The TWINkles in our eyes

Happy dancer

2012-02-07T16:13:00.001-08:00

Emily started dance class again today. She has been looking forward to this for some time (she was on the waitlist until this month). She came home saying that she wants dance class to be everyday!

Emily doing a little dance

34 week appointment

2012-02-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

The kids and Jeff went with me to my 34 week doctor appointment. Please excuse my giant belly, but it was neat for the kids to help out with their baby brother's heartbeat check and belly measurement.

Emily getting to do the Doppler while Kyle read the numbers

Kyle's turn to do the Doppler while Emily reads the numbers

Disneyland

2012-02-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had some fun visitors! Max and Leo, Kyle and Emily's cousins were visiting from New York. Over the weekend, we headed up to Disneyland together. The kids had a blast together. Kyle and Emily were so sad for Max and Leo to head home.
Jeff with Kyle and Emily on the train

Max and Leo in the monkey cage part of the train

Emily, Max and Kyle on Small World

Adam and Leo on Small World

Jeff and Emily on the bumper cars

Jeff and Kyle on the bumper cars

Emily on the zipline

Kyle on the zipline

Emily on Ariel's carousel. We split up from the boys for a bit and had a little girl time and went on a bunch of girl rides together - Ariel's carousel twice, the rocket ships that were finally open for us and Ariel's Grotto ride.

At dinner, Emily got a special dessert. A princess box with cake in it. Of course she shared it very nicely, but was thrilled to have something girly for a change. That box, flag and princess mirror have watched her sleep (place of honor) since then.

Tennis

2012-02-03T14:45:00.001-08:00

Just some pictures from the kids at tennis lessons. Emily was with the girls who were all about her age and Kyle got to play with the bigger boys.

Emily working her backhand

Kyle is second in line here behind the kid in khaki shorts and blue shirt. Playing with the big kids!

Kyle with a great forehand shot.

Techno kids

2012-01-31T16:53:00.001-08:00

It amazes me how different things are for the kids versus 30+ years ago when we were kids. The amount of technology available and useful to them at such young ages is astounding. I remember using a computer for the first time to write a paper in high school. And in college, people were just starting to get their own desktops in the dorms. And now look at it - 5 year olds are working on laptops! At school, the kids have a fun educational computer program they work with for reading and can do it at home as well.

Here they are playing / working on their reading program.

And we dug up an old Kindle and put some kid chapter books on it for them to read. Emily LOVES it - especially so because we put a fairy book on there specifically for her. We've geared it more to her since Kyle seems to take over many of the techno toys. But she is nice and let's Kyle use it too so they read together on it.

Take down that wall!

2012-01-30T07:39:00.001-08:00

Mrs. Mommy, take down that wall!

Between the kids beds, we had to put up a pillow wall to keep the kids from rolling onto one another's bed. The reason for this is not so much limited space - they are on queen beds after all - but rather when Emily runs into Kyle in the middle of the night or feels his feet, she flips out and wakes up very unhappy. So best to put up a wall and prevent any unintended wake-ups. I do find it a bit cute how they typically sleep right next to the wall though to be closer to one another

Golfing

2012-01-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful January day here in San Diego - mid 70s with lots of sunshine. We rode down the street to the local golf course for 9 short holes of golf. Jeff has made the game fun for the kids so that they have the option to hit the ball with the clubs, throw it or kick it. They usually use the club to tee off, then throw from the next point and then kick the ball once on the green. That way they feel very successful with golfing when it could otherwise be pretty painful with the many misses we all make.

Kyle golfing

Watch out LPGA! Here comes Emily, the first switch hitting golfer!

Homework

2012-01-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

Even Kindergarteners get homework. This is how we do it! Kyle and Emily are great at their homework. Since they can read very well, they can pretty much be turned loose to finish their homework while I make some dinner. And they actually enjoy their homework!

Crib

2012-01-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend we set up the baby's crib. Well we converted Kyle and Emily's beds back to the crib formation. Well just one of the cribs for now. Both Kyle and Emily were great helpers getting it set up. I only have pictures of Kyle doing his part because Emily helped me out when I was trapped in 3 sides of the crib in a doorway and wasn't holding a camera for that. :-) She was great in unscrewing the sides so we could get the crib into more pieces to fit through the doorway and get down the hall to our room.

Just needs a baby!

Kyle loved the monkeys in it so much (same bedding Kyle and Emily used when they shared a crib early on) that he jumped right into the crib.

Haircut

2012-01-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

This boy loves his haircuts. He goes into a different world when getting a haircut. Unfortunately the pictures show him paying attention, but before he noticed the camera, he was in another world enjoying his haircut.

Sleepers

2012-01-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Just some random pictures of the kids sleeping. Kyle is such a mover when he sleeps. Emily stays put for the most part, but she likes the sprawl.

Must reach tennis ball!

Flat Stanley

2012-01-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

My cousin Theresa's daughter sent Kyle and Emily Flat Stanley for some adventures around San Diego. We decided to take him to the zoo.

Can't skip the squirrel monkeys! Kyle and Emily stayed there for a long time watching these crazy monks!

Apparently the cheetahs each have a dog companion to help keep them from being so skittish. Never knew that! But pretty neat how they are in mimicking poses.

Emily brushing Kyle's teeth

2012-01-12T20:32:00.000-08:00

Kyle has been complaining how his molars hurt. We think he's growing his 6 year old molars as they are pretty tender. But they haven't popped through just yet. Anyhow brushing his teeth has become a big chore so today he enlisted Emily to brush his teeth for him because apparently they hurt less when someone else does them. Emily is so sweet.

Belly

2012-01-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

Emily demonstrating how the baby is curled up in my belly around 30 weeks.

My big belly approaching my record pregnant timing.

Music to my ears

2012-01-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

Due to our timing today getting home from swimming later and having to do an airport run, we didn't have time to make dinner at home. Well, I suppose that's not entirely true. There is always time to make a dinner, but the issue is more that there wasn't enough time to make the dinner I wanted to in a timely fashion. So I asked the kids where they wanted to go for dinner. I rattled off a few options and Emily shouts, "I want to have Vietnamese!" Ahhh music to my ears! Kyle agreed with her too. It wasn't on my list of options (i.e., wasn't in the neighborhood), but it was a perfect answer. So we drove the extra mile and a half to Vietnamese and had a great dinner of spring rolls, Vietnamese pork sandwich and Vietnamese noodles. I'm so thankful they like all kinds of food.

