I love this silly face

sunshine = happy faces

After a few days of cloudy skies (we're in the "May Grey, June Gloom" weather pattern), we were in need of some warm sunshine so today we headed over to the Wild Animal Park. It isn't far inland, but every mile east means a better chance of seeing some sun. The day was beautiful out there, the mamas and their babies were all out (tigers, elephants, bighorn sheep...) and the park currently has the Dinosaur exhibit going on. We saw this last year at the Oregon Zoo but the exhibit at the WAP seemed a little larger, had a few more things going on and Thomas was no longer afraid of the robotic dinosaurs. We had a great time!

Happy Birthday, Bela!

Today our sweet Bela is ten years old. We had just purchased and moved into our Westmoreland home when we came across a Vizsla breeder in Chehalis, WA with puppies available. I convinced Mike to go take a look at the puppies. But really, how could one look at a 7.5 week old Vizsla clearly choosing you and not take her home...?? She picked us and we couldn't be happier. She's still the best dog. Ever.

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The kids have both been singing Happy Birthday to You! to Bela all day long. Thomas keeps referring to her as the "birthday girl". Special treats and a new squeaky toy were given to her by the kids, along with lots of birthday hugs. The best dog ever, most definitely, but also the luckiest dog. Ever.

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Several weeks ago Bela had a tumor removed from her right front paw. She's currently undergoing radiation therapy for it and is doing very well. Tomorrow will be her 5th treatment out of 6 total and her final treatment will be later this week. Our fingers are crossed she'll be just fine and healthy for years to come!

festival fun

Warm blue skies... soft green grass... festival music and dance... strawberry and bubblegum flavored shaved ice... a tasty Hawaiian lunch... classic woody car show... The Polynesian Festival & Luau today in San Clemente was fun!

daddy's girl

play ball

A couple of Thomas' preschool friends (and us) have started getting the boys together for regular weekly playdates. We've all recognized the need for regular play for these boys with good kids who have great moms. They four boys will be heading to the same elementary school in two years but next year they'll be splitting up and we're all a bit heartbroken over that. Thomas and one pal are moving to a new preschool while the other two boys will remain at their current preschool. So, we're keeping the foursome together for at least one playdate every Tuesday morning. We may also be taking a class or two together this summer as well as other activities that come up.

This morning's playdate was t-ball play at our neighborhood park. All four boys had a great time (as did Meredith and another younger sibling) playing ball, sharing snacks and then playing games in the grass together. It's a great group of friends, sharing some good fun...

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figuring out the rules for today's play

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Thomas and Finlay run for the ball

a very lucky 4 year old

Thomas gave his new bicycle a whirl this afternoon! He did a great job and had a lot of fun. Not to be left behind, his little sister also brought her latest to ride around on... Have you tried one of these plasmacars? Very fun and, yes, she can do it!
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the ROBOT party

Today we celebrated Thomas' birthday with his friends. With two parties essentially back to back (Meredith's was just 3 weeks ago) we decided we didn't want to do his party at home. I think with four year olds, too, it's just easier and more fun for them to go somewhere. So Thomas' party was held at an indoor playground in town. He provided the guest list (primarily preschool friends, but also some neighbors and three playgroup pals) and, lo and behold, all 14 kids came! Add our two and younger siblings and we're talking about 20 kids -- wow! He wanted to have pizza so we had some delivered and also served up some cut fruit and Kettle chips. It was a busy 3 hours, but a very fun birthday party for this special little boy!

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practicing their party smiles at the house

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food station ~ pizza lunch for everyone

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playing with friends

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birthday cake ~ party girl loves her robot shirt

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TIRED kids winding down as we load the car

the Happiest Place on Earth

the photo you were waiting for

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Our family had the best time visiting Disneyland together. We've lived in Southern California for over a year now but it was our first visit to the park. Since we are just 45 minutes to an hour away, we purchased memberships so our family can enjoy a few more trips over the next year. It was so much fun not because of all the excitement that is Disney, but because we were sharing this experience with each other.

Nothing beats seeing the joy and wonder in their little eyes...

...though this is a close second!

new Disney friends

Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Pluto

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We saw about a dozen characters (or "stuffed animals" as Thomas calls them) all around the park, but these were the ones he met today. He loves these larger-than-life characters; Meredith doesn't.

"Now that I'm four..."

This morning Thomas has been telling me all the things he can do by himself now that he is four. Be as big and self-sufficient as you like, Thomas, but don't ever lose this silly side of you that we all love. You can still be silly at four... and at five... and at six...

ride reaction

Most rides received this reaction from Meredith yesterday at Disneyland. Even those geared for the younger set are loud, dark and fast. I snapped this photo inside the Pinnochio ride. I couldn't tell you what we saw because it all went by so fast. It is sensory overload at its best (worst?). I didn't check, but I'm pretty sure we all had this look at one point or another!

FOUR years old

Can you believe it?

Lunch Bunch

We're meeting up with playgroup friends regularly for lunch with the kids again. We did this last summer and, for someone new to the area, it was a great way to try some new (to us!) places. It's also a great opportunity for the kids to practice table manners, eating with their friends, etc. Last week we enjoyed lunch at a small bakery/bistro with three mama friends and their children. It was outdoors, casual and a great kick off to our "lunch bunch" outings. Thomas enjoyed some silly times with pal Sophia and somehow managed to clean his plate at the same time. Meredith became a fan of brie and ate a large portion of my panini sandwich to prove it. I'm already looking forward to the next one (lunch outing that is, not my 2yo eating my lunch)!

Happy Mother's Day!

flamingos "nest", too! -- did you know this?

M took the kids to the Zoo today so I could spend some time doing whatever I wanted. This, of course, was after I returned home from an early morning run to a yummy quiche baking and homemade cards from the kids. They were so excited to give them to me -- that was truly the best part of my day. It was nice to spend the day taking care of myself and running some errands on my own... but I missed some fun times with the family today!

party animals

Thomas w/pal Finn and new friend Katrina

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Meredith w/new friend Jonathan

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On our way to birthday party #100 since moving here I explained to the kids that they are invited to many birthday parties because they are nice, friendly and fun to play with. Thomas told me he thought it was because I'm his mom. Either way, there's no shortage of party invitations sent to our kids and they aren't complaining! And with both kids asleep ten minutes into nap time today, this mama isn't complaining either...

robot t-shirt

It blows my mind to think this little boy will be four years old next week. How did he get so big so fast?? We're planning a robot-themed party so today we put together this little birthday shirt for him to wear. It's my first attempt using the freezer paper stencil method but I think it turned out pretty good. I wanted to keep it simple and playful, esp. since I may be making a version of this for party favors. The shirt will be fun for him to wear when we go to Disneyland on his actual birthday and then again the following weekend at his party with friends. I think tomorrow we'll add the text "It's My Birthday!" to the back so he'll be sure to receive all kinds of birthday wishes everywhere he goes...

T time

the group watches the golf pro

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Thomas had his first golf lesson this morning! There are only 4 boys in the class (one is his pal, Haley) and the instructor is a golf pro from an area course. She was great with lots of good instruction in a manner that the kids understood and enjoyed. With such a small group, there was plenty of one-on-one time with each child. Meredith was a great caddy for Thomas today, but she's already asking to golf, too. The lessons are just a short, introductory session lasting four weeks. We'll see if his interest continues after that!

his form may not be there, but he had fun and some nice hits