Cinderella??? Not so much....

There were TWO different free Cinderella plays this week. We tried to attend both and, in each case, got there, set up, settled in, and left before seeing much of the show. On Tuesday evening we tried to go to Perris Hill Park with Jenny & her kids and then Karen met us as the show was starting after she got off work. Well, Emma, TJ, and I had been running ragged all day long - preschool visit, shopping at Target, bowling, lunch with friends, swimming at Hayden's, dinner at Jenny's - and something hit TJ and he ended up puking all over our blankets, Jenny's leg, and the person seated in front of us. This was about 30 minutes into the show. So Karen, TJ, Emma, and I all had to leave since I had both car seats in my jeep. So we took one sick kid and one sobbing kid who was very distraught about missing the show home.
Then, on Friday evening, Emma & I met Erin & Sophia at Redlands Bowl for another Cinderella play. Emma was very excited to get another chance to see the show. But, about 30 minutes in (apparently that's our magic number), Emma started complaining about being tired. Then she wanted to go home. Then she wanted to sleep in a bed, not my arms. And, withing 10 minutes or so, she was sobbing loudly about being SOOOO tired. I didn't want to disturb the other guests, so we packed up and left. And she was telling the truth. We were in the car by 8:50 and she was knocked out in bed by 9:15. I guess that's what I get for trying to take her to a night time performance after her first 2 full days at a new preschool when she has spent the past couple months in summer vacation mode. Cinderella was not meant to be for us this year... Maybe we will have better luck next year when they perform The Wizard of Oz...

New Beginnings...

Emma's preschool transfer request was finally approved this summer and she began at the new site on Thursday when I had to go back to work. We went in on Tuesday morning and met Miss Deborah and saw the classroom so, by Thursday, Emma was very excited and woke up with nary a complaint. I had worried about getting her up so early (6am as compared to sleeping in till8:30 like she has been doing all summer) but she did great! I could tell she was a little nervous when we got there as she held my hand a little tighter and was rubbing away at my pinkie nail. Yes, the much loved pinkie nail. I have no idea what her fixation with my nail is, but it seems to soothe her, so go on with it girlie. Anyway, she was all smiles for pictures and no tears at all as I left. Her little friend, Baron, also attends this school but is in a different class. They group all the kids together though for the 1st and last hours of the day due to staffing issues. His mom texted me and let me know that, when he got there, they exchanged big hugs and settled in to read a story together. Too cute. When I picked Emma up, after nap time she was happy as could be. Miss Deborah said she had a great first day and was very helpful. She also let me know that Emma likes to talk a lot. Duh. Lol. I knew that! I asked Emma about the best and worst parts of her day as we were driving home and she told me this...
" When Miss Deborah picked us up from the yellow room and brought us all back to our class I didn't know the kids and I didn't have anyone to play with so I just stood in the middle of the room. That was the not so good part of my day. And then Miss Deborah came over and holded my hand and took me over to where the dinosaurs are and some kids were and we played together and that made it a good part of the day because I like playing."
She is a smart girl and so sweet! We came home for dinner and then finished up our day with treats from Bakers (yay for "free chocolate shake day"!) and an evening trip to the local playground. It was a good day and Emma says she wants to "go back to school EVERYDAY!" I think that's a good sign...

One last Wednesday...

Wednesday was our last day of summer vacation and we made sure to jam-pack it full of fun! First we headed out to Pump It Up for one last bouncy session with a group of friends. Then Erin & I took Emma & Sophia to Bass Pro Shop to check out the fish, play in the tents, climb in the boats, try out the bikes, etc. We even decided to have lunch there too. The girls really liked eating next to the giant aquarium! Then it was home for a little rest time and off to the library for their end-of-summer-reading-program party. It was sad to see how budget cuts have effected the program. Last year there was cupcakes, punch, snacks, crafts, prizes, etc. This year it was just face painting, tattoos, and a "dancing lesson" station manned by teen volunteers. We were able to stay just long enough to glitter tattoo, which Emma was very happy with, and then it was off to gymnastics class. We had a great day and are sad to see summer ending...

Go Tim!

On Monday morning I picked up Bubs at his house and took him to the end-of-the-year celebration for his tutoring company. Tim was out of town and Jenny had to wait for a repair man so the little ones and I agreed to take him. It was actually held at Hometown Buffet, so we scored a free meal for Emma, TJ, Tim, and I. The food was pretty good. The kids all got hackey sacks as party favors, and he was awarded with a certificate and a gift card to Wal-Mart for his participation. The funniest part though was when they passed out foam letters and asked the kids to arrange themselves in order to spell out the company name. When they had difficulty in this task, the coordinator stepped up to help. Then I looked up and saw.... U-N-L-I-M-I-T-E-D... S-E-V-I-T-A-N-R-E-T-L-A... Oh sweet mother of God. She arranged the children BACKWARDS. Double backwards in fact. She switched the word position and spelled the first word dyslexically. And now I think I figured out why this tutoring program pays it's participants instead of the other way around. Lol. In all seriousness, Jen says that he does benefit from this program so that's good. And I can always use a laugh first thing in the morning. :):)

Super Saturday!

