February 28, 2012

Our newest climber

This kids is already keeping me on my toes.  And encouraging me to rearrange furniture.  I turned around to find him standing on the table, and then he quickly decided he should try to climb up onto the half wall. Yikes.  I try to give the kids space to explore and learn, but this is beyond my comfort.  Especially with our concrete floors.

We need to get him a climbing wall. :)

February 15, 2012

Palm Springs

Last year we had such a wonderful time on our vacation to San Diego with my parents.  We thought it would be so much fun to have both sets of grandparents with us this year.  (In reality it's my parents that plan the trip, so we're all tagging along on their trip).
There were 9 of us traveling together, and there was a big mix up with the boarding passes.  So the kids and some of the parents got on and got settled (most of us were separated).  Someone told Nathan he could eat his snacks, he of course went for the Lik-A-Maid first.  Sounds like the perfect treat for 6am if you are 5 years old!  The kids are so easy to fly with... um, the big kids I mean... that I'm okay with them indulging a bit, even at that hour.  
Natalie got to cuddle up with Nana during the flight.

Ken had fun feeding the ducks with Andrew.

Fashionista in training. ;)  Brothers coat, check.  Goggles, check.  This girl is ready for anything.  Including the not-so-great weather that we had for the first 4-5 days.  With kids it doesn't really matter what the weather is like. A pool is fun all the time, and hot tubs keep you warm.  And you're in a new place, surrounded by the people you love.  They teach us a lot about what matters in life, and how to enjoy the moment, goggles and all. 

I wish I could make some comment about how much stuff we all packed... oh wait, I can.  This is one of the 3 carts that we used when we changed rooms (for all 6 adults and 3 kids, not just our family).  Truth is, there are only 2 suitcases (both carry-on size) with our stuff in them.  Then each kid had to bring their own suitcase with toys and books, add three car seats, a pack-n-play, some soda for adult beverages, life jackets on top... it adds up to A LOT of stuff.  
All the kids loved the kiddie pool.  It was so much fun watching Andrew play in the water, and not having to worry about him falling in over his head.  

I love watching Nathan and Natalie play together.  They are cute little buddies.  Both of them loved to keep their life jackets on, often times even when they had a noodle.  Nathan started taking his off as the week went on.  And by the end of the week they even spent some time in the big pool.  I thought Natalie might be more comfortable in the water since we had done swim lessons, but my kids just aren't little fish yet.  All that matters is that they are having fun and making memories.  

Spending some time with his Gaggy.

Papo is so great at spending time with the kids.  Just hanging out in the water, making this little girl feel special.  He definitely knows how to connect with the grand kids.

The coveted family picture.  Our growing family of 6!  What fun.

After a week filled with pools and sun, sometimes you just need to build a fort and cuddle in for a movie.

February 13, 2012

Massage time

Trever and I got a massage table a couple years ago.  We finally pulled it out.  I have a feeling the kids are going to get more use out of it than we are.  They love to climb up and get massages.  

Our neighbor used to give her son massages a lot.  I think it's an awesome time to help the kids relax and spend some time focused on them.