautiful. So next time we know and we'll come along! Anyways he had a good time (even though he missed) and learned a lot, he was glad to have done his maneuver clinic in June.. On the last day half of his glider collapsed and up to the last moment he thought he had to throw his reserve... Thanks to the great instruction by his trainer he knew how to handle the situation and stayed very calm. The flying area was quite challenging and only a few of the participants (total 100) made it to the finish each day. On the 3rd day Robert was 14th place - with 80 others.... Well it was a great practice and it won't be his last competition...

The three of us had also a good week and since Wednesday was the 4th of July, I went to visit my Australian friend Catharine. Her husband was also on a business trip and we thought it would be fun to spend the big American holiday as to foreigners together... They have a wonderful pool which we stayed in almost all day (it was almost 100degrees that week), had great "girl" talks and in the evening we took the "big" boys (Alexander is 3) to the fireworks. Catharine's babysitter came to watch the little ones (Georgette is 1) and the boys had a wonderful time with just the mommies, and were very proud to stay up soooo late! Next day I went to see Hu and Andy and because we had such a fun time and there was nothing that expected me home, I stayed there for a night as well.  So the week was over before I knew it and we hardly were by ourselves. The weeks after it was for us to have visitors: Saturday to Sunday my South African friend Liesel and her parents (who were here to visit her) came, the weekend after Catharine and the kids came to stay with us (Paul was gone for 4 weeks) and so that the beds wouldn't get too cold we had quite a few friends of Sebastian for sleepovers. Even Broesel had company since we were watching Hu's and Andy's dog Mortimer, while they were in Austria for 3 weeks. So there was a lot going on but we love it that way, specially the 2 days with Catharine, since the kids play so well together and Catharine kept me company while Robert spent every hour of the day working on the pond. So July almost was a little "Bed and Breakfast" business... in-between we took advantage of Melissa (Maura's daughter and the best babysitter ever), who was home for a 6 week vacation. The kids absolutely love her and have a wonderful time, it's almost like they want us to go out! So we went out for dinners, movies, a wonderful concert, and were happy to have some time for ourselves amongst all the busy times at the house.

The end of July the pond was finally done and it took almost 2 full days to fill it up with water. So now there is only minor jobs left - the river bed, the plants along the edges, to get the garden into shape, etc. Robert is in there every day and the kids love the shallow play area, it is difficult to get them out. In the meantime we probably had more people swimming in the new pond that we ever had in the old one. Maura also loves to jump in  (she even has her bathing suite and towel here) and cools off half way on her walk. Robert really outdid himself and everybody is very impressed. It really is amazing what he can do without having the professional knowledge, he just goes and teaches it himself. Most of it he had found on the Internet, ideas, working procedures, materials,... and he also got quite some help from consultation over the phone and e-mail with a professional pond builder in Austria. It really looks wonderful and completes the garden scene - he is and should be very proud of himself!

Well, there is not much more to report from July - as mentioned my nephews are here to visit and the moment - but I'll save all that for the August report. At the end of the month preschool will start again and Sebastian is very much looking forward to it - it was a long summer. I am looking forward to some type of routine again and a bit more time for me, my mails,.... since I hardly get to use the computer at the moment. Let us know how your summer went and what's going on in your lives.

We send lots of sunny greetings and hugs around the world

Yours, the 4 Schmids plus Zoo

PS Thanks to all the birthday wished I got it from you per mail, phone or even just in your thoughts! Sebastian is telling everybody now "My mom is also 33 just like my dad - and I am 4 and 3/4!" (At that age even the quarterly years count...?!?!?"

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