Mt. Diablo

Saturdays are the best.  It started out with us babysitting for our ward's Mormon Helping Hand's project.  Then we all (including those we were babysitting!) headed out to Pacen's game in which he did awesome.  One inning he played first base and he was part of all three outs!  That's a big deal for 7 year old baseball! After that, Than went for a TWELVE mile run.  His big HALF IRON MAN is next week and hopefully he's ready enough for it.  While he was running, the kids were running around outside with their friends in the sprinklers and just being crazy but having tons of fun.  

After that, we drove up to Mt. Diablo and met some friends there.  Sadly, we've almost lived here for two years and I hadn't been up there yet.  Than has biked it twice and LaNell needs to come and bike it because it was awesome!  It's so pretty up there right now with all the green.  We just drove up there and did a little hike and then went out to mexican food because we worked off so many calories on our 0.7 mile hike with the kids. :)  Really, it was beautiful and it was the perfect day to go up there.  

Gotta love California! 

 Our whole crew.  Gentry was stressed because she dropped her passy. 

Hanging at the summit. 

 

Camry spotted a beautiful monarch butterfly.  It was a hit.  She's been very into bugs and lizards and things lately.  She held a caterpillar for a few innings of Pacen's game and was petting it and stuff.  Ew! But I'm glad she's not afraid of those things like I am! 

 Seriously so pretty today! 

These guys just moved in a few weeks ago.  He works with Than and our girls have become little friends.  

 This is one of their girls...she knew how to strike a pose when the camera was out! 

 

 My little explorers.  They really do love to climb and look for things. 

 

Did you know that Claira's "pinks" are perfect hiking shoes....especially when you wear them on the wrong feet?!?!?  She did so much better than I thought she would.  She's a little billy goat.  They all were and it freaked me out just a bit.  I think I probably said, "Slow Down!!!" a hundred times.  I'm no hiker. 

 

We also spotted a little jack rabbit.  

 

Unfortunately, there were't too many flowers up there but we did see a few.  

 After our fun day, we came home and had to have a little 'chat' with the kids about how they can be more helpful.  We tried to explain that when some families have a lot of kids, they don't go out and do this many things that are fun because there are just too many kids and it's too crazy but that we can keep doing fun things if they can be more responsible.  We aren't asking much....get your own shoes on and get your jacket and be helpful and do things right when we ask.  We aren't asking too much, right?!?!?!?  Sometimes (most of the time) it's just like, "SERIOUSLY I have asked five times for you to get your teeth brushed!!!!!  Just brush your dang teeth!!!!!"  Than said that whenever they don't do something right when we ask we are going to throw away one of their toys.  Claira burst into tears and said that she didn't like talking to mean people.  It was a little traumatic for her.  We did end our little conversation with a Hancock family cheer that I thought would be fun to do and everyone thought I was lame, which I was but everyone was smiling after we did it and that was the point!  It's just so much work to be the parent and get everyone to behave and be responsible.  The problem is I have to be organized and responsible so that they can be organized and responsible.  I'm a hundred times better than I used to be but it gets tricky with all these kids.  I do think its amazing that I can almost always know where someone left their shoe or hat or that I know where the book is that they need to turn into the library but I still lose my keys on a weekly basis. :)  Being a mom is super fun, super rewarding, but super exhausting.  I'm glad for days like this when we can enjoy each other and enjoy where we live.

Sister love.

It's awesome when my kids play together.  It's really awesome when the kids go along with whatever Gentry wants because then there isn't any screaming! :)  No really....that's no joke. Here was just a moment of Gentry playing with her phone.  And let's clarify...that is HER phone and no one else's.  See what I mean??!?! 

 It's for you...oh wait....this is serious! 

 They're taking forever....you talk. 

Who am I going to call now??

Love these moments. 

The best things in life are Fa-Ree!

On Monday, I walked to Kristin's house for crossfit.  And lo and behold I see a fairly dirty but still in good condition little house on the side of the road and I'm thinking....my girls would LOVE that!  So, the whole time I was working out I was getting myself all pumped up to go up to the house and ask them if they were getting rid of it and they were!  The lady was super nice and helped me break it down and get it in the back of my van.  

And then it sat outside for a day because mondays are crazy days and I have absolutely no time.  But then it was awesome because Peggy stopped by on Tuesday and she always does a little something with my kids and she went out there and started washing it with them.  Doing something like cleaning is much more fun with Peggy than with mom! 

 

And it's just been non stop fun ever since!  

And it's fun for everyone.  Gentry loves to pretend to be a dog....

This is Pacen's "cool" pose.  He really only likes to climb on top of it.  But really the morning after I put it together he wanted to go play on it before school and I said that he couldn't until he was all ready and it was one of the fastest getting ready mornings ever!  

 So, thank you lady that was giving it away!  We are loving it everyday. 

Saturday Night.

So Than was a trooper tonight and took the the kids to their first A's game of the season!  They aren't home yet so I don't know all the deets but from the looks of it, they had a great time.  The bummer of the night was that they got their late (because Than was looking for a very specific type of tortilla chip for me and it was hiding at the store...he loves me) and they didn't get a Rollie Fingers bobble head.  I know...sad.  But I'm sure that they did get hot dogs and ice cream and popcorn so I don't really feel bad for them! :)  I stayed home to work on Sam's pics so I can finally send them off and clean up and Gentry has a gnarly rash on her arms and we're not exactly sure what it is but after lathering some cream on them over and over tonight it was starting to look a little better.  And it was fun to just hang out with my baby.  We ate, banged on the piano for a while, watched a little TV, made a salad for dinner tomorrow, played some toys, read a book or two but she really just wants to hold the book and turn the pages at will so we don't get through too many.  All in all, a very relaxing night for me and a super fun night for Than and the kids.  What a brave and awesome dad they have.  

