Roller Baby!

After a free lunch at Bakers (yea for free burrito day!), we spent yesterday afternoon at the roller skating  rink using up the free passes the kids got from Mikayla's birthday party months ago. The roller rink on a weekday afternoon is FABULOUS!!! So much less crowded than the weekends. In fact, there were maybe 20 other kids besides our group in the whole place. Wonderful. No one was running the kids over. They could skate as slowly as they needed to and were even able to compete in the limbo and musical chairs games with the big kids. In fact, the employee was so impressed with how well the little ones did while trying to limbo that she gave them a consolation prize (cotton candy) even though a bigger kid actually won the contest. It was another super fun, super cheap, afternoon!

The Dichotomy of raising a daughter...

Both of these pictures of Emma were taken on the same day, with a span of about 3 hours between them. The first was Emma at the Princess Tea, decked out in all her finery, after having her nails/ hair/ makeup done and having enjoyed tea time with the girls. The second shot was after spending an hour running around the gym tumbling and doing gymnastics while wearing a leotard and a pair of shorts (plus some shades). Tell me clothes don't make the girl. :) I love how well rounded of a person Emma is becoming and how she can switch between both aspects of her personality - frou frou girly girl to rough & tumble tomboy - so fluidly. Love my girl.

Mommy & Me Tea Time

On Wednesday, Emma & went out to Claremont with our friends to attend a "Mommy & Me Tea Time." This was another one of those daily deals that Jen, Erin, & I bought months ago to enjoy during our summer break and I am so glad we got this one. Emma and her friends SO enjoyed being pampered for the afternoon. They got to select gowns, shoes, tons of jewelry and baubles. They had their hair, make up, and nails done. There were toy tea sets and books to read. They had their picture taken and we got to have craft time where each girl decorated her own frame to hold their picture. And then we had the actual tea party with lemonade and apple juice in porcelain tea pots & cups,  finger sandwiches, fruit, and veggies followed by a dessert tray full of cupcakes, cookies, and gummi bears. REAL tea sets, make up, and gummi bears? These kids were in heaven. It was a great afternoon. :)

Grandma Time!

Emma decided to have a last minute sleep over with Grandma on Monday evening. She sure loves spending time with Grandma & Al! Then, on Tuesday morning, TJ & I headed over there to hang out with them. We all had a nice time swimming and the kids were laughing themselves silly trying to catch a grasshopper in a towel. Goofy kids. They saved the bug from the pool and then probably scared the heck out of it chasing it all over the courtyard!

Hiking with Baron

Emma is missing some of her little buddies, especially the boys, from preschool. So Jenny & I made plans to get Baron & Emma together yesterday. We met up and headed into the mountains early in the morning for a little hike and some water play. Then we hung out having pizza & letting the little ones splash in Baron's wading pool. It was a really nice day and Emma enjoyed getting  to see one of her oldest buddies again. We will definitely have to do something like this again soon.

Family Fun

This weekend was the annual memorial mass for Grandma Baca & subsequent BBQ/ party at Uncle Kino & Aunt Pauline's house. It was a fun time, as usual. The kids loved swimming - no surprise there. I even made it into the water this time since Emma wanted to practice swimming without her swim vest. (She is doing amazingly well and I am beginning to think that I may have wasted $45 on her upcoming swim lessons. Oh well, maybe she can work on more proper techniques in class.) It was a wonderful afternoon visiting with family and we got to play with baby Charlotte "Charlie" Grace, one of our newest cousins. She was adorable and totally spoiled by Grandma Kathie, as she should be. Today marked Charlie's first taste of a popsicle - she loved it!

Another fun-filled summer week.

Emma & I have been having the best summer vacation ever! This week was no exception. On Monday, we stayed at home. Just did a little reading, playing, cooking, etc. Sometimes we need those days! On Tuesday, Emma, TJ, & I met up with Erin & Sophia for some bowling in the morning, lunch at Shakeys, and then the kids started their weekly MyGym class in the afternoon. They loved it. On Wednesday, Jen, Charlene, and Hayden met up with Emma, TJ, and I and we all headed out to Riverside for the afternoon. We went to City Hall, where Karen works and the kids got to go back "behind the glass" and see some of the treasury department before we all had lunch in the cafe. Then it was off to the Metropolitan Museum for a lesson on outdoor safety when hiking/ camping and a craft. The kids made Smokey the Bear and other animal puppets before we checked out the rest of the exhibits. A quick stop at home to drop off TJ and then Emma & I were off again. This time to gymnastics class and an evening dinner/ picnic at the park. On Thursday, Emma, TJ, and Hayden had gymnastics camp all day so Jen & I got to hang out sans children. We went to a movie and got pedicures. Fun! Then, after picking up the kids, we headed to Theron's for frozen custard, the library for a sign language & singing class, and dinner at the pizza parlor before stopping to visit Grandma & Al on the way home. The new Disney princess movie, Brave, came out Friday and we were in line for the first show of the day. Even better, the girls all won free tickets to the show from their Subway meals and I had a free pass for my ticket too. Score! After the movie, it was over to Jen's for some playtime, BBQ, and swimming. Hayden & Emma were tearing it up and swimming across the pool without their swim vests. Such big girls! This morning we met up at Lowes to build Madagascar armored vans and grabbed a snack at Del Taco with our friends. Now I think we are home for the day. I have some serious cleaning & grocery shopping to do today if we are going to continue these jam packed days during the week! :)