Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Another year, another Talk Like a Pirate Day, another ridiculous quantity of donuts that we bring home for free and inhale way too quickly. This year the kids just dressed up because 3 dozen donuts was all I could really wrap my head around! They wore their "costumes" for days leading up to the actual Krispy Kreme adventure and practiced their best pirate talk. Talmage was pretty sure that the employees would be so scared of his mustache that they'd give him all the donuts in the whole store for free, not just a dozen! Everett insisted on wearing pirate treasure around his neck and I've been finding my jewelry all over the house (he says, "Mom! We aw piwates. It's ouw job to steal tweasho!") Quinn looked adorable as a little pirate mama. She wore the same costume her brothers have worn ever since T was a pirate for Halloween at 18 months old. Crazy that it fits her already--where is the time going? Three dozen donuts and I don't even want to tell you how many I've heated for 8 seconds in the microwave and stuffed in my face!






Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day to one and all!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Life Lately

Popsicle tongues on Ninja Turtles.

Center of the picture and center of our world.

Big(gest) brother award goes to T. Hands down.

Not a bad view on the way to Ev's school, am I right?

T wanted to lead Quinny around the playground and show her the ropes, but Quinny thinks she's the boss and ended up pulling him this way and that way!

Her favorite place to be is on the porch with the scooters and balls (and clearly no clothes).

Hard day at school talks on mom's bed.

"M is the first letter in Mom and also something else you like...let me give you one!"

T's goggles and Ev's beads of courage on a half-dressed little lady.

A Friday ice cream day favorite--giant slurpees.

Me and Ever Knight.

Monday, September 21, 2015

A morning at the beach with my baby

Thursday mornings are park day for the moms in our new LA church congregation and this last week it was held at my favorite part of the beach in Santa Monica (yes, it's almost October and it's still roasting beach weather--I love California!) After so many years of hauling a brood of babies to park day it's weird that it's only me and Quinn now, but I'm enjoying the one-on-one time and I know she's loving the attention. She fell asleep on our drive to the beach and wanted to cuddle all the way down to the water. I knew no one would believe that Quinn ever cuddled with me, so I had to take a picture as proof! 

A sea lion friend joined us on the beach. I took lots of pictures and videos because I knew my boys would be in heaven seeing them--which they were. Quinny was clueless about the sea lion, but those seagulls better watch their back!

My little Baywatch baby running down the shore. This girl is way too much fun!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

A Fall of firsts

This has been a fall of firsts in our house--first day of school(s), first day of soccer, first day of a new job and others, so many others. I am usually so good at documenting each moment in it's moment but all these firsts which really belong to my loves have made life ridiculously busy for me and I haven't had a second to breathe and reflect and write. It's the middle of the night and I'm sitting here at the computer and come heck or high water I'm going to document these events--even if they are all bunched together in this one silly post. Here goes nothing.

Talmage started 1st grade at Westwood Charter and is loving it so much. We moved to Los Angeles the day before he started school, and while I had butterflies and tears galore he jumped in like it was nothing. He's made a great group of friends and we can't walk down the street without someone yelling, "Hey Talmage! See you at school tomorrow!" or "I can't wait to play ninjas again!" He has been endlessly positive about the school, the move, his friends, our apartment and just about everything else in life (sans homework). Sometimes you think you know someone so well, but you see them handle a potentially tough situation with such grace and strength and you realize that you know so little of the greatness within that person. That's how I feel about T. That wise little boy with a great big name is teaching me so much.

Everett started Pre-K the same week T started 1st grade and even though it's taken some getting used to he is really thriving in this environment. Ever is a natural homebody who loves to lounge in pjs for hours on end so it's been a tough transition, that's for sure, but I really felt like he needed a more formal preschool setting and a vacant spot in this FREE public, part-time Pre-K was a God-send. His teacher and her aide have been teaching at this school together for 30 years and they know exactly what they're doing and are brilliant. After a couple of disastrous drop-offs (the tears, the drama) I remembered a facebook post from a friend saying that she drew smiley faces on her son's hand and her hand so that anytime during the day that one of them felt sad they could look at their hand and know the other person was thinking about them. I decided to try it and holy hannah, it's been the best thing ever! No more tears at all, and yes, four weeks in and I'm still drawing the smiley faces every single day. It was really sweet because for the first few days he'd come home and say things like, "Mom, I wooked at my hand when I was in da bafwoom. Did you fink of me den?" or "I finked about you a wot today and wooked at my hand, did you do it too?" Now he just reminds me everyday to "not foget da smiwey face pen!" Everett is growing and maturing and he gets so excited to come home and tell me all about his preschool adventures. Watching him stretch and learn out of his comfort zone these past few weeks has been so rewarding and I am so impressed by his bravery and dedication. 

Not to be left out of fall-first-fever was Quinn, who went to her first day of childcare at the YMCA. The facility is only two blocks from Ever's school so after we drop him off I go work out while Quinny plays with the other children and all of the darling babysitters. Most of the time I come back to them telling me that she is the most active baby they've ever known but this time I came back and she had put herself to sleep in the swing. What?! How cute is that, right? She is rocking this first experience with daycare...but is still sooooo happy (normally to the point of tears) to see me when I come pick her up!

James had his first day of work (in LA, he had spent the week prior in NYC for training) and so obviously I had to take a picture! We're all so proud of him and so grateful that he is working hard to support our family, even if that means we see him way less than we wish we did (tear, tear). The kids have honed into the fact that there's a snack room and I want to see the killer view from his office so you can definitely expect some pictures in the near future of our visit to Daddy's work!

So, yeah. This is how I spend most of my weekdays--shuttling my babies from school and soccer and parks and libraries and let's never forget a slurpee stop at 7/11! I'm living the dream you guys, and I really mean it. 