USS Midway

2012-01-08T21:02:00.000-08:00

Today we went took the kids to the USS Midway. Jeff and I have been on the ship before and toured it, but wanted to take Kyle and Emily to see it. It is incredible the size and work that ship has done and where it's been. So we rode along the harbor to visit the Midway. It was a pleasant 4 mile ride down on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

We stayed long enough that it became dinner time so we had a sunset dinner at the fish market next door. It was quite beautiful. We enjoyed San Diego just like a tourist. Only when it was time to go home, we got on our bikes and biked the 4 miles home. In the dark. Thankfully the kids didn't mind. They were well fed and excited for their night bike ride. We turned our mega flashlights on on our phones to give us headlights. Not bad for a Sunday afternoon and evening!

Monkeys at the zoo

2012-01-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

Today we took our monkeys to the zoo to see the monkeys. And giraffes. And other animals. But by far, the biggest hit was the squirrel monkeys. They are too cute and were incredibly active.

Reading at dinner

2012-01-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you are done with dinner? Read a book together. On the same chair. Of course!

Ice skating with Daddy

2012-01-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

The kids had such a great time ice skating last week that they were begging to go again. So we all took the train down for a New Years Day outing to the ice skating rink / pond. It was 75 degrees so needless to say it was a bit slushy.
(Please excuse the audio on the videos. I tried to cover the speaker to muffle it because some of their music choices were not so good.)

Torrey Pines not-so-hike

2011-12-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

On what was a beautiful, sunny day down by us, we thought it a great day for a hike. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea to hike Torrey Pines and it was super foggy and overcast so was quite cold.

So we attempted the hike and had to start down along the beach which was fine by us because we actually found parking. But the kids weren't digging it. Thankfully Kyle and Emily find great joy in playing with the ocean by throwing rocks in and then running from the incoming water. So we did what we could and then headed back home where it was warmer.

Balloon parade

2011-12-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

San Diego has an annual balloon parade after Christmas as part of the bowl game they host here. Being the first time we've ever been here at this time, we checked it out. Plus it was just a bike ride away along the harbor. It was a beautiful day for it too. Reasonably warm - about 75 - and clear skies. We biked the 4 miles along the harbor to get to the parade and it was a perfect way to get there. Apparently there were over 100,000 spectators.

Afterwards there was a little family fest set up. It was really just a bunch of vendors with a few little carnival games for the kids. They got a monkey and butterfly tattoo and got to throw football at a target. Oh and the scariest bounce house ever - it was unmanned so it was jam packed with kids. Too many kids at once. Needless to say the kids got out fast.

We finished up with some lunch on the harbor and an ice cream cone. The ice cream was a nice treat and a good unspoken bribe to have a fuss free 4 mile ride back home. We made the 4 miles there just fine, but another 4 could put them over the edge. But Kyle & Emily were great. Not a single complaint. But for the first time, Kyle admitted his legs were tired when we were 3 blocks from home. Not bad for a 5 year old!

New room

2011-12-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

In preparation for their baby brother's arrival, we did some musical beds and rooms. Kyle and Emly have been sleeping in their crib beds converted to regular beds for some time. But with the baby coming, we want to turn one back into a crib. So with 2 spare queen beds in the house, we decided it easiest to put Kyle and Emily on those beds. And we put them both in the same room. So they now have mattress room for their bedroom. Needless to say the beds are huge for them, but they are loving it so far. They were pretty giddy with excitement with the change. And what kid wouldn't like mattress room...

Kyle's mount onto the bed:

Bed to bed:

Of course after taking these videos (which Kyle didn't want me to take and doesn't think I took), I reminded him that he should not be doing flips onto, between or on the beds.

"The penthouse" is no longer a bed room, but a playroom. The toys from the side room could no longer fit so they are now a little play area. Sorry Spike.

Hanukkah

2011-12-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah coincided with Christmas this year - starting the 20th and going until the 28th. A very festive time of year to say the least!

Kyle and Emily saying the Hanukkah prayer:

Christmas

2011-12-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

This was our first Christmas in San Diego. On Christmas Eve, we made a great dinner - crab with the same sauce they serve at Joe's Stone Crab (yummmmm!) which we made, roasted potatoes and cilantro butter corn. Simple, but delicious.

Following our fest, we went out to Garrison Street to see their amazing holiday light display again. Apparently we weren't the only ones in San Diego with that same idea. But alas, it was fun. They sure pull out all the stops on Christmas there!

Christmas Day morning. Thankfully the kids don't know to wake up at 5 or 6am to see what is under the tree. They woke after 8 and then came to get us. I'm sure our time is coming for an early Christmas wake-up!

Elves

2011-12-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

My little elves helping to stamp envelopes! Wahoo for elves in the workshop!

Ice skating adventure

2011-12-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

Today, the kids and I went downtown with our friends for an ice skating adventure. Horton Plaza puts up an ice rink for the holidays. Nothing like ice skating when it's 70 degrees out! The kids loved it despite the water puddles dotting the 'ice'. We took the trolley down for some added fun (and missing out on parking in a mall during the holidays).

Kyle, Emily & Dax on the trolley

Little ice skating Emmy

Kyle getting some ice skating help. Since I couldn't go on the ice, the ice 'officials' were great in helping the kids get their ice skating legs under them.

Emily skating

Kyle & Emily making their way across the ice

Powerful

2011-12-18T13:09:00.001-08:00

The following conversation took place at dinner:

First Jeff and I were jokingly debating something, clearly about who has more influence / power.

Jeff: Who has more power?
Emily: Daddy!
Kyle: No we do!
Jeff (incredulous): Really?!
Kyle (matter of factly): Yea remember this summer in Madison when we made the conditioner appear?! Our powers are stronger.

**I thought I had a post about their magic this summer, but basically they were in the shower and had run out of conditioner. Jeff asked them to hand him the empty bottle and he went to fill it. We only had pink conditioner so when he returned it, he smartly asked Emily what her favorite color was and to say, "abracadabra fill up with our favorite color conditioner." And of course it was pink conditioner! They were beyond thrilled to have discovered their magical powers!

Kyle's Holiday Class Party

2011-12-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Kyle's class also had a holiday party before winter break. They had cookie decorating, dreidel games, snowman decorating and a few other activities to rotate among. It was a lot of fun. And a lot of sugar!

School music program

2011-12-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Kyle and Emily's school put on a music program before letting out for winter vacation. They all gathered to sing some holiday songs together.

Deck the Halls:

Emily is near the bottom center of my screen. She's wearing light blue monkey pajamas (it was pajama day) with a pink headband. When the woman takes a cell phone picture, she obscures Emily, but then moves the phone away and you can see her.

Wish You a Merry Christmas:

Kyle is near the front left (piano). His class is all wearing reindeer antlers. Kyle is wearing a black shirt, but his antlers are near the boy with a yellow feather or antler of sorts. And you will see Emily as well a few rows behind.

