Away

We're leaving the water and heading inland. Right when it's supposed to get hot. Thank goodness there are grandparents who have air conditioning and other grandparents who have a pool. We might even head down to wade in the river one day.

I'll be back in a week with lots of pictures and stories, I'm certain.

Until then, stay cool.

Slipping and Sliding (in our underwear of course!)

We got the kids a slip and slide for some summertime fun.  And, oh boy, is it ever fun.  One of the best parts about this slide is that it is a double.  That means slip and sliding races.  It means double the fun.  Can't you just see it in their faces?  

 
Often times, if there is a contest or race of any kind, James it the winner, William is the loser and therefore quite sad.  Or mad.  Or furious.  It is hard to be the little brother.  But he sometimes wins these races, and that makes him very, very happy.

They often run so hard they slip right off the slide.

And yes, they usually slip in slide in their undies.  Are you really surprised at this point?  I try to get them in trunks.  Really I do.  It's just that by the time I've finished setting up the slide. they've already stripped down to their underwear and are slipping and sliding and then I think, "what's the point?"  

Besides, when there is a bottom this cute to look at. why cover it up.  He has such cute cheeks!

I just love summertime.

Again with the Underwear

The other day, James came out of his room in his underwear and his Chucks.  He asked me to tie them.  

"What are you doing," I asked casually.

"Oh, I'm just going outside to rake some leaves," he said.

Of course.  Who doesn't rake leaves in their underwear and Converse? 
Have I said it before?  I love that kid!

The 4th

The 4th of July.  It's a favorite holiday around these parts.  (yes I realize the 4th was nearly a month ago.  I was unable to blog for nearly a month and a half and I am still trying to catch up.  bear with me.)

It is one of my favorite holidays because it was the first time Aaron slipped his arm around my shoulder as we sat on the beach watching the fireworks over Mission Bay.  I was 17.  He was 19. 

And now those 3 belong to us.  My how time flies.

James loves the 4th because we get to go to the country club with our friends Bill and Melody. It is pretty much the Disneyland of 4th of July events, without the millions of people who are at Disneyland for the 4th of July.  Games, prizes, hot dogs, cotton candy, ice cream, popcorn and snow cones every where you look.

And things like this.  This was a new one.  James took one look at it and was more than ready to try it out.  He went high.  Really high.  In fact, he went so high he scared himself a little, but stuck with it and soon was having fun again.  How could he not love a 4th of July like this?

Then there's this little girl.  Last year we brought her to the 4th celebration and she was 4 days old.  She was snuggled in a sling on my chest and everyone kept asking me, "do you have a baby in there?"  I sure did.

And look at her now; walking around like she's been doing it forever.  

At the end of the night we all watched the fireworks.  James sits there with a huge grin on his face and his hands over his ears cause the noise is too loud.  William copies James and does the same thing.  Last year Lilly slept through the whole thing.  This year she slept through half of it. 

I like celebrating our country's birthday.  I like all the sweet memories it holds for me.  I like the 4th of July.

God Bless America.

A Day in Laguna Beach

For many reasons, Laguna Beach is one of my favorite towns.  Shall I list a few?  It reminds me of Italy.  There are great restaurants there.  The stretch of coastline there is breathtaking.  It's where Aaron proposed.  It was the first stop on our honeymoon.  I love the hills.  Most houses are not mansions (although they cost that much) but small, lovely and very different.  I love the beach clubs with their matching umbrellas and chairs. Did I mention it reminds me of Italy? 
One of the things I have never loved about Laguna Beach is the strong influence the artist Wyland seems to have on the town's art scene.  And yet, Wyland was the reason we headed to Laguna Beach a few weeks ago for Friday Fun Day.  You see, James, William and Lilly love sea creatures.  Whales, dolphins, seals, fish, if it swims, they love it.  I told them there was a town that had whole galleries full of statues, sculptures, paintings and photographs of said sea creatures.  William wanted to see them immediately.  

