Micro-vacation

With H starting school in a couple of weeks and our newest addition making his appearance Sept. 17 we don't get our normal vacation this year. That isn't bad, but it is an adjustment. We love our little break from reality to go to Texas and Oklahoma and visit family.

So, when Husband got an extra day off this past week, we packed up and headed out to spend some time with my sister and her family. Each year they spend two weeks at the coast (around San Luis Obispo, CA). It was so nice, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We went to the beach, Husband kayaked and biked, we did some touristy walking around Morro Bay, we rented an electric boat for an hour, we bough salt water taffy and ate ice cream from a little ice cream shop. We also had good family time and slept 9 people (admittedly three of them are small) in a travel trailer. Good times crammed together in a short period of time. We left a day earlier than originally planned so we could swing by and see our parents before the crazy of life changes occurs and travel becomes even more scarce.

A couple days later I'm feeling mostly recuperated (I could still use some more sleep) and it is time to get our house back in order (as much as possible). It wasn't two weeks away, but it was much needed and totally worth every minute.

Campground park

H

G and J

Our campsite

Avila Beach, CA

G

H

J

G (top) and J (bottom)

H hitching a ride

J and G stealing ice

G and J looking at the seals

Captain Steven

J and H

Morro Bay Aquarium

Nap time (J, G, and H)

G

J

H

Avila Beach Pier

E and H - Spooners Cover at Montana de Oro

Husband coming in

G and J

Volcanoes at Grandma's house (H, J, and G)

Craft Time

It's been a while. I haven't really had the energy or time to do much lately. A few days ago I did manage to make some cards. It felt so good. I love getting a chance to do something, no matter how quick or small.

 * Each card used a plain cardstock base, some washi tape, and some Hero Arts/Studio Calico stamps.

A few nights before our micro-vacation I made up some animal masks. A while back (months, a year, I don't remember) I bought the boys some foam animal masks from the $1 bin at Target. They had fun playing with them, and for some reason the masks rarely made it out of the car. Still, foam only lasts so long when three little boys are pulling on it. I decided to use the masks as guides for making felt ones that I would sew. About a month ago (maybe two) I gathered them up from the car, sat down while the boys were coloring, and drew templates. Before we left I decided to forgo the templates. I found my felt and laid out the masks (I did the tiger, the elephant, and the monkey, the zebra will follow later) and traced them on. I traced and cut with H "helping" as I did so. After the boys were in bed, I pulled out my sewing machine and got them made. We didn't necessarily have the correct color of felt, but we made do and I think they turned out rather cute.

Original (no girls here, so we skipped the flower and eyelashes)

Our version

The back (we didn't have enough of the light blue for the back
of the ears, but I like it  this way)

Monkey original and ours

Baby to Boy

Three more weeks and my first born will be a Kindergartner. The first day of school is also his birthday, and he will be 5. I love this boy so much. He is so many forms of amazing. A few nights ago he asked if there would be flowers in his garden when he went to school (kindergarden). I couldn't help but laugh. He'd made a connection and it is a wonderful one. I tried to explain that not all schools have gardens, and the last school I taught at had a vegetable garden not a flower garden, so we'd just have to wait and see. He's working on counting in Spanish. Right now he can count to five on his own. It sounds a little like this, "uno, dos, grace (like his cousin), cuadno, cinco..." We have our ups and downs. He's brilliant and that leads to some thinking he should be in charge; but he has such an amazing heart, and it truly shows when he sees others hurting. He wants to marry me when he grows up. Husband told him he had to find his own wife, I belong to him, but H was adamant that he would marry me too. Someday I know that won't be what he wants (and I'm glad to know that he will one day see his mom isn't the right person for him to marry), but I treasure that he thinks I'm wonderful enough to marry someday. I treasure that right now he thinks I'm cool and can make him anything that requires sewing. Today he asked me to play with him. It was hot and I didn't really want to, but I convinced him to sit on the carpet (not the tile) and we played for a bit. I was too distracted. Things are beginning to be a bit uncomfortable (not a good sign with 2 months to go), but I need to look past it and play with him. I need to focus on him. Too soon he will be grown up. Too soon he will think I'm not the coolest person on earth. Too soon he won't want me to sit on the floor and play cars or dinosaurs or any other game he can come up with. Too soon he won't think my opinion is the most important opinion. He turns 5 and starts school in three weeks. Time has flown from then until now. That little 7 lb. baby that turned me into a mother now weighs 37 lbs. He went from 18 in. long to 42 in. tall. He doesn't have any baby fat left on his lean little body. He holds my heart, and I know he'll do great things, but I'm still not sure how I'm going to let him walk through that gate in three weeks without walking through it with him. Until then, I'm going to make sure I get all the hugs and kisses and cuddles in that I can. Until then, I'm going to savor each moment that he thinks I'm great or awesome or worth marrying. Until then, I'm going to soak up each moment, good or bad, because these moments don't last.

A week old - It took over a month for this newborn outfit to fit.

July 2012

New school supplies

Out of touch

So many posts I've wanted to write, and yet nothings been done. Summer is almost over (bleak thought, I know, but H starts school Aug. 8). It feels like we've been cramming tons of things into the time we've had. Swim lessons are over. H did well, and he still loves swimming and water, though he doesn't want to practice with me like he did with his teachers. The twins are growing and talking even more. They love to play and run and watch "heroes" (The Incredibles), Cars, and Thomas the Tank Engine. All the boys are a little more rowdy and likely to hit one another, and we're working on that. I'm 7 months pregnant and I feel huge. That isn't a bad thing. I love seeing the look on people's faces when they ask when I'm due and I tell them Sept. 24th. I'm not sure how much of the look is "whoa, she still has more summer left" and how much is "really? I thought it would be a lot sooner than that." Husband is working away. He just went through shift change and were adjusting to his new days off.

Here are a few (or a lot) pictures from the last bit of time to show you what we've been up to as we've tried to stay cool.

Finishing up swim lessons

G coloring

G reading

H - we were playing in the shade

J and H doing headstands (a daily occurrence)

G dressing as Superman

J dressing as Superman

Napping

G

J

Doing some organizing (still about halfway to go)

The idea for this was found on Pinterest. Click here to go to the website.

Fireworks on the Fourth

Visiting grandparents

G and J sleeping in tight places

Playing with cousins

Looking handsome (G, J, and H)

Going to the zoo with friends

Loving the monkeys

Train rides

Playing with friends and watching Mary Poppins

Cars

More swimming

Hanging out with cousins after swimming