More Catching Up!

Our time with Brian and Becca was wonderful! Ellie has made an almost full recovery from her little fever - she's currently got a runny nose, and I can tell she's running at 90% instead of 100%. And then last night Adam felt a little warmer, and warmer still this morning. Thankfully, after a couple of doses of Motrin, he was back down to room temperature before his afternoon nap. At least we know they didn't get it from baby beach, as Adam didn't go in the water.

So now I will do a catch up in pictures. These first few are from a few weeks ago when Gigi took us into the Mission to get a few shots of all of us with the flowers in bloom and the mulch freshly laid.

Me: Ellie, let us take a picture of you with the hollyhocks! Ellie: Where are the hollyhocks???

"Gigi! I PICKED THIS FLOWER FOR YOU!" (not allowed)

My sweet little jewels at the Jewel of the Missions

Moving on - Friday we all drove up to LA to visit the La Brea Tar Pits. It's an LA institution! It was so surreal for me to be back on Miracle Mile, sight of one of my early grant writing jobs, except now with my two children in tow. We actually walked into the lobby of the Petersen to use the bathroom and it's very different. The Tar Pits are the same as ever, however.

Becca and Brian got caught in the tar, so we left them there.

Yes, he does wear that outfit a lot.

We walked back through the LACMA plaza and enjoyed some of their outdoor art. Ellie: What is this? Me: It's contemporary art. No one knows.

Tim was told he couldn't have Ellie on his shoulders because it was a liability. Thanks, sue-happy Los Angeles!

She also loved the Urban Light installation outside of LACMA. Again, it's contemporary art. Who knows what it means!

Saturday morning we went down to Salt Creek Beach for some good old fashioned ocean time. Ellie was, as usual, delighted with the waves, though I think Brian enjoyed the ocean the most. It was a perfect morning for it - cloudy as we arrived but sunny shortly thereafter. Nice breeze, nice waves, and a nice couple of hours in the sun and sand. We were home before lunch and the kids took three hour long naps. All of that outdoor fun can tire a little one right out!

Saturday night we got to go on a really lovely double date while Mimi and Pa babysat. We went to the Old Vine Cafe in Costa Mesa, where they specialize in tasting menus and wine pairings. Four courses of gorgeous food and wine, plus we ordered a bonus dessert that featured blue cheese ice cream. Blue smelly cheeses, my true love forever.

Catching Up.

Sorry, sorry, so sorry! Things have gotten crazy around here, in a good way! Monday Auntie Becca arrived for a week's vacation (Brian arrives tomorrow) and we have been doing a lot of good hanging out, even though right before she arrived, poor Ellie spiked a fever out of nowhere. She did manage to rally to go out to lunch on Monday, and has enjoyed the repeated watching of Frozen, and her repeated wearing of her new Queen Elsa dress, courtesy of Gigi.

Finally, a dress with a train that drags!

Meanwhile, we had a really nice first weekend of summer. Saturday morning I spent a lot of time trying to clean up the front yard, and Tim and Ellie went to see How to Train Your Dragon 2 in the theater. He is so excited that his little lady is big enough to partake in his favorite hobby. We grilled burgers for dinner, and then Ellie said she wanted to go to the ocean, so lucky little California girl that she is, we went down to baby beach in Dana Point after dinner for a little bit of splashing. Baby beach, not the cleanest beach in the world. Perhaps that's why she spiked a fever a day and a half later.

Sunday morning we went for a nice family walk and then played around the house for the afternoon. Mimi and Pa came over for pizza dinner, and Ellie was so excited to help me spread cheese and stretch the dough, and both kids were so glad to be out enjoying the back yard with their grandparents. And even more, enjoying when we went to Golden Spoon (aka the ice cream store) for a little bit of ice cream. What better way to start summer time?

Even though the kids didn't feel 100% yesterday, Mimi still came over and graciously allowed Becca and I to escape for a lunch date and a little shopping. And last night we met up with my girlfriends for a little professional development while Tim put the kids to bed. Tomorrow we have a trip to the Korean Spa (aka Korean Beauty Jail or Korean Naked Time) with two of our girlfriends, and then Brian arrives in time for dinner, hooray! It's fun to feel like I'm getting a little bit of vacation in my own area. Fabulous staycation!

Forward Progress.

Ellie at swim lessons five weeks ago:

Ellie at swim lessons yesterday:

I AM SO PROUD OF THAT LITTLE LADY!

Kiddo Videos.

Here's Ellie in the wading pool after swim class today. As you can see, she's much more comfortable in the water, and trying to swim a few strokes here and there.

I must say, having Adam stay home with Sara during swim class is SUCH a relief. It's like I'm on a spa vacation, just having to worry about one kid.

I love this goofy video of album. As you can see, he is already trying to say "cheese," which is hilarious. My favorite part is how he makes that weird noise in the back of his throat when he's wrassling and being tickled. He's like a rabid dog! A goofy, happy little rabid dog.

Company Picnic.

Tim's company's "Summerfest" was this Saturday afternoon. I was looking forward to taking down all challengers to my pie eating contest title, but they didn't hold a contest this year. THUS MAKING ME THE NOW AND FOREVER UNDISPUTED CHAMPION!