So there we were, entering the Wyland gallery.  I've been to Laguna Beach many, many, many times and never been in.  

It wasn't that bad.
Sure, there was a painting of a killer whale swimming in space, in a sort of dive over the earth. I looked at it as a good opportunity to teach the boys about the concept of romanticism.  And there were quite a few coffee tables with sea turtles, sharks, or manatees as the base.  The boys thought they were amazing.  I chose not to comment.  Really though, it was about them and they loved it.  

And after looking at the art, we went to the beach.  Where there were surfboards.  

And a boardwalk to walk upon and look down from.

And this adorable baby who just loved every minute of it. 

And there was swinging.

And there was digging.

And there was a telescope for looking out to sea for ships or submarines.

And the very best of all?  There was a Daddy who had the day off and got to come with us on Friday Fun Day.  Daddy makes Friday Fun Day much, much better.

Even after a dose of the Wyland gallery, I still love Laguna Beach.  I am glad we have introduced the kids to it and they love it now too.  Someday I dream of taking them to the Italian Riviera. Until then, we'll have to settle for Laguna. 

Things could be worse. 

Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

James was in wedding this weekend.  He was so excited when his suit came.  He called it his ring bearer uniform.  He liked all the "pieces".  The first time he tried it on he looked at himself in the mirror and said, "I look good,"  A positive self image is not something that boy is lacking in.

At first, William didn't seem to notice or care that James was in the wedding and he wasn't. Already he has developed that manly characteristic of ignoring anything that doesn't relate specifically to him.  Girls on the other hand, are naturally nosy, so we pick up on everything that is going on whether it affects us or not.  When the suit came William realized he was missing out on something.  He sat up and took notice.  That is when he decided he would be the leaf man.  If Cora could be the flower girl, then he would be the leaf man and pass out leaves to all the boys at the wedding.  It was a good idea, but in the end, he stayed home.  

Cora wanted to stay home.  See those hands.  She was a nervous flower girl.  Even with James there, and all his bravado of being one day older, and therefore her protector, she still wasn't sure. 

But in the end, she did it and we were all very proud of her.  I think she was quite proud of herself as well.  Way to go, Cora!

They were just adorable.  It was fun to spend the afternoon with the 2 of them.  And for them to play together with out anyone else in the way.  They are 2 peas in a pod. 

I took hundreds of pictures (I am not exaggerating)  Here are some favorites.

I wish I could dress them up like this every day.  

After a few hours, the wedding clothes came off.  But they had a wonderful time.  When we left, James said, "I love weddings."  That's a pretty good endorsement coming from a 5 year old.

Summertime Sleepyness

We've reintroduced the nap for summertime. Can I tell you how wonderful it is? OH MY WORD! I forgot how marvelous, amazing really, it is to have 3 sleeping children smack in the middle of the afternoon when I often want to smack them. Kidding. Kind of.

We were in a good groove of no naps and early bed time, and this will set us back, I know. But after a morning of pooling or bike riding or slip and sliding or beaching, or all 4, they often ask me for a nap. These boys are plum tuckered.
Besides, when it is hot in the afternoon, naps just seem like the right thing to do. Beds almost call to you, like the call of the siren. It makes for later bed times, and sometimes I do regret that. But most nights we are enjoying the warm summer air and the light that lasts past 8. It's summer and we want to make the most of it.

I think autumn might be hard for me.

The Feast

There are moments with my kids that I never want to forget.  I never want to forget them because they are sweet and beautiful and dear and darling.  I also don't want to forget because they often teach me something about myself.

On this particular day, I was laying Lilly down for a nap.  She was struggling a bit, so I was singing to her and rocking her to help calm her down.  The boys were in the kitchen coloring. When I walked into the living room, the boys came running out of the kitchen. yelling. 

"Mommy, Mommy!  We have a surprise for you!  Come into the kitchen."

I did.

There on the benches sat 4 glasses of water.  On the counter sat 4 bowls of nuts and an almost empty nut jar.  

"See, Mommy.  We made you a feast."

