Trying to get back to it...

I really am. I am working really hard to find my land legs after 10 days of pure beach vacation fun :)


There is something very tempting about staying on vacation and never returning to real life. I mean, who wouldn't want to have their biggest decision for the day to be "what beach should I go to today?".


But. Here I am.


So, on to our San Diego VACATION!!!


The drive over went smoother than I thought. I envisioned a dozen stops for potty, snacks and more potty. However, my crew surprised me and made it there in 7 hours with just 2 stops. To make the whole ride even sweeter - the temperature was only 72 degrees when we pulled into San Diego (leaving behind the 110s). 


Can you imagine what we did after we checked in, unloaded and threw our stuff in our rooms? Ya, we hit the beach!


I wish I could say that I have photos - but the first 2 days it seems I never took my camera to the beach. I was far too busy trying to get to the beach than to worry about photographing the beach.


I could have just thrown in a few beach photos because we all know I have plenty. But I'm being honest. Real. True. I wouldn't just toss in a random beach photo and call it Day 1. You are welcome!


So, you must endure the entire trip. Photos good and bad. Mine and ...well, the kids got a hold of the camera too.


Are you ready? Let's go.


Beach, beach and more beach.


Then. My dad had a revelation. "Let's take the train downtown". So on Sunday, we all took the Coaster downtown. Sounds simple right?

How many people does it take to purchase Coaster tickets for 16 people?

Apparently these 2 don't care, they just want a nice photo

Our crew of kids - all cousins - all awesome!!! (minus Leo today, but he's awesome too!)

We rode it down to Seaport Village and ate lunch and walked around. We wore ourselves ragged until it was time to catch the Coaster to Old Town. 

High five Sis!

Well some of us got to hitch a ride TO the Coaster. 


and we landed at Old Town - 

Unfortunately, my camera then died. 


After Happy Hour, there was an incident where Preston got "arrested" by the local Sheriff. I don't have proof, but someone does.  It was fun because we sent the photo to his parents (who were not with us - they were in Tucson). They didn't exactly find our humor as funny as we did. We thought we were hysterical!  It was all in fun, and they do that for tourists (fake arrest). 


Well, that was a start. :)

This Guy

This Guy loves being a DAD and love his kids!  

And the dog....

And doesn't mind when we add a kid, the more the merrier (thanks for spending Easter Eve with us "C"!) 

Loves spending time with them and coaching their teams..

and swimming with them...

Attending all their special events...

Hanging out...

and sneaking up on them...

but sometimes - I think he feels he is in over his head!

But the best part is he is an awesome DAD!!! He tries to hard to spend time with each of the kids and knowing them, really knowing them. Which makes him #1 in our book!

Hope you had a great Father's Day babe!!!

Superm@n is a cross dresser

When he was almost 1 - he was not dressed for Halloween. I just didn't have it in me to figure out a Halloween costume for him and his sister. Call me worn out, but by the time they were 11 months I was barely coming out of the "twin fog". Some recover more quickly from twins, I had a 2.5yr old and 10 yr old when they were born....'nuff said.


When he was almost 2 - he was a bumble bee and his sister was a lady bug (2 bugs - it was a good idea...I thought)

(trying to get a fitting so I could finish his cute costume)

I don't think he liked it.

At All

So, it just lives on a hanger in the closet


And so this is how they dressed for Halloween:

Because I pick my battles.


At almost 3 he was a pirate

Or, his parents and sister were pirates. ADog was nothing. Agent P was Bumble Bee Transformer. Monkey - well, he was nothing too. CUZ HE HATES COSTUMES. A LOT.


Except this week. This week he was Superman. And because I pick my battles, he was Superman when we went to the Orthodontist, Unique Identity for ADog's hair cut, lunch, shopping....


But, I made him change shoes...

(wish Blogger would import the photo the way I want...)

To the black ones. Not the Pink. :)

Just a little summer fun...

Of Mice and Kids

**Warning** If you do not like rodents - you should skip this post. Just sayin'. You've been warned.

Last week we had swim "maintenance" for Monkey. Every day. I say "maintenance" cuz that's what they call it.  The twins took 6 weeks of swim lessons thru ISR** this spring. Mini P is true to herself and makes swimming look easy peasy.  Monkey on the other hand does not have the drive or desire for perfection like his sister. So, we were at "maintenance" lessons for an unspecified amount of days. 

I know you are wondering what this has to do with the varmints. 

I'm getting there. 

Be patient.

Just like during swimming lessons, she prefers us not to swim. It's summer and 100 degrees...there is not much else to do, but we obeyed. Once we got the release to get back in the pool, (which was about 3 days) this is what we found when we rolled the cover off.

Seriously I can hardly stand looking at the picture.

2 mice 1 mouse 1 gopher thing and a lizard.

ICK.

Thankfully, my sweet husband was here and HE removed them.  He graciously waited for me to run in and get my camera (because I am sick like that). He did voice his complaint about their smell. I didn't get THAT close, so I don't really know...but for him to complain, it must have been bad...

