The Whole Truth

Conversations with our Grandma:

Katie: Grandma...I tooted.

Grandma: ewwww.

Katie: It's REALLY stinky!!!!

Grandma: ewwwww.

Katie: Want to smell it?

Grandma: noooooooooooooooooo.

Sometimes...there is such a thing as too much truth.

Life's a Beach

Random Beachiness:

Home Sweet Home:

Crazy Girls







Crazy Kids



Crazy Joe

Crazy Troy

LA Times

Each time we visit California we hope to show the kids some part of Southern California other than the beach. This trip it was up to LA.

We made it to Griffith Park Observatory, Olvera Street, Union Station, and Angel's Flight.

The observatory is at the top of a hill with an amazing view of the city...at least everything you can see in spite of the smog.









Can you see the kids reflection in this huge pendulum that swings inside the observatory to show the rotation of the earth?


We made it down to Olvera Street, the first community in LA. The kids especially loved being treated to sno-cones and churros. I enjoyed walking through the colorful stalls of Mexican handicrafts.

Union Station was cool too with it's Art Deco decor and colorful gardens and fountains.


I was even able to talk the kids into letting me torture them with my camera.

Just outside union station is the boundary to Chinatown...Chinese characters and all.

We capped the day off with a ride on Angel's Flight...a small funicular which has the distinction of being the shortest rail way in the world...but for a quarter...who could resist?


The funicular is right inside city center...love these tall buildings.



Katie's favorite part of the day?


My favorite part of the day?

Duck and Cover

Becky and Katie are afraid of just about every living creature.

I kid you not.

Bugs...of any kind...dogs, cats, etc.

You name it, and they are afraid of it.

I don't know why I thought they might enjoy the ducks...but I really did think they would think it was fun to feed them...boy was I wrong!



They seriously worked themsevels into a panic as we walked past the ducks, and were able to calm down only when they climbed up onto a table.

I wound up feeding the ducks the entire first bag of seed before the girls thought it might be fun to try it themselves.



Those ducks can eat!

And wouldn't you know it...those girls have done nothing since except ask me when they can go back and do it again.

Think they will need to table?

Probably.

They did enjoy the rest of the park.

Life's a Beach

I love the beach.

I always have.

We had a great day at the beach yesterday. Sunny. Perfect.



Well, almost perfect.

I spent so much time worrying about the kids getting sunburned, I was vigilant about the sunscreen...so no one got burned but me.

Seriously.

The waves were a little rough, so I the kids didn't go very far, but they had a lot of fun playing in the sand and splashing around.



Katie didn't really know what the make of the sand...so she spent the first hour in and out of a bucket of water trying to get the sand off her.



And every time she stepped out, she just got more sand on her...and ao and so she had to get right back in the bucket.

It was the perfect California day!

You Can Take the Girl out of California

We are enjoying our time in California. We could not ask for better weather...apparently we brought the warm weather with us. It's been nice.

Mikayla was saying how funny it was that Californias just love it when it gets warm so they can go to the beach or water park, whereas Virgnians hate when it gets warm...cause you know what a Virginia summer feels like.

What caught me off guard was the realization that Mikayla considers herself a Virginian and I found that I still consider myself a Califonian.

How funny. It's been years since I lived here full time, but I guess some things die hard.

But, seriously, when did I start raising Virginians?

Alive and Well

7 meals at fast food restaurants = $200
120 gallons of gas = $300
40 hours of non-stop driving from DC to Utah = nearly all my sanity
Arriving safely with all the children still alive = priceless

We're here.

We made it.

And it wasn't really as bad as I thought it would be.

I'm not sure what that says about my mental state.

Now...to do it all over again in six weeks.

eek.

Let Freedom Ring

We had a wonderfully low key fourth of July. A small BBQ. Fireworks with the kids.

Who could ask for more?

Google Knows

Had a long talk with Joe today about chores and responsibility and doing our best job.

Apparently we did not have the same definition of "best."

Go figure.

Fast forward: Troy was at the computer tonight and was reviewing the internet history and saw that Joe had googled "Quick ways to do the dishes."

At least he's thinking about it, right?

Down by the Bay

It must be quite the life to live full time in a house on a lake...to own a sail boat (or two), and in the winter be able to ski during your lunch break.

This is the life that Emma's friend Mary is now living...and we just had to go and see what it was like.

Can I just say? ...i'm sold.

I even got to take a sail in this little beauty. It was so much fun.


Emma spent 10 days with Mary...so she is an old sailing hand. She even raced with them -- they took second. Not bad for a bunch of novice sailors.


The kids were even brave enough to take a dip in the still chilly lake.

Katie is ready to go.
And they were good and blue by the time they were done.



We are going to miss having Mary as our neighbor, but I am so glad Emma had this time to spend with her.

She is looking forward to going back at Christmas and seeing what the skiing is like.

Pee Away

Posted this on Facebook...but I wanted to post it here for a future blog book:

Katie just came downstairs in her fourth pair of underwear for the day.

I told her if she was just going to keep peeing in her underwear -- she should wear a diaper.

She said, "It's okay mom, my dad will come home and wash it out."

Well...in that case, pee away.