Emily snowman song

2011-12-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Emily's class put on a little holiday program for their families the day before school let out for the winter. They sang some songs and then decorated cookies.

I'm a Little Snowman song:

Holiday song:

Story time with Spike

2011-12-14T19:32:00.001-08:00

Spike was back in Southern California for a ski trip!! Wahoo! And she came down to San Diego to hang out with us for a day. It sure was great to see her! We had Nacho Libre together too! It was great to have a burrito again together.

Kyle and Emily enjoying some Spike bedtime reading

Kyle reading to Spike - Curious George of course!

Emily reading to Spike - and it was a Curious George skiing or sledding story no less!

Peace restored

2011-12-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

This video is very boring. But after the previous day we had with meltdown after meltdown, this boring video was perfect. Kyle and Emily were doing their homework and were just happy.

Christmas tree

2011-12-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

Since this year marks the first time we have ever been in San Diego for Christmas, we decided to pick out a real tree! So off to Home Depot we went... yes, I know Home Depot is not a Christmas tree farm, but it's what was close and worked for us.

Somehow we managed to tie our tree to the roof of our car. And amazingly it made it home in one piece!

Jeff and his handy-work!

School awards ceremony

2011-12-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

Kyle and Emily's school does a few awards ceremonies throughout the year. This was the first go-round. They both received awards in their classes.

Kyle's award for reading and writing:

Emily's award for reading and effort:

Kyle next to his best buddy.

Emily and her award

Showing off their certificates

Nacho libre

2011-12-01T22:29:00.000-08:00

This post is for Spike. Some Nacho Libre veggie burrito and their amazing cilantro sauce. It was only my second burrito at a restaurant since Spike moved out of San Diego. My silent protest to her leaving. We miss Spike in San Diego!

Tommy's visit

2011-11-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

Uncle Tommy came to San Diego for work and spent some time with us when we returned from Chicago. We had a great time with him in the few short days we overlapped. Jeff and Tommy drove some go-carts one afternoon prior to some car shopping.

The blurs coming around the corner are Tommy & Jeff. Can't tell who is who, but no matter.

Thanksgiving in Chicago

2011-11-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Chicago got off to a rough start and only continued that way for us. But at least we got to go home to see all the family which was nice. A lot of these pictures are of the kids sleeping... we got nailed with sickness this trip. We started on a 6am flight (UGH!) in the last row (infinite UGH!) and Kyle got as sick as he's ever been (pretty UGH!).

Sweet bed set-up for some very tired kids!

Completely passed out after attempted family photos. Kyle doesn't nap anymore, but this just shows how exhausted he was. And as we later determined, he was getting sick again.

Emily passed out too after attempted photo session. Also no longer naps...

An awake and playful moment.

Out again... ear infections and blown ear drum. Poor kid. Screamed all night the previous night with so much ear pain.

Really passed out in our rental tChevy Aveo (Kyle calls Chevy cars tChevy's, but he knows "the t is silent and you don't use it to spell t-Chevy but you say it tChevy")

Ahh Potbellies on our bonus day since our flight was cancelled because it was too windy to fly. And kids seemingly on the mend!

Glow in the dark mini-golf at the monkey hole.

Passed out on the plane on the way home. Again no longer napping... He just conked out. One minute he was asking to play a game and I look over the next and he was out.

Emily also resting on the plane.

Miko rides Olivia

2011-11-20T22:11:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you have 2 five year olds, a cat, a monkey and free time? A monkey riding a cat of course!

Almost got it!

There she goes!

Despite her hisses, Olivia kept stopping and waiting for Kyle and Emily to put Miko on her to ride. Or so it seemed...

Kyle & Emily's Thanksgiving program at school

2011-11-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

Kyle and Emily's classes both put on a little Thanksgiving program for the parents. They each sang some songs and had a Thanksgiving feast with their classmates and families.

Kyle's class singing (Kyle is just left of my videoing center in bright yellow shirt)

Kyle's class with another song:

Kyle's class with a final song:

Emily's class with a song (Emily is bottom left in pink skirt and flower sleeves and ponytail - can't see her face. I didn't have a very good spot to record):

Emily's class with another song (Emily is third from end, 2nd with head dress. Still not a good angle to record):

Emily with her seatmates

Red Macaroni

2011-11-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm red macaroni for Papa B, my dad. He always made it the best. I've tried to duplicate it, but of course it never tastes as good as it did when he would make it.

Great Grandma's cinnamon candy

2011-11-11T11:48:00.001-08:00

Today the kids were off school and I wasn't feeling the best (very tired and many contractions) so we did some holiday decorating and cooking. We made my Dad's mom's cinnamon candy. I have never made hard candy before, but I remember my dad making his mom's cinnamon candy and it being super hot and great. So we made it because I had found some cinnamon oil a few weeks ago at Whole Foods.

Making sure it was at the appropriate temperature and testing the candy strings in the cool water. Yes we are still in our pajamas at noon. It's a day off!

The finished product. Bummer was that it did harden up and have some decent flavoring, but the oil wasn't as potent as it was supposed to be and it was very sticky after first lick. I think next time I need to let it boil longer or perhaps to a higher temperature.

Emily's Switzerland journal

2011-11-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

And here is Emily's Switzerland journal with translations.

I woke up super early. And I went to NY. I went to dinner with Max and Leo.

I had lunch with Uncle Adam & Max. I went on a subway. We ate cupcakes

in the park. Now we are flying over the Atlantic to Zurich.

In Zurich I got a kid hotel. I like the teddy bear soap and the stuffed panda and she loves me.

We went hiking. We made 3 giant leaf piles and we destroyed them. I like going

swimming. I liked the pretzel cheese sandwich.

We are in Luzern. We met the pastry chef Bettina. I made a cat cake.

I can't wait to play in the snow.

Today we went to Mt. Titlis. I was 10,000 feet high. We had to take 4 gondolas.

Mt. Titlis we went sliding down a little mountain. It was super cold.

I got to go feed bunnies. We went high. We went in a mirror maze. Now we are flying home.

Kyle's Switzerland journal

2011-11-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

While we were in Switzerland last week, the kids were to keep a travel journal as part of their homework. It was something I wanted to have them do anyhow, but thankfully the teacher assigned it so they kids did it. Here is Kyle's journal (with translations).

We went to New York. We went on a airplane to get to New York.

We had dinner with Max and Leo. Max likes monkeys. We woke up super early.

We had lunch with Max & Adam. We took a subway. We had cupcakes at the park. Now we are on

our airplane to Zurich. We are crossing the whole Atlantic Ocean. yesterday we started at the Pacific Ocean. I can't wait to have chocolate in Switzerland.

We had a special kid hotel room in Zurich. We have a teddy bear soap.

I got a affen (monkey (in German)) at a toy store. We ate special treats, sausages and fondue.

