Box-ing at the Dodgers

The next installation of "always say yes when a partner offers their baseball tickets" finds my three main men in a box at the Dodgers game with all-you-can-eat food and best-of-show seats. I had FOMO hardcore over not experiencing the game with my boyfriends, but the girls are having their millionth round of sleeping issues and they really needed an early bedtime so I stayed home and watched a chick flick. I think it turned out perfect because the boys just adore their Daddy and spending some two on one boy bonding time with him was beyond special. I'm so glad for that good Dad and these awesome little men. 

I made them take a picture before even getting in the car, just in case they didn't get a single one at the game. Lucky for me I got a few updates with darling snapshots throughout the night, but I keep coming back to this picture and those bright smiles. 

I honestly don't know if they realize how good they have it. I hope they do, but holy hannah they need to! What a fun way to watch a baseball game!

I'm so glad they had such a great guys night, and I hope there will be many more where this came from!

Sunday Family PJ Walks

Come mid-afternoon most Sunday's we all are in need of a bit of fresh air so no matter that we're already dressed for bed, a walk around our neighborhood is a go. Our favorite destination is the train house where, you guessed it, there are trains in the front yard of a kind family who allow children to turn them on and watch them chug around multiple tracks. All four of my littles are in heaven over this house and it seems that the whole outing puts us in a better spirit for the rest of our Sabbath. 

Sack lunch-a-thon

There's nothing like a group of good people hanging together for a great cause. Tiffany and Lexy were the masterminds behind this event which had us making 200 sack lunches for our homeless neighbors on Skid Row. The kids decorated lunch bags, we put together bologna and cheese with all sorts of snacks, and it felt good to be doing something good together. Sometimes my contribution to the world feels so small but then there are times I realize that my small contributions may just make big changes in the world, especially if it's teaching the younger generation that there is so much love to give others, and so little room to judge.  

Recently I read this quote from a leader in our church, Elder M. Russell Ballard, and it made me want to learn more about our Savior, Jesus Christ and better understand his atoning gift to the world. “At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others.”

We are all Heavenly Father's children, just trying our best on this earth, and I was grateful for this service-filled evening which reminded me of the truth behind these words.

Cora gets just a tad of attention when she attends Relief Society events (wink wink). What a lucky baby to be adored by so many!

The Mama's in action up front and the kids being hooligans in the back. Tiffany delivered the lunches the next day and said within minutes all 200 bags were gone and the people were so grateful for meat, fruit and bottled water. This is an event worth repeating...and we shall! 

Rosh Hashanah Zoo Day

One of the greatest things about our area of Los Angeles is that we have days off for all the Jewish holidays. I mean, no Wig has ever complained about a mid-week adventure day so thank you Rosh Hashanah (in this case--other holidays have welcomed other adventures). 

The Los Angeles Zoo was on our summer to-do list but the hot weather and the darn traffic kept us closer to home (eh-hem, the beach) so this slightly cooler almost-fall day was the perfect one to break in our new zoo passes. We went with the Burnett's because we're all obsessed and spent all. darn. day exploring every nook and cranny of that hilly place. After four hours of adventuring Melissa and I were ready to head for home but those kids somehow tricked us into another couple hours of playtime--and you can't even imagine how proud they were of themselves! It was a wonderful day and one we hope to recreate many times over the course of this year. 

This was the first time T has been back to the Zoo since we interned here so many summers ago and he was so excited...but maybe not as excited as Coco who is killing the cheesy smile in all the pictures these days!

Everett and Quinn have a complicated relationship and if they're in the same room together there are usually fireworks, so when I looked over and saw them hugging and playing under the water I knew I needed to get a picture because that is rare right there!

I don't think Cora liked the slide that much, you?!

I can't get over this little one, I just want to eat her up. She's turning into a naughty little toddler in all the very best ways. Gosh we adore her.

Almost all of the little rascals looking at the macaws. They were obsessed with those beautiful birds!

