SeaWorld

Today we headed south in search of sunshine and some fun at SeaWorld. We met up with a friend and her two kids and enjoyed 5 hours at the park. It was a long afternoon but very fun! Today we caught the Cirque de la Mer show, the new show Blue Horizons, fed the sea lions, met Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street, played games and rode rides, and watched the tortoises sunbathe. It was a fun day and esp. nice for us to see the sun again!

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the secret birthday party invite

Thomas received this cool birthday party invitation today from a preschool pal. He was given a vial of decoder solution along with this invitation and bookmark. We waited until after dinner to reveal the hidden message. Can't wait to see what this birthday party will be all about!

head to head

Today we enjoyed a birthday party for one of Thomas' preschool pals at Pump It Up. Unlike at his own birthday party, this time we had a camera with a charged battery. The kids had a great time jumping, sliding, running the obstacle course and Thomas even tried his hand at boxing -- the gloves were nearly as big as he is! The obstacle course is always a favorite and I think we all raced each other at some point. In the photo above, Thomas was the winner but Meredith was definitely close behind. I have a feeling she'll be passing him someday. The girl always impresses me with her coordination, skills and athleticism -- she's a pretty amazing three year old!

Discovery Science Center

Today we headed up to the Discovery Science Center in Irvine, Calif. There was so much to do for both the parents and the kids -- we all had a great time! What did we do today?

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1. Stood in a wind tunnel and experienced what nearly 80mph feels like on our faces, hair, clothes...

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2. Created macaroni dinosaurs.

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3. Picked up a hockey stick and slapped some pucks, trying to score against the projected goalie (on the screen).

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4. Wore some ice hockey gear and blocked flying pucks from the projected hockey player on the screen.

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5. Enjoyed time in the Dino Quest exhibit. There, we met a baby T-Rex, went on a scavenger hunt, and had a great time with all the interactive exhibits.

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6. Laid on a "bed of nails". Okay, so maybe just Mike and myself did this, but the kids watched and were full of questions afterwards.

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7. Saw this really cool baby T-Rex.
8. Experienced earthquakes ranging from 4.7 to 6.4 magnitudes.
9. Learned about our amazing human bodies in the Grossology exhibit.
10. Had our heights measured with a laser. We are 6'-0", 5'-5", 3'-10" and 3'-1" tall.
11. Tried rock climbing.
12. Listened to a good presentation about the Solar System... and so much more.
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We ended our day at Newport Beach for a few hours. The kids love to go to the candy shoppe on Balboa Island and pick out a few special treats -- and we do, too!

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the kids today

Neither is smiling but something about this photo I really like. I snapped it this afternoon at the park where Meredith's pal, Felicity, celebrated her 3rd birthday. So many birthday parties, so little time...

more friends!

Meredith & the boys

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We hadn't been to Legoland in months (the 40 minutes Thomas and I spent there two weeks ago doesn't count) but this week we've gone twice! We had a great time Monday with friends visiting from Portland and yesterday we went back and spent another 4+ hours with a college girlfriend (from LA) and her two young boys. It's been a fun week catching up with old friends for us!

old neighborhood friends

Friends from Portland are visiting the area so today we met up with them at Legoland. I first met Shannon when Thomas and her daughter were about a year and a half old. We only lived a few houses apart yet we didn't meet until she joined the neighborhood playgroup. The group was trading drop-off playdates to allow moms to get to know one another better. She and I had breakfast downtown at Mother's Bistro and then got pedicures at a spa salon in NW Portland. Such a nice morning out for me -- I was pregnant with Meredith and it was the first time I had left Thomas in someone else's care (besides my mom) -- and it was esp. fun to hang out and get to know Shannon. Spending time with her and her family today was a treat for all of us -- thank you!

Happy Father's Day!

Today we spent the day at the San Diego County Fair. Favorites included watching the Freestyle Motocross, a (cow) milking demonstration, a swine race, viewing the exhibits in the halls, wandering through the garden demonstrations and simply enjoying the perfect 75* day in beautiful Southern California. One hands-on exhibit were these business card-sized art boards available for anyone to doodle on. Both kids enjoyed creating a one-of-a-kind masterpiece which they then proudly pinned to the community art board. Meredith's drawing was of her favorite subject: daddy! He's a favorite for us all. Happy Father's Day!

pool party

This afternoon Thomas and I went to his pal Haley's 6th birthday party. It was a fun pool party for the kids held at the Y but after swimming we all went inside for pizza and cake... and the air conditioning was on... and they were all freezing! Check out Thomas in the photo below. His lips were purple!

