Disneyland- Round 2 (October 2015)

When an opportunity for Chris to tour SpaceX in SoCal arose, we decided to couple it with a trip to Disneyland.  I have to come right out and say it, the trip was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.  We had so much fun!  Last year when we went for the boys' third birthday, the trip was fun but it was also a lot of work.  We spent a lot of time painting everything in a good light and trying to assure the boys that rides and shows were not going to be scary.  It was fun in the way new experiences are, but it was not an easy-going-good time.  This time EVERYTHING was fun and exciting (except indoor rides, they are still off limits!).  Around every corner and in every sight line there was something amazing to experience.  The boys had memories from last year to build on and being almost a year older gave them a new maturity to deal with new situations.


On the first morning we got up early and walked over to downtown disney to eat in the Storytellers Cafe.  The boys remembered the cafe from last year and were looking forward to seeing Chip and Dale.  When we got there, they were about to do a group dance (the hokey pokey) and Brody jumped right into the center of the circle and busted out his moved.  Everyone was cheering and clapping for him.  It was quite cute.  We then walked over to Disneyland, grabbed some maps, and headed to the Astro Orbiter.  That is by far the boys favorite ride!   For a few hours, we *seemed* to have the place to ourselves (it's all about where you choose to look!).  The little kid rides had almost no lines and we were able to ride things more than once.   We had so much fun going on that ride over and over again until the crowds started to grow. We took them on the Buzz Lightyear ride where you get to "shoot" at the bad guys.  The boys did not really like being in the dark they freaked out every time we suggested going on the ride again.  We called the bad guys "moon monsters" and even though they said they did not like it, they talk about this ride constantly.  They have conversations with each other about the moon monsters, they ask us about the moon monsters, they explain the ride to other people (who have no idea what they are talking about because we made up the name "moon monsters").  It has become this huge thing which is so contrary to the level of excitement that they actually showed for the ride itself and has been all they have talked about since we have been home (go figure). We also rode Autotopia and the Finding Nemo ride.  This solidified the fact that although the kids were enjoying the rides, they wanted nothing to do with inside or dark rides.  We kept to those rules for the rest of the trip!

 After Tomorrowland, we headed over to Toontown and then to Storyland.  In Toontown the boys got to ride a rollercoater that was short but sweet!  Brody loved it so much he road it twice!  In Storyland the highlight was the Tea Cups.  Chris and the boys like to try and make me throw up!  They got close this time.

After a full morning of fun, we headed for lunch, ended it with some ice cream and went to the hotel for a nap.  

Friday night was the night of Chris's space tour so the boys and I were on our own.  I smartly brought our BoB stroller knowing that I was going to be on my own at night in a very crowded place.  Because of a couple of Disney scheduling things that I had no control over, California Adventure was incredibly busy and all the magic we experienced that morning with surprising small crowds was lost once the sun went down.  It was so busy that it was hard to walk around, eat, and ride rides as a party of three.  We made the best of it and lasted until 9ish pm, but I was happy to call it a night and head back to the hotel room for bed.  Just as we got to our room we heard the fireworks and when we opened our door, we were able to view a great show!  It was a perfect way to end a fun day.

Saturday we planned to party hardy all day for as long as we could and see what the day became (meaning, no naps).  We again had breakfast with Chip and Dale.  I loved that at breakfast when Chip (or was it Dale) gave the boys a simultaneous hug, they told him "You're the meat!" as if he should know what that means.  I always call the middle person in our hugs the "meat" and they called Dale the meat!  We started the day back in Disneyland and headed straight for Dumbo.  We road several rides and then headed over to California Adventure.

In California adventure, we said hi to some characters, and then spent some time in Radiator Springs and Bugs Life.  Both areas are really well done and it is probably our favorite places to hang out.  Bugs life had a water feature which was key because it was pretty hot out.  We let the boys get 100% drenched and then headed over to the ropes course and climbing area. Then we got some lunch and resurrected the bubble guns.  I swear nothing brings people more joy than being showered with bubbles by cute boys.  It brings happiness to all!

At this point we decided to wait online for one of the most talked about rides, Radiator Springs Racer.  It is really the only line that we stood on for any significant time and the ride was worth it.  It was so well done!  We liked it so much we went on it again the next morning.  As the sun was going down we headed over to the pier and road on many amusement park rides, some over and over again.  We packed in a ton of activities and made it until about 7:30.  Then we decided to grab some food and head home.  We were all asleep by 9 after a full and very fun day!

The next morning we woke up, packed and decided that a few more hours in the park were worthwhile. We chose to play in California adventure.  In addition to the radiator springs rides, we rode the rides on the pier over and over again until we had our fill.  The skies were cloudy, the park was lightly crowded and it was so much fun just to pick and choose what we wanted to do.  When we officially walked out of the park one last time, I knew we had the absolute best time possible.  The boys were the perfect age and size to be able to experience so many new and fun things.  I am so glad we made the trip, it was magical!

