Catching Up on November

Brian and I recently saw "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."  So, so good!  But, that's not the point.  There's a line in the movie that I liked.  It's at the very end, and Walter has traveled all over the world in search of a picture (and the photographer).  He finally finds him, high up in the snowy Himalayas, trying to catch a picture of a snow leopard.  When it finally comes out of the cave, the photographer pauses, watches the cat, and never snaps a single photo.  Puzzled, Walter asks him why he didn't take the picture.  Here's his reply (the line I liked): "Sometimes I don't.  If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera.  I just want to stay in it."  

So, sometimes, I take out the camera to get a picture (probably still too often!), but, a lot of times, now, I don't.  I just want to enjoy the moments.  Because, I'm starting to realize, that, as much as I'm excited for them to grow (I'm loving having NO babies around!), my kids are only little for so long.  And, I want to remember getting on the floor and playing games with them.  Not the picture I took of them playing...without me.  

But, these pictures are all from before I saw that movie.  And, they're cute and fun. So, I included them on our blog!  

With both the girls in school, it's usually just Carson and Mommy at Costco.  I can pass on a lot of things at the food court, but not the Churro.  And, Carson also shares my love of Costco churros.  "My Chew-yo!"

I remember this being an especially challenging morning.  My only thoughts were: "He's not the only one praying for a good nap!"

 We will sure miss our Disneyland passes when they expire in April.  It's been such a fun year!

We spent Halloween in AZ.  For Trick or Treating, the kids went with our good friends, the Hursts.  Our kids line up almost perfectly in age and we all have so much fun together!  Wish we lived closer, though.

 Here's Sadie and Grandma Boring cutting the potatoes for hash browns.

 We went to a train park and the kids wanted to ride in the caboose.  After a LONG (wasn't really, but they thought it was) trip around the park, they said next time they'll let someone else have the caboose.

 The high school does a fundraiser each year and the elementary school kids attend a cheer workshop and get to perform at a high school football game.  Here are our cheerleaders and their biggest fans!

Only in California will you find kids playing at the splash pad in November!   

 And, then, sunbathing afterward, because mom didn't bring towels!

 Isn't he so handsome?

 To Sadie, Lulu is more than a stuffed animal.  She's a dear friend.  A comfort and companion.  I love how she makes her bed and makes sure Lulu is comfortable for the day.  Makes my heart smile!  :)

 Oh, you know, just another Disneyland trip!  We've had an exhausting year, but so much fun!

 Stone soup.  Yum.

 Sadie's Thanksgiving pilgrim hat from her Kindergarten feast.

 Because riding a scooter inside is okay if you remember your helmet?

 That boy!  What else can I say?

 Me and my cute girls!

 Love these kiddos!  

 Our rule is if we make it through Disneyland with NO tantrums, we stop for a treat.  This day, they picked ice cream at Ghiradelli.  Excellent choice, but interesting selection of flavors (they chose!).

Our annual "Thankful Tree."

October in a Nutshell

We have a general rule in our house that when you turn five, you are too big to ride in the stroller.  On occasion, we let that rule slide (tantrums trump to save my sanity!).  So, we improvise, and, Carson climbs in the bottom of the stroller.  

So, are we playing basketball, baseball, or dress up??

"My Chew-yo!"  (I'm regretting ever sharing my Costco treat with this cute boy.)

When the only TV is in mommy and daddy's room, and, there's a HUGE cabinet in the living room, where you normally play...you spend a lot of time on mommy and daddy's bed watching Disney Channel.

Papa Dale and Grammy Tammy BBQ'd in Dana Point, so we went down and camped overnight.  Complete with a tent, sleeping bags, and s'mores!

Carson is always looking for an opportunity to build something!

On the first, cold, rainy day of fall, this is how I found Carson napping.  (Hey, he was asleep!)

Just doing homework.

 I've been promising the kids we can get an ice cream if we make it back to Main Street without tantrums.  After 6 months of Disney passes, I finally paid up.  And, boy, was I glad! (The trick is to leave without squeezing in one.more.ride.)

We love it when the Hursts come to town!  Disneyland fun!

Sadie has been watching a particular movie lately.

I went to a bridal shower for my cousin and had the wonderful opportunity of seeing my great-aunts! I love Aunt Barbara and Aunt Joy!

Carson decided he was too big for diapers.  So, he started potty training.  It went well for a few days, but, now, it's a struggle.  And, just for the record, I learned my lesson with the first two about potty training young.  I did NOT initiate this one!

Morgan cracks me up!  She's always curious about what it was like "way back in the nineteens!"  So, she asked her dad a few questions and wrote a little report about it.

This guy could do Thomas puzzles all day long. (And, some days, he does!)

