A Little Bit About Nothing

Summer has come to an end, according to the calendar anyways.  I'm READY for the cooler autumn weather to make its appearance.  We had quite a few days of hot weather the past couple weeks and, without air-conditioning in our house, it would get pretty yucky around the 3pm hour.  Thankfully, it would cool down by dusk and then overnight would be chilly enough to sleep with doors wide open and blankets on (and by "doors" I'm speaking of the french doors on our bedroom balcony.  Yes, Mom, I do lock our lower-level, outside-access doors at night time!).  For the most the inside of our house stays relatively cool, even when the sun is baking the sidewalks just twenty feet away.  I think it's mainly due the open floor plan, tile and wood floors (no carpeting downstairs). So thank goodness for that!

We are staying busy, as always (who isn't?) and getting into our groove, or at least attempting to.  Picking up Chloë from school is still a bit of a pain since she still isn't able to do the drive-up pick-up thing just yet.  Eli seems to be pretty much DONE with his napping days, so I'm mourning that loss right now.  Meanwhile, Owen definitely still needs an afternoon nap...and I definitely still need an afternoon BREAK!  Actually, Eli napped today...and napped for 2 solid hours...BUT he is still awake right now at nearly 9pm.  He usually is asleep by 7:30/8pm so this is a first for him.  He keeps coming out of his room and asking if it's "wake up time" yet?  No, buddy.  Try again in about 10 hours!  Oh man, I just heard his door open again.  At this point I'll just decide that he is done with naps.  I'd rather him not sleep in the day than stay up late.  Better go check on him-  Goodnight!

Great shot of Gramma & Eli

Picnic dinners outdoors- love this in the summer

(oh wait, we can do this year-round..but not shirt-less!)

I walked around the corner to this the other day.

Eating their goldfish snack on the stoop.

Caught me off-guard.  Were they planning something?  Conspiring?

They look cute and innocent enough...but one can never be too certain....

brotherly love :)

Sunday Morning Family Workout!

                                        Generic Google Image - We left our cameras in the car


Myke and I took the kids to an indoor trampoline park this morning.  I had never been to one of these, but it has always sounded so fun...I NEEDED to try it out.  It was a blast-and going in the morning right when the facility opened was definitely a good idea.  No crowds.  We all were able to run around and jump in the main trampoline area (versus the lame-o kiddie section in the back corner which is where kids under 6 usually have to go when it's busy.)  Everyone had a blast, even Ella!  There were giant foam block pits where you jump off the trampolines into.  There were also video monitors above each one with delayed video footage so you could watch your jump just after doing it.  Great way to see how utterly awesome I looked jumping into a foam pit!  Ha.  The jumping in part was GREAT...it was the getting out that was extremely difficult and challenging. That's what the video should have been of.  Me trying to get back to the shore after diving into the middle of a pond of big foam blocks.  It was a sight I'm sure.  I basically had to roll to get out as I couldn't get footing on anything.  They kids had no problem.  They just crawled right out.  I looked like I needed a lifeguard to come save me.  Of course that didn't stop me from jumping in multiple times.

We had a blast.  It's nap time now.  Myke and I are exhausted!  Hopefully the kids are, too!

Quick Post Before Bed

We are back on our own here in Encinitas.  My mom headed back to Virginia Friday morning, though she didn't arrive back there until tonight (Saturday).  She kept accepting travel vouchers as a trade for being bumped to a later flight.  She took two bumps and received hotel accommodations and breakfast and now has about $1000 in Delta airline vouchers!

I'm half-asleep as I type this, but I'm determined to post more regularly!  Nothing too exciting to post, though, and that's not always a bad thing.  Things are quiet.  I'm enjoying the quiet :)

We're in a heat wave here.  We don't have A/C and so far haven't really needed it at all.  Somehow our house stays cool inside even though it's baking outside.  All tile and wood floors downstairs, so I think that's a big part of it.  Either way, I'm ready for cooler temperatures.  We miss being outside, going to the park, etc.  I've been following a training plan to do a half-marathon and I'm up running by 6:30am 3-4 times a week so I can run in cooler temps.  That said, I'd probably be running that early even if it was overall cooler, as I try not to take too much time away from the rest of the day with the darn running! I like to get up and get it over with.  Did 7 miles today.  Just over two months until the half ...which I have yet to actually sign up for!  I better commit, huh?

All is well with the kiddos.  Chloë has completed 4 weeks of elementary school.  Owen & Eli have started in their new preschool classroom with Ms. Jenny (whom we ADORE! Chloe had her and we couldn't wait for the boys to get in her class).  Ella is all over the place, and jabbering away, yet not making much sense.  She's just 19 months old (as of today!) but she doesn't actually say many words yet (mama, dada, hot, dog (kind of)).... though she talks and talks and talks.  She understands, follows commands, etc... so we aren't too worried.  The boys were late talkers, as well.  Chloë was speaking in sentences at this point (and she never stopped talking from there).  Every child is different, I know. We'll see what they say at her doctor appointment coming up.

Anyways, time to cut myself off and get to sleep.  :)  Goodnight!  Buenos Noches!

Trouble Maker Chloë

Here we are starting into week #3 of having an elementary school student.  It has been a ride so far, let me tell you!   In the car on the way home from school today I asked Chloë how her day went and she said, "Well, I didn't get sent to the office today."  Ha.  Well, that's good!

Back story: Chloë went to the office twice last week (or maybe one time was the first week...can't keep track!.  Nice) after getting minor injuries in the classroom.  The first time a boy and her were arguing over a toy and apparently he scratched her side (or something like that...the teacher had to relay this story to me in Spanish at the hurried pick-up time at the end of the day, so I could have missed some detail).  She was fine.  I saw no mark on her side but apparently she and the boy were sent to the office to get an ice-pack for her and to call the boys' parents (!!!).  WHO is this boy?!  I WILL find out!  

Theennnnn, a couple days later I was told she was sent to the office AGAIN after the boy at the desk next to her poked her in the face with a marker.  A DIFFERENT boy than the first, I was told.  He is "very hands on" according to Maestra Castillo (her teacher).  He was moved to a different desk in the classroom so he and Chloë are no longer neighbors.   Oh my...!  My kindergartener is already KNOWN in the office at her elementary school.  She is a on first name basis with the school nurse.  She's had two ice-packs.

THEN today I sent her to school with a BLACK EYE.   I will have to take a picture, but she was roughhousing on the couch with a friend over Labor Day weekend and must have bumped her face a way that caused a black eye.  She never cried or acted like she got hurt but suddenly her eye swelled up into a hard ball.  We put ice on it, trying to figure out if she got bit or stung by something (??) or if it was an injury (because it looked like something that would have definitely caused tears if it were injury-related).  Today, two days post-apparent-run-in-with-couch it's black and blue.  Looks bad!

Thanks GOODNESS school picture day was last week!

Gramma at Moonlight Beach with the boys

Night out with my Momma!

(she took me to dinner and to a play for my birthday present)

Gramma has A LOT of patience...teaching games to 3 year old boys!

And...cooking with 18 month old girls!

We installed a fan!  Bring on the heat! (or NOT)