Early Fall At the Doxeys

Fall is officially here, and we think it's high time to update you on the latest and greatest with the Doxeys. Here goes...

1st Day of School. Nate is now in 4th grade, John in 2nd. Both have incredible teachers, many friends in their classes. Summer reading & school efforts paying off. Ramp up to school not too steep...yet. Teachers tell us when the kids start giving us any whiny lip about homework to call them at home immediately. Love it. Haven't had to call yet, but the thought of it sobers them up real quick. No games.

Nate and John are in their own separate rooms now. Each has his own desk and study area. Magic. They go to sleep better. Argue less. They even keep their rooms more clean because they can't blame one another or create a mess that looks like it was made by the other. Sending to their mutually exclusive rooms is an option. It's a bit of heaven, except Liza is homeless. She sleeps by our bed anyway, so it works.

Billy Bob & Friends. Julia & kids gave me a Daisy Red Rider Carbine (BB gun) for my birthday, so we set up a BB gun shooting range in the creek. John's nickname ... Billy Bob. Nate ... Cletus. Liza ... Daisy Mae. Caroline ... Weeping Willow. No eyes shot out yet. No shooting unless Dad is there. Must shoot from the platform down to targets which sit near creek bed.

All present must be seated on platform when gun is down. Range consists of old DVDs and cans of various sizes hanging from the trees down into the bottom of the creek. Aluminum cans are filled with water for a more interactive experience. DVDs flash and spin nicely when hit. Shooting time has to be earned via the point system.

Hunters & Gatherers. There's a chill in the air and the deciduous leaves are changing. Time to get wood. Came upon a mother lode of seasoned, chopped wood in Hayward hills that a homeowner was getting rid of. Thanks Craigslist. Trailer handy. Boys REALLY helped unload and stack. Good to see 'em sweat.

Shrek Juice. Spinach, bananas, orange juice, strawberries, protein powder and more. Blend hard. Turns out green, frothy and healthy. Kids love it. Caroline likes to wear it.


Labor Day. On our way to Redwood Regional Park, we went to see the Arnold Friberg art exhibit at the Oakland Temple Visitor's Center.

The girls loved the photo shoot.

The boys loved goofing off.

Everything in full bloom. Saw old friends from when we lived here back in 1998-2001. Very fun.

Redwood Regional Park. Located above the Oakland Temple & Chabot Space & Science Center, it's very similar to Muir Woods but there are mountain bike trails all over the place. Tucked back in the hills.

This is our new favorite place for family mountain biking. Bike trailer handy, trails not rocky so it's a nice ride for the girls too. Boys in heaven. It's close enough to San Francisco/Berkeley so there's some cross dressers that need some explaining too.

Liza's 1st Day of Pre-School. Mom co-op pre-school in full form. This year they bought a more formal teaching methodology/program to follow. Neato. Liza stoked. Loves it.

Soccer is Officially Upon Us.
After a far too long hiatus, soccer has entered our lives once again. I am an assistant coach for Nathan's team, and Julia is team mom for John's team. We are so grateful for so many around here than know soccer really well.

Caroline just likes to be there.

About the players...

U7 San Ramon Hurricanes #9 John Doxey, 4' 2"
Powerful. Awesome fullback. Thundering kick. His motor is always running. Don't run into him at full speed. He will mow you down.



The Hurricanes are coached by our great neighbor Chris Kuhn, A Brighton High Bengal (Utah) who played for Fresno St. on scholarship and nearly made the U.S. Olympic Soccer Team. Dude knows soccer. His wife Kathleen was the main nurse that helped deliver Caroline.

John is also on a team of friends--we are so lucky he is on this team. Won their first game. John prevented many goals from being scored.

U10 San Ramon Blasters #7 Nathan Doxey 4' 3"
Fast. Agile. A gazelle in cleats. Team mates are very glad he is on the team. Intense competitor. Enjoys adulation and fame as a 9 year old his dad never had in baseball.

Nate teaches us all about soccer. Watches and learns from "Play like Beckham" DVD. Prefers playing Forward.

Has previously played on teams with all but 2 players on his team. It's a team of all friends, mostly from our neighborhood. Way fun. Coached by our friend Ved Kashyap, his friend Raju and myself.

I'm the enthusiasm, they are the technical soccer skill. There are two other boys from England on the team so between Ved, Raju and them, we're all learning to 'mark our opponents on the pitch'. Won their first game. Nate scored one of the goals.

Man our carpets are dirty and there is a lot of screaming at our house. Sometimes I swear Roman spears or are being driven through each other or the kids are jousting again... at least that's what it sounds like. Deafening. Truly deafening. House of order, house of prayer. At least that's what we're trying for. So many blessings counted instead of sheep. We don't take all this for granted. Life is so good.

Gotta go. Later.