Simple Summer Fun

The kids and I did a lot of fun things this week. The theater in Santa Maria has free G and PG movies all summer, and Kit Kittredge, the American Girl movie, was playing this last week, so I took the kids to that Tuesday morning. They absolutely loved it! We hardly ever go to movies: too expensive, and there isn't much out there that we think is good to watch. I did buy the big bucket of popcorn which we could get refilled for free. I was shocked that they ate a bucket and a half! I only had a little bit. Austin held the bucket through the whole movie, refilling his sisters' trays as they requested. Finally, Lauren asked for yet another refill, and he said, "Does she want the whole bucket?" Sure enough, she did.

Lauren whispered to me, "We can share..."

So I grabbed a handful, and she looked sternly at me and very seriously whispered again, "But don't eat all uz (of) it!" Oh my.

At supper that night, we were all discussing when the Kit story took place (Great Depression), talking about the 1800s, etc. Austin pipes up, "When was 1?"

That caught me for a minute, before I realized he was talking about the year 1. I told him that was when Baby Jesus was 1 year old. They all had to think about that!!

Tuesday after lunch we walked to the library to sign the big kids up for the summer reading program. Then we went to the park so they could play for half an hour.


Monday and Wednesday were swim lessons, which they always like. Austin is getting sillier and sillier. He'd grabbed Julia's foot or leg a few times when she was swimming, and Miss Jennie had to get after him. Of course Julia complained about him doing that (and rightfully so in this situation).

Thursday we ran to WalMart, which most certainly is not fun for the kids, but at least it was a short trip. I'd told them we could go see the performance at the library afterwards, so they had that to look forward to. The lady who wrote one of the songs the kids sang at Kindergarten Graduation was singing and telling stories at the Oceano Library. Austin was pretty pleased that he knew several of the songs she sang. Julia really got into it, singing along and doing hand motions. Lauren was quiet as a mouse and sat as close to me as possible! But she laughed right along with the rest of them and had fun too.

Friday night Brian came home from work a little early. We picked up Baja Fresh and took it to Strother Park to have a picnic. It was a really nice night, and we were the only ones at the park for most of the time. Our kids were the only ones on the playground the entire time.


Brian had packed up the bikes to take along.

When Julia wanted to ride, she had to ride Austin's and he had to ride Lauren's (Julia's old one). Julia really needs a new, bigger bike!

I pushed the little girls on the swings.

Caroline thought she better shed some layers, I guess. Off went her hat. Off went her shoe!

For several weeks Austin was very into making Perler bead projects. He made a ton of them! He has plans to make more! To me, Perler bead crafts are kind of like plastic canvas and latch hook crafts. They're fun to make, but what do you do with them? I told Austin we could make a banner for his room with his, so I sewed the pieces together with clear nylon thread this morning. Then Brian and I hung/taped it in his room. I think the thread helped it drape nicely, but seriously. It took a long time to sew all those pieces together! Much longer than I'd anticipated. I think if he makes more we'll just tape those projects in a banner line on the wall!

A few projects closer-up: some were his own ideas; some we found patterns for online, and some were patterns from the bead buckets.

Also this week I helped the big kids make spider webs. When we were at the dentist two weeks ago I saw the idea in their Family Fun magazine I read in the waiting area. I'd thought we might do this craft when their cousins were here, but alas, we ran out of time. It was a lot of fun to do, and they look pretty hanging in our apple trees! The web below is Lauren's. Julia is also multi-colored, but with more pink. Austin's in almost all blue and green (boy colors, you know). Julia's spider is the top one in the second picture (a pink spider! Have you seen one of those before?!), Austin's next, and Lauren's on the bottom. Lauren picked a bead with two dots for the head, and I think it looks like the spider has eyeballs. Cute!

Today was in the low 80s, and the pool water heated up nicely. It was almost too hot when I stuck my toe in when I was out there hanging the spider webs. But the kids like it warm! Brian also set up the Slip-n-Slide. Our kids are pretty cautious. None of them will plop down and slide on their bellies! It's funny! The girls run to the end, then fall down and slide the teeniest bit on their knees. Austin is our biggest risk-taker, and he will run and fall to slide--but on his knees or legs, not his tummy. :D

Since the water was so warm, we put Caroline in the pool for the first time. She had SO. MUCH. FUN! She was chattering and kicking and splashing away, until we finally took her out. By that time she was shivering a little, but she didn't even care--she loved it in the pool! Each of the big kids took turns "watching" her.