"Do you like it?"

"We did it all by ourselves. We poured the water and we opened the nut jar and poured out the nuts.  We even made some for Lilly."

"Isn't it nice Mommy?  Now you can have a break and you don't have to make us snacks cause we know how to do it ourselves."

 "I love it!  I really do.  I can't believe you did this all by yourselves.  You are my big boys."

I really did love it.  It warmed my heart that they wanted to do something special for me.  That they had everything displayed with such pride.  I think a lot about the kind of husbands they will be someday.  I work hard to teach them how to treat their wives.  I think this is a step in the right direction.

A minute later, William pointed to a bowl on the floor and some nuts strewn under the booth.  "Mommy, are we going to get in trouble for that mess?  We spilled some and Jamers said we were going to get in trouble but I said we weren't."

It was a flashback from my childhood.  Me:  "Ben, we have to clean this up before Mom gets home.  You better help me right now."

Ben: "She's not going to be mad.  And if she is, who cares?  What's she gonna do?"

Me: clean feverishly while calling Ben every name I could think of.  Under my breath, of course.

And if I didn't clean up, my Mom probably wouldn't have been (too) mad.  (Just kidding, Mom.)

So is this the reaction they expect of me?  Do I get angry over things as insignificant as spilled nuts.  I am afraid that sometimes, yes, I do.  What a good lesson my boys taught me.  Maybe they made a mess, but they also made me a feast.  What matters most?  It is all a matter of perspective.  Sometimes I choose to view things with the wrong perspective.  I am grateful God gave me 3 little people to help me choose the right perspective every day.  

Those 2

It is fun to see the relationships between my kids change and grow.  As an infant and baby, Lilly was in love with her big brother James.  As a toddler, her wild side is developing, and so is her love for William.  She still loves James lots, but he is her protector.  I can ask him to keep an eye on her and trust that he will.  I would never ask William to keep an eye on her because I'd find the 2 of them pouring water all over the kitchen, or something equally destructive. 

William is her partner in crime.

Here they are screaming together.  They crack each other up.  They egg each other on.  They are often 2 of a kind.  
They wrestle.  I mean really wrestle.  William will have her in a head lock and she doesn't even care.  She just keeps laughing.
She calls him Dee-ha, or Bubba.  Bubba was actually her first word.  It is her name for either brother, and they are her most favorite people.  William knows how to make her laugh better than anyone else.  He genuinely likes her company, and she adores his.
For all his rough housing with her, and the mischief they get into together (already!) their love for each other is very tender.  If Lilly is crying and upset, William runs to her saying, "it's OK Lilly.  Bubba's here.  Bubba's here."  And if William is upset, Lilly does this sympathy moaning cry right along with him.  Then she will give him a pat-pat on the back or some of her love: laying her head on his shoulder.  It is very sweet.

Those 2.  I can't get enough of them.  

(Well, except for the joint screaming.  Then my head spins.) 

Ice Cream Man

We've moved to suburbia.  The ice cream man drives down our street most afternoons. "There is a truck filled with ice cream that you can buy?" asks James.  He is incredulous.

We had to let them try it.  They were so filled with wonder at the ice cream truck, that they could not tear their eyes away from its glory to show me their choices.
Now, the tasting.
Now the sharing.  

William tries Daddy's.
James tries William's.
Lilly is watching all this and wondering why no one got her an ice cream.
Lilly takes matters into her own hands.

Lilly tries William's.

I think she likes it.

The aftermath.  Give a boy a fudgesicle and this is what you end up with.

This may very well become a Sunday afternoon tradition.  

(You may have noticed the baby doll that William has under his arm in all these photos.  It's one of the dolls Lilly got for her birthday.  William was quite possibly more in love with those dolls than Lilly.  His affection for them was strong enough to encourage James to play family with him even though they did not have any girls there to be the mommy.  They settled on pushing the dolls around in the strollers and both being daddies.  For a while, that doll went everywhere with William.  Even to visit the ice cream man.)