A visit from Nana and Tickle Grandpa (September 2015)

September is always one of my favorite months.  Back to school, fall, my birthday, and a visit from Nana and Tickle grandpa were amongst the things we had to look forward to this year! This visit was a little different then ones in the past.  The boys started pre-school a few weeks before and were still adjusting to the new schedule (meaning school plus some naps and thus a little less face time).  Three mornings during their visit I had my parents all to myself!  We were able to balance a nice amount of kid playing and adult conversation.  We did not do any grand adventures this time around.  Instead, we swam at their hotel pool, played countless games of memory and Paw Patrol, snuggled, and tried to keep Hank from eating everything in sight.  Aunt Kathy came over for a visit and we pretty much laid low and hug out at home the rest of the time.  It was a great week!  Come back, come back, come back!

Welcome Hank!

After months morning the loss of Rocco, we decided it was time to add a new member to our family!  Searching for a dog that could fill the hole left in our hearts was hard work but after lots of leg work and much internet scouring, we were able to adopt a black lab (mix?) from the Monterey Lab Rescue Group.

We picked up our 3 month old 38 lb (yes, you read that right) lab three weeks ago and it was apparent from minute one that he was meant to be in our family.  He was enamored with the kids which is one characteristic Chris and I really wanted in a new dog.  He also loved Adriane and since she has been so sad the last few months, we hoped that adding a second dog would add some spunk back into her life.  It has.

Hank has so may wonderful personality traits.  He is docile and sweet.  He has energy at play time but otherwise he is happy laying at our feet or on our laps.   He plays for hours a day with Adriane but he also plays with the boys.   He has a gentle wine that alerts us to a problem and he has a great big bark that is sure to alarm even the most dog-loving solicitor.   He is soft as velvet, kind of looks like a baby seal when he is wet, and just so very sweet.

We knew that this next animal was really going to be the boys' dog, a relationship that is very different from the one that Rocco and Adriane had/have with them.  That image of a "boy and his dog" kept flashing in our mind as we met and introduced ourselves to other rescue animals. Some were really intrigued with the kids and others did not seem to really pay much attention to the boys.  We wanted a dog that was going to be very connected to them and we certainly got that.  In fact,  he is so in step with the boys that he have started calling him "Triplet".  There is no doubt in any of our minds that Hank thinks he is the sibling of Brady and Brody.  He takes his cues from them, he eats when they eat, naps when they nap, plays when they play and hates it when they play slightly out of his reach (e.g. up in their playhouse).  Hank has jumped into the bath every night with the boys.  He climbs into their bed to nap with them and on our very first day, he followed them up a slide and tried to slide down it just to copy them!  Brady and Brody get up every morning and say "Where's that baby dog?", give Hank giant hugs and kisses, and every time Hank grabs a toy that he is not supposed to have Brody turns his hand to the sky and says "But he's just a baby".  They understand that Hank is learning to navigate his world just as much as they are.

We have good reason to think that Hank is a Lab-Great Dane mix.  He gained 10 in two weeks, in fact, he looks like a completely different dog than he did two weeks ago.  Some days I get up and look at him and insist that only his back legs grew because he looks somewhat more lopsided than the day before.  Chris and I have fun calling him a Labradane and a Daneadore.  Whatever he is, he is a perfect fit for our active loving family and we will love him forever.

This was the family picture the Monterey Lab Rescue Group took of our family when we picked up hank.  This was (very literally) the best we could do!

First Day of PreSchool

Brady and Brody have finally begun their school journey!  They are attending a local preschool three mornings a week and we are all very excited and enjoying the new experience.

A few days before the actual first day of school we had a preview day.  The boys got to try out all the game, toys, costumes, instruments, and scooters before the actual first day of school.  I could tell that they were going to be a little apprehensive about being at school alone but after a bit of time, they would love it.

