long jumps

The kids love when I mark their long jumps. Thomas learned this week that he can jump the same distance as the soles of his feet to the top of his ears.

the joy of jumping

last days of blogging

almost 4 hours into a birthday party on a 95* day

.

Postings to this blog have slowed down, way down. With Thomas heading into Kindergarten next month, I think this blog will soon come to an end. It's been a great way to let everyone know what we're up to and how we're doing but I think the time has come. Originally I thought I would end it when Meredith was born -- and that was over three years ago! There will be a few more posts as we enjoy the rest of our carefree summer days, but we'll shut it down in the early Fall...

Legoland Water Park

Today was our first visit to Legoland's new Water Park. It was so much fun, we may have to go every day! Meredith stayed close to me and preferred to play in the shallow end with her friend, Rebecca. She also really enjoyed the lazy river. Thomas and his pal Allison had a fantastic time playing all over in the pool and esp. enjoyed the open and closed water slides. It was his first experience with those and he loved them!

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!

.

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?

.

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

.

2. Created macaroni dinosaurs.

.

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

.

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

.

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.

.

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.

.

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.
.
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!

.

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

.

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!

.

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.
.
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

.

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!]

.

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.

.

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

.

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.

.

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!

.

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.

.

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.

.