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soccer girl

Meredith is really enjoying soccer and improving each week. This morning she was running faster, kicking the ball harder and having a great time. When they break for water she always runs over to me, gets her sip, slaps me a high five and then trots off while I yell out "Good job, soccer girl!". Yes, I am that mother on the field.
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When Meredith really enjoys an activity, she re-enacts that activity elsewhere. While running errands this afternoon she was showing Thomas her soccer skills and explaining to him the games they play. They were running and kicking pretend balls in the stores we stopped at. Later at home she showed me her "clipboard" and pen and told me she is Coach Elizabeth (I have no idea where she got that name) and Thomas is learning soccer. Good thing he's such a great brother and thoroughly supports - okay, plays along with - her.

Thomas' journal entry

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Thomas' journal entry today is shown in the photo above -- a drawing depicting his visit to the ER late Tuesday evening. He's lying on the hospital bed while the nurse is attempting to draw blood from the top of his right hand while daddy watches on. [I don't know when he started drawing aerials but this wasn't the first time. Way to go, Thomas!]

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Yes, Tuesday evening was a long night at our house. Immediately following their vaccinations at 1pm that afternoon both kids were very unhappy. Thomas complained about an upset stomach and ate very little the remainder of the day. Right after they went to bed at their usual 8pm bedtime, Thomas woke up upset. He had thrown up on his bed, in his doorway and then in the stairway. We were able to calm him, clean him up and call the doctor. They seemed to think there was no relation to him having received vaccinations earlier that afternoon and said to just keep an eye on him and give him a little fluid when he was ready. By 10pm, we thought we'd try to put him back to bed but upon standing he threw up again. This time, there was a little blood so Mike immediately took him to the ER. Three and half hours later, they returned home. Tests were done but everything came back perfectly normal and healthy. He received a nausea tablet in the hospital and that seemed to calm his stomach. Just before 1:30am, we were all back in bed asleep.

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Wednesday was a slow and easy day at our house. Thomas took an almost 3 hour nap in the morning and right through lunch. An hour after waking from his nap he was eating again, taking fluids just fine and running around the house with Meredith as if nothing had even happened. It was a long 24 hours for these kids and we're so thankful it has passed and everyone is healthy and fine again.

Happy Shirts!

three years ago

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We love that Thomas has always called these tie-dyed shirts their Happy Shirts. Today I chuckled when they emerged from their bedrooms wearing them. They haven't worn them in months, esp. at the same time, so to see them both wearing them was really fun. Thomas' shirt is the same in both photos -- very small and full of stains now, but he still wants to wear it! Seeing them today reminded me of the photo taken above the summer after Meredith was born. She was just a few months old but even then she seemed to know that one cannot not smile when wearing a Happy Shirt.

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today

last day of preschool

Thomas has had a great year of preschool. He loves his two teachers in the classroom, the school director, and the extracurricular teachers. He loves his classmates and the friendships he's made. He loves the routine of preschool and the subjects they've explored. He loves the projects and the daily worksheets and crafts he's brought home. It has been such a positive experience for him that I'm really sad to see it end. However, I know he'll do equally well in Kindergarten and look forward to what that entails. And maybe Meredith will have the pleasure of being in Ms. Joan and Ms. Bonnie's 3yo class in September when she begins preschool!

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one hour

Meredith went from this (above) to that (below) in just one hour. Granted, we had been at a car show all morning and early afternoon but the beach was busy and we were at a friend's birthday party. The poor little thing was worn out and fast asleep within 5 minutes of getting into her carseat.

San Clemente Car Show

We love the annual San Clemente Car Show. It's one of our favorites because there are so many vehicles on display (and such a great variety!), it's in one of our favorite SoCal beach towns, the SC Farmer's Market is also open and the weather is always sunny in San Clemente! Today the kids picked out their favorite vehicles. These are the cars they want to have when they are bigger and can drive. Thomas thinks this will happen at 6 years of age.

