Fruit-sicles

We were at a friend's house the other night and Jeremy saw fruit popsicles on the cover of a magazine and said, "mommy, can we make these?"  OF COURSE!  So we did!

The buffet

"Jeremy, if you eat all the fruit, we will not have any to actually make the popsicles!"

Tried the fancy popsicle maker but it's too cold to start so the fruit got stuck along the sides.  Old school plastic ones that cost next to nothing = perfection!

24 hours later we have yummy (and healthy) popsicles.  Just added watered down apple juice to stick everything together!

One happy kid!

Note to self and anyone who wants to try this; strawberries and peaches freeze sweet.  Blackberries, Mandarin oranges and raspberries freeze more bitter!  He didn't care but I did.

Books and Cookies

What to do? What to do?  It's Tuesday and we had nothing planned, nowhere to be and no friends to play with.  So.....thanks to a friend on Facebook, we checked out a new store called Books and Cookies on Main Street in Santa Monica.  It's a bookstore where you can lounge, read, eat cookies, play on ipads and of course buy books.  

It has lots of lounge areas to read which Jeremy took advantage of.

There is a gift area and a place to eat the cookies or any of the treats you pick.  It smells like fresh baked cookies so don't go hungry.  Did I mention they sell coffee?  Um, they sell coffee.  

Pros: Coffee, lots of GREAT books to buy, open, bright and colorful, ipads were a hit but there were only 2 and comfortable places to sit and read.

 

Cons; no real distinction between books kids can read and the ones that are to buy.  I'm not sure if it was okay for kids to take the "books to buy" and read them so I was constantly following them.  As for appropriate age, I would say 4 and up.  There was no separation between the eating, gift and book area so Mabel was ALL over the place.  They have little classes and story time things that looked cute and not too crowded.  A good place to take your older children for some one on one time.

Mabel's favorite part was the salesperson she kept playing hide n seek with and the wooden elephant!  Kisses to all!

We then headed to the Santa Monica Promenade to buy Jeremy his school uniform and let the kids run around, check out the water fountains and eat lunch!

I love being on vacation!  Who doesn't!  One of the things I love about living here is that if you go to certain places, it feels like you're on vacation. There are tourists, different languages, sunny weather and an excitement in the air!  Well, the kids and I took a vacation to Santa Monica!  We even dined at a roof top table!  Some Mexican food followed up by ice cream!!!

Mabel loved watching the cars below!!  

Pancake Breakfast at the Firehouse!

8:30 am pancake breakfast at the local firehouse with the Taylor Family!

Look how high Jbird got!!!  All the kids were allowed to climb the ladder.  Pretty cool if you ask me!

Just kidding, that's a fireman!  Hee hee

One problem, there was a clown blowing up balloon animals and they popped!  Anyone want to guess who started crying and wanted to go home?!  Ding ding, Amelia!  It was touch and go for awhile but then Ryan got her popcorn...problem solved.

  

Everyone had fun and Mabel was the brave one of the family.  She patiently waited in line to get a turn turning the hose on and off and aiming it at some cones.  She waved at everyone while we walked there and once there, was very friendly with the firemen.  A chip off the old block ;)

Recovering

So we're back from Salt Lake and I think everyone is almost back to the rested, well behaved (kind of) kids we knew before.  Don't get me wrong, they were great during the trip but about 8 days into it, they're tired and ready to be in their own beds.  Well, while we were gone Ryan moved Amelia's crib into Mabel's room and since Ryan was gone the night we got back, it took me a little longer to get everyone down and over the excitement of change.  Cue day 1 back...Ryan's cousin Molly and her husband were in town visiting since Saturday so we got to hang out with them.  We hit the beach but due to tired kids, or shall I say Amelia, I headed home early with her while the other two stayed at the beach.  No nap for Mabel meant clumsy, "I'm going to trip" every minute kid when she got back.  I don't think I was able to finish a conversation without someone crying, fighting, etc.  Sorry Molly and Andrew, next time I will make sure we are all rested when you visit.

Molly and Mabel

Cue days 2 and 3, ear infection has returned with vengeance on Mabel and she was up crying a lot at night and poor Amelia just laid there and listened to it.  They're now napping in the same room and so far so good.  Naps aren't as long but they pretty much crash at bedtime. 

I'm not sure if I've posted before about the nest in our front patio but when we left for Salt Lake the mommy was spending lots of time sitting in their nest.  Well, 4 little babies have arrived!  The day after we got back, I was sitting at the dining room table and heard this strange noise.  I thought one of the kids had left a toy on and searched until I gave up.  A little while later, heard the same noise.  I looked outside and realized it was the baby birds chirping when their mom or dad came back with food.  They only make noise when their eating so the kids now know that if they hear them it's feeding time and they yell, "it's eating time" and come running to watch.  

If you look closely, you can see one baby with it's mouth open facing the mommy!  Or daddy, I can't tell.  If you look SUPER closely to the one below, all 4 birds are in there and they have grey feathers and black eyes.  They're in the right side of the nest and right above that white stuff.  

Trouble #1, #2 and #3!  Look what I found when their room got a little too quite during a dance party...

Dancing on a bar?  I smell party girls!  

Hopefully we will have a mellow weekend and catch up on sleep!!!!

Pre Salt Lake pics

A friend of mine took these pictures of the kiddos!

Thanks Claire!!!!

Last few days in Salt Lake; Zoo, Fairy walks, ear infection, pools and you guessed it, cousins!

For the last time, I just want to say how much Mabel LOVES Marley.  Can you tell?  Mabel had a fever and was not herself so I took her to the dr and she has an ear infection.  So, antibiotics it is and we have a different kid.  Although the kid we had wasn't too bad as you can see in these pictures...this was her not feeling well.

We've had a busy last few days that have included swimming, swimming and more swimming.  Courtney took her kids plus Jbird swimming while Jacqui and I stayed at home with the napping ones!  God bless you Court!

Then Jacqui took the big kids to the zoo one day and a fairy walk (Jacqui throws colorful stones out and the kids try to find them but they think fairies have left them) while I stayed back with the Caboose duo. That would be Benny and Mabel.  I cleaned up and had lunches ready when they got back.

Jacqui and I watched the kids this morning so Courtney could go on a bike ride and it was chaotic as usual but the kids had fun.

I had to get this shot because I love all the different crocs.  Notice Mabel's foot at the bottom, she had to get in on it.

Jacqui and I took the kids today so Court could clean her house and then she took the kids so Jacqui and I could watch the USA lose in the World Cup Final :(

Jbird has spent the night over at the Stockham's a few nights and he asked today if "we would ever stay in Salt Lake City"?  Sorry bud, L.A it is!  We had a fun afternoon in the front yard while the boys were being boys playing their new "let's get Woody stuck in the tree" game!

Jeremy held his first "sparkler"

A few were worried about the noise it might make...

We gave everyone a bath outside (it was 98 today) and put the kids to bed early since all this fun and lack of sleep is taking it's toll.  

I'm exhausted and going to lay on the couch, watch television and eat some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies!!!!!  Oh yeah, as you read this you're probably thinking what we sisters think every time we visit, sister wives might have it figured out :)