A week?!?!?!?!?

(As a side note.....What happened to my blogger?!?!?  Why do they have to change things! Maybe I'll like it eventually.)

  A week?!?!!?  Am I that busy and tired that I haven't posted all week?!??!  I blame the sun.  The sun has been shining and it's felt like summer and we have been enjoying every minute of it!  And I blame Kaylee because she was here with her kids and we were having a grand time riding bikes and playing and shopping and planting flowers and really by the end of the three days she was here I was beat!  

She got here on Sunday night and we had a yummy Sunday dinner and then rode our bikes in the neighborhood.  I am usually anti riding bikes on Sunday....I just want to make Sunday more special than other days in the week....but since she was here and the weather was seriously perfect and Than was going out of town....oh the excuses....I don't know.  It didn't feel like I was ruining Sunday with it because we were all out there together but at the same time I don't want to open a can of worms on our sabbath day observance either.  Anyway....Kaylee had her bike and her bike trailer and I've decided that I really need a bike!  Than had another crying session with Camry teaching her to ride her bike.  I think she is just much too stubborn to have the AHA moment of Yeah I'm riding my bike! Look at me! and so she still just rides her bike in tears.  Maybe she'll never enjoy it but she did get better but not like she'd go out and ride her bike anytime.  Pacen rode around with Will and Kaylee and it felt so great to be outside in that weather.  Seriously it's felt like summer all week.  Pacen put on his shorts only to find that he's grown and they don't really fit anymore so I had to do an old navy run yesterday.  

But on Monday I picked up both Pacen and Camry when I got Cam from Kindergarten so they could play with Olive.  

Oh!  I forgot something so funny.  Monday was Pacen's "Busy Day".  All weekend he was talking about how he needs to go to bed early on Sunday so that he can be rested for his busy day.  He had school AND a piano lesson AND swim practice AND a baseball game.  How was he supposed to have all the energy to do all of that!!?!?!  He was so cute about it.  But we did it all and he did great!  He is doing really well with his piano lessons and it's not too much torture getting him to practice.  He played well in his baseball game...went 3 for 4 and made an out.   Swim practice is just fun I think.  Claira and Gentry swim in the baby pool and we hang out until they are done and the best part....We can walk there!  I love where we live now.  It makes swimming so easy.  

Another lucky thing was that Walt also stayed here and we got him to babysit for us so we could go shopping without the kids.  I wanted Kaylee to help me buy plants to fix up the front of our house and we also went to Home Goods because she just finds cute things for her house and so I wanted her to find cute things for mine!  And we did so it was a success!

Tuesday we planted the new plants.  I say we but this picture clearly shows that is was her. :)

I didn't take an after picture but I will.  It's turning into a cute little front door thanks to her.  That was the dead bush she pulled out.  Anything would look better than that, right?!?!??! 

Really the kids just played and played and played all day Tuesday.  They jumped on the tramp and played barbies and played dress up and just had a great cousin visit!  

William is the man at Lincoln logs.  

Look at what he made all by himself!!!  And that wasn't all.  He would break it down and build something totally different.  It was pretty cool to watch a little 4 year old do that.  

This was the aftermath of 3 hours of playing after the first time I swept in the morning!  Kids are  messy! 

We also painted my shelf and I let the kids help do the first coat.  They were super pumped until Olive got the paint all over her clothes.  That was one of those times I wasn't really thinking and just thought, Oh they'd love to help! without thinking of a paint mess.  Oh well....they did love it! 

This little baby.....he's so cute but he is a stinker!  Such a mama's boy but is so busy!!!!  He finds anything and makes a mess out of it but was also really fun.  He and Gentry got along pretty well after the first hours were over.  You could see them trying to communicate and play together.  It was cute.  Did I get any pictures of it...oh no.  What was I thinking????

 I like this picture of him.  But really he is a high maintenance baby!  Maybe he takes after his dad. :)  

And then they left and our house seems really quiet!  I'm so glad Kaylee comes to visit.  I'm really lucky to have the sister-in-laws that I have.  We really get along great and are just friends.  

What did we do with the rest of our week......

Wednesday...Camry had a playdate that didn't end so well.  The girl started crying and wanted to go home.  That's never happened to me before and I felt to bad.  But I think she was fine once she saw her dad.  Pacen had baseball practice....it was a pretty normal day and I can't remember much.  Than was out of town from monday thru thursday so I just hung out with walt in the evenings watching fox news.   :)

Thursday....I'm just drawing a blank. I went food shopping...I bought a wreath for my front door...we had swim practice and Kaylee has started something with Gentry!  She got in the pool with Gentry and now she's obsessed!  I didn't wear my suit but I'm going to from now on because Gentry loves the pool.  Even when she gets her face in she doeesn't care and is fearless!  I'll have to take my camera next week.    

Friday....after school was sprinkler day!  I'm a little nervous about our purchase of turf in the backyard. It just gets hot.  LIke REALLY hot.  So we put sprinklers on it and everyone was happy.  

  

Than had his first adult softball game last night and we ended it with icees from the gas station.  It really does feel like summer!  Today we have baseball and Than has to take a long run and we might head to the A's game.  I love saturdays!