All eight of our kids thanks to throwing in Coco...somehow perfectly separated into darker hair shades and blonder hair shades (not on purpose!) I love this picture and this time in our children's lives with these very best of friends. We're so lucky, so very lucky. 

Always wanting the perfect photo op, they all crammed in and gave me their best smile! 

Thanks for the fun LA Zoo, we'll be back atcha before you know it!

Mommy-Quinny Disney Date

The idea of taking Quinny on a Mommy-Daughter birthday date to Disneyland has been a fantasy of mine since, well, New Years maybe? I realized that she would be turning three and would all of a sudden need her very own ticket to enter the park and the frugalista in me thought, hey, I should take her to Disneyland a week before her actual birthday so we can celebrate for half the cost as we would the week after her actual birthday. She's basically three and old enough to remember this special day with her Mama, but still two and therefore freeeeeeeeeeee! Best of both worlds. We basically did the same thing last year when we flew to Washington a week before her second birthday so that we could call her a lap infant and not have to pay for an extra seat. We're cheap, that's what I'm getting at. But we also like to have fun, and fun we have!

I'll go on record as saying this was the absolute greatest day I have EVER spent with Quinn. I keep reliving it in my head and even after all those mental loopty-loops I still can't think of a single thing that could have been better. Quinn was hilarious, grateful, excited, entertained, energetic, verbal and never, never, never once even slightly grumpy or stubborn or naughty. She held my hand, she squealed with delight, she was up for every adventure and truly joyous to be with. Magic sparkled in her eyes and everyone must have noticed because "Ariel's guy" blew her a kiss during the parade, she got cheers as she blew her bubble wand down Main Street and Pluto grabbed her hand and took her on a playful stroll through ToonTown. 

Because it was just Quinny and Mommy we could do absolutely anything and everything she wanted to do. Instead of going with a detailed plan of what to cover and when, I let her lead me around the park and if she was interested in something we explored it. When we left the parking lot and hopped on the shuttle which brings you to the front gate she squealed, "Oh! Dis is my first ride. I'm so excited!" Yes, the shuttle was riveting to her so you can only imagine how much she adored the carousel, and Dumbo, the teacups and It's a Small World. She tried the "ride-a-coaster" in ToonTown but afterwards said, "Dat was too scary for me. I think dat was too old for me." She loved Autopia but wanted me to drive because "I'm not too older for driving yet, but I am a girl and girls can drive!" Buzz Lightyear was a fan favorite, as was the pizza and juice she got up the way. She adored the Tiki Room and wasn't so sure about Pirates. She had been most excited to see the real princesses, but actually meeting them was way scarier than she imagined. When Ariel asked her if they could take a picture together Quinny retorted, "No! And don't hug me!" Those pictures are some of my favorite from the whole day because they are HILARIOUS!!! Later she told me she didn't like the princesses "because dey were real peoples but I don't like real peoples I just like Minnie peoples." And that's NO JOKE! Quinn was obsessed with ToonTown and with meeting Mickey and Minnie and Pluto and Goofy. We spent HOURS in that little corner of the park and Quinn would patiently wait for 30 to 40 minutes to see her friends and take a picture with them. I was shocked thinking surely she would get bored and not want to stand in line but she never complained once and was SO excited at the thought of meeting them. I just love this little adventurer. We missed Daisy and Donald and Quinn was very worried about where they were, but we saw so much and did so much that we really have NO reason to complain. Boy, what a day with my first little girl!

Sometimes motherhood is so stressful, so redundant, so exhausting that I feel heavy in the day-to-day. I need playful days like this to remind me how lucky I am to have this as a job, and I need one-on-one time like this to remind me how much I adore these little babies I've been blessed with. I've committed myself to monthly dates from here on out, and I hope they are as successful as this first one was--those are big shoes to fill! 

Happy birthday sweet Quinn-a-lynn. I love you so much and I'm so grateful for all the excitement and joy you've brought our family in the last (almost) three years. I honestly CANNOT imagine life without you and I'm excited to spend the whole weekend celebrating how awesome you are.