Attending preschool has given us a view into the boys' personalities and relationship  (especially into the "twin" relationship) that I have not been able to witness at home.  First off, Brady was introduced to the concept that his full name is Bradyn---and he loves it!   Contrary to my exception that he would ask to be called Brady at school, he insists on being called Bradyn.  Upon hearing that Bradyn was his brother's full name, Brody immediately became sad and insisted that we call him Brodyn.  In keeping with this, when the boys were handed slips of paper with their names typed out for a name tracing exercise, Brody insisted that his teachers hand write an 'n' at the end of his name so that it would appear "correct".  I almost died of laughter when I pulled the slips of paper out of their bags and saw "Bradyn and Brodyn".  To take it one step further, Brody has also started calling Chris "Dadyn" and me "Momyn" to ensure that all of our names end in 'n'.  Next, it is amazing to me how inseparable the boys are at school.  Brady and Brody have such distinct personalities and really seem enjoy very different things at home.  Contrary to my expectation that they would gravitate to different actives during discovery time, they seem to want to stick together and play exclusively with each other.  Brady and Brody get sad when they do not get to eat snack at the same table and their teachers keep telling me that they keep encouraging them to play at different stations but the boys want to stick together.  In keeping with this idea, Brody has come home sad that other kids do not want to "play" with him.  When I mentioned this to his teachers she told me that Brady and Brody (like a lot of twins) play together in a more complex way that most 3 years olds and they cannot quite understand why other kids do not want to share and interact with them as intricately as their brother.  This too was a surprise to me because the boys seem to play really well with their twin and triplet friends but there may be more nonverbal (or mom) communication going on that I thought.  I'm sure this experience will force them to have to interact with their classmates in a different way than they are used to.  Last, I love how imaginative their play has gotten since going to school.  They come home with all sorts of different scenarios that they try to reenact with their own toys.  They have gone from building Magna-Tile towers for the sole purpose of knocking them down to building intricate cities and villages.  They are also really into collecting all of the pieces of every game and puzzle and storing them in their play house or random "treasure" boxes for "hiking" or "camping" trips.  It makes cleanup painful but it is so cute to see them applying new meaning to old toys.   I am looking forward to how these dynamics will change over this year as they continued to be exposed to new and more stimulating situations.

Summer 2015

I have neglected my updates so here comes a doozy, likely lacking in detail but as I have shamefully let the summer go by without blogging, I need to just get these pictures published and off my computer!  I know I will regret the length of this post when it comes time to putting together my "blog book", but here it goes!

We had a great summer. It started in the begining of June with a visit from Nana.  She came to help out while I had some minor surgery.  They boys hardly noticed I was in laying low while she was here! That had a ton of fun and we were so thankful she could come and help!

Over the 4th of July we headed to the beach and then road tripped down to SLO for a quick visit with our great friends the Hagobians.  We had so much fun seeing fireworks, going to the farm and playing at their house.  It was an easy and relaxing trip, we will certainly be back! One great memory from our trip was driving back home on the 4th of July.  We stopped in Monterey to play on the beach for a bit and strectch out our legs.  We left around 8 pm to drive north to our house and we managed to hit every single fireworks display up the peninsula. Everywhere you looked, either directly out the passenger windows or up into the distance, we were able to see fireworks.  It was magical and so special.  We partied like rockstars over the weekend, so hard in fact that the boys each had injuries that required a good soaking.  Play hard, recover hard, that's our motto!

We spent much of the summer participating in a wonderful "science camp" that was put together by my friend, Georgea.  She planed out the lessons and expeirments while we took turns hosting.  There were typically 9 kids in attendance and it was so much fun for moms and kids!  The boys really likes exploring the inner workings of structures, parachutes, pullies and balances, flow rates, chemical reactions, solutions, water dynamics and bubbles.  I jokingly coined it "do all the Pintrest actives you intended to do but likely was never actually going to do".  Thanks to Georgea, we got to experience them!

Next we headed to Colorado for Tina and  Patrick's wedding.  There were lots of family in attendandance and we had a great time.  We hung around Golden and Boulder, visited with family and partied hardy.  It was fantastic.  The boys loved the whole idea of a "wedding" which to them is a place to dance and party with the people they like the most (Nana, Auntie Ray Ray, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Sam, Aunt Lynn, Cousins Kyle and Chloe as well as new favorites such as Kate, Kelly, and Baby Hellen).  They partied like rockstars, tearing up the dance floor and staying in great spirits until about 10pm.  Chris and I made the strategic decision to take the boys home before they lost 'that loving feelin' and they were asleep before the party bus started its descent down the large hill towards our hotel. It was a terrific night and one they still talk about in great detail.

In Mid August we were lucky enough to have Granny and Papa come for a visit!  It was great fun to play and share some California sun with them.  We were having a heat wave so we used the opportunity to travel down to Monterey for the night.  We spent lots of time on the beach and even swam in the frigid water.  They got to visit the boys' pre-school a few days before school started and got a real feel for what we have been up (and will be up to) to on the West Coast. Chris and I escaped for several dates and that was lovely too.

Speaking of swimming, the boys took swim lessons this summer and gained some important skills. I am happy to say they love the water and are joyful swimmers.  It seems that their main motivation for learning to swim is to be able to get a snorkel mask and flippers... I am not sure where they got this yearning but I'll use whatever carrots I can to get them to become early swimmers!

In addition to lots of other fun outings, we have done a lot of bike riding this summer.  I love seeing the progression from being timid or slightly weak to being fearless and strong on their bikes.  It is almost getting to the point where I could run with then while riding.  That would be super fun (assuming I don't trip over one of them and meet my demise).

The rest of the summer, at least according to my Instagram account, was a montage of fun!  I'll be happy to remember it that way!