Tea Party

When you are in the four-year-old class at Lizzy's school, you get to have a real tea party at school. And, in the true form of the school, this is no half-way pretend tea party- it's the real deal. I was super lucky because I happened to be volunteering this day, so I got to go to the tea party too. When we walked in from snack time, the table was totally set up. There were table cloths, real glass cups and saucers and snack plates, "silver" spoons, milk, sugar, a real tea pot full of real tea, tea sandwiches, and even dessert served on a "silver" platter. There was even candle light for goodness sakes! I was awestruck, and the children were too. We had such fun pouring our tea, making it to our liking, and enjoying our snacks. It was so special and so fun. I loved it!

Happy Mothers Day!

I got to spend Mothers Day in one of my favorite places, with three of my favorite people- lucky me! Even though it was cloudy, we decided to hit the beach. We're true Nor-Cal people- we're used to enjoying the beach in our sweats rather than our bathing suits. We had a delicious lunch from our favorite deli, with a gorgeous view of the waves crashing onto the beach. Lizzy could have combed the beach for hours. She found all kinds of shells, driftwood, and sea glass. Peter enjoyed playing in the sand and looking for shells too. Afterwards, we went for a walk along the coast, and found a fun forest full of spooky trees to climb and explore. The blessings of motherhood are not lost on me at all. I often feel like in many ways I was awoken when my children were born. My heart opened up, joy poured in, and it has been a blissful journey watching my children grow from babies, to toddlers, to little kids. I'm amazed by them everyday, and thankful, thankful, thankful I get to share my journey with them. While it is certainly wonderful to be "spoiled" and appreciated on Mothers Day, I also think it's so important to reflect on the gifts that you are given when you become a mother. Don't take it lightly! The time with those little ones goes amazingly fast. Hold on and enjoy the ride!

Mothers Day Surprise

Lizzy surprised me with this beautiful card she made at school. I love it so much! I love imagining her working on it, the time it must have taken her to add all the special touches, the love and thoughtfulness that went into making it "just right." She even wanted to take a picture of me with the finished product! I'm so thankful I get to be a mother! It is such a joyful journey, and one I am truly blessed to be on.

Sunscreen

Oftentimes now, when Peter is going to the bathroom, he asks for "privacy please." He'll even tell me, "I need a little space, Mommy." The other day it was awfully quiet in there, and when I peeked in, I saw that Peter had gotten into the cabinets and was proudly applying (way too much) sunscreen. Safety first, I guess.

Bees to Honey

Another sun-drenched afternoon. We are seriously blessed with this weather- it's the best! It's really starting to feel like summertime, and that can only mean one thing.........playing in the sprinklers! We brought out our water mat, and for a precious few minutes Lizzy and Peter enjoyed the first splash of summer. They cautiously dipped their toes in, giggled in delight, shivered in the freezing hose water, and became more bold and daring. As their laughter wafted through the air, you can guess what happened. Like bees to honey, the other kids came bursting out of their houses, quickly pulling up their suits, ready for a dip. Of course I expected this, it's half the fun isn't it? Splashing with friends is the best part, and we were glad for their company. Lizzy, as often is the case, joined in for a little while, then made her quiet escape from the testosterone. The boys on the other hand......they would have stayed there all night. It was amazing to see boys, from little babies learning to toddle around to giant almost-kindergartners, sliding, jumping, splashing around this tiny silly little Barbie mat. They truly knew how to have fun and enjoy the moment, even with the lamest of old summer toys. I almost brought out our old slip-n-slide, but thought, why bother? Just splashing around is the best.

Farm Trip

It's the end of the school year, so Lizzy's class had their annual trip to Hidden Villa Farm. I was lucky enough to be a chaperone again, as I love to be a part of these special trips. It's so awesome to carve out some special time just with my dear girl, that I cherish those moments. I drove three other kids, plus a teacher, so I was thankful to have our bigger car this year. The kids were bursting at the seams in excitement! They could barely contain their giggles and shrieks, it was awesome. Lizzy loved visiting all the different animals on the farm. She liked the sheep the best, and was convinced one confused her pants for soft wool and blew on her leg. She was also extremely brave and walked right up to pet the enormous cow resting in the barn. She told me in amazement how soft she was, and how big her eyes were. This is definitely a trip I want to repeat with the kids in the summer. It's so lovely there, I want to come back and enjoy a picnic right next to the creek.

Beach Day Fun

It had been a while (for us anyways, as we don't like to wait too long between visits) since our last trip to one of our favorite spots- Monterey. What a gorgeous day on the coast! Blue skies, sun beaming down, a typical nor-cal breeze to cool you down just the right amount. We had a fabulous time at the aquarium, ate lunch with an ocean view, and ended with our usual ice-cream sandwich. But we didn't want the day to end. Peter, always a fan of adventures and the person who never wants them to end, said as we were walking to the car, "No Mommy and Daddy! I don't want to go home! I want to go to the beach!" Well, it didn't take much to talk us in to that! We found a tiny beach downtown and sat down and let the sway of the gentle waves relax us and mesmerize us. Lizzy found so many amazing shells, and even a giant piece of sea glass- her favorite! It was certainly a perfect day at the beach.