We hiked at Uetliberg. We made a big leaf pile. We messed it up.

We went swimming at the hotel in Zurich. We ate a yummy pretzel salami sandwich on the train. Tomorrow we will take a train to Lucerne.

We are in Luzern (German spelling). We made cookies with the pastry chef Bettina.

I made a monkey cookie. I can't wait to play on the mountain. We are going to the mountains.

At Mt. Titlis we went sliding down a little mountain. We went on four gondolas. We were 10,000 feet high.

We played in the snow. We took a train to the gondola. We saw some pretty mountains. My favorite part was sliding.

We took a airplane ride to New York. We saw bunnies and we fed them leaves. We went

watch shopping. We walked to dinner by the lake and pretty bridges. I had a wonderful time in Switzerland with Mommy, Daddy and Emily. (Note: The latter description of feeding bunnies, watch shopping and dinner by lake and bridges was still in Lucerne.)

#3

2011-10-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

Kyle and Emily will be the proud big brother and big sister to a baby brother coming early March! We are all quite excited about this little guy. Here are a few pictures from around 19 weeks.

Confined space... but not nearly as confined as Kyle and Emily had it!!

Just sleeping and purring like his big brother Kyle

Little (big) baby feet! And you can see toes!

Deep thoughts

Kyle playing tennis

2011-10-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

Once a week, the kids have half days of school back here in San Diego (yes, I know I missed the Kindergarten pictures - take 2 post, but sadly didn't take pictures the second start). The past few weeks we have been taking the opportunity to play som tennis together. Kyle has really gotten back into it and Emily is getting there as well.

This video is from early October. He liked to hit it on the second bounce. Since then, he goes for the first bounce, as it's played in the game, and has some very strong hits. He gets frustrated with me because I can't move fast enough to get his power shots. I know I'm biased, but he's doing very well with tennis.

Earning a pouch

2011-10-01T19:26:00.001-07:00

Kyle is on a roll lately with the things he's said.

Kyle: I'll just sleep in grandmas room so I don't wake you in the middle of the night
Me: great. You know when the baby comes it will wake me in the night to eat
Kyle: That's just crazy
Me: Well it has a small tummy so can't hold enough food to last super long between meals
Kyle: What will you feed it?
Me: Milk. I'll give it milk. My body makes milk when the baby is born.
Kyle: How?
Me: When a mommy has a baby her body can make milk
Kyle: Wow that's crazy. But I can't make milk because I can't have babies because I don't have a pouch. But Emily does. Or she will when she grows bigger. She has to grow bigger to earn a pouch.

Kyle's thoughts on chivalry

2011-10-01T13:52:00.001-07:00

I had the following conversation with Kyle and Emily today at lunch over a delicious bowl of clam chowder soup and crab sandwiches.

Emily: Mama can I have some of that soup?
Me: yes
Kyle: can I?
Me: Yes, but I am going to have some first.
Emily: Can I have some next?
Me: Yes
Kyle: But I wanted to be next.
Me: I thought you were being chivalrous
Kyle: [whines]
Me: Ladies first
Kyle: Then I wanna be a lady.

Apple picking

2011-09-26T13:01:00.003-07:00

This weekend we took the kids to Julian to pick some apples. After last year's experience picking pears, we decided to try apples and hopefully avoid the worms. While we saw a lot of apples that had worm holes, we avoided those apples while picking. Unfortunately, we did get a handful of apples that had worms in them when we cut them. As fun as apple picking is, I'm not so eager to fresh pick my apples anymore... Just don't like getting wormed apples.

Happiest Place on Earth

2011-09-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

After arriving home late on Tuesday evening and getting reoriented on Wednesday, we took Thursday to head to the Happiest Place on Earth! School would have to wait a day.

Riding their favorite ride, the Flying Dumbo's!

Emily and Daddy riding Big Thunder Mountain. Kyle was unsure of it because of its tunnels. And apparently it was a good thing he didn't ride because Jeff said he would not have liked it. Emily did great on it. She was a little shell-shocked, but kept it together.

What is a trip to Disneyland without a ride on the Carousel?

Daddy with Kyle and Emily on Goofy's roller coaster

Bug's Land spinny type ride

And I would ride 100 miles...

2011-09-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

This summer, Kyle and Emily biked 100 miles! Quite impressive for just-turned-5-year-olds to do in a span of less than 3 months, if you ask me! Thankfully we lived right off the bike path that went everywhere so that certainly helped.

Video just after their 100th mile completed!

Posing for pictures after completing their 100th mile just before our apartment.

Sleepy head

2011-09-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Kyle is quite the sleeper. He often has a hard time getting up. Here he is after a long, hard sleeping nap. He just couldn't get out of his tracks so he curled up in the sun spot, just like Bailey used to do, and purred on Miko a little bit more while he tried to figure out the afternoon.

Batman

2011-09-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last night we came back to our apartment to find a winged creature patrolling our hallway. At first we thought it was a baby bird, but after many fly-bys, we learned otherwise. It was a bat! To compound the problem, we were home to pick up a few items and then head out again. The bat had other ideas for us and we never made it back out. Thankfully this morning the bat was no longer in our hallway.

Jeff watching the bat fly through the hall with his bat repellent tools to see if we can make it to the stairwell or the elevator without crossing paths.

Kids were a bit scared

Cousin's dinner time

2011-09-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Kyle, Emily and their cousins Isaac, Evan and Ryan gathered around the dinner table at Grandma's house. What could be better?! (And Miko too - see Kyle's back)

Kindergarten - take 1

2011-09-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

Kyle and Emily started Kindergarten in Madison. Since we weren't going to be back in San Diego in time to start there, we figured we should start them in Madison if the school would allow such an arrangement. And they did! So here is Emily in her class on her first day of less than 3 weeks of Kindergarten in Madison.

Emily's teacher is the same teacher Ben had when he was in Kindergarten so that was nice. Kyle had a different teacher and the separation for the kids was great, but they were across the hall from each other which was a nice comfort to them both. Plus, Ben was just down the hall as well so even better.

**Jeff, please send me Kyle's picture to add bc those are on your phone.

Kyle's classroom. The kids are all sitting at the rug. Hopefully a close up of Kyle from Jeff's picture roll.

Gorilla hair

2011-08-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

My conversation with Kyle

Mommy: Let's get haircuts today. Kyle you are starting to look like a gorilla.
Kyle: Well actually Mommy gorillas have really short hair close to their head so I don't look like a gorilla.

Of course! Don't mess with the monkey expert!

Grandma Sondra's birthday

2011-08-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

We went to visit Grandma Sondra for her 90th birthday! It's hard to believe she's 90 years old. We all had a great time catching up and going out for chili at a chili bar! Who would have thought such a place existed?!