Since they did bake in there for 1-3 days. Under the solar cover. 

**If you have kiddos and they are ever in their life near water - ISR is truly an amazing program.  It is worth the financial and time sacrifice that it requires. Seriously, look into it. 

One on One Part 2

So, I didn't want to make any mention of this before it actually happened. I feel very strongly that doing that had the propensity to completely JINX my plans. 


Ya know, like when you set up a time to have family pictures done and one or more of the kids fall down and get the biggest shiner you have ever seen...has that ever happened to you???


Ya, me neither. Not even 3-4 times. 


But I digress.


I got to spend the day AND night with my sweet husband on Wednesday. 23 hours with no kids.


NOT. ONE. SINGLE. KID.


WHAT? You say.


Yes it is true, and after we thought about it, we are pretty sure that was the first time we have not had at least 1-4 kids at home over night in over 6 years...since Agent P was born. There might have been 1 night in there somewhere...but definitely not since the twins were born. (over 3.5 years ago)


People don't just come running out of the woodwork begging to take our kids over night. It just doesn't happen. (I know - shocking right???) Not because they are bad kids...but because there are 4 of them. And they talk, A LOT.


BUT, Grandma and Grandpa must have been drinking a LOT of the wine they've been making and offered it up.  And before they changed their minds, I got it scheduled. I also may have threatened to maim anyone who attempted to muck it up...but there is no actual proof of that.


They met us at swim lessons and drove off in my minivan with the 3 little kids (A-Dog is in Seattle visiting family) and I drove off in their Civic with no one but myself. The windows rolled down and the radio cranked like a Country song. OK, not really. It is summer here and we just don't drive around with the windows down. But, I did turn the radio up a bit... :)


I see you are perplexed, wondering where my sweet husband was in all this. Working. I told him not to meet me until our movie time at 1:15.  I had some shopping to do. Alone. By myself. With no one there to bother watch me try on clothes and put them back and try on more.


I shopped for NO ONE but myself. That is rare for me. But I stuck with it, you'd be proud. :)


I shopped, we saw a movie. Hangover 2.


We went to a bar and had a beer, watched a game and ate appetizers. 


(insert imaginary photo of Nimbus Oatmeal Stout and nachos and pretzel bites - I don't have one, but close your eyes and imagine it)


We were party animals I tell ya. (insert imaginary picture of us getting really wild)


Truthfully, we had no clue what to do. We hadn't actually made a plan for fear of it not working out, so after that...we came home and sat outside by the pool.


I have to say, the house was unusually quiet. 


It was nice to not decipher 4 conversations all at the same time or put anyone but ourselves to bed - but grateful that on a regular basis, we get to do that!

One on One

It's rare that my sweet husband and I have the opportunity to spend quality time one on one with our kids. The kind of time you etch out of a busy family schedule and designate to just that kid. Like a movie or lunch or shopping. It is  especially difficult when we are so out numbered and all...


But we do try hard to get out with the big boys every couple months or so. Like Agent P got to go to the dump last weekend with dad. That was cool :)...for them...


The twins, well, they just don't know the difference (yet).  They usually go where the other goes, it's one of the hazards of being a twin.


It's just how it is.


Until last Saturday.


I asked Mini P if she wanted to go to Target and Sunflower Market with me. She couldn't believe her good fortune!  She said "just one kid not three or four???" Yup I told her, just her. "No brothers??" Yup, no brothers. 


The girl could hardly wait and made sure that her brothers were well aware that she was going and they were not!


Once we got to Target she said she "couldn't wait to see them again!". Who? I said. "The brothers!" She missed them already?

But then something happened. (besides the picture taking I attempted from my phone...)


Something I will never forget.


She talked NON-STOP (no, I do NOT know where she gets that trait...). The ENTIRE time we were in Target. Like the sister discovered she could talk with no one interrupting her or bossing her around. And boy oh boy did she take FULL advantage.


"Look at these vitamins, what are these granola bars? I like the ones with chocolate chips! Oh, I see watermelon and cantaloupe and oranges! There is a vacuum, for vacuuming stuff. I like that soft blankie, it's for snuggling and LOOK it comes in green-that's Monkey's favorite color and blue, that's gramma's favorite color...sorry they don't have black mama-your favorite color. I like the towels with the pink dots on them. LOOK - those are the flippy floppys that I have - the purple ones, but not the pink ones, I need the pink ones. OH look at that dress up shirt for babies (baby onsie with tutu on it) it's for dancing and twirling and spinning around!!!"


and on and on and on and on. About every thing she saw. Every.Thing. 


I was exhausted by the time we left. And I forgot to use my coupon for Monkey's pull-ups she had my head spinning so fast!


And, we still had another stop. Oh help me!


It was much the same, but thankfully she was wearing down! It was getting close to lunch and nap...and since she is still a twin - she needs to nap with her brother. Thank goodness.


The ride home was unusually quiet. She had exhausted her 40,000 word limit for the day :) and apparently had nothing more to say.