These days weekends are spent shuttling as well because SOCCER SEASON!!!! Hooray! I love soccer season!

Ever is U5 and they run it in a jamboree format so all the little boys his age get together for an hour on Saturday morning and are taught by the UK trainers about ball skills for 40 minutes and then the next 20 they play a scrimmage game. It makes Everett "weawy, weawy tiwed" but it's so good for him and he loves it--especially the post-game snacks! Talmage is U7 and he's on Team Hawks. Every year he makes such a huge improvement in soccer and this year is no different. For example, he actually kicked the ball like 10 times in the game today. Yes, Mr. T touched the ball! If you saw him play last year you would know why this is such a major accomplishment and we are so proud. We love spending our Saturday's watching these chickens run around the soccer field. 

And one more of just Ever Knight. I love that squinty-eyed baby boy like whoa. You should have seen how excited he was to pick out his very own new ball, and of course it was orange! That ball is his buddy and I love watching those little feet kick it around.

Last week we had some post-game celebratory snow cones because the boys did such a good job (and Quinn only got on the field trying to steal the game ball once!). It was our first time going there so technically these pictures do, in fact, belong in this post, but mostly I've just gotta send these pictures and this adventure out to the blogosphere because it was too good not to: Brian's Shaved Ice is where it's at people! They taste like natural-sweetened silk and as soon as I finished one I wanted to order another--that good!

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Bathing the baby monster

Quinn is crazy, ya'll. Just totally crazy. As soon as she started walking she started running and pretty much that's what she does all day long--run circles around the rest of us. Bath time is a joke because she won't sit still for even two and a half seconds and I literally have to keep a hand on her the whole time because she tries to stand and jump and eat everything in the tub. Getting her dressed, changing her diaper, brushing her teeth--they all pretty much involve wrestling her to the ground and begging her to stop moving, and you can imagine how well that works. It doesn't. Most of the time Talmage calls his sister "Cuteness" or "Cutie Baby" but she's also known around these parts as "The Baby Monster" and it's hysterical to watch her live up to that title! On this particular day after giving Quinn a bath I snapped a picture, hoping never to forget this crazy stage of Quinnhood and that smile that never leaves her face. She is the happiest, craziest, friendliest baby I've ever known and I love her with my whole being.

I lay her down to put a diaper on and poof! she's up and running down the hall. She keeps us on our toes and keeps us laughing, that's for sure. After mothering two late-moving boys this has been a total trip and a new experience.

Another blurry bathroom selfie because she is just the cutest little baby ever. Yes T, I think your nicknames fit her perfectly (to a t even, ha!)

Since I was already taking pictures of sister, I took a couple after bath-time pics of all three of my sweet babies. I told them I'd read them stories on the couch and before I knew it there were three little people cuddling their lovies and waiting for me. Wow, just wow!

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

A Tuesday at Annenberg Beach House

We've dubbed Tuesday Beach Day so right after school we pack up the van and head to the water. We all look forward to playing in the waves and this new walker is learning that sand is a little trickier to toddle on then the sidewalk, but it's worth it because there are so many interesting things to put in your mouth! The boys have been learning to boogy board with James and it's left me wishing for early retirement so that we could play as a family of five every Tuesday. Humph, back to work, back to reality.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Sunday Evening at the Temple

"May all who come within these sacred walls feel a peaceful, hallowed influence. Cause, O Lord, that even people who pass the grounds, or view the temple from afar, may lift their eyes from the groveling things of sordid life and look up to Thee and Thy providence."
Los Angeles Temple Dedicatory Prayer
David O. McKay


^^little artists creating their renditions of this holy house^^


Living near the temple is proving, once again, to be the greatest blessing. I love that we can spend our Sunday evenings strolling through the gorgeous grounds and talking about eternity.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Disneyland for Winnie's Birthday!

A few years ago we celebrated Grandma Winnie's birthday at Goofy's Kitchen and we all liked it so much that we decided to do it again this year. This restaurant is in Downtown Disney and it's magical. You dine with the characters while eating kid-favorites like peanut butter and jelly pizza and macaroni and cheese (with plenty of yummy grown-up dishes as well). We told the boys we were going to a fancy adult restaurant to celebrate Grandma Winnie's birthday so you can only imagine their surprise and delight when we showed up to this place! A great time was had by all!

I guess I should mention that Grandma Winnie had booked us a room in Anaheim so that we could all celebrate her birthday together (it's somewhere in between our Westwood and her Oceanside). I should also mention that we decided to not only go to Goofy's Kitchen, but bite the bullet and buy season passes to Disneyland as well. When in Rome, am I right?

Here are some pictures of our fun weekend below:




Everett ordered hot chocolate for dinner. No matter that it was 85 degrees outside, he was pleased as punch with whip cream that reached to the roof (and after he finished that whip cream--without even a drink of the hot chocolate--he ordered another cup of whip cream!!!)

Happy birthday hugs from Pluto!!!

This is when Chip was making fun of T for not having any teeth. It was hysterical and I especially loved seeing T's truly joyous smile!

Minnie, meet Quinny.


Our little Quinny Minnie walked around the park and charmed the socks off of everyone in her way.


Ever's not much for rides, but there has yet to be a character that he wasn't willing to wait in line to meet. T on the other hand went on every ride in the park and couldn't be bothered to stop for a picture...ever! He is such a little adventurer, and Ever is such my little cuddle bug. I'm so lucky to learn from both of these different souls.

Dear Disneyland, You'll be seeing a whole lotta us in the next year. Love, the little Wigs.
And happy birthday again to Grandma Winnie! We are so, so, so excited to be living so close to you!