Farewell, Summer Time

Wow. I can't believe summer is practically over for me. I return to work tomorrow and I'm suddenly sad that the time I had with the kids is coming to a close. I guess that's why summer is so much fun. It has an end and a beginning. It gives us time to nourish our "selves" by not adhering to schedules, demands, or expectations. I really enjoyed the "ordinary days" we shared as a family this summer. We visited Monterey, played in parks, went on tons of bike rides, went to Science camp, explored Mother Nature, frolicked in the lake, bathed in sunshine, and were totally and completely lazy at times. It was bliss: very full and very fun.

Well, Summer, I'll see you next year. I'm looking forward to seeing you already!

The Conch

At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, there's a huge conch shell in the play area devoted to children. Every time we've gone there, I've taken pictures of the kids. First, it was Sam by himself. Next, it was Izzy and Sam. This time, I tried to capture a shot of all three of them happy and smiling in the conch.


Below is a photo collage of my attempt to capture the bliss, harmony, and love we were experiencing while we were there:

Two out of three ain't bad in my book...better luck next year!

Baby Crack

Scotty escaped from the bathroom after I bathed him. I. could. not. help. myself. I mean, who doesn't love baby crack?

Hotel Living

Before we left for Monterey, I was a little worried about sleeping arrangements. It was the first time the kids were going to a hotel and sharing a lot of small space together. I asked Brad to rent two adjacent rooms so we could have some room to breathe and hopefully be able to endure each other.

I am a genius.

Why? Because my plan worked perfectly. Not only did we have plenty of "roaming" space, the kids absolutely loved being in the hotel. I'm not sure if it's because I let them jump on the beds, horse around, order milk and cookies before bed or eat candy at any hour but they REALLY, REALLY loved it. The evidence is below.....

Monterey!!!!

The day school got out for Sam and Izzy, we headed over to Monterey for a quick family vacation. Brad had some work he had to do so we tagged along. The trip was a lot of fun for me too because I had Jenny, our "big sister from another mother" join us. The kids had a really great time. We walked the boardwalk, perused shops, bought junk food, visited the Monterey Aquarium, touched starfish, fed penguins, watched jellyfish, sat under a waterfall and ate and ate and ate. Jenny and I managed to scope out the best pizza joint in town near our hotel. We also did a stellar job of putting back some seriously scrumptious cinnamon rolls.

Sous Chef

Lately, Izzy has been asking to help in the kitchen. She chops, dices, and stirs things for me. Her favorite, however, is making baked treats because she gets to sample the stuff getting mixed in. Smart cookie, right? Her other favorite task is shucking corn!

Pillow Talk

Right before school let out for Sam, he learned how to sew. He made himself a really nice navy blue pillow. When I went to pick him up, he showed me it and asked me to take him to the fabric shop to pick some fabric and yarn to make one for his sister. She, of course was ecstatic with her new pillow. It turned out pretty well.