Another Disney trip.  We will sure miss our passes!

 I just love his smile in this picture.  Love my Carson Dude!

For Halloween, we were in Arizona.  We went trick-or-treating with the Hursts.  Such a fun time!  (More on Daddy's work party, the Halloween Fairy and the ward trunk-or-treat later.)

Spring Break...the Rest of the Week

Once upon a time, I had time.  Now, I have 3 kids, one of which, happens to be a very, very, active toddler!  Add that to school schedules, extracurricular activities, and I'm lucky to even remember to blog!  But, this is the best way I have to journal right now, so, I guess it's better late than never!

Adventure Ten:

After our cousins left on Tuesday, we helped put Grammy's house back together (i.e. finished folding blankets, washed towels, etc.).  By the afternoon, the events of the crazy weekend had really caught up to the girls.  They each took 3+ hour naps!  I remember begging them to wake up for dinner and they refused!  

Adventure Eleven:

Once they did wake up, they quickly reminded me that I had promised to bake the Amelia Bedelia cake with them over spring break.  So, we found all the ingredients in Grandma's cupboards and went to work!  Grandpa Dale said the cake was delicious!  When Grammy tasted it, she said it was Crazy Cake.  Apparently during the depression, this cake was popular, as it doesn't use eggs or butter, but oil and vinegar instead.

Adventure Twelve:

Every time we go to Target, Morgan asks me if we can make the pancakes in the pictures on the wall in the kitchenware department.  Guess what I always told her?  "Over Spring Break."  So, guess what we HAD to do during Spring Break?

Morgan's pancake creation:

Carson's Pancake Creation:

Sadie's Pancake Creation:

Sadie's actually looks the most like the picture at Target, but everyone's was delicious, and that's what matters!  (Grandma even made a pancake face, but, I forgot to snap a picture!)

And that, my friends, is how we spent our spring break.  We missed Daddy, but, he got lots of work and study time!

Spring Break: Saturday, Sunday, and Monday

After much difficulty, I finally got this post to work!  

Adventure Three:

Our neighborhood is awesome!  Years ago, a few families started an easter egg hunt, and the tradition has carried on to now include a glow egg hunt for older kids, in addition to the traditional hunt for little ones.  

Before heading down to San Diego to play with friends and cousins, we first hunted for a few eggs.  It's been so fun this year to watch Carson discover the joy of an egg hunt!  I'm sure he'll be even more enthusiastic next year when he realizes there are treats inside!

Adventure Four:

When we got to Grammy and Grandpa's, we headed over to our friends, the Vitzian's so Grandpa Dale could teach Ron how to BBQ.  His sweet wife, Teresa, got him all the supplies for Christmas, so he just needed a lesson from the Master!

The men headed over to start cooking ribs, and the women and kids followed soon after with snacks and more easter eggs to hide and hunt in their backyard!

I love this picture of Carson and Ronin hunting for eggs!  (Well, it looks like Ronin hit the jackpot, and Carson wasn't as lucky!)

 

Adventure Five:

Sunday, before church, we lined up all the kids for some pictures.

Adventure Six:

After a fabulous Easter dinner which included Dad's Fried Chicken (the best I've ever had!), Grammy brought out the ice cream cones!  The kids were so excited!

Whenever I try to get a picture of Carson, I squat down to his level and he squats too!

Buddies enjoying their ice cream!

Sadie has such a sweet, tender heart.  She is a friend to everyone and loves to help wherever needed.  Here, she needed to share her ice cream with the twins.  The loved it--one finger scoop at a time!

Chocolate-nosed Sadie!

Adventure Seven:

No trip to Grandpa's would be complete without swimming in the spa!  Unfortunately, I was one of the "lucky" adults who got to join the kids, so the only picture we have is Papa Dale balancing the chemicals with all his helpers!

Adventure Eight: 

Monday, we took the whole gang to the Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad.  Definitely not a little kid place, but, we didn't know what to expect.  It's a room filled with hundreds of working models and replicas of famous machines, buildings, etc.  It's all donated by people, so, basically, a retired guy's heaven!

After the museum, we took the kids to the park for a picnic.  Only Carson didn't make it.  He fell asleep in the car, and napped under a tree, instead!

Evelyn tried her first oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.  To say she loved it would be a HUGE understatement!  

Adventure Nine: 

Grammy pulled another surprise out for the kids Monday night.  The Montierth's were leaving in the morning, so we had to make room for one more fun night!  The kids roasted marshmallows and we all enjoyed s'mores over the fire pit in Grandpa's backyard!

We had so much fun with the Montierth's!  Thanks for visiting!

Stay tuned for the rest of Spring Break!