We're Baaaacccckkk!

I have a most excellent excuse for not posting.

We were on our big trip to Disneyland (remember the girls worked

for two years selling blackberries to raise the money?).  I chose not to

post ahead of time that we were leaving.

Call me smart or extremely paranoid.  I didn't want the

entire internet to know we'd be gone for 9 days.

But we are back and we had a near perfect trip.

Kean stayed home with Grammy and Grandpa (I know, I've said it

before, they should be named Saints and have their own statues in Vatican Square).

Before heading to the "happiest place on earth", we took a slight, okay, not so slight

detour to Arizona to see family and friends.

Our visit was way overdue.  We hadn't been as a family in 4 years thanks to the pregnancy and Kean drama.

I failed to take any pictures of our Arizona leg-- but it was a blast.

We had dinner the night we arrived with the Billingsly clan-- a family Byron is very close to.

The next night after spending the day visiting close family and friends, we had an all out bash with 50 or 60 of our closest

compadres from our years of living in AZ. 
I kick myself for not using my camera.

And then the next night, we gorged on yummy food and fabulous company again with a family dinner party

with the Klinglers-- Byron's relatives who truly are like siblings. 

We ran from one great gathering to the next and crammed in seeing so many of those we love and admire.

It was so worth the wild ride.

Then it was back in the ol' car and on the road again (insert Willie Nelson track here...).

We headed toward California and went straight to the beach.

 Our poor, sheltered, shut-in children had never seen the ocean.

So this was pretty exciting stuff.

 My good friend Scott McGregor (whom we met later for dinner) turned us onto this beach find.

It is just below Laguna and the resort Montage and boy is it a slice of heaven.

The beach is clean, uncrowded and pristine with cool places to hike:

 On high tide, the water comes clear up to the cliffs and fills up this arch.

Tide pools are everywhere-- as are roosting pelicans.

 And one of the things we loved the most is that there is a Marine Biologist on duty at the area

to teach the children about all the amenomes, star fish, crabs and fish we saw.

Score!  I knew it was worth pulling the kids out of school!

 My dear friend, Lori (in the grey) lives in Newport and came down to join us in watching the girls

go crazy.  She brought a huge bin of buckets, shovels and other beach toys.

I do believe the girls had a bit of fun on their first trip to the beach.

Oh, we'll be back.  My friend Scott has offered to host "surfing school" for our girls and his kids.

That's a no-brainer.  We can't wait.

P.S. coming soon to a blog near you (uh, that would be this one)... highlights from Disneyland-- yippeee!

My Snuffly Valentine

Guess what my sweet little baby boy gave his momma for Valentine's Day?

A full blown head cold!

Clearly this picture was taken b.c.  (before cold).

After two all nighters with a boy in misery, we spent Valentine's Day

at the Pediatrician.

Poor guy has a sore throat and the start of two ear infections.

I sound like I have an entire ace bandage stuck up my nostrils.



G Day and V Day

It's Valentine's eve and the girls' boxes are decorated and their candy and Valentines are organized and resting in their backpacks.  Don't you remember what a big, fat, hairy deal Valentine's Day was when we were kids?  Or how I used to so lovingly refer to it back in the days before I was married:  Single Awareness Day. 
Now Groundhogs Day (a week and a half ago) is another story.  It has always been Byron's favorite holiday and by default, a family favorite now.  If you must know, he loves it because there's no pressure to buy a card, flowers or chocolate to mark the day and make it special. 
As a family, we decided to go out for dinner to our favorite Mexican Restaurant to celebrate the furry little Groundhog's appearance.  We couldn't figure out what was going on when we found the parking lot packed.  And what a surprise we found inside.  Our little family was the only group under 70.  There was a band playing- - and yes, all four members were cute little grey haired Grandmas and Grandpas. 
Our girls were a little bashful in the beginning, watching in awe as sweet little couples got up and fox-trotted to the standards.
But the out of character shyness didn't last long.  Let's just say by the time we finished the last bites of our fajitas and enchiladas, the girls were up dancing the Conga line with all their new found best friends.  In fact, the band had the girls come up, take the mics and sing You Are My Sunshine in front of the packed restaurant.  The best part was when tiny little Reese reached up and grabbed the microphone away from her sisters.  It was classic Reese.

Proof

Now you know what I deal with nearly every minute Reese is near Kean.

Let me dissect this picture:

1.  Reese smothers Kean

2.  Kean pulls Reese's hair.

3.  Repeat

4. Repeat, repeatedly.

p.s.  gotta love that sly devil look on the boy's face.



Up, Up and Away

If you've ever wondered how I'm spending my time...

wonder no more.

Kean has mastered a new trick--

going up the stairs.

 Let's see, this morning it was 6 times before 9:30.

I can't complain.

He is building up those leg muscles

and it's all good prep work for the next step we are working on:  walking.

He's gonna be one buff little man when we get through this!



Sticks and Stones....

My lunchtime conversation today went something like this:

Reese:  "Mom, Greer said a really, really, really bad word to me and you need to talk to her."

Me:  "Uh, oh.  What did she say?"

Reese:  "She told me I was a meanie."

Me:  "Oh, no.  She didn't."

Don't you just wish that word would be one of the worst she'd ever hear?