Packed

Unpacking & packing. Packing & unpacking. Is that the main job of the mom?

It seems like I spend every day either putting stuff into bags to take the kids somewhere or the next day I have to put it all away. Maybe we should just stay home. That would be so much easier.

Tomorrow I have to pack AGAIN to go to my mom's house. I'm transporting my kids and the two neighbor kids up there Thursday morning for a long weekend of swimming. When Dave and their mom get off work Friday night they will drive up and hang out too. Their dad is going out of town so he won't be coming and this way we all get a break from being here in the neighborhood.

Thankfully I only need to pack a few things for this trip. We already have all the dog supplies, toiletries, books, toys, and movies up there so we just need clothes and swimsuits and Ava's lovey. I can't wait to relax and sit by the pool. Wish we were there already.

Hangin' with Friends

Last week was jammed packed with stuff and things to do. It just seems like every time I turn around another week has flown by and summer is coming to a complete halt. This realization hit me most when I took Ava shopping for her first backpack. She had a choice between Dora and The Princesses and she chose The Disney Princesses. Of course this threw Olivia into a tailspin because she too would like a Princess backpack but her Dora backpack is still in perfect condition. Finally the meltdown ended and we left the store and headed to dance class.

Dance class was awesome as usual. The kids are really getting the hang of their routine. All of them seem to be having fun and that's most important.

A few days later there we were at soccer again. Here's a picture of Liv doing a drill with another girl. Liv sure can kick that ball and she has great aim too.

And here's my ball keeper. She made sure none of those pesky balls got out of line. She also played soccer with her daddy and then they played tag. Ava's pretty easy to please.

This picture is of the girl's best friend Nick from soccer and dance. He just loves Olivia and waits for her to arrive so they can run out on the field together. Then wherever she runs he follows. It is so cute. His mom and I just roll on the ground laughing at the way they all three interact. Kids. Who knew they could be so freakin' cute? He is been booked for a playdate so expect to see him here again soon.

This is Liv's friend "G" from preschool. She came over for a swim playdate and lunch. It was quite interesting having her over. She is like Liv's twin. She sings non-stop repeating over and over the same song, she talks loudly, and she screams (in fun). I have to say I felt quite relieved that I had someone else to compare Olivia to and now I know there are others like her out there. Her mom said "G" never stops talking, singing, or dancing. I guess these two are a match made in heaven.

Fun Stuff

Over the weekend Olivia had soccer. Here's a few pictures of her with her teammates and her two friends.

Then we had dance this week which went really well. The girls just received their clothes for their recital. Everyone seems excited about it. I though about posting the pictures but somewhere I just started feeling really lazy.

Today Dave took the day off and we went to the movies. Who would have thought that our big group could fill up an entire row. And within that row we had a free refillable jumbo popcorn bucket that I think was filled 6 or 7 times. The kids loved the movie and had a splendid time with their friends. I'm worn out. Who knew summer could be so tiring. I honestly thought we'd be sitting here doing nothing like when they were babies. Wow. That passed fast.

In a few weeks school begins. Olivia's all excited to share with her teacher all the words she can spell now and that she can read somewhat. Ava just wants to get in there and use the glue stick and glitter. Priorities.

Busy Bees

Well it seems like we've been practically everywhere. We left Wednesday for RV camping at Lake Siskiyou which was fantastic. The girls loved sleeping in the RV, swimming, fishing with Daddy and Papa, and finding giant pine cones on our nature excursions. We roasted weenies, smores, and more smores... it was a blast.

Then we headed to Grammie and Papa's house Saturday to swim in their fancy pool. We literally swam three times a day and we are now officially tan. The weather was beautiful, the pool was warm, and the BBQ was always going. I even stood in my bikini and flipped the ribs over on the BBQ and then went back to swimming until they needed to get flipped again. Honestly, for our family it just doesn't get any better. Dave and my dad went one day to Lassen for some MAN fishing on my dad's boat. Dave caught a huge fish and the girls were so proud of him. My dad came home empty handed. So sad. Then we watched the big fireworks show and eventually we had to go home. I did contemplate staying another week but the ladies have their activities...


Tuesday we went to dance class. Miss Renae added in a few more moves and the girls were loving it. Ava is a great dancer. It is as if she were made for dance like Olivia is for running. Man, that kid can run. Yesterday we went with friends to the movies and then met up with another mom from preschool for a play date at the water park. It was very hot for me but since the kids were wet they didn't mind. Today we went to see ET at the dollar theater with some other friends. This was the girls first time at seeing ET and since it was not a cartoon I questioned how long we'd stay but they LOVED it. They asked a million questions along the way but Ava said it was her favorite movie. Tomorrow we have another water park play date and then soccer on Saturday... Somehow I thought summer meant sitting around doing nothing...I have yet had that experience. Next week we have a movie/water park play date with about 10 of Liv's friends... When does school start anyway?

So here's a few pics of last week's adventures...




Ava uncovering a dinosaur skeleton.

Liv hangin' with her friends.

The soccer star... look how fast she runs.

Liv's best friend Nick who is also in dance class.

Capture the flag. Then what? Give it back!

Ava playing soccer with Daddy.

She's fast too.

The fishermen...

Pine cone collector.

Giant cone.

Dave at his best!

The ladies playing Connect 4 with Grammie.

Roasting the marshmallows for smores.

Dinner.

Driving in the RV back to Grammie and Papa's house.

In the pool at last.

Floating on her back. One of Ave's fave's.

Livy and her Grammie.

Yes, Olivia can swim by herself across the pool. Superstar!