Went to Lowes again Saturday. I know, surprise, surprise. :) The kids made some pretty awesome (working) binoculars. Then we headed to the local park where there was plenty of running and climbing opportunities. We finished up the morning with lunch at Burger King. I think the crowns were a bigger hit than the food was! Then home in time for nap... unfortunately I think Em is outgrowing her naps. *sigh* But we did have a nice "rest" time while we snuggled and watched a movie.

Movie Night at The Moran's!

We had a wonderful Friday evening last week. Emma and I went over to our friend's house where she got to swim and play with Sophia while I got to visit with Erin. Jen & Hayden got there a bit later and brought the cutest little, perfectly portioned, candy bowls and popcorn cups for the girls. We all had diner together. Chris had built a backyard screen out of a thrift store sheet and some scrap wood and, once it got dark, he hooked up a projector to a mini DVD player and we got to have a backyard movie night. One of the neatest ideas for a summer evening I have ever seen. We have awesome friends. :):)

Pool party!

We went swimming this afternoon at Jen & Hayden's. After about 45 minutes in the water I was finally able to pry TJ off my neck and he realized he would stay afloat in his swim vest. Emma was not so easily swayed. It took about another half an hour. I finally got her to hold TJ's hands instead of mine and then pointed out that neither of them was sinking. Emma smiled and said, "Hey... I can swim with this vest on!" Well, duh!!!! And then, the real kicker, is that she stretched her long ole legs out and also realized that she could touch the bottom of the freaking pool at one end! That just got all kinds of impish giggles out of her! *sigh* My little drama queen!

If it's free...

We had a great day on Tuesday! I took Emma & TJ out to Rancho to meet up with Sophia and Hayden and their mommies at Pump It Up and we used up another of our prepaid vouchers letting the kids bounce themselves silly for a couple hours. Then we headed over to Victoria Gardens for a tasty lunch at Johnny Rockets. Those kids must have built up quite an appetite jumping because Emma and TJ both ate their entire lunch! Then we walked over to Borders book store so the kids could turn in their summer reading logs and get to choose a free book. The worker tried to give us some grief about how the store was closing and they may not be honoring the program anymore and blah blah blah. But we weren't hearing that and our kids got their free books anyway. As Jen said, "If it's free, its for 'we'!" Doesn't quite have the same ring as 'for me' but the sentiment is the same. Lol. TJ choose "Danny the Dinosaur" and Emma got "Amelia Bedelia." Turns out TJ thinks Amelia Bedelia is the funniest thing ever and he loves reading that book. In fact both kids crack up about how she cuts up the bath towels when her to-do list says "change the towels." I love watching their sense of humor develop. We wrapped up the afternoon with a stop at Claire's Boutique where Emma was going to get her ears pierced but then she opted out (again) at the last minute. She's such a goober. I told her that I don't mind getting them pierced but it has to be her choice. So we shall wait a while longer...

Rock On!!

This past Monday was "Rock Star" day at gymnastics camp. Luckily, both of these cool kids already have rock and roll tee shirts to wear. So Emma donned her Aerosmith Tee and TJ was supposed to wear his AC/DC shirt I got him for his birthday but, at the last minute, decided to switch to the rockstar shirt. His hair was easy enough... I just asked Todd to comb it up into a mohawk. Emma, on the other hand, has finally started growing some long, luxurious, hair... which makes "punking" it out a challenge. I eventually pulled it into 6 mini pony tails, braided each one, folded them over on each other a couple times, and ended up with a "faux hawk!" They were the coolest looking kids at camp that day... Rock on!!

Annie!

I bought tickets for Mom, Karen, Mikayla, TJ, Emma, and I for a local performance of Annie this past weekend at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center. It was a WONDERFUL performance!! I really enjoyed the show and the actors were great. I couldn't believe how well they all sang, especially considering that this was community (read: "unpaid") theater. Emma was in LOVE with the show. She watched the movie all the time and just kept bursting into song along with the cast. It was too cute. There are some differences between the play and the movie, one of which is a bigger focus on the poverty and "Hoovervilles" of the 1930's. During one scene, as the ensemble is singing a sarcastic diddy about thanking Herbert Hoover, there is a man who walks across the stage attempting to sell apples. "Apples! Apples for a nickle.... 2 apples for a nickle!" etc. Well, it is very quiet in the audience at this time and, after the actor delivered his line, TJ (loud as could be and clear as a bell) exclaimed, "2 apples for a NIPPLE!?!" There was quite a bit of snickering going on around us at that point. We had a great afternoon and finished it up with dinner at Joe's Crab Shack across the way. Yum!

Water Baby!

Emma loves swimming! Well, as long as she is in water that is shallow enough for her to stand. She still does not trust the swim vest to keep her afloat in deeper water - I think she barely trusts ME to keep her up in deep water - but as long as she knows she can reach down and touch the bottom, then she is good to go. This makes the pool at Tim & Jen's perfect for her this summer. It is only about 3 or 3 1/2 feet deep so she is just a little fish here. Face under water, pushing off across the bottom, diving for rings. I guess its a good step in getting her more comfortable and, all in her own time, she will be swimming everywhere.

