Beck & Ellery: August 2014

It's been a busy summer but things are calming down just in time for school to start at the end of this month. Ellery is really excited about kindergarten (phew!) and has been invited by her teacher, Mrs. Helga for Kindergarten Tea on the 22nd. It's a chance for her to meet her teacher and few of her soon-to-be classmates. Beck is happy to be going into sissy's old classroom with the big kids. He and Bennett will still be in different classrooms (if any of the preschool staff has seen the two of them together, I'm sure that was by design - they get craaaazy ) but he'll get to see his best buddy on the playground. Someone else he'll get to play with at school, Sydney! Here she is with Janice and Bill in Solana Beach...

Waving to the dolphins...

My mom and I took the kids camping on Laguna Mountain. It was hot, fun, and filthy. We enjoyed it...

But Dottie did not. She hated very minute of it. I'm sure she was dreaming of our couch while sleeping on the floor of my car after our hikes. Never again...

We hiked to Big Laguna Lake which is very very small. As of now, 58% of California is at it's driest level, ever. And here is proof...

S'mores and a full moon...

Looking out at Anza Borrego Desert...

Beck didn't want to go near the overlook. He's got a little fear of heights and preferred to stay with the ants that he was feeding. The were actually fascinating to watch as they struggled to pick up and carry his large crumbs...

I'm sure this is what she had in mind when wishing she were back home...

Off to Milwaukee and he got to visit the pilots!...

We went out to visit with Dave and Kathy and got a few other perks while there; seeing his cousins, Mollie and Annabelle and trying his first brat and cheese curds!...

Beck was so excited about seeing this firetruck on one of our walks. But he wasn't prepared for the firemen to jump out, invite him in, give him a hat and a coloring book. I guess it was just too awesome because he turned unusually shy...

A few storms passed through while we were there and it was incredible to watch them come and go from the 14th floor. Watching the lightning from that vantage point had all of us So Cal residents in awe...

We stopped by the Milwaukee Art Museum before heading over to...

The Children's Museum...

Caught 1!...

2!...

Pannier Cakes!...

Picking strawberries at Aunt Alice's...

Blue Angels flying over Lake Michigan...

Mollie's here!!!...

Beck on Uncle Lee's shoulders...

We went to a family reunion on the farm where Kathy grew up...

The manure smell was intense when we first jumped out of the car and my city kids kept saying "It Stinks! Ewwwww! What's that smell?" I was embarrassed and pulled them aside to explain to them that this is the way a dairy farm smells. You get your milk from these cows and hard working farmers but most importantly, this is someone's house. How would it make you feel if someone kept saying your house stunk? Ellery seemed to soak that up and quit her whining but 10 minutes later when the direction of the wind must have changed and we got a good thick gust, Beck had a meltdown. While stomping his feet and shaking his fists he yelled, "It just smells soooo baaaad!" It was so ridiculous I had to laugh. He eventually got over the meltdown and the smell and we all had a great time. It was so neat to see where Kathy grew up and nice to be with family we rarely get to see...

The house on the property will be 100 years old next year. This was Kathy's room...

The next day we went a much smaller reunion on Dave's side of the family...

Elle and her Aunt Haley...

Took the kids to the zoo one last time before our passes expired. We're already missing it...

How cool is this?!...

The hippo looks like he's really enjoying the scratch on his chin...

Yep, gonna have to renew those passes...

Feeding day in the reptile house...

I was gagging while taking this picture...

Back in SD with a few of my favorite people...

On our way to Sacramento for Jenny's wedding!...

But first, a tractor ride with Papa...

I was really looking forward to spending time with my Grandma Ann. Alzheimer's may have taken her memory but not her heart. Still the sweetest person I know. I'm quite sure she has no idea of who I am anymore but she'll jump in my car and offer to take me out for a treat all while telling me how much she loves me. Beck must have seen me hold her arm up and down stairs because when we approached this hill he ran back to grab her hand. So glad I caught it on camera...

Where to go when it's in the triple digits?? Lake Clementine!...

They LOVED it!...

"Faster! Faster!"...

4th of July!! We took off for the wedding rehearsal and my dad and Mary left for a Flinstone's party...

We stopped by my cousin, Andi's house and met up with one of my other cousins, Elisa and my Aunt Karen. So great to see you all and get the little ones together...

Ethan and Beck bonded over a noodle war...

My Girls!! (minus Shana, who was chasing after her youngest)...

I wish I had a video to show you just how excited Beck was to be witnessing the fireworks show. "Mama did you see that! Whoa!!! Oh My Gosh! Did you see that one? WHOA!!!!" Strangers were commenting on his enthusiasm...

The soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Quinn...

Beautiful wedding and a stunning bride...

2 days later Zach and I celebrated our 7th year. We went out to Cucina Enoteca where in the women's bathroom they encourage you to write what you wish for. Some were very sweet and others had me cracking up...

Wheeeeee! Took the trolley to the new waterfront park downtown...

So cool!...

We were all wiped out...

Zach, Jeff, my dad and Jeff's buddy from Sac were about to embark on a guys-only trip to Scotland to celebrate Jeff's birthday. The big four-o! So my dad flew down a couple of days earlier to hang with his grandkids. We went to the Cabrillo National Monument to enjoy another gorgeous day...

Saw this submarine heading out to sea....

Top of the lighthouse...

A few tidbits of their Scotland trip!...

Lotsa golf...

Lotsa whiskey...

Summertime!!...

Amy Girgis kept me company for a few days while Zach was gone. She adores the kids and the feeling is mutual...

I was telling her that Ellery got invited to an ice skating party (a bunch of 5 year olds on ice sounded dangerous) when Amy asked if they had ever been roller skating. Nope! So here we are at Skateworld. Started and ended terribly. At first Elle was slipping all over the bathroom, frustrated and crying. Beck would fall and yell "go faster mama!" but they started to get the hang of it and things improved...

Just as they were feeling more confident, Amy fell and busted her lip open. We spent the next 3 hours at Urgent Care while they stitched her up! Poor Amy.

Went to brunch with Mark and Katie...

Speaking of Katie, check out that baby bump!...

A trip to SD wouldn't be complete without a day at he beach...

And a trip to the beach wouldn't be complete with a game of seaweed tug-of-war...

Elle requested a goopy scoopy station...

Swingin' at Sydney's...

Free airbrushing at the summer concert, ooh la la...

Gay Pride Parade!...

This is what happens when Zach leaves me in charge...

This was probably Elle's favorite part...

The kids got so much thrown at them, necklaces, frisbees, inflatable flamingos, rainbow sweatbands, bouncy balls and lollipops. "Look mama, B for Beck!" Ha!...

A castle fort for my king and his princesses (and Dottie, their palace pet)...

Silly boy...

Funbelievable!...

We were feeling creative...

Talon and Tiana came over to swim and play!...

Turns out ice skating was a little easier for Elle than roller skating! Who would of thought? She loved it so much she now wants to start taking lessons. I'll have to think about that a little longer...

With Taylor, the birthday girl...

Ellery and her buddy Tara went to a week long princess dance camp last week. Monday, Ariel came by...

Tuesday, Tiana...

Wednesday, Cinderella...

Thursday, Belle...

And Friday, a bunch of princesses showed up and had a tea party with the girls. Then they invited the parents in (Dave and Kathy came too!) and gave us a little performance. But before that, each girl stood up, announced their name and what their favorite part of dance camp was. I was surprised that Elle didn't hesitate on standing up in front of a crowd AND said her name loud enough for everyone to hear. This girl is gaining confidence by the day and we're loving it. She said her favorite part "was all of it!" Duh...