beach day

The beaches are busy this week because of the warm weather we've been experiencing. Today was near 80* and it looked like a typical summer day at the beach. The kids had a great time playing and showing Grandma stuff that they were building in the sand. However, the ocean is still very cool and will be until later this summer. For now, we'll just enjoy sand play and the small pools of water we create. It was a great afternoon.

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family fun

We've been to Legoland a gazillion times in the past two years but during today's visit with Grandma I realized what a fun place it is for people of all ages. Today I saw many grandmas and grandpas either with their grandchildren or with the whole family. And everyone I saw was smiling as they walked around, rode the rides and/or enjoyed a yummy treat. Funny how I never noticed the grandparents there at the park before. Legoland is fun for everyone!

hello sunshine

spring has sprung

Spring has come to Southern California! The Flower Fields in Carlsbad are open and almost half of the field has started to bloom. The beach is getting busier, sunbathers are playing volleyball on the sand, and kids are venturing into the ocean to play. The days are warmer (forecast is 80* tomorrow!) and daylight savings time last night means we'll have more daylight to enjoy it from here on out. I'm looking foward to the days ahead!

Old Town with Grandma

The kids are so happy to have their Grandma here this week. They've been excitedly counting down the days leading up to her arrival and have been showering her with hugs and kisses since she landed Thursday evening. Today we enjoyed a few hours exploring and eating lunch in Old Town (San Diego). It's always fun to have Grandma here!

On our drive downtown we were talking about this shirt Meredith is wearing today. Thomas' response: "I'm wild about Grandma!"

Friday playdate

the group breaks for a snack

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This week it was our turn to host the Friday morning playgroup. One little friend is skiing this week in Utah so it was just my two and two other little friends. We decided to paint, color, and use stickers to paint some wood cutouts and also to make books about our favorite subjects -- ourselves! Thomas preferred to hang out with Grandma in another room but the three girls really enjoyed talking about themselves, what they like and learning that they have similar interests. The color Ppnk, anything with Hello Kitty on it, pizza and macaroni & cheese were all shared favorites today.

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Grandma's here!

"...just working on my laptop."

Both kids received a laptop from Grandma for Christmas. They immediately loved them and have continued to love them these last few months. Thomas' is primarily learning games and Meredith's is both games and letters, phonics, etc. It's hilarious when they both want to sit down together and "work" on their laptops. Thomas is in preschool today so Meredith wanted to sit on our bed and work while I folded laundry nearby.

future volcanologist?

3D glasses left a funny impression on Thomas' face

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This afternoon Thomas told the parents of two little friends, "I am going to be a scientist when I grow up. A scientist!" When asked what kind of scientist he is going to be, Thomas answered, "A volcano scientist!" He certainly has a strong interest in the subject so we shall see...

little shopper

This afternoon while Thomas was at preschool, Meredith and I headed over to the outlet mall to do some shopping. I rarely shopped at outlet malls before moving here, but this one is so convenient to our house. I love that my kids don't care if the items are last season or irregulars. For two fun-loving kids who often stain their clothing long before they outgrow them, paying less than $5 for long sleeve t-shirts from Gymboree and $7 for shorts from OshKosh B'Gosh makes a lot of sense. Today, Meredith was all business. She wanted to carry all her own things, in her own bags. And when we got home she sorted and laid out everything so she and Thomas could try them on when he came home. Her interest in shopping and fashion is fun, for now anyway.

the dinner party

The kids were playing "dinner party" this morning with their favorite toys. Seated at the table are Bear with Fish, Snow White, Crocky the Crocodile, Angel Bear, Dinosaur and White Pony. While their guests sat on chairs, both kids sat under the table handing out food. I love these play ideas they come up with!

the jumping boy

the jumping girl

a rainy afternoon + academy awards = crazy kids

hair

Meredith receives a lot of compliments on her gorgeous hair. Most of it is from women wishing they had her hair as their own. I wish I had this hair, too. Just beautiful!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

This afternoon we celebrated a friend's birthday STAR WARS style. All the kids (and there were a lot of kids) received Jedi training using their new lightsabers, faces were painted, and an obstacle course ended with a battle against Darth Vader himself. There was also some sort of treasure hunt and, of course, plenty of pizza, drinks, and cake for all. Thomas and Meredith had a great time and both kids went to bed tonight with their lightsabers. Fun!

a dozen characters + these two

Thomas didn't have preschool today (teachers are prepping for next week's conferences) so we had planned to spend the day at Disney's California Adventure Park with a college girlfriend and her boys. However, our little friend hit his chin near the park's entrance on a concrete bench and split it open. Ouch! Soon after, we realized he probably needed to go see a doctor (I now know what a 5 stitch wound looks like). Needless to say, Sofie and the boys weren't able to stay long so the kids and I spent the rest of the day on our own.