The kids had a great time having bedtime stories with Grandma too. They didn't want to leave. After searching high and low for a kid book for stories, Emily suggested the story that she and Kyle wrote together.

And the kids found it funny to lock us out of the car so they could 'drive'.

High rise sprinkler

2011-08-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

What do you do when it's a hot day and you live on a second floor apartment? Turn on a sprinkler on the patio, of course! And maybe spray some people walking below...

Ben days

2011-08-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

This week we had a few days that Ben spent with us while his normal summer camp was closed. Kyle and Emily LOVED having Ben days! We went bike riding, to the farmer's market and got some goodies, to gymnastics and swimming! He is such an awesome older cousin. So thoughtful and just so pleasant.

Eating treats from the farmer's market. Nothing like a giant cookie at 11am after a 2 mile bike ride in the heat! (And I was running)

Ben jumps into the pool! He is a jumping machine! He and Kyle must have jumped in and out of the pool 100 times!

Kyle flips into the foam pit at gymnastics. A new trick he had learned in camp and was eager to show off. Unfortunately, he also learned the hard way later that he should ONLY do flips into foam pits and not onto concrete. Thankfully in that instance, he landed smack on his back and not his head. Needless to say he was hurting, but not devastatingly so. But he certainly learned a hard lesson.

Tarzan Princess Emily!

Emily's first 2 mile run

2011-08-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

In an effort to stave off nausea or make it better, I have been trying to get out and run each day. Today, Emily decided she didn't want to ride her bike along side of me as she normally has done, but rather wanted to run. I was a bit hesitant to allow her to do so at first, but she was insistent. So she ran. And she ran most of the 2 miles with me! I had her and Kyle switch positions - from bike to runnings - for a short distance, but they both wanted nothing to do with the other mode of transport. And Emily did a great job running with me! She was great! Her first 2 mile run! Go Emmy!

A very short break on Kyle's bike

Kyle runs for a very short distance

2 miles completed!

Video of Emily running

Kiddie triathlon

2011-08-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

This summer, Kyle and Emily competed in their first triathlon. It was amazing! The kids loved it! Well, after they got over the fact they were up so early in the morning (we had to wake them at 6:50 - yes, that's very early for us). It was put on by tri4schools.com and it was a fantastic race. The youngest participants were 3 years old!

Kyle and Emily were in the 3-6 year old division. And they were further grouped with the 5-6 year olds. They swam 25 meters and could use a noodle if they chose to do so. Kyle and Emily both did, but knowing that (a) they can actually swim and (b) the deepest part was 3 feet so they could stand and walk the whole way and it only got more shallow in the way out as it was going toward the zero depth side. Then they had a 300 meter bike ride which was incredibly short for them when our rides to get places averaged 2-3 miles this summer. So no problem biking around the corner and back. Then the run was 50 meters from the transition area to the center of the football field. It was perfect for their intro to triathlons. When they finished, they both asked when they could do it again. They had soooo much fun, it's an understatement! And all this despite a 2 hour rain / thunder / lightening delay at the start where we sat in the car waiting for the weather to pass. They really put on a great event and the kids loved it. They wore their medals for several days after the race as well, telling everyone how they did a triathlon. Pretty awesome to be 5 years old and do a triathlon!

Professional race photos:

Swimming:

http://events.krakorastudios.com/Tri4Schools/Ages-3-6/Tri-4-Schools/18732939_x94XRJ#1449451079_4GHH94H

http://events.krakorastudios.com/Tri4Schools/Ages-3-6/Tri-4-Schools/18732939_x94XRJ#1449452125_qKT689B

http://events.krakorastudios.com/Tri4Schools/Ages-3-6/Tri-4-Schools/18732939_x94XRJ#1449453485_N5bzxHL

Biking:

didn't have any

Running:

http://events.krakorastudios.com/Tri4Schools/Ages-3-6/3-6-Run/18739534_pRzmC9#1449502236_M97GksH

http://events.krakorastudios.com/Tri4Schools/Ages-3-6/3-6-Run/18739534_pRzmC9#1449504064_r3hCnJL

Our photos and videos:
Pre-race

On the elevator to get to our car in the morning

Kyle less than pleased to be awake and already going somewhere by 7:15am

Emily getting her numbers painted

Kyle getting his numbers painted

Kyle numbers

Maybe the rain delay is over?

Swimming
Kyle and Emily swimming

Ready for the swim!

Emily ready to swim!

Kyle ready to swim!

Got the noodles and ready to swim!

Emily is in the water

Kyle is in the water!

Emily out of the water, running to transition

Biking

Emily on her bike leaving transition

Emily biking

Kyle leaving transition for the bike ride

Kyle riding

Kyle biking

Running
Emily running

Kyle running

Emily running!

Run, Kyle, run!

Post-race

All done!!

A well deserved cup of water

Posing with Daddy post-race

Well done Kyle and Emily!

Kyle and Mommy post-race

Emily and Mommy post-race

Congrats Emily!

Congrats Kyle!

Princess camp

2011-08-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

And this week was princess camp for Emily. The girls worked on a little play all week and presented it to the parents at the end of the week. This was a fun camp for Emily for many reasons. First it was with girls ages 5-7. She seems to always befriend the older girls and relishes those friendships. Second, it was princess - need I say more?! Well I will. Third, they got to do hair and make-up!

Emily was Majestic Mint princess. Their play was about a bunch of princess sisters who have to come up with a name for their baby sister princess. It was a cute little play and each girl learned and spoke their lines very well.

Emily's first lines. Sorry the audio is very hard to hear, but she did say her lines!

All the princesses do their dance

Emily's second set of lines.

Kyle flipping

2011-08-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

This go round in gymnastics camp, his instructor taught him how to flip into the foam pit. He sure loved showing me how he could do his flips. And thankfully it was into a foam pit... this time...

About a week after learning his new trick, he tested it out outside. Not good. He was up on a concrete block on the capitol and when it came to an end, he ducked down and tried to flip the 2 feet down to the ground. The ground of concrete is not nearly as forgiving as a foam pit - especially when you don't rotate all the way around. He landed smack on his back - and not his head thankfully - and was pretty hurt. Thankfully Papa was there to check him out and make sure of no serious injuries. That sure was scary to watch in what seemed like slow motion and there was just nothing you could do. But we're pretty sure Kyle learned his lesson - that concrete and foam are very different surfaces.

Michigan reunion

2011-08-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I took the kids down to Grandma's house so we could go to a family reunion. Jeff had to stay back and work so we were flying solo. Grandma, Karen, the kids and I set out Saturday morning for Michigan to see family on my dad's side that we hadn't seen in some time. We had a lot of fun catching up with aunts, uncles, cousins and more that afternoon. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves as well with loads of food and playing and movies.

