Minnesota Trip

We once again spent the week of Labor Day in Minnesota this year (late enough in the summer to miss mosquito season and the lake water is still warm for swimming).
This was Camille's first airplane ride not strapped into a car seat and she did great!  Both kids stayed awake the entire flight out to Minnesota, but they were very well behaved. 

We had a great time visiting Grandpa John and Cindy in Excelsior where we got to play in the lake and dance at the local block party!  Mommy and Daddy even snuck away for paddle boarding and lunch with friends!

 

 

 

We then headed to Rush City to hang with Grandma Dianne, Grandpa Don and Auntie Stacy...where it proceeded to rain for nearly the entire time we were there.  We had to skip our professional pictures this year because of the rain, so I guess these shots I took on the one sunny day will have to do...

Grandma and Connor in matching Spider Man tees!

 

 

 

I love their facial expressions in this picture below.  

 

The trip back to California was a peaceful one...SUCCESS!!

 

 

 

 

Bunk Beds!

We had a fun weekend of surprising Connor with new bunk beds in his room!  He kept asking for them and I continued to tell him that Daddy said we can't get them, but I would try to talk him into it.

So, on Saturday, I took the kids out to the park to play and to feed the ducks while Chad put them together.  

When we got home, we told Connor to go up to his room for his nap.  When he got into his room, he was in such shock that he could hardly speak:

We spent Sunday at the beach like usual.  Connor told us that he is going to learn to surf, so we brought a boogie board down to practice.  It was a good start.  He'll need a lot more practice and, quite honestly, Camille may end up catching a wave before he does.

M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e

We decided to take a spur of the moment trip to Disneyland last weekend.  I was looking for something different, so we decided to stay at The Disneyland Hotel (even though we only live 40 minutes away).  It was so much fun!  HOT, but fun.

We went with our friends Ryan, Connie and their kids Cassidy & Kyle.  

Camille really surprised me by being a good trooper and doing great on big kid rides.  

Nap time!  Cassidy & Kyle went home to nap and our angels slept in the stroller while Mommy and Daddy found a cool place that served beer.  I love how Connor never let go of his Buzz Lightyear toy (that the gift store lady gave him after he left the Buzz ride crying because it was "too scary").

Next-up, the California Adventure park.  The lines were much shorter here and we really like the rides better.  We got to see all of Connor's favorite characters from Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc and Cars.  

ICE CREAM!  They were pretty happy about this pit stop.

Disneyland was great, but Connor was equally excited to spend the following day at the hotel pool.  He sat at our hotel window starting at 5:30 am asking if the pool was open yet. The monorail looking things in the background under the "Disneyland" sign are water slides!

The kids both swam and went on the slides for a good 3 hours straight.  They were asleep as we were driving out of the parking lot to head home.

Such a fun, memorable (exhausting) weekend for us!  

Swimming along

Connor is really exceeding expectations with swimming this summer!

Last week, he swam across the deep end for the first time:

This week, he is learning to dive in (aka:  getting thrown in/belly flop):

choo choo ice cream!

Chad was out of town for work, so I took the kids on the scenic train along the waterfront to kill some time on Sunday.

Camille's first time on the train.  She didn't love it.  She didn't hate it.

Waiting for the water show.

This was the best part of the afternoon for the kids, naturally.

 Skinny dipping after dinner.  Look at those swimming trunk tan lines!

Happy 4th Birthday, Connor Allen!

On a regular basis, I ask Connor if he will stay my baby forever and his reply is always the same..."No, Mommy, I'm going to keep getting bigger and BIGger and BIGGER!"  He usually tries to make me feel better by saying that Camille will stay my baby forever.  But then he changes his mind and tells me that she is also going to grow bigger...so the kitties will stay my babies forever.
SIGH.

 So handsome!

Ice cream cupcakes with all of his friends at daycare:

Dinner out at a teppanyaki restaurant and first time using chop sticks!

  

Last year, I started asking him 20 questions on his birthday.  Here are his replies as a 4 year old:

1.  What is your favorite color?  GREEN
2.  What is your favorite toy?  SPIDERMAN
3.  What is your favorite fruit?  BLUEBERRIES
4.  What is your favorite tv show?  SHERIFF CALLIE
5.  What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  A SANDWICH
6.  What is your favorite thing to wear?  CLOTHES
7.  What is your favorite game?  PLAYING BALL
8.  What is your favorite snack?  STRAWBERRIES
9.  What is your favorite animal?  SHEEP
10.  What is your favorite song?  ABC's
11.  What is your favorite book?  THE AVENGERS
12.  What is your favorite cereal?  THE NEW SPECIAL ONE (Lucky Charms)
13.  What is your favorite thing to do outside?  PLAY BALL
14.  What is your favorite drink?  JUICE
15.  What is your favorite holiday?  CHRISTMAS
16.  Who is your best friend?  YADIR
17.  What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  MY BLANKEY
18.  What is your favorite breakfast?  A WAFFLE
19.  What do you want for your birthday dinner?  PIZZA
20.  What do you want to do when you grow up?  BE A REAL IRON MAN