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Powerhouse Park

This morning I came across a nice park in Del Mar that I knew the kids would love so after dinner we went back again. It was a teriffic find tonight and the kids had a great time. One of their favorite things were the trees. They loved that they could hang from the branches so easily.

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birthday dress

Meredith received this adorable dress for her birthday. I absolutely love it and think it's so cute on her... and today she finally wore it! Last summer I bought several super cute summer dresses but she wouldn't have anything to do with them. I ended up giving them away because I knew they wouldn't fit this year. I've managed to pick up a few since then (special occassions, holidays...) so she has half a dozen or so in her closet now. I have a feeling by the end of the summer she'll be wearing dresses again regularly. Compliments like those she received today from Thomas are sure to help: "Oh, WOW! Wow, Meredith. You look beautiful." He's such a good big brother!

only 2 more days left of preschool!

dinosaur egg (paper mache) & nest project

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Thomas loves preschool. He really gets excited by the activities they do and is eager to share with us what he learned and/or did each day. I'm a little sad that preschool will end soon. He's really going to miss the routine, his teachers and seeing his friends three times a week. But I'm also really looking forward to a very fun summer for the kids. It's going to be the best one yet!

beets

A few weeks ago I challenged some local mama friends to join me in trying new vegetables and recipes. Each week we explore a different vegetable. Sometimes it's something that we haven't eaten before and other times it's something we already eat so then I just try a new recipe. It's been a fun challenge and hearing what the others are doing with the "veggie of the week" is equally fun. But this week we're doing beets... and no one is really liking it.
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Last night I made a beet dish that nobody ate. I had one beet left that I wanted to marinate and grill tonight but after last night's dish I just couldn't bring myself to do it. This morning I boiled that last beet and the kids used it for some exploration painting in the backyard. They enjoyed this much more than eating the beet. The painting later turned from beets and other food items to sponge painting...
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our morning at home

These two have the best time together. Not all the time, of course, but when they do it's really fun to watch. We didn't leave the house today until a park playdate with some friends at 2pm because Thomas and Meredith had such a fun time together. They were laughing hysterically as they set up a picnic on the patio, played freeze dance, lured the dogs into the laundry room (aka "Goodwill"), colored together in the kitchen, worked on puzzles... I love watching them have so much fun with each other.

I'm on to her!

Today I learned that if I wear my hair in (two) pigtails then Meredith is more agreeable to also wearing her hair in pigtails. Yesterday I learned that if there are no clean shirts hanging in Meredith's closet, she'll wear a dress. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I may be wearing the pigtails more often and her shirts may not be hung up as soon as they are clean anymore...

getting around

scooting around at our friend's birthday party today

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trying out a new skateboard w/the neighbor boys earlier this week

writing Thank You notes

We're finally getting around to writing Thank You notes for all the awesome gifts Thomas received for his birthday three weeks ago (!!!). I used to be more on top of these things but the days go by so quickly these days. Thomas made a great start on them this afternoon (yes, this was taken at 5pm today -- they love their jammies!) and this weekend we'll finish them up and drop them in the mail. They may be late, but at least they are getting done, right? I'm lucky he finds this activity "fun" and a project he wants to do.

beach play

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. Mike was wonderful to take care of the kids by himself for 3 full days so that I could go away for the weekend with some girlfriends. It was a much-needed little getaway for all six of us mamas and we had a great time. However, we all missed our families and were happy to return home to them.
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While I was gone Mike and the kids had a great time together. They enjoyed a street fair, a day at SeaWorld and lots of playtime at home. They purchased a new computer for the house and the kids got a kick out of taking the car through the carwash. They ended their weekend with a special dinner out for Mexican food and they stayed up almost an hour past their bedtime hoping to see me. Unfortunately, the drive from Las Vegas to Carlsbad was extremely slow and what is normally a 4 to 4.5 hour drive took us over 10 hours. I got home an hour after they went to bed. We enjoyed lots of cuddle time the next morning!
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It's been a busy week with playdates, preschool functions and just getting everything back on track. Today the kids and I enjoyed a long afternoon at the beach with some friends. The tourists aren't here quite yet so it was a great day to be at the beach. The weather is warming and the ocean is refreshing. We all had a great time. And Thomas and Meredith ended the day with sand angels. Just when you didn't think they could get any more sandy, they throw themselves down and make sand angels. Crazy kids!
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