Conversations with Olivia

At the check-out aisle at Trader Joes which was very close to a display of packages of meringue. (Yum.)

Olivia: Mom, can we get one of those?
Me: No.
Olivia: I think they are a free example.
Me: No, you have to pay for them, and the word is sample...

Can you tell we waited at least 15 minutes for a free sample of some kind of asian noodles at the back of the store (which the box said took 2 minutes to prepare) because Olivia begged to and then neither of the kids liked them? Fine with me, I enjoyed the free coffee samples. I love TJs.

First Swimming Lesson

Travis and I took Olivia and Noah to their first swimming lessons ever today with mixed results. Olivia is taking to the water well and comfortable doing pretty much everything that doesn't involve putting her head underwater. This seems pretty common though and I'm hoping she works up the nerve soon.

Noah, on the other hand, was not so crazy about the lesson. He spent the entire time with a death grip around my neck crying his head off with his feet barely in the water. Oh well, we have 9 more days to go, maybe he'll warm up to the idea eventually. I guess it didn't help I was running late and pretty much stipped his shirt off and ran in the water with him. Tomorrow I'm going to try to let him wear something with his top covered and hope that helps.

If you haven't noticed, I signed us up for the intensive monday-friday, everyday for two weeks deal. But at least it's the parent-tot class where the kids get to go in with a parent. I'm determined to get them swimming! After this is over, I'm going to look into a class to continue once a week in the fall. How can they be California kids and not want to swim?

But they did want to go back to the pool in the afternoon after lunch, so they must not be too tramatized. Note to self: remember the sun screen tomorrow...

Home Sweet Home

The kids are so glad to be home, even with no cable they know where to watch the cool videos. Thank you www.nickjr.com.



But they did enjoy the CA weather as I caught up with the yard and the garden. Somehow they managed to remove the lid of the sandbox without my help. To play in the sand? Nah. The lid is much more fun.



And they're up!



We were worried they'd have a hard time adjusting away from the constant grandparent attention, but they did pretty well. I guess they are used to me running around doing laundry, watering the lawn, weeding, dishes, etc. They did great until about mid-afternoon when Noah got tired and grumpy and Olivia begged for a craft, and I hit the wall. But we made it through with a nap for Noah, craft for Olivia, lots of coffee for me, and smoothies for all!

The Road Home

We had a great vacation, but we were very anxious to get home. We flew through the San Fransisco airport because they had cheaper ticket even though it's quite a bit farther from our house. Originally the plan was Travis would drive up and park the car at the airport when he came to join us, but his back injury prevented that.

So, the new plan was to take 3 differet train rides home (over an hour away), then he's stay at the train station with the kids while I walk home (30 minutes) to get the car and drive back to get them. Adventurous? Yes, we are!

Here we are at the airport ready to begin our journey. Daddy and Olivia are excited as we wait for the airport AirTrain to take us to BART.



Olivia was such the helper and pulled one of the bags herself. The kids are excitedly waiting the first train ride!



One down, two to go. Here is daddy buying BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) tickets. Slight set-back, he bought one ticket with 4 rides on it versus 4 seperate tickets, but it wasn't an issue. We're still all on board with the plan.



Noah is ready for train ride number two.



Two down, one to go! Here is daddy buying CalTran tickets. $23 bucks later we're waiting for the train. Noah is still on board for train ride number three.



Olivia is winding down a bit waiting for the train so we decided to check the time table. Uh oh. The next train is not for another hour and a half. And it's now 9pm, which is 1am on the east coast which we are still adjusted to. Ok, time to ditch the plan. We call a friend to come get us and make it home.



Ah, home sweet home! It was worth the commute through San Fran, the commute I NEVER want to do ever again!

Olivia's better luck

Olivia was able to fully enjoy her vacation without the annoying hand injury that Noah had. (Although Noah did still enjoy vacation, of course, but he just doesn't idolize his grandmas quite to the extent that Olivia does.)

Olivia did crafts with Grandma L...



She visted the Blue Ridge Mountains with Grandpa W (and Grandma R not pictured)...



And fed the cows at Aunt Sally's farm...



But mostly she was attached to the nearest grandma's hip, which I guess was ok because we didn't hear too many complaints. ;)

Before and After

Here we are on the plane, just embarking on our two week trip to see all the grandparents. Notice how perfect and active Noah's right hand is.



Here is how he spent most of the remaining of our vacation, with a bandaged right hand basically doing everything perfectly with his left hand, as perfect as a two-year-old can anyway. Nothing can bring down eating popcorn on a train ride in the Blue Ridge Mountains!



But now, more than 2 weeks later, it's all but healed and he's officially through with the bandage. Today will be the true test as he's spending the day getting nice and dirty in our backyard for the first time bare skinned. He still holds it out of use quite a bit, but beginning to use it more and more and I'm sure it's just a matter of time before he'll be no worse for the wear.

Go Climb a Tree

Enough said!

Noah the Terrible Two

Ah yes, Noah is so much fun. He drew a swimming pool on the MagnaDoodle the other day. What the artist!



But then when I tried to take a picture of him next to his picture on the MagnaDoodle, he threw a fit. Fortunately for him he's still adorable when screaming at the top of his lungs.



To establish his position as Noah the Terrible Two in the house he wears his knight's helmet around. But his future appears to be more in football than knighthood with his prefered way to wear it.

The Great Outdoors

Some going ons around our yard that I can look at when I'm on vacation and homesick. Also, I'm sure it will all be dead by the time we get back with the lack of rain in California in the summer and lack of any kind of automatic irrigation on our property.

Our watermelon plant has flowers!



The strawberry plants is sending out runners and filling in. Here are a few we picked the other day; small, but yummy.



The tomato plants are getting there. I love the big tomatos, but they are all still green. Promising though. My friend's plants in Bakersfield look SO much better. Hm.



We got one small one turning red though, there is hope!



I propagated our rose bush! I cut halfway through a low-laying branch, buried it, and stuck the remainder of the branch up to grow from the ground as a new bush, and now it has a rose on it. Yes, I'm the cheapest person on earth.



Last, and most definately least, is our striped lawn. Let me just say I need help using the spreader. Do you think that it's growing well where I used more fertilizer or I used too much on where it's not growing well? Check out my shadow taking the picture.