Father's Day

Father's Day I woke up bright and early, I think 6:30, to make the berry kuchen I'd planned. Annette and I asked Brian and Doug several times what they wanted for Father's Day, and we didn't get much for answers. Brian did say he wanted breakfast. Ha ha. See, he usually makes breakfast on weekend mornings, so I guess he didn't want to on Father's Day? He didn't actually say that, just said he wanted breakfast.

Saturday night Annette gave Brian and Austin hair cuts while I decorated Annaliese's birthday cake. Then she made the sausage egg casserole while I edited Annaliese's pictures. So we had that casserole and the kuchen and fruit for breakfast. The dads seemed to enjoy it. We didn't hear any complaints. ;)

We all went to church together then out for lunch at Old Juan's Cantina, which was good too. Doug and Annette were in a hurry to leave that afternoon, so they rushed to pack up when we got home. All of our family took naps--we were all worn out from playing all week! :D

I took these pictures of Brian and the kids once everyone was awake. And happy and refreshed. Ha ha. You should have seen the lot of them before naps (when I first tried to get a picture)! Julia and Austin had meltdowns. I'm serious. We barely said anything to them and they started crying. Lauren just sat there scowling. Caroline just kind of stared. They were much better after sleep!! They do love their daddy and have so much fun with him!

The big kids each gave Brian a gift--all food treats: snack size Nutter Butters and Combos, and a small can of wasabi soy sauce almonds. He kind of bought that air compressor for himself the week before.

49, 50 Weeks

Caroline's Thursday pictures from last week and yesterday: In the 50s now! I can't believe it.


A couple silly ones from yesterday morning: that sock is sooo interesting!

Tastes good too! ;)

And my most recent favorite of her: she does this big smile, squinty eyes and all, when she's so happy and excited. Love it!

Avila Beach and a Birthday Party with Cousins (Plus What the Aunties Were Up To)

Last Saturday we took our company to the Avila Valley Barn. We told them there was a tractor ride to the berry patch and we'd go pick berries. I told them I only needed a few; one cup for my Father's Day kuchen. We told them there were tons of samples. We told them it was never cold there. Even if it's foggy at home or by the beach, it's not at the barn. Well....

We got there, and it really wasn't cold, but definitely chilly enough to need a sweater. First we got bags of food to let the kids feed animals. They always enjoy that. The peacock was strutting his stuff, showing his pretty feathers. Fun!

The babies loved watching the goats.

Caroline got so excited, waving her arms and kicking her legs.

Lauren told me she wanted to wear her sunglasses so the sun wouldn't be too bright in her eyes. Hee hee. She rarely wears her sunglasses out of the van, and I had to laugh she wore them the whole time on this foggy, foggy day. Here's the movie star, and the babies. The babies were much more interested in picking in the hay and trying to eat it than look at the camera.

After the kids fed the animals, we went in the little store to try some samples. There were only about three. Big disappointment! We always like trying the candies and chips and salsas and jams and caramel corn puffs and dried fruit. We couldn't figure out why they had so few on a weekend. Maybe someone took too many samples. We also soon realized there was no tractor giving hayrides. In fact, the Ollallieberries weren't even ready to be picked! I ended up using frozen berries in my Father's Day kuchen. We had fun anyway, and both our families bought giant cookies to share before we left.

Here's our company: Annette and Doug, Annaliese, Annika, and Alyssa.

We headed up to San Luis Obispo to eat lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. When we were there celebrating Lauren's birthday last month, they gave us a mystery coupon to open in June. We could win a free trip, % off our meals, free dinner for two, cash, etc. You had to let them open the coupon though. Ours had 20% off the check, so that was good! We had a yummy lunch, but I thought it took much longer than necessary, like two hours! Brian and Annaliese did both get free birthday sundaes, since his birthday was the 14th, and hers was that day.

Back at home I took some birthday pictures of Annaliese, Annette had asked me to do, with my blue paper. It wasn't the best time to be taking natural-light pictures, after 6 at night, and very gray and foggy outside. But there were several that turned out well. We got out the pink background too. Here are a few of my favorites:

And my very favorite of the session:

After a late dinner (Actually all our dinners were late when our guests were here. That's just what happens when you're gone out playing all day. ;), we had a little celebration for Annaliese's first birthday. I'd made the cake when I made Brian's, plus extra frosting, and froze the cake until the 20th. It still tasted just fine. Alyssa and Julia helped put the little flower decorations on. They happened to be left over from Lauren's ladybug cake, and I saved them to decorate cookies or ??? I think Annaliese's flower cake ended up looking pretty cute. She got her own personal cupcake to dig into. She knew what to do with it.

And thoroughly enjoyed it! She went straight to the kitchen sink for a bath when she was through!