We had a nice time - there were food trucks and bounce houses and rides and farm animals on display. Plus kids and dogs and friends of all kinds. People were very impressed with Ellie's dog petting manners - she is very good about asking if she can pet dogs, usually by saying "does your dog like little kids?" and then she will ask "how many is your dog?" and "what kind of dog is this?" This is in between squealing about how soft the dog is or how nice or how cute. She's a funny little muffin.

The big bounce house had a wall to climb in order to go down the slide, and Ellie was climbing it with a big kid behind her, who kept trying to pull up on the rungs before her foot left it, and she turned around and told him "EXCUSE ME," which cracks me up. She actually sat for face painting this year and got turned into a kitten (though I think she looks like a Day of the Dead skull.) She also loved her time on the Scrambler (rode it three times!) Adam loved the little bounce house, and just hanging out with us. Everyone loves a family day!

Father's Day.

It started early today, with Adam getting up around six and Ellie a little before seven. But it gave us time to work on putting together the ingredients for pancakes, and making a batch of snickerdoodle cookies (which Ellie calls snicker DOOOOODLES. It cracks me up) and of course, time to shower and change diapers and clean up the whirlwind messes that seem to happen every time I turn my back.

We spent the morning with Pa - I made a triple batch of pancakes since Jake was coming over after a run (and because Ellie has been known to eat three adult sized pancakes when she's hungry) and Tim brought over his new bags game, so there was bags and golfing and playing around in the back yard for a couple of hours, and then after Adam went down for a nap, the boys played catch, and the ladies went to go feed the ducks. Jake helped Ellie fit her helmet and she did some good pedaling on the way over to the boat house. And on the way home we fed a mama duck and her three sweet little babies!

When Ellie went down for a nap, Tim and I went out for a drink and some quiet time, which was really nice. We usually end up at this Irish bar in downtown Fullerton, which is near a bunch of thrift stores. Poor Tim. He is so nice and patient with my need to scout out for gently used sequined items. When we got back, we rounded up our brood and headed over to bother Grizz. They'd warmed up the spa (aka Gigi's pool) and we did some good soaking and splashing and Ellie showed off her swimming, and then we had brats and snickerdoodles (which were good, but not correct, per Grizz. My cookbook led me down the wrong path! I should have done more research, but you know, it was 7am when I ran to the grocery store.) And then a little bit of race car driving and playing out in the yard.

Overall, a fun and wonderful day with some of our favorite guys.

Wonderful Wednesday.

We had such a busy, nice day today. I got everyone ready this morning with enough time for us to go and buy supplies for the cats, and therefore visit all of the nice rodents at the pet store. Our favorite pet store guy let Ellie pet a binny pig AND a hamster and chatted with us for a bit. And then even after all of that lollygagging, we still arrived at music class with twenty minutes to spare, so we went across the street to Starbucks and I got an iced coffee, and we each got a vanilla bean "stone," as Ellie calls them.

Look at these two. I mean, are you kidding me?

This was our last week in this session with Miss Elena, and as usual, Ellie had a melt down in the middle of the class. She loves to make a stink on the final day! Thankfully, she recovered more quickly than normal, and I only had to spend one song with her snuggled up in my lap, boo-hooing into my shoulder (with tired Adam also trying to crawl all over me.) We still love that crazy Miss Elena, and the kids are so cute with their instrument playing and singing.

Then we headed over for lunch with Cara and Clare, which was great. Their new house is really coming together, and Ellie is so excited for Clare to get a little brother next month (everyone gets a little brother!) Came home, thunked my two little fish for nap time, and then when they woke up, we went over to Gigi and Grizz's to do some play doh and run around the house yelling. As we do.

Gigi and Grizz had a Wednesday night date night, and Tim is at E3 tonight, so we were on our own. Ellie suggested that we go have a picnic, so we did exactly that. I packed sandwiches and snacks and sand toys in the stroller, and we headed down. The kids both wanted to play before they ate, and I got to sit on a bunch with my sandwich, watching them have fun. It was really wonderful. They are finally starting to really play together and entertain themselves.

I wish I'd had my big camera with me - they were so sweet and it was so wonderful to just enjoy the nice weather and the beautiful scenery. Ellie made me many kinds of "soup" (aka a pail full of sand) and Adam wandered around and hooted and played in the little house area. Then we came home and got everyone ready for bed. I realized tonight that after three and a half years, the thought of doing dinner, bath and bed time by myself no longer makes me want to weep with fear and frustration. They easily take a bath together, I can lotion Adam while Ellie finishes splashing, and then he is happy to cuddle with Lambykins in his crib while I'm putting her down for bed. Though tonight she did get out of bed at almost 10pm with the claim that she had to go potty, but she barely produced. She should be good and tired tomorrow! On one hand, it's a little depressing that it's taken me so long to feel like I've hit my groove, but on the other hand, it's only onwards and upwards from here. I love those two little Muffinhead Freds to the end of the earth, and it's so wonderful to have such a great day with them. Domestic bliss!