The Little Dancer June 21, 2007
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Ballet is to Nathalie what horses are to Mallory….everything. At almost every turn, we find Nathalie doing ballet throughout the house, oftentimes getting up from the dinner table to rip off a quick arabesque or plie. This video was taken last week at Nathalie’s ballet practice.
A Plethora of Birthday Shout-Outs! January 29, 2007
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It’s hard to keep up this time of year as the birthdays start rolling in from Louisville, Richmond and San Diego. First, Happy Birthday wishes to our nieces Victoria, Kristin and Kelly!
Today marks the birthday of my best bud Troy, who joins me in the old man category. One more year for the big 4.0! You’re young at heart, my friend.
Also today we celebrate the birthday of our nephew, Stanely Davis!
A Happy New Year’s Gift: Cardinal Orange in South Beach Miami January 5, 2007
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Mission accomplished! I just returned from an incredible trip to South Beach Miami to join my dad to watch Louisville earn its first Orange Bowl victory. We met up on New Year’s Eve at The Palms Hotel and had no idea what the night had in store for us. After a great Italian dinner outside near Lincoln promenade in South Beach, we continued our people watching and drinking at a few adjacent bars. I called my friend Jean-Marc, who lives in Aliso Viejo near me but was also in town for the game, and he proceeded to invite us to one insane-off-the-charts New Years party at Nikki Beach. Jean-Marc ushered us in to the quintessential VIP table, on the VIP floor, to kick back an open table bar and great company. It had to be the best New Year’s parties I’ve attended – topping the black-tie bashes I used to throw in New York City for five years.
We spent the better part of the next day recovering, but rallied to attend the Orange Bowl Fan Fest and have dinner at The Clevelander bar, which happened to be the Louisville fan headquarters. Despite all the fun, the highlight was the Orange Bowl game, which saw Louisville prevail in a sloppy game against Wake Forest. (more…)
Meet Oscar and Lola December 19, 2006
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We have two new members in the Barnes household – Oscar and Lola! Mallory gets credit for the names….Oscar is the grey/white male and Lola is the tri-color female (brother and sister). They’re already making the house a lot warmer for Christmas!
Getting Ready for Christmas December 15, 2006
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The Holiday cheer is upon us in the Barnes household. Last night we headed out with the girls for our annual selection of the Christmas tree. Once again Mallory picked out a beautiful Douglas Fir, this one measuring about 8′ tall. Today both Mallory and Nathalie have their school Christmas parties, and then tonight we’ll fire up the hot chocolate, Christmas tunes (Vince Guiraldi’s Charlie Brown’s Christmas, of course!), and trim the tree. I’m also heading over to a friend’s office today to pick up a new kitten! We took some time to grieve for Rascal – and it still may be too soon – but the girls have so much love for pets and we think the new kitten will warm the house. Lastly, we’re especially looking forward to the arrival of Nene and Grandad next Wednesday to join us for Christmas!
Given that it’s Christmastime, I’ll also take the liberty of reposting our old Barnes Christmas Past video…which will get updated after this year’s festivities:
The Soccer Journey Begins… November 21, 2006
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Soccer has become America’s new pastime, particularly if you have young kids. Last year, Mallory started soccer in our local AYSO League, which is perhaps the most professional “amateur” organization I’ve ever seen. She started in U-5 (under 5 years old) where 3 on 3 girls scrum up and down the field aimlessly, sometimes stopping to pick a daisy. Flash forward only one year, and Mallory has blossomed into a determined soccer player. She played a great season on her U-7 team “The Lightning Bolts” and constantly improved throughout the season, learning to play intense defense and developing a nose for scoring goals. Enjoy the highlight reel….
“The Land of Magic” Barbie Movie October 22, 2006
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What does a dad do with his two young daughters when mom goes away for the weekend, especially when all his girls want to do is play Barbies all day? He gets creative…! We turned a normal Barbie doll playing session into a movie set and created our own short film. Join us on a magic adventure as King Dominic and Queen Blair defend their castle and daughter Lacie against the evil Fire Queen.
And the Hamburger Cookoff Champion Is…. August 18, 2006
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Mr. Barnes. Mr. Eric Barnes, that is. Yes indeed, the strategy of focusing on good beef instead of some crazy magic marinade paid off as I managed to win both the Pit and Grill competition. The competition was hot (pun intended) and intense. After a brief “sit-down” of the Barnes / Bloink / Ridge families to firm up the rules, we tossed our wrapped-in-foil burgers on Mr. Jerry Barnes Jr.’s immaculately created fire pit. Five prominent and impartial judges sampled each burger and scored their burger cards. Following my major upset of Jerry and Jimmie (they was a 200:1 Vegas line on Team California pulling the upset), the noble and attractive judges proceeded to vote Team Cali’s grill burger perfect – receiving a perfect score of “5″ by all five discerning and wise judges. In all seriousness, this had to be the most fun I’ve had with my family in my 38 years of being a Barnes!
July 4th in Cul-De-Sacville July 6, 2006
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Hard to believe this is our 7th year in our little neighborhood and the completion of yet another great cul-de-sac 4th of July. All the infants of 1999 are now becoming big kids, but the moms and dads don’t seem to change with the exception of alchohol tolerance. Old standbys of good food, bouncy houses, and Tom Traylor’s tequila hoof (he doesn’t own the hoof, the hoof owns him – inside joke) were joined by louder speakers (with multiple iPods competing for airtime) and the first organized water fight. Doc Burkhardt treated (or scarred…depending on your point of view) the kids with his 70’s throwback coach’s outfit. All in all, yet another beautiful day in the paradise known as Aliso Viejo.