Get Your Jig On!

One of Emma's best friends, Sophia, takes weekly Irish dancing classes. The school was having a performance out at Victoria Gardens in the cultural center last week, so of course we went out to watch and support her. She did wonderfully! After the demonstration portion ended, they held a "ceili" which is a time for the audience to come up and learn some of the steps as well. Emma & Hayden went up to join Sophia and all the girls did great! We also got a coupon for one month of free dance lessons. Emma is very excited to go dance with Sophia for a few weeks. On the way back to the parking structure Emma spotted the giant "books" on the side of the library next door and wanted to take her picture there. Far be it from me to discourage her love of reading! :)

All-Americans!

Last Thursday was "Olympics Day" at gymnastics camp so I dressed Emma & TJ up in their American flag tee shirts and they looked adorable! Even people in line were commenting on how cute they were. :) The kids had a good time at camp that day, despite TJ's face plant off the balance beam. He "manned-up" and didn't even cry though so that's a success. They can't wait to go back next week for their final day of camp!

Tow Trucks!

We went to Lowes this past Saturday morning to build tow trucks. Emma, being the joy that she is, refused to look at the camera or smile for any pictures all morning, but she was still proud of her finished product. This has to have been one of the most in-depth crafts we have created here and there were about a million little screws and pieces that needed to be attached together. It took quite a while, but the end results were cute!

Movie in the Park!

We spent Friday evening out at Sylvan park in Redlands where the city was putting on a "movie in the park" event. We brought snacks and pizza for a picnic, the kids played on the playground, and, once the sun set, the movie started on a big screen in the middle of the park. It would have been great... except for the generator they started running about 50 feet away from us just as the movie began. :-/. It made it pretty hard to hear anything and, since we had seen "Despicable Me" many times at home, it didn't really hold the kid's attention too well. We ended up bailing about an hour into the show... prior to that, it was a lovely evening though.

Stick it to ya!

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I was relishing some unexpected peace and quiet a few days ago. I had sent Emma & TJ off to play, thinking "how much trouble can they get into in their room?", while I sorted through some papers and mail. It was awfully quiet but I didn't want to jinx it so I let them keep playing. Apparently they found the drawer with my sticker cache and decided to decorate themselves. How funny is that?! I didn't really mind. In fact, I gave them some more stickers once I found out what they were doing. Sticking them all over themselves bought me about 30 minutes of peace. And then I gave them each a sheet of copy paper and told them to transfer all the stickers from their bodies back on to the paper as a "present" for Karen for when she got home from work. Got another 20 minutes or so out of that one! It turned out to be a very successful, albeit impromptu, activity for the afternoon!

Good Deal!!!

There is nothing I love more than a "free" day and last Monday was just that kind of day. We started off with a trip to the local library where the kids turned in their books from last week and checked out new ones for this week. For reading one book, they each got the weekly summer reading program incentive prize (mini white boards and markers) for FREE and then, since they read more than 5 books apiece, they got to spin the prize wheel too. Emma won a FREE kids meal at Togos and TJ got a coupon for a FREE frosty at Wendys. I timed our trip to coincide with the start of a music program at the library as well. So we got to take a Mommy & Me type music class for FREE and I got a music CD for FREE and each of the kids got an egg shaker instrument for FREE. After we left the library we took a quick trip to 7-11 where, since it was July 11th (7/11), it was FREE slurpee day! We each got a FREE small slurpee and headed home. Later that evening I dropped the babies off to swim with their cousins while I went to meet Karen for our pilates class. Ok, technically this class wasn't free, but we bought them as part of a package deal a while back on a Groupon type site, so it was already paid for... which made it FREE today! After class we finished up the evening with a quick trip to Target where I used some coupons to get some (nearly!) free school supplies for the kids and a new pillow for Mikayla. I think my total expenditures for the day was only a couple of bucks. Can't beat that for a fun filled day!

Happy Independence Day!!!

We had a pretty good 4th of July this year! We all went over to Tim & Jenny's to swim and BBQ. All the food was delicious. My crab stuffed, bacon wrapped, jalapeno poppers went over especially well! I can't believe 100 of them disappeared so quickly. I also figured that this would be the first year where Emma was old enough to actually get a kick out of fireworks so I went out and bought a box of overpriced sparklers. All the kids loved them! Until Emma got burned. Not once, but twice. A small spark got her in the face but she was fine with that. Just a quick "ouch" and a wipe with water and she wanted to go back to doing more. And then a rogue ember fell off her sparkler and got trapped against her ankle, under the strap of her sandal. I immediately dunked her foot in to pool but she still got a pretty good burn. It's small, luckily, but went through a few layers of skin. Emma cried for a bit and I held her and got her a bandage going and then she was back to her old self. I figured she was fine when she decided that she would rather stay and spend the night with her cousins rather than coming home with me! My baby is getting so big...