Watching Tangled

We got caught in an intense rain and thunderstorm so we pulled over and had McDonald's ice cream cones to let the storm pass. This is how Emily ate her cone.

On the way back to Madison, the kids and I took the scenic (errr not so scenic) route back so we could stop at the Jelly Belly factory. Admittedly, this is somewhere I've wanted to visit for many, many years so it only added an hour to our return trip so we went for it. Here we are on the Jelly Belly train through the warehouse / factory.

And here the kids are posing out front by the Jelly Belly bug with their free bag of Jelly Bellies from the tour.

Fairy ballerina recital

2011-08-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

Emily was at Fairy Ballerina camp all week. Talk about her dream come true in a camp! She's been asking for princess camp for years - okay well 1 or 2 years - and this was her summer. She started with fairy camp and then had princess camp the following week. Fairy camp was ballet based while princess camp was acting based.

An excerpt from their ballet dance

Dancing with Daddy. Emily tried to get Kyle out to dance with her, but he wasn't having it. It was nap time and he wasn't in the mood.

Bouncing boy

2011-08-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Kyle has been doing gymnastics camp this summer while Emily has been doing fairy camp. What could be better than bouncing and bouncing and bouncing...

How we roll

2011-08-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

We did a lot of biking this summer. This is how we liked to roll: Camelbacks on for hydration. Deedee and Miko tucked into the back to join us for the ride. And off we went!

Fairy of the wind

2011-08-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

Emily is at Fairy Ballerina camp this week. For as long as I can remember, she's been asking to go to princess camp. Well when we determined that we were heading to Madison for the summer, I started my annual Google search for a princess camp that may or may not exist. To my surprise, in Madison it sure does! And as luck would have it, there were a few spaces available for her! She's been looking forward to it all summer, frequently asking, "is it August yet? In August I go to fairy ballerina camp!"

So for this camp, it's 3-6 year olds and they are fairies doing ballet. Talk about a little girl's dream! On day 1, they were all assigned their fairy name. Emily is Fairy of the Wind. And each day, they have their fairy naming ceremony. And here it is here:

The mikos need to learn to read

2011-08-05T12:12:00.001-07:00

This morning Kyle told me that the Mikos are at school. They need to go to school to learn to read. So he sent them. And here they are learning to read, like any good monkey should!

What better book than the Jane Goodall book - "Me...Jane"!

Paging Dr. Kyle...

2011-08-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

... Wound Care Specialist.

After a spill on her bike, Emily needed some treatment. Kyle was very knowledgeable where everything was kept to treat her owies. In this episode, the young specialist helps to fix his sister's owies.

In his second installment (from 30 seconds later), Dr. Kyle gives Emily's owie some cream and a band-aid. A special surprise when we learn about Hello Kitty's friends.

Princess conversation

2011-08-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

So the other day in the car while we were in Indianapolis, the kids had the following conversation:

Kyle: Emily, where do you want to live?
Emily: I want to live in Indiana!
Kyle: I want to live in Ohio!
**We had just spent the past 3 days in Ohio at the farm before to heading to Indy.**
Emily: Oh me too. I'll live in Ohio. Plus, I'm going to be a snow princess when I grow up and I am going to marry you so we will live in Ohio together.
Kyle: Well you can only be a princess if you marry a real prince.
Emily: No, you are a princess when you put on a long dress and get married and then you are a princess.

Of course! Love it!

Farm reunion

2011-07-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

For some reason I only have these pictures from the farm family reunion weekend this year. Well, probably a few reasons for that (a) I don't carry my phone around the farm so I didn't have a camera and (b) I was trying to stave off nausea so not thinking about a camera at all. But alas, the farm was good fun. The kids had a blast too. We always love the farm family reunions.

Kyle and Ryan on the tractor

At Ryan's house after the farm reunion. We spent a few days in Indy with them. It was great getting to see their new house and visiting their play stomping grounds. We hit up the local splashpad, Monkey Joe's for some indoor (read air conditioned) bouncing fun, the farmers market restaurant and just had a good time relaxing with Kristin, David, Ryan and Evan.

Good night I Love Crystal

2011-07-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Emily and Kyle are taking good care of Emily's doll, I Love Crystal. At bedtime, they tuck her into her cradle and sing her a song.

Blue Grass Festival

2011-07-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Once a week on campus, they put on a Blue Grass concert. It was a different band each week. We only made it to one of them, but it was a fun time. The kids had a blast dancing to the music.

And then eating ice cream by the water.

Dancing monkeys

2011-07-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Three still dancing monkeys.

Gymnastics Camp

2011-07-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

We found a great little gymnastics gym here in Madison for the kids. They have a camp running a few days a week and let you drop in when your schedule suits it. So today we checked it out and the kids had a BLAST! And they were actually the only 2 kids in camp today! So they basically had private gymnastics for several hours! They sure were beat afterwards, but they got to bounce, climb, flip, and jump to their hearts content!

Look Mom, watch us flip!

Horse Track

2011-07-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

It sure was HOT today. Like 100 degrees and then some hot. We went with Papa's hospital to Arlington Park Racetrack for the afternoon to watch the horses race. We've been to this even before and it's always a great time. This time was no exception. Despite the sweltering heat, the kids had a blast watching the horses run, getting tattoos and ice cream. Jeff also loves this event - not for tattoos and ice cream, but for the betting on horses.

Run horses run!

It's HOT out!

Cooling off in the sprinkler at Grandma's house

More sprinkler

Happy 5th Birthday Kyle and Emily!

2011-07-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Kyle and Emily are 5! It's hard to believe it's been 5 years already! Seriously, where has the time gone?! Everyone told me that time flies with kids, but seriously, I never could have imagined just how fast it has gone by! To celebrate, we had our family up to our apartment for a birthday celebration. What fun we had! The kids ran around and played with balloons, played cornhole, colored monkeys, played pin the butterfly on Curious George, and ate. The adults got to hang out and catch up and, of course, eat too.

Four kids actually sitting still... for a while at least

Addison

Emily getting ready to pin the butterfly on Curious George

Emily's Hello Kitty cake

Kyle's Curious George cake

Wednesday nights in Madison

2011-07-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

Wednesday nights in Madison are full of activity! Each Wednesday in the summer, the city puts on a concert around the Capitol building. It seems like everyone comes out for these evening concerts and picnic on the square. This past week, we sat on the steps of the Capitol with our Merchant picnic and enjoyed some bluegrass music.

Camelbacks

2011-07-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

All ready for all weather - humid weather - bike riding and running around here in Madison! The kids can now carry their own water on their backs and have easy access even while biking. And there is a nice little space for Miko and Deedee to ride along (though they don't really get to ride along for my fear of them getting lost).