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During today's 4+ hour visit, we saw over a dozen costumed characters throughout the park. And they weren't super busy today so the lines to meet them were very short, if there was even a line at all. Crazy! However, our sweet boy who used to run to costumed characters and practically had to be pulled away is no longer interested in them. Mickey Mouse? "Nah, I don't want to say hi to him." Mr. and Mrs. Incredible? "No, I don't want to say hi. I just wanted to see them." Woody from Toy Story? Pluto? Goofy? Donald Duck? Chip & Dale? Lilo and Stitch? Brother Bear and his sidekick? "No" was what I heard every single time. And he always said it like he was too cool for that character or he was too old for this character. It was the craziest thing, but he's also really been into Spiderman so maybe he is beyond Disney/Pixar characters now. Meredith, true to history, likes to look but doesn't want to go anywhere near the characters. I still snapped a lot of photos of the characters we saw, but they were all with someone else's child(ren).

spring-like

Around a corner of an area under construction at Disney's California Adventure Park today we came across this lovely bed of flowers. The Ranunculus has become one of my favorites since we moved to Carlsbad where 50 acres of this beautiful color show graces the hillside every Spring. Absolutely beautiful!

fun on chairs

New chairs for our dining room table have arrived! Mike suggested we do this at least a year ago but I hesitated. I just wasn't sold on the idea of new chairs only. However, our old table is fine; the chairs were just shot. Now we have eight new matching chairs. The kids love them... as do we!

her favorite dance teacher

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This week is Parent Watch Week in the dance classes. Normally we all wait outside and peek through the windows to watch our favorite little dancers so to sit in the studio was a special treat. Meredith has really progressed over the last two months. It's so fun to watch her because you can just see how much she's enjoying it. She isn't even 3 years old yet but she sure gets it when it comes to dance.
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At the end of class I was sad to hear Ms. Ginger will not be teaching over the summer and will be teaching only Tuesday morning classes this Fall. I know Meredith will do well with any teacher but she really adores this one. We were planning a break from dance this summer anyway, but now we'll have to find another teacher we love as much when Fall comes (preschool conflict). Boo.

dental checkups

Not Meredith's first visit today, but her first "polishing"

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This morning the kids both had their regular dental checkup appointments. Since their last visit six months ago, their dentist had moved into a brand new space and building. With nature murals covering entire walls, a game area with books in the waiting room, child-height everything throughout the space, individual screens on the ceilings with headphones, fun sunglasses... well, it was a much different experience than I remember as a child. These two actually like going to the dentist. The hygeniests and their dentist are all really wonderful with children and the kids leave with goodie bags and a coin they can redeem for a special prize of their choice. It's like a party in childrens' dentistry offices these days.

[Both kids have been doing a great job taking care of their teeth -- no cavities!]

making bird feeders

cutting the bread and making the holes

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Last week I had to remove two birds' nests from the deck off our master bedroom. Last year we let them nest in the eave and I dealt with it. But "dealing with it" meant dealing with my fear of birds every time I opened the slider to the deck, the bird poop all over the deck and even some bird poop on the patio down below. Ick. I couldn't let them get too comfy there again this year and since I had seen and heard the birds return, I knew I needed to act fast. So down the old nests came.
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But after a few days I started to feel bad destroying their love nests so the kids and I are making amends. Two days ago we cut out some bread using cookie cutters, poked holes in them for stringing (hanging) and let them dry out. Tonight the family coated them in peanutbutter and covered them in bird feed. Tomorrow we'll hang the bird feeders up on our trees in the front yard. I don't know that it'll make the birds any happier, but I feel better about it and the kids enjoyed the project.