Low Key Sib Visit

James and his sister, C, had a visit this weekend.  

We missed his older brother who moved to the south to live with their birthmother a few months ago and his other sister, M, who is off on a journey.  Hopefully involving more self learning and less self sabotage.  But since she skipped to Mexico this last week, we are just praying for her safety at this point.  Please feel free to throw her in your prayers as her fantastic CASA and I are doing. 

But James and C had a low key time hanging out.  We did a BBQ with some pool time, played Rummikub, wherein, the twins (as I call them) openly cheated to help each other win.  

Good bonding?  Yes.

An interest in ever taking them to Vegas?  No.

Then they hung out, playing with technology, ate lots of treats, and ended with a movie.  

We tried to do a long, overnight visit this time but C is still in school.  Hopefully we can have her stay for a few days next visit so they can do a lot more long term bonding.  

This is the way it ought to be for them everyday.  I wish they could have this.

I find this to be a hilariously awkward picture of them.  We always take a family picture for them at every visit.  Not only is James now much taller than his sister but he looked super funny getting ready for the pic.

That's much better. 

And here is Ev, trying to catch a ride in K, the CASA's, brand new yellow jeep.  Can't say I blame him.  It looked like a super awesome car.  

I am so grateful to K, the CASA, who makes these visits so much easier than they used to be.  She does all the phone work to get permission (and it has seriously taken like 15 calls in the past to get one visit set up!) and does a lot of driving to make it happen.  

These girls are so lucky to have her.  And we are incredibly lucky and blessed to be able to have all of them in our lives.  I am very grateful to know them. 

An Excellent Little Extra Gem Just for the Memory Book

This morning as we were preparing to go to the beach, we were out back applying sunscreen.

All of a sudden, James, screamed, "My eyes!  My eyes!  I'm blinded!"

Extremely concerned, I turned to him.  "Did you get sunscreen in your eye?"

"Nah!  I just saw your legs and they blinded me."  And then he started chuckling.

Yes.  I am pale as a ghost.  Thank you for pointing that out yet again.  You are my favorite teenager.  And my least favorite.  Funny how that works.

Beach Day

Sure the state is broke, almost out of water, has wretched traffic and smog, and the taxes are high.  But, we do have cool beaches.

And since I am a beach person, I am going to focus on the positive.

Happy Beach Day!

Some of our new friends invited us to their favorite beach.  It ended up being further south than I thought (and at that point why aren't we just heading north to our old beach) but there was great boogie boarding as promised and a snack shack with restrooms.  So...I could do this beach again.

The water was warm enough and mostly clear.  There was a rocky patch on one part but it was not bad.  And the waves?  Perfect for boogie boarding.  They formed and crested way out so you could have a nice long ride in.  It was awesome.  Almost everyone in the three parties went out boogie boarding.  Including me.  I'm a huge fan and love to do it.  James and I took turns watching the Baby on land while the other boarded.   

Ev chose to stay on land and make sand castles.

And one of the new people we met had a pop up tent that Ev made himself comfortable in.  Which they did not mind.

The snack shack was a huge hit and I let the boys get lunch and treats. 

This kid was the best.  He stayed out boogie boarding most of the time and wore himself out.

The interesting thing about this beach on this particular day was the amount of sea life in the water.  Specifically these things that everyone called crabs but looked like mini-lobsters.  They swam around your feet in the water and sometimes brushed up against you in the current.  There were also scores of dead, washed up 'lobsters' on the shore.  So the boys investigated. 

They made their own tide pool for some of the stragglers.

See all the dead ones?  They are the red forms.  If you weren't careful you would step on them.  And it was kind of like stepping on a snail.  Shiver.

Here is a living one, named Bob, who came to say hello.

More snack shack.  Burgers, fries, and pizza.  There was also a soda or two which Ev targeted and took care of. 

Another drink is sucked to dust...

James, pretending to eat one of the mini dead 'lobsters'.

And one more shot of the creatures.  Anyone know for sure what we were swimming with?  They looked like lobsters but swam in the water like a squid but were not squiddy in any other way.

There was shark sighting close to where we were so they put the beach and swimmers on notice.  They chose not to close the beach but...considering the fact that we were surrounded by little red appetizers in the water, I felt it was time to stop going far out for boogie boarding.  

However, hearing about the shark sighting, Riley was determined to go out in the water.  I swear that boy is looking for a shark encounter.  I let him splash in the water just on the shore so he could feel like he was living dangerously.  Cuz apparently that's the kind of mom I am.

All in all it was a great day.

Evening Swimtime

Scooter Baby

Fairy Tale

Sometimes I feel like I am living in a fairy tale.  

Not the kind with a girl who is comatose and kissed by a random stranger.  But the kind of fairy tale with a giant.

My son's new baseball cleats are size 13.  I'm pretty sure he is just adding an inch to his frame every day.  

Well let's hope he doesn't dream of living in clouds where beanstalks can reach...

Daddy Time

Ball Time

Tickle Time

Dad! Daaad! DAD!

Baby Ev used to say Dad.  

And then he stopped saying it.  

He yelled Mom for everything instead.  If he wanted a treat, he yelled Mom.  If he wanted to go outside, he yelled Mom.  If he wanted anyone in the family to pay attention to him, he yelled Mom.

Mom, mom, mom.  

Until today.  Father's Day.  And the sudden reappearance of the word, Dad.  

We were so excited!  We clapped.  He clapped.  

What a day.

Father's Day

Monopoly - Zelda Style!

Pool Day with More of Husband's Family

We had grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins running around.  It was a great day.

Uncle P, Husband's brother, brought the good root beer again.  In the bottles.  And all the kids indulged.

It was a great day!