Emily and Addison

2011-07-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Emily has been the only girl cousin for the past 5 years. She now has a girl cousin to go along with her 9 boy cousins!

Slip and Slide at Grandma's

2011-07-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Wahoo! Slip and slide at Grandma's!! What a perfect summer activity! Mind you, the video below is the best of many, many slide attempts.

Splash pad

2011-06-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

Now this was awesome! The Middleton Splash Pad! Of course it was a blazing hot day. And we had errands to run, but this was out in the same direction so we headed here for a "something fun". Kyle and Emily were hesitant at first because the water was cold, but it was nearly 100 degrees outside! Eventually they warmed up and couldn't get enough of it! There should really be more of these everywhere! I mean the kids get to cool off and play in the water without the same hazards as a pool.

Madison Children's Musuem

2011-06-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Madison Children's Museum is pretty amazing! We had been to the old one which was maybe 1000 square feet and sort of lacking. Their new location is something else. It's absolutely amazing. They have used the new space - much larger I might add - so wonderfully and thought of everything. The first time we went, we didn't make it past the first floor. Kyle and Emily were entranced. There was a water contraption that they could manipulate which captured their attention for at least 45 minutes. Seriously, I don't know if I've ever seen them concentrate on something like that in a museum before. Whenever someone with kids comes to visit us, we will make sure to hit the Children's Museum because it really is a top tier children's museum.

Kids in the hamster wheel - quite a fun experience!

Miko's birthday

2011-06-29T06:32:00.001-07:00

Apparently today is Miko's birthday. According to Kyle, "He's turning 20, no 30, no 21, no 22. Miko is turning 22. And he's having a party, a surprise party, no not a surprise, and it's going to be 5 hours. No 6 hours! And I got him a cat squinky, a monkey book, a monkey pillow and Emily's unicorn to use as a pillow."

And what better a cake to have for a monkey's birthday than banana cake that Grandma made!

New activities

2011-06-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

New city = new surrounds = new activities.

One such activity is bunk bed drawer cars. Beep beep!

Computer games

Tennis days

Grandma's visit

2011-06-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

Our first weekend here, we were thrilled to have visitors! Grandma drove up from Chicago for the day on Sunday! It was great to get out on Sunday since Kyle and I were in on Saturday since he was sick. So Sunday, we went on a nice bike ride along the lake and then played in a grassy area. Emily created a mini baseball game with Grandma with a stick she found. Kyle and I played catch with me and Grandma. We finished our afternoon with brunch (at 2:30) at Josh's restaurant.

Madison bikers

2011-06-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

One of the first things in getting set up here in Madison was getting bikes. Having one car to get around and loads of bike paths around us, bikes are a necessity. So Day 1, we got bikes for the kids. They were pretty excited to get new bikes for the summer here. Only trouble is there is weather here. Like rain and thunderstorm weather. And humidity. So some days our "something funs" may just be biking down in our parking garage.

Funny story - as we were coming home from our errands, I was asking Kyle and Emily for help carrying everything up to our apartment. And describing how when we live in an apartment, it's harder to get things inside because we have to carry it upstairs to our place, rather than just into our house. Now we have an elevator and multiple trips that are trips, not just runs in and out. Much more effort. Then Emily geniously pipes up, "We are like Curious George! He lives in an apartment! And so do we now! One time when it was the Man in the Yellow Hat's birthday, George had a hard time carrying everything upstairs too! So we are monkeys just like George!" Yes, we are monkeys!

Emily's new wheels in our parking garage

Kyle's new wheels

Kyle and Emily garage biking

The following day, we decided we should just get out and bike, rain or no rain. We can dress for the weather. Kyle got a new monkey poncho. Emily has an adorable pink rain coat. Clearly, Kyle was super excited about his poncho.

New monkey poncho - a necessity at breakfast

Biking in the rain

Bunk beds

2011-06-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

After over a week of absolute craziness, we have arrived. And thanks to Josh and Stephanie, they gave us the most amazing welcome gift - bunk beds for the kids. To say we were excited is an understatement. Each week, the kids switch up who gets the top bunk as that seems to be the favorite one - probably has to do with being able to climb up a ladder.

And here is Kyle totally passed out adjusting to the time change / making up for lost sleep time. He was completely passed out as evidenced by the fun I had decorating him with all of his monkeys. He did not budge.

Home Depot

2011-06-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

A bonus Home Depot Saturday event! And what's more, Folkers was here for a visit so he got to experience the fun that is Home Depot Saturday. Added bonus, Jeff was able to talk with the Home Depot people to figure out what we need to do about our (kid's) flooded bathroom...

Preschool pictures

2011-06-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

These are the kids pictures from preschool this year. The parents of one of their classmates are wedding photographers so they came in and did the class pictures. They turned out amazing if you ask me!

Kyle chopping

2011-06-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Kyle loves to help with the chopping. He's got some pretty decent chopping skills. Onions seem to be his favorite to chop which is good because they don't move around as much as say carrots.

Hand holding

2011-06-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

This was just cute. I was driving (clearly - but actually stopped at a stop light for this picture) and the kids were happily holding hands in the back seat.

Disney cars

2011-06-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

Not quite the movie because it's not out yet, but our last trip to Disneyland for the summer before the crowds hit. The kids were excited to drive and also to show Daddy their driving skills.

Last day of preschool

2011-06-04T20:09:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a big day for Kyle and Emily - it was their last day of preschool. They have had a WONDERFUL year of preschool. They have learned so much and had so much fun doing so. I know it's only their second year of school, but they had a fabulous teacher - one of the best teachers I have seen in a long time. She genuinely loves each and every student and takes their success very seriously. If only they could have her as a teacher every year.

Emily lined up

Going inside

Emily heading in. Kyle needed some coaxing.

Kyle getting one more purr from Miko who goes to a different preschool ;-)

So for their last day, the parents were invited for a nice program. They first started with their tennis exposition. The kids got to show off all the tennis skills they learned over the year. Their skills and coordination has come a long way!

Emily warm up

Kyle warm up

Kyle & Emily at the net

Emily volley

Emily serves

Kyle's volley

After the tennis exposition, we went inside for another program. The kids performed several really cute songs on stage that were more than just singing a song. Having such a great teacher, the songs also worked on different skills such as motor control (one finger, on thumb, etc. song); alphabet (zoo phonics song); and whistling (Mr. Golden Sun song).

On stage ready to sing

Emily on stage

Kyle on stage

Mr. Golden Sun

ABC Zoo Phonics song

Finger song

Finally, the kids were each presented with an award, unique to each individual. Emily was the shining star and Kyle was the reading star. The videos below give all the details about the award as their teacher presented them.

