It's amost summer

In anticipation of summer, I feel like we have begun doing our summer activities. We have been outside for walks, done gardening while the girls played with the water table and even had a food truck in our neighborhood for dinner! Over Memorial Day, the girls spent the night at Grandma T's house. This allowed Matt and I to go to a ska punk show. I am so glad we had seats and earplugs, but it was tons of fun. We had a yummy, grown up meal downtown and stayed out late! This was especially needed after the girls' school was closed on Friday (we went to Sea World after the girls made it through my hair appointment) so I was already on day three of our weekend by Saturday. The girls loved their overnight at Grandma T's and loved playing with Bella. They also came home with a variety of snacks and new clothes, which they always enjoy :)

Ella watching the Belugas

Ella and Madi watching the Belugas

Turtle watching (we spent 45 minutes with the turtles)

Very healthy lunch . . . hot dog and doritos. Ella would lick the cheese off the dorito and feed the actual chip to me (yuck).

Madi refused to sit and eat

"look at the dolphin!"

Soaked from touching the feeder fish

Sleeping post Sea World!

Matt and Lani enjoying a kid free morning

The girls eating breakfast :)

Ella enjoying the giant tv at Grandma T's

Madeline, Eleanor, Rivers (Rivers is a couple weeks older than Ella. She is huge, he is humongous)

Dinner at Brick

"I don't wanna go home, can't I stay at Grandma's?"

The last weekend in May we took a camping trip to San Elijo beach. The weekend was exactly what we needed! No stress, lots of time with friends, the kids got to eat whatever and be dirty for a couple of days, and we did not have to decide who was the designated driver. We shared two campsites with five other families. 11 parents and 9 kids under five. This year we divided up meals, so we only had to plan for one meal and snacks. Matt and I chose breakfast since I am up early anyways. Jason and I actually both seem to have a 6 am internal alarm that does not understand vacation. We had an awesome spot right next to the bathrooms, the stairs for the beach, and the shower. The kids were able to run up and down to the beach with moms being stationed in both spots. I loved having time to chat with my friends, sit outside, and drink wine. We built a hundred sand castles in three days and Madeline decided she loves playing in the water (even though it was freezing).

Men making breakfast

Morning at camp

Ella loved snacking out of plastic cups all weekend

"Our new tent is humongous!"

Loving our giant tent

I'm pretty sure that's sand all over Ella's mouth

The play tent area

Digging was the best part of the weekend

Naomi and Brennan (this was around the time Madi complained that Brennan called her a moose, hahahaha)

Big kids waiting for dinner

"Don't even think about taking my food!"

Post camping bath. The tub was brown and so full of sand when they got out.

Madeline recently had been all about puzzles. She has begun using the puzzle app on my ipad and she has no problem solving the 36 piece puzzles on her own. She also keeps trying to carry Ella (which makes Matt crazy) and has begun giving her these huge hugs when we do school drop off. Madi has been including lots of writing in her drawings. Her favorite words are Mom, Dad, Madi, Ella, Lani, and Jameson (that last one tends to end up being a mess). Madi still has spacing issues though and tends to put letters in funky places as she writes.

Modeling new outfits from Abu

Wearing a new dress from Grandma Sue and eating her favorite lunch - Sonic!

Wearing Mom's shoes

Madeline even sits like a little lady when she does art

Eleanor is in love with her Daddy. She would rather Matt hold her, Matt get up with her, Matt help her get dressed. Basically I am chopped liver. This carries over to Ella much preferring men to hold her. She'll go to Eric before she'll go to Naomi and to Andy before Gisella. She is a ridiculous kid! Ella has been communicating so much lately. She started with "oh no" which includes a chin/cheek grab! Now it feels like Ella is picking up a new word everyday. She is using apple (for apple or orange), banana, snack (for fruit snack), agua, ojo, waffle, and all sorts of other little words . . . some of which are more clear than others. Ella likes to pick out her own snacks now. She will pull food out of the fridge or the cabinet if you hold her up. If you give her a snack she doesn't want, Ella will share her anger with very very loud shrieks.

"What? I'm just dancing!"

Loving Jameson

This is our living room after a morning at home

Ella loves climbing on and off the chairs

Matt and I went on a double date with Melanie and Axel this weekend. We went to dinner at La Bonne Table and then to a play at The Old Globe, Arms and the Man. Dinner was so yummy and so french. The play was funny and Matt actually seemed into it. The best part of the evening for the girls was Auntie G and Uncle Andy babysitting. Madi could barely contain herself after she got out of bed Saturday asking when Auntie G was going to be there. She was excited to see how big baby EJ was looking in G's belly. Thanks Gisella and Andy for the night out! We'll take EJ whenever you're ready!
With summer coming and the certain knowledge that we have been very unhealthy lately, Matt and I are going to do a detox. Ahh! It's a ten day no gluten, no sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine, basically lots of non-starchy vegetables and water detox. Hopefully this will be a nice reset for us since some days feel like we drink coffee until it's acceptable to switch to beer/wine. I am nervous about going no caffeine during the last week of work, but hopefully I won't hurt any children while resetting my diet!

