Summer Adventures

We’ve been having fun, fun, fun and I’m thinking the kids won’t have a connection with reality if we keep this up too much longer!  Each morning when they wake up they ask what “fun” things we are doing that day, and we’ve barely had time for practicing letters/numbers, etc.  This is what they look like at the end of our adventures most days, so I guess that's a good sign...

At the beginning of the summer we made an “adventure” list of what we wanted to do this summer and it included things such as “Go to Chuck E. Cheese’s, go to the beach, the movies, berry picking, camping, Pump  it Up, have a picnic, do the summer library reading program, go to a baseball game”, on and on.  You get the idea.   We’ve had so much fun and we are only half way through the list!  We are excited for what the rest of summer will bring.

Berry Picking!

Jocelyn's haul from Berry picking

 Last week after church I looked at my calendar for the week and realized it would be one of our only weeks (in between camps and swim lessons) when my parents would be in town for us to make a visit.  The kids and I drove up that afternoon and were thoroughly spoiled for the next 4 days while they took us to see Brave at the theaters, we visited old friends, I took naps, the kids went out for frozen yogurt with friends while I attended to my water-logged phone (grrr), we went on a picnic and a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory.  The highlight for the kids was spending time with my parent’s dog, Luke.  He was a good sport to let them put him on a leash and take him for walks not only around the park, but around the house and the backyard every couple hours.  Jonas would give us a “dog” update every 10 minutes telling us he was sleeping, or eating, or asking where the dog was and the only time he seemed nervous is when Luke was posted right by Jonas while eating, waiting for any food to drop.  Anytime we would leave the house to run an errand or go somewhere the girls kept telling me “Luke must be missing us!  He’s probably really lonely” to which I just had to smile because he was probably really appreciating the quiet, un-harassed moments of his day! 

Walking Luke the Dog

At the Jelly Belly Factory with Nana

 

I am glad to report that the girls went to the dentist and had NO CAVITIES!!  Lillian was pretty nervous but ended up being so brave and even sat through x-rays, cleaning and the exam.  Jocelyn was a pro and I was so proud of them both!  Lillian seems to be doing a lot better with potty training and a little better with the name calling.  She still seems to need less sleep (or demand less sleep) than the other 2 kids, but that makes for long afternoons for the rest of us while she can be pretty cranky.   

She rides her tricycle like a pro and since they had our street blocked off for the 4^th of July parade this week, she rode up and down the road to people cheering before the parade started on our portion and just soaked up the attention.  She also loved seeing Nate & Tausha at the baseball game and started big alligator tears after we were heading home about “how she would just miss them sooo much!”  

Lillian at the dentist

For the 4^th of July we met my family at an A’s baseball game the night before.  Once we got past the frustrating traffic on the way there, we had so much fun seeing everyone (my parents, Nate & Tausha and some Sutherlands, my aunt, uncle, & cousin, and the Stones).  The A’s won in an exciting game and it was followed by a spectacular fireworks show complete with patriotic music.  I had a ton of fun and our kids didn’t crash until 11:15 pm when we got back in the car.  That didn’t stop them from waking up early the next morning for a crepe breakfast at our house with the Woolfords and then watching the parade come right past our house with a couple families.  We went swimming and had a BBQ at the Hickey’s house that afternoon and we were all so tired, we just listened to the town fireworks from the comfort of our beds instead of fighting crowds at the park.  We enjoyed great weather, company & fun, but most of all it was great to reflect on the freedoms we are able to enjoy in this country and remember those who fought to establish and maintain that freedom.  I got emotional when the “moms of military” group walked by in the parade and everyone stood up to honor them and their family members.

Lilly with Nate & Tausha at the baseball game

Little family at the baseball game

Ready for the 4th of July Parade

For the past couple months Jonas has been having a shoe obsession.  Even if we are just hanging out at home he is determined that he needs shoes on and wants everyone else to follow suit.  He’ll bring us each our shoes, basically demanding that we put them on, and we found out recently (when he grew out of his shoes and I bought him a new pair) that he is very particular about his shoes as well.  He had a complete meltdown Sunday morning when we tried to put his new shoes on.  He wouldn’t have anything to do with them and wouldn’t change his stance even days later.  He approved of the other pair I bought him, but the brown sandals are an absolute “no”.    Jonas went poops on the potty 3 days in a row last week (even while at friend’s houses and my parent’s) when we would tell me he wanted to, but this week he’s just back to going in his diaper.  He’ll also go pee on the toilet before his bath every night and gets a kick out of what a big reaction we all give him, but I can’t say that he’s ready for anything regular or long term in the potty training department.  I’ll just wait until he’s really ready .

Jonas waving his flag at the parade

 

 

Jocelyn lost her first legitimate tooth (she still has the missing front tooth from her bike accident), and was pretty excited.  She used her dollar from the tooth fairy to go to “dollar scoop night” at baskin robbins and we all joined her.  I think she was pleasantly surprised at how little it bled and hurt when she finally let Jared yank it out after weeks of deliberating over it.  Jocelyn had a great time at art camp and brought home some amazing art work, I might add.  I was impressed at what she was drawing and she came home pretty exhausted saying she had worked really hard and I’m sure it was tiring learning so much in just a few short hours each day. 

Jocelyn with her art teacher after camp one day

 Recently Jared found a free table on Craigslist that was larger and had more chairs than our current setup and was in really good condition.  As Jared was taking our old table out and brining the new in from the trailer Jocelyn had a major meltdown.  She just couldn’t believe he was “giving our table away like that!” and was devastated that we wouldn’t have it around anymore. We explained why we thought this would be a better table for our family and she just cited reason after reason why she “hated the new table” and would never sit at it, etc. etc.  I told her I would take a picture of her by the old table and Jared told her she could draw a secret picture on the bottom of the new table by her usual place that she sits and that helped soften her feelings a little bit, but she got Lilly on her side of the issue and they both were complaining and bringing it up for weeks after we got the new table.  She is just so passionate about everything and you never know what issue she will attach herself to…  

Jocelyn with our old table before we hauled it away

Jared made the most of his quiet week by working on the new table.  It had a scratch in it so he took on the challenge of stripping it, sanding it down and refinishing it.  It was quite an ordeal and he learned a lot, but he is beating himself up over a spot where he sanded too deep and there is a dark spot on the table.  I think it looks improved and it will be nice to have a big table.  Jared will go down to San Diego next week for at least a day for his last trip there for work followed by helping out for a day at the new scout day camp with his 11 yr old scouts.   

We also went as a family to the Wagner Blecher Law firm employee party at Roaring Camp Railroad this past weekend.  The girls had fun seeing all the other kids from the firm and the highlight for them was not the train tour through the redwoods, but the piñata filled with endless candy!  It was fun to meet some people I hadn’t met yet, and see old friends from the firm and catch up with them.  We really have enjoyed having Jared work for Wagner Blecher and the family atmosphere they support.   

Our little family on the Roaring Camp train