Emily getting her award

Emily checking out her award

Kyle getting his award

Kyle reading his award to the audience

Kyle checking out his award

The class with their awards

Kyle and Emily with their amazing teacher

Ball game song

2011-06-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

We just found this video again. The kids were 2.5 in this video singing "Take me out to the ball game" during the winter at Grandma's house. It's beyond cute! And it's amazing how similar they are now, yet so different with age. Enjoy!

Mommy piggyback

2011-06-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

This was fun. The other day it was time to head upstairs for naps. Emily was too tired to walk... and so was Kyle. So Emily jumped on my back for her ride up. And I thought, "why not, Kyle jump on too." And so he did. And here is what a double piggyback looks like. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. And they both seemed relatively comfortable. I kinda liked having two monkeys on my back.

A sweet little story

2011-05-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

So yesterday we were biking home from dinner. The sun was still out, but it was cool and breezy - probably low to mid 60s. Before leaving the house, Jeff grabbed jackets for everyone. Since I was already wearing a light-weight jacket over my shirt, I declined my light fleece figuring I'd be just fine. Back to biking home from dinner, I remark, "I sure am freezing!"Kyle who was biking just in front of me turns around and says, "You can have my jacket Mommy." Nevermind he's 4 and certainly his jacket wouldn't fit me, he was genuinely serious and beyond sweet. My sweet little Kyle was willing to give me the jacket off his back to get his mama warm. If that's not the most honest to goodness sweetness, I don't know what is.

A very monkey Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

Today for Mother's Day, Kyle and Emily took me on a Mother's Day date. They took me to a special monkey movie at the science center. It was an early preview of "Born to be Wild" on the IMAX screen. It was pretty special. It shows two special parks that are caring for and rehabilitating orphaned elephants and orangutans. At this showing was the director of the Orangutan Foundation International who has lived and worked with the orangutans for many years, Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas. Also there were the movie's producers and John Kay from Steppenwolf (band that sings "Born to be Wild"). Needless to say it was a pretty special event.

Right as the movie started, Kyle, the biggest monkey lover among us, decided he didn't want to watch the movie. I tell him it will be okay because there are monkeys in it so he's momentarily comforted. But it was very dark and too big of a theater. Plus it was domed so it gives a different, wide open, moving type feeling. It can easily be overwhelming. So they lights dim, movie credits start, Kyle loses it, screams out "I don't want to see this!", whole theater finds it amusing and laughs, Kyle and I exit, I try to comfort him and coax him back in, ushers try to tell him it's a good movie, (it really is - nothing scary) monkeys come on the screen, we step back in, Kyle gets the biggest smile a teary boy could possibly have and we watch the movie. But first, we retrieve Emily who was sitting quite nicely by herself watching the movie, and sit down closer to the exit for any further tears (which there were but quickly recovered). But we got to enjoy a pretty spectacular movie. And we got an autograph from both Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas & John Kay before we went home.

**Funny story from the movie: At one point there is a large male orangutan swimming through the swamp toward the camera. The commentary is about the male orangutan and how he weighs nearly 300 pounds. Emily comments how big the orangutan is and how he weighs "almost as much as Kyle's bike!" His bike really weighs a ton and just the other day she commented out loud how she thought it weighed 300 pounds. I love how her mind thinks and connects - too funny!

Having our picnic before the movie

Waiting in line for the IMAX movie

Monkeys in line

In the theater

Emily ready for showtime

Kyle in the theater ready for the show

After the show, Kyle reading his monkey book

Emily reading the Orangutan brochure

Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas & John Kay

The slideshow after the movie

Cute orangutan

Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas & John Kay signing

Breakfast Popsicle

2011-05-07T17:27:00.001-07:00

Today I was reading an article about parents having a "yes day". We all know that as parents, the word "no" seems to occur quite frequently. So the idea is to create a "yes day" where the kids can get what they want most of the time. Now of course there are limits to this, but I do like the idea. One of the things this mom in particular said yes to was popsicles for breakfast. And just why would she say yes you ask? Because she made special breakfast popsicles! They are basically smoothies frozen into popsicles. So today Emily and I made some breakfast popsicles. They are very easy to make. There was a rough recipe that I read, but I am not really one to follow recipes, unless it's for baking and then I'll follow the directions for the staple ingredients. So here is what was in our breakfast popsicles:

Plain Greek yogurt - because we happened to have some on hand from when the cousins were visiting since we knew they LOVE Greek yogurt. The kids used to eat it all the time, but for some reason we got away from it. I am not a huge fan of it since it tastes a little too close to sour cream for me. But I digress. It has great calcium and more protein than regular yogurt so I may make myself start liking it.
Fresh strawberries - probably about 15-20. Emily counted out the first 10, but then we added more as we tasted it along the way.
Dash of vanilla
Turbinado sugar - probably 2-3 tablespoons????
Honey - when we realized we should have used honey instead of sugar, we switched. We probably squeezed 3 tablespoons
Milk - enough to give it a more liquidy consistency

Then we poured it into popsicle molds to put in the freezer. We had a ton leftover so I grabbed 4 more kid cups, threw a popsicle stick in the middle of them and popped those into the freezer as well. We'll test them out tomorrow to see how they taste. I'm pretty excited and hopeful with these as we always seem to be running out the door with breakfast in hand or having just inhaled some semblance of breakfast. And typically, breakfast is quite healthy, but I do like this idea since I know all that is in it and that it is quite kid friendly. They may think it's dessert for breakfast, but I know it's breakfast! Win win!!

**Note from Sunday: the popsicles were a hit! The kids loved them. Kyle even finished his. He's not a big breakfast eater so getting him to eat much more than (drinking) 2 cups of milk is a feat. I would modify the recipe a bit to make it a bit creamier, but otherwise the flavor was good.

Breakfast for 2

2011-05-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

This morning was a lazy Saturday morning. We were tired and slept in a little bit. Kyle and Emily also slept in a bit, but they were hungry when they woke. So instead of waiting for us, they took it upon themselves to make their own breakfast. This isn't the first time they have done this, but I still find it amusing and quite cute when they make their own breakfast. It also makes me proud because they make pretty healthy and balanced food choices. When Jeff went downstairs to see what was going on, Emily told him that they were just making a little appetizer of grapefruit, strawberries and bunny cereal. And that they had poured "heavy milk" without spilling! What is "heavy milk" you may wonder like we did? Turns out that heavy milk is still regular milk, just in a jug that is nearly full. And really, they didn't spill too much - just a little bit on the counter. Not bad when you figure how heavy a gallon of milk is when nearly full and how much strength that takes from a 4 year old.

Kyle pouring some cereal

Emily pouring cereal

A view from above their breakfast table