Ella Videos

I haven't posted very many videos of Eleanor. She is so darn cute and has such a big personality! Here are a couple of recent clips to get an idea of her favorite activities:

A rainy start to May

We have spent much of May (by San Diego standards at least) dealing with rain. That means lots of inside time, baking, and playroom destruction. At the end of April I got to act as the San Diego County Science Representative at an education seminar. I was so nervous, but I did my presentation without any "ammms" or "hmmmmms" and my friends Dave said I was like a mini-Spiegel (which is a huge compliment in my world). I also got to meet an amazing woman in science education, Helen Quinn. Eleanor has become even more active lately. She doesn't listen at all to directions and we are regularly chasing her down the street! Ella wants so badly to do everything Madeline does, luckily Madi doesn't mind having a side-kick.

King Jameson

Lani and Madeline regularly take over mom and dad's bed

Happy to be outside!

Trying to ride the big girl bike

Look at those adorable cheeks! And yes - she is sleeping with a blanket and normal pillow already - and in Madi's bed.

"I can get down by myself"

Giving herself a bath in the doll tub

Madi trying to nap in the doll crib - this is what happens after too much time in the house

This is how excited I was to meet Dr Quinn

We welcomed in May with Gisella's baby shower (I can't wait to meet EJ Higgins) and Jackson's first birthday. What a crazy weekend! The shower was beautiful, with perfect spring weather, and a lovely afternoon spent with some of my favorite women. The Kelly family outdid themselves with a giant bounce house for Jackson's party. Madi spent the whole party bouncing or eating. Even Ella tried out the bouncing (and she really seemed to enjoy it). Matt and the grown up boys bounced while the kids ate cake! Naomi and I got in on the action . . . and decided that maybe moms shouldn't bounce without properly preparing for it.

Hungry Caterpillar cupcake cake I made

We also made teacher appreciation presents this week

Madeline had her 4 year doctor's appointment. She had to wear a grown up paper gown, stood on the scale by herself, and didn't cry when she got shots! This visit is one of those defining moments where I feel like she has made a huge step to getting big (and I want to try to snuggle her back in the wrap to keep her small). Madeline is 50% for height and weight now, definitely no more baby chunk on this one!

Doing art. Madi is very serious when she works

Using my stencils from childhood. Tupperware last forever!

Big girl at the doctor

Proud of herself

Madi is super into having her hair braided lately. I am loving the phase!

 

Mother's day was extra wonderful this year. I was super cranky the week before Mother's Day (especially when one of the other wives texted me about setting up golfing on Father's day). There were sentences coming out of my mouth in a yelly tone of voice to Matt that may have been along the lines of "why is Father's day a day-off and you don't even have to organize it, while Mother's day is like any other Sunday and I still had to plan my own gift of a spa night next week?" I was rewarded for my bad behavior when Matt decided to send me to the Estancia to stay all by myself for 19 hours!! It was awesome!! I sat by the pool, read a book, sat on my patio drinking wine, and even got room service. It was the quietest Saturday night I have had in a long long time. Sunday morning Matt and the kids picked me and we headed up to Shadowridge for brunch. So yummy! I am looking forward to a repeat of this Mother's Day next year . . .

My Estancia patio

Wine and silence. Woohoo!

Ella post brunch. She is obsessed wit the rocking chair

Sisters coloring

The girls silhouettes on the left and Matt and Jeff on the right

Post Mother's day snuggling

Robyn was in town this month for work, yay for me! She came over for dinner on Monday and went with me to a girl's night at the movies on Wednesday. I haven't been to the movies in so long that I had no idea how comfortable theaters are now. We went to an AMC and sat in full on lounge chairs! It was such a great experience that I may be ready to try bringing the kids to a movie (a perfect rainy day activity). On Saturday, Matt was golfing and I had promised the girls a trip to Sea World. As we walked out the door into rain, Madi and I decided we would make use of our museum pass instead. We had an educational morning at the Natural History Museum and lunch from Madeline's favorite hot dog purveyor - Sonic! This was followed by testing out the Easy Bake Oven and Madeline deciding that her cake was too small to share so she should eat it for snack and we should make cupcakes to take to the Kelly house for dinner (that's my girl).

Robyn showing off the great seats

Hanging out at the NAT

 

Post Museum Sonic Picnic in the living room

Easy Bake time. I didn't get a picture of the actual cake since Madeline ate it within seconds of frosting it.

Drum line

This Sunday I rewarded myself with a trip to the Hotel Del spa! 6 of us mom-types had an after hours spa party. It was amazing!!! I got a hot stone massage, we had all sorts of yummy treats including caprese salad, chocolate dipped strawberries, truffles, and champagne! We also had full use of the spa, just us. After our time was up, we headed to the bar to watch the sunset and have a glass of wine. This might have been the best start to a work week I have ever had!