Annette and I stayed up late a couple nights sewing dresses for our babies. I'd seen the idea here, and thought they were so cute and seemed easy enough to make. They were pretty easy, but the figuring out of the length, and how big to make the flower, took some time. We didn't want to cut into our cute fabrics and make a mistake! Aren't they cute on the babies?

Morro Bay and Montana de Oro with Cousins

Last Friday, the 19th, we drove up to Morro Bay with our company.

The kids had fun riding this pelican. It was the craziest thing, the pelican kept 'going' by itself! You had to pay to ride all the little rides in this area, including the pelican. However, something wasn't right with him. He'd start up, give an entire ride cycle, then stop. Just for a few seconds though, barely enough for a kid to get off and on, then he'd start up again. The kids thought that was great! Annette took this picture when I was in the bathroom with Lauren.


After the pelican rides, Brian decided he wanted a free fudge sample, so we all followed him into the fudge/candy shop and got samples too. Well, almost all of us. At the next store, Carousel Taffy, Annette realized Annika wasn't with us. None of us remembered seeing her in the fudge shop. Immediately Doug and Brian and then Annette left the taffy store to go look for her. I guess she must have had so much fun riding Mr. Pelican that she decided to ride a horse in the same ride area. And that's where they found her! Riding a horse. Except he wasn't moving at all. No matter to her--she loves horses, and I'm sure was convinced she was riding it.

Once that scare was past everyone got down to business of picking out taffies! We stop at this saltwater taffy shop almost every time we come to Morro Bay. They have tons of flavors, and it's fun picking out our favorites. They had a special going: if you bought 3 pounds, you got a one-pound bag, free. The lady let us combine our orders and we got the free bag. Julia divided it up, a portion for each family, at home.


Hey Annaliese! No crying in the candy store! Hee hee... Maybe she wanted a taffy...


Next we all headed down to the boat dock where we rented an electric boat for an hour.

The daddies and kids all got turns driving the boat.

We all ate some taffy during the ride... Check out the pile of wrappers in the cup holders!!

All the kids had to wear life jackets. It cracked me up seeing those babies in their life jackets. They have such short little necks, and their heads were really pushed up! They did not like their life straight jackets! I have to giggle, even now, seeing these pictures! Poor Caroline...

This baby didn't like it any better.

Annette caught these guys

The moms and kids and babies. Snicker snicker snicker at those life straight jackets!!!

Towards the end of our boat ride, Lauren leaned out the window and told me she was going to touch the water, all set to drag her fingers through. I had to tell her, that she was most certainly not going to touch the water! Didn't want her falling out of that boat, even with her life vest. She wasn't thrilled, but Brian made her get down from the top step.

After our boat ride we ate lunch at the park near the water. We'd packed a picnic and enjoyed that, except that it got kind of cold and windy! The kids liked playing on the pirate ship playground.

Then, being vacation after all, we went on another adventure, and drove to Montana de Oro.

I got this picture of the pretty mustard flowers overlooking the water.

The two babies were worn out and both fell asleep in their vans. Annette and I stayed behind, crocheting, trying to figure out crocheted flowers, while the dads and big kids went out to hike. My baby was in our van, parked right next to their's with the windows open so I could hear her if she woke up.

Brian took these pictures: Coming and going. Or maybe going and coming. Ha ha I don't know, I was not there.

Pretty girls. Tired girls...

They saw this deer on their hike.

We got home and the kids played. We ate chicken tacos for dinner. I'd started chicken taco meat in the slow cooker before we left that morning. That's the way to do it when you're gone all day!!

Our kids get movie night and ice cream night most every Friday. Alyssa asked me over and over if they could watch Sleeping Beauty. She said, "I told Julia that's the one I want to watch!" And, "Julia said we could watch Sleeping Beauty..." And, "I really want to watch Sleeping Beauty, because I've never seen it before!" Finally I told her that she and Julia were not in charge, and I didn't know which movie they would be watching, and she should ask Uncle Brian. Because he'd mentioned putting in a different movie to me. After awhile she came back asking about Sleeping Beauty again, and I said, "What did Uncle Brian say? Did you ask Uncle Brian?"

Alyssa: "No."

Me: "Why not? Is he mean?" Now, for the record, Brian is not mean! Never! But I could see where a little girl might be afraid to ask him something. Hee hee. I would have been quicker to ask my aunts things before my uncles as a little girl, myself.

Alyssa had to think about that for a minute, then said, "I don't know."

When he came in the kitchen, I told Brian the whole situation (and conversation). :D And they did end up watching Sleeping Beauty that night. And had ice cream too. It's tradition, after all.