Good Morning!

We followed this car on the way to school one morning. We took it to be the perfect omen for the start of a wonderful day......

Skate Park

I have a confession to make........I take my three-year-old to the skate park. Is that weird? I can't tell if I'm recklessly putting him in imminent danger, or providing a safe, super fun place for him to scoot around, be daring, and feel like a big boy. I guess I'll vote for the latter. Regardless, Peter loves it. He could ride his scooter there all day. He's also really awesome at it. It's pretty amazing to watch this little guy effortlessly "drop into the pipe" but he does. He glides all around, up and down, having the best time. You can tell he feels pretty fancy. He's super confident, and full of, "mommy, look at me!" moments. I love watching him, and I'm amazed at how good he is at this. Maybe I'll regret this in the future if he makes hanging out at the skate park a habit, but for now, he's certainly having a great time.

Pink Roses

Introducing..........The Pink Roses! Lizzy has started playing on a real soccer team. She has a real uniform (yay number 7!), they play real games, and, in honor of the beginning of the season, we got real soccer shoes complete with the perfect pink swoosh to match her uniform. We even threw Peter a bone and got him a pair too- he was so excited and even wore them to church one time! It's a bit of a mixed bag when the girls are this little. Some are pretty clueless, content with picking at the grass and watching the clouds float by. Some are moderately interested, and some are........animals. Can you guess which group Lizzy falls into to? She is an animal! She hustles, she dribbles, she has breakaway goals, she's.......awesome! She runs around so much, and plays so hard, her face gets beat red and she is practically in heat stroke. I may play it (a little) cool on the sidelines, but make no mistake about it, I love the way she plays. I know we're supposed to be good sports, and not count goals, and cheer for everyone (I put on a good front), but deep down, I love that she gets mad when the other team "wins" and I love her huge smile when she scores a goal. I love her intensity and her passion. I love that she wants to do her best and that she goes for the goal. I love that she's an animal.

Street Scooter

Almost every afternoon, you can find us out front playing. The kids are usually scootering back and forth in front of our house. They put on quite a show. They are fast........I mean really fast. They are daredevils gliding back and forth. It drives Pat a little bit crazy. He's not much for street play (I guess one of us has to be the responsible parent worried about little stuff like cars and accidents), and he insists that everyone wears their helmets. Lizzy does many tricks, and plays lots of imaginary games as she races by. Peter is a trickster in his own way, effortlessly riding up and down curbs, sticking his leg out, and looping about. It's quite a show to watch.

Friends

Peter is really into "friends" these days. Whereas he used to be pretty content to just do his own thing and play on his own, now he's often asking for playdates and for me to call someone to come and play with him. He gets so excited when he hears "the boys" playing outside, and he can rush out to join them. One of his favorite friends is Connor. We had the most adorable playdate the other day. The boys scootered all around the park, spent time exploring the duck pond, and giggled through their snack. Then they created their own game around the water fountain where they took turns taking drinks, then getting themselves progressively wetter by the moment (of course). They had such a fun time, and I loved seeing their effortless pleasure with one another's company. I've so enjoyed seeing Peter in this new stage where he is enjoying time with friends so much. It's darling to see them busy at play.

Lego Fun

Legos have made a big comeback around here lately. What's pretty amazing, is that Lizzy can follow the directions manual and make many of the buildings on her own! My favorite part, however, are the little creative additions she makes to her finished products- a bed, a table, a light and food on the table- all the extra little details that she always thinks of that make her work so special and creative. Peter is also becoming a lego lover, though he's content with stacking right now. He concentrates so hard to put those little pieces together, then is excited to tell us what they are- a car, a building, a person. I love that in his mind, the stack really is those things, and once he's completed it, he's ready to play with it in whatever form he's decided it is. It's wonderful to see their little brains working away, focusing so hard to create something special.

Peter's First Day

Peter had his first day of school in the 3's program. I was a little nervous to see how it would go. Last year, he had a pretty tough time at the beginning separating, and lots of tears were shed. It was terrible to see him so anxious and uncomfortable, but over the course of the year he really came into his own. So far, we're off to a great start! Peter went right in without any hesitation, and had a great day. He discovered the newly formed mud pit (albeit as an observer digging on the side, and not one of the knee-deep mud explorers), painted, did an art project, enjoyed the sand box, and of course, spent lots of time with cars. He was pretty quiet, and not always ready to chat-it-up with the teachers, but overall, he seemed comfortable and involved. My favorite part was singing time, where he followed along with all the hand motions and seemed to really enjoy himself. It is so wonderful to be at a school that is such a "home run." To feel like your child is treasured, surrounded by wonderful learning experiences, and able to cherish those precious moments of childhood without rushing ahead to the next stage. I love our school so much, and I'm so thankful that Peter gets to have this wonderful opportunity to grow and learn.

Santa Cruz

Oh, Santa Cruz.......you are pretty much the best! Every year I look forward to our annual trip to the beach. I love enjoying all our rituals that have been so wonderful over the years. I love spending time at the beach, watching the kids play in the surf and building sand castles. This year, the beach was pretty dirty with lots of washed up kelp, but that didn't stop the kids from having a great time (a good lesson for all of us adults). Caroline and Lizzy loved dodging in and out of the water, and Peter ran around, feeling brave when the water would touch his toes, then running away to "safety." I love hitting the arcade- a new big hit with the kids this year. Peter loved all of the driving games, and Lizzy loved air hockey and collecting tickets to win a prize. Everyone loved the rides, especially the merry-go-round (Lizzy could grab the ring by herself this year!), the cars, and the air planes. We all loved walking down the pier, checking out the crazy early morning swimmers, looking for sea lions, and even discovering a resting pelican. We loved having hot chocolate on chilly mornings. Mostly we all loved spending lots of time with our cousins and family. That is always the best!

Pearly Whites

Now that Peter is three, he had his first official visit to the dentist. Lizzy had her check-up at the same time, and it was wonderful for everyone to have some moral support. They did great! Lizzy is pretty squeamish about having stuff in her mouth, and doesn't even like toothpaste all that much, but she did a great job and was excited to show off her new tooth. Peter was a total champ, sat perfectly still in his chair, and let the hygienist do a thorough cleaning. Great job, everyone!