On the shuttle--our very first ride! ;)

My dream come true!!!

This picture...hahahahaha! She was SO excited to meet Ariel, but she lived to regret it!

She did like Jasmine, at least more than the others. She told her, "I have my Mom do my hair like your hair!"

She would take a picture with Snow White, but every time the princess inched closer she scooted closer to the wall! Hahaha.

Quinny's very first ride (after the shuttle) was the carousel and I don't know that she could have loved that horsey more.

She's definitely my daughter because she likes to spin around at lightning speed in the teacups.

You see how she's holding my hand? Oh my goodness it was precious. And when we left the park that day she said, "This was the best date with Mommy. I love you Mama!" I'm just saying, those are not usually the words that come out of her mouth towards me so I was in heaven!

This is about the time Quinny's life was made!

Helping Pluto play hide-and-seek.

Waiting in line to see Minnie. You see that birthday badge on her shorts? She was SO proud of that thing and I love how everyone wished her happy birthday all day long.

Quinny loves Minnie and Minnie loves Quinny.

Goofy was noticing Quinny's ears...

...and then showing her that he had some as well!

That smile could not have been more real! She loved seeing Goofy.

A Mickey pretzel with cheese, the castle in the background and a front-row seat to the Soundsational Parade.

At this point she realized that the "real persons" princesses weren't going to bite, but she still looked at me like "What did you just get me into?!"

A big smile with Moana.

This was the last picture we took before my phone died. Darn it! But I'm grateful that the last one was of the two of us together and that great big sucker in Quinny's cute hands. Oh gosh I love her and I'm so grateful for this alone time with her. We both needed it!

***A GIANT thank you to my parents for watching the other kids and to James for encouraging me to take this time with Quinny while he worked hard to support it!***

A weekend with MePa

My parents came down to LA for a long weekend over my brother Chase's birthday and even though the schedule was jam-packed with school events, soccer games, social engagements (always a party at the wigs, ha!) and work we still fit in a whole lot of celebrating, a whole lot of good food and a whole lot of fun (and for my Dad, a whole lot of handyman projects).

What we lack in photographic evidence of our adventures we make up for in checks off of my never-ending honey-do list for this wonderful old house. I'll admit it, I'm a little underwater these days and that list just kept getting longer and longer with no end or help in sight so it was amazing to put my Dad to work and get so much accomplished. Indeed I may say my anxiety has gone down a notch or three knowing that the bathroom door can now actually be shut, the girls doorknobs won't be falling off in my hands again, the shattered light fixture in the boys closet has been replaced and electricity restored and the toilet in my bathroom is beautiful and new. And that was just what he did on Friday.

Other notables from this visit were a Friday Ice Cream day full of friends, a soccer-filled Saturday for the boys and their cheerleaders, Chase's birthday celebration with food enough to feed an army that we somehow demolished in two sittings, a tour of Chase's big-shot LA job-site, a stake service auction where I pretty much wrote my name down for every silent auction item and won quite a few, a super fast run for James and Mom through Cheviot Hills where they logged 150 flights of stairs, a trip for MePa and the babies to the same museum where T was on a field trip (but no surprise encounters much to both of their chagrin) and a special trip to Disneyland for me and Quinny made possible by MePa's generous babysitting skills.

It was a full trip but somehow didn't feel full enough or long enough and when Tuesday morning rolled around and Quinny found out they were leaving she produced the most primal, grief-stricken scream that I've ever heard from her. We are mourning hard-core over here and not afraid to show it. We can't wait for the next time they come visit us and hope it's super soon!  

Friday Ice Cream day is always our favorite day!

Post-soccer, post-run, posed posse on our front porch.

Service Auction Carnival Pictures Below (Read: Mostly Kids With Sugar!)

I bought my dad this hat and he LOVED it so much--I'm not being sarcastic at all!!!

T being the best oldest cousin ever on our Sunday walk, pushing Hunter on the scooter for blocks and blocks.