A Trip to Rockridge

Mom and Bren were here last Monday on their way to New York. We took the BART to Rockridge and checked out the various shops on College Ave. Mom found her old apartment from when she was in Berkeley. I only have a few pictures from the day.

Lauryn slept from when we got off the BART until we returned to the station to come home. Bren got stuck carrying her the whole time.

Cute Things my Kids have Said Recently

"The goodest thing you can put on when you're getting ready is a smile." --Taylor, while getting herself dressed for preschool.

Lauryn Language: "My butt sticking up," translation: My underwear is crawling up my bum. Usually caused by it being on backwards. (see previous post)

"My hair sticking up," translation: My hair is in my eyes. Yes, she needs a haircut because she won't keep clips in. I refuse to let my sister to cut it. (see previous post)

"I wanna moon," translation: I want more. Usually said while eating or drinking.

Fairyland

We went to Fairyland in Oakland on Friday with Taylor's preschool. I found out that Fairyland, which opened in 1950, was the inspiration behind Disneyland. Taylor and Kaia climbing trees before entering the park.
Laruyn showing off her skater stance; or is she catching a wave?

I did it!

Climbing down the pirate ship.

A Dazed Dorothy

The Good Witch

A Merry-Go-Round for little kids. Just not as little as Lauryn. She was bummed to miss out.

Taylor's favorite: The Dragon Slide.

I'm Tired of Being a Grownup

Taylor has been really helpful around the house lately. It started about a week ago when she took on the role of a second mom to Lauryn, cleaned up the dining room after breakfast and lunch, and put the chickens away, all without being asked. She was of course rewarded with lots of praise and encouragement from her parents. A few days ago I asked her to try to put the chickens away like she did so well before. She was up in her room playing with Laruyn at the time and she responded with a big sigh and said, "Mom...I'm tired of being a grownup." When I told this story to Peter he said, "I'm tired of being a grownup too."

Murphy's Law

When Taylor was about two, I remember a friend of ours thought it was incredible that she put her shoes on correctly most of the time. He said even though they have a 50% chance of getting it right, most kids get it wrong 90% of the time. Well, Lauryn falls into the "most kids" category. Not only does she get her shoes mixed up, but her underwear, pants, and shirt are usually on backwards...and sometimes inside out. Today was no exception.

Another Napping Moment

Lauryn showed no interest in napping today and I didn't fight it. In fact I was looking forward to an early bed time. Around 4:30 I realized Lauryn was being really quiet. I was sure she had fallen asleep somewhere but it took me a while to find her. She made herself a "bed" in her closet. She looks cozy but how comfortable can a wood floor really be?

I love the doll blanket pulled over her.

Side note: Apparently she was not very comfortable because she slept for only a half hour. When she got up I noticed that she was sleeping on all kinds of hard objects: books, plastic toys, and a jewelery box and its scattered contents. She was grumpy until bedtime.

What's the Use of a Water Proof Camera...

...if you forget to bring it rafting? We got to go rafting on the South Fork of the American River on Monday. Evan and Amy and Bren and Neil joined us and the Schmidts and Schulds. It was a great day and I'm bummed I left my camera in the Schuld's driveway before the trip. We took one picture at the end of the day before going our separate ways. Taylor and Lauryn stayed with Carolyn and Dallas in Knights Landing. We dropped them off just after 7AM and picked them up after 8PM. It was a long day for the Great Grands. The girls had a blast and were sad to leave.