Central Park

I LOVED Central Park. It was so pretty this time of year with tons of trails and trees everywhere. It's cool you can see the big buildings in the city from there but you feel miles away. It was really peaceful.

discovering NYC

I loved everything about this trip! Some of my favorite times were just exploring the streets and neighborhoods. Just walking around to see what we would find. I also loved eating and shopping at all the cute little shops, cafe's and bakery's. Everything was soooo good and the atmosphere everywhere was amazing. We were lucky to have a local with us. We would have never have gone to such great places without Miki....Thanks Miki!




Upper West where we stayed.

NYC (subway)

I just got back from NYC. Me and the girls headed out on the red eye to visit our friend Miki. We did not sleep a wink, but somehow managed to explore all around that city that never sleeps all day and night long. It was all of our first time there. While Miki worked our first experience in the big apple was the subway. We took the subway all over. It was fun to see if we were lost and what it was going to look like when we surfaced up from below. I have to say getting around the city was much easier when Miki was there to show us where to go. :)

"mini mouse club panties" and purple socks

fall picnic

Today was dark gray and cold. Which was actually fine I guess because the little miss has decided that diapers are not for her. So I guess it is potty training season rather I like or not. So confined to the walls of my house the fire went on and the diaper went off. I have to admit she looked pretty cute strollin around in nothin but "mini mouse club" panties and a pair of purple knee high socks. Inside looking out the window at the gray it's hard to believe a couple of days ago we were basking in the golden beauty of fall farm picnic. This is my good friend Ali's backyard playground isn't she lucky. The kids loved romping through the pastures and building forts in the creek beds. Ellie unfortunately got bunches of burs in her golden locks and when she tried to get them out on her own they turned into a big dread lock. This did not put her in the best mood so when she came to me for help she got really mad for two good reasons. 1. I was laughing at the dread lock. 2. I took her picture with her "embarrassing" dread lock. She did not go back into that "worst burr fort" and a little leave in conditioner and some patience saved us from a trip to the salon. Ahhhh... fresh air and perfect temps maybe if we all wished for an Indian Summer until Dec 1st it would really happen. Then I would want fluffy white big snowflake storms 3 times a week until March and then it could magically be in the 70's again. It would be perfect.

cute boy and a hot tub conversation

I love talking about things with my kids while sitting in a hot tub.
For some reason it always brings up interesting new things.
Maybe it's the steam or the chlorine.....or just time to think about ideas.
But I love the things they end up saying.
A couple of nights ago Canyon and I were the last one's left....lagging a little behind the others.
What was said goes pretty much like this.

Canyon: Mom how old will you be when I am 19.
Me: 42...(I am thinking..... whoa! is that possible?)
Canyon: Do you think you will have an i-phone by then?
Me: I hope so. That would be nice.
Me: Why?
Canyon: Well I was thinking by then I would have a pretty good job and so I would want to buy you an i-phone for either Valentine's or Mother's day.
Me: Oh..that is so sweet (trying not to smother him with hugs and kisses)
Canyon: But if you already have one by then don't worry I will buy you a MAC lap top!


Seriously, can a nine year old little boy get any sweeter?
I guess the true question is will it last until he is 19?
I am crossing my fingers it does.

catch and release

Okay, so maybe the only thing we caught was moss.
But it was still a win, win if you ask me.
Sure there was no tasty fish fry for this summery night.
But there was also no fish guts and big mean hooks to rip out.
Oh, care free summer nights... how I already miss them.

tan lines

Have a Happy Weekend everyone.

We will be doing fall things like soccer games,
gathering leaves and getting our yard ready
for the fluffy white stuff that is sure to come or way.
I have a strange feeling that there will be no more
soft sandy beaches and tan lines for a while.
I better hurry and go buy my season pass to get me excited for what lies ahead.

Beach Baby - Bon Iver

beach bike ride

One of our favorite days was...
riding the ferry across the bay
to get our bikes.
Then we got to ride our bikes...
up and down the coast until we found the beach spot just for us.
to get doughnuts
to get ice cream
to explore the pier
to see what was up around that bend...and the next one.
to get dinner
and then finally back to the ferry.
It was lovely.

corona del mar beach

We spent some time discovering new beach spots.
This was an evening at Corona Del Mar Beach.
It was hot, the water was just right and the sunset unreal.

mt. loafer

We had a plan: Hike to the top of mt. loafer
So we met up at 6:00 am and we were off.
It was such a beautiful morning.
I wish I could start off every day like this.

We took a little break in the forest
and somehow started doing this.

We are such nerds. We were laughing so hard.
I was crying.. I almost peed my pants.
A hiker man stumbled across our path.
I think he was very startled.
We have always had the best times for the last 20 years! (yikes can that really be?)
From middle school to mothers.
I love these life long friends.

a funk

Ever since our return home from Disneyland and the kids have gone back to school Lucy as been in a bit of a funk. Some might even call it a slight depression of some sort. All she wants to do all day long is stay in her pajamas and watch one of four things.
1. You tube videos of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride over and over and over again. Which is only 8 minutes long. So every 8 minutes long you hear her yelling MAAAAAA MAAAAAA PIRATES!! I have learned to get stuff done in 8 minutes intervals which is sort of a pain.
2. Nemo
3. Monsters Inc.
4. Mickey mouse club house
One day when a full on fit occurred with I tried to wash her pajamas I knew she needed an intervention. I put my foot down. My 2 year old was no longer going to be a duplicate of a washed up housewife wearing dirty pajamas and watching you tube all day. She even wanted to eat her meals in bed in front of the computer...In bed I tell you! Which was a battle she never won but still just that she would try was bad enough. So I have initiated a few rules starting with limiting her Pirate watching and getting her out into the sunshine at all times possible. I think she is starting to pull out of it...phew! I was getting worried.

disney

We really did not take a lot of pictures at Disneyland unless they were on our phone. We were just to busy planning out our fast pass strategies, getting soaked on rides, eating frozen lemonades, watching fireworks and parades, and hitting every ride imaginable on both sides of the park. We had the best time but went back to the hotel literally exhausted every night. I thought the kids would want breaks during the day. I was so wrong.

This was Lucy on every ride arms up and lovin it!

Highlights:
It was a surprise trip for the kids. Canyon thought we were going to Boston because that is where the flight crew said they were from. They did not put it all together until Canyon saw all the California license plates and saw the Disneyland sign on the freeway. They were so excited!

Ellie loved the big fast rides. She wanted to go on Indiana Jones SOOOOOO bad but even with a little help adding some height she was still an inch short. She went to bed that night the last thing she said before she shut her eyes was "I hope so bad I grow an inch tonight". Canyon laying closely nearby replied " I hope you do to". The next morning he marched her straight over to the measurement stick and sure enough she did not grow that inch. She was so disappointed but I think Canyon took it a little harder than her. He felt so bad for her. It was so sweet.

Little Lucy deserves a post of her own. She was literally crazy about it all. Mini mouse, fireworks, rides, cotton candy. But most of all it was all Pirates for her. She could not get enough of that ride. After a few rides on it she would anticipate the drops coming up and would raise her little arms up and sing the theme song the whole ride through. We had to practically bribe her to get on the tea pots after that ride :). She got to go on the Mattahorn with a little added height help and loved that one too. To this day she still remains a little crazy. Disneyland has changed her. I am serious.

Favorite Rides
Canyon- California Scramin/Space Mountain
Ellie- Space Mountain/Tower of Terror
Lucy- Pirates/and in a very far 2nd Mattahorn, Monsters inc. or Pooh Bear.