First Week of Summer (Alternate Title: We don't mess around)

It's my favorite time of year and we are living it up. I just really, really love having all my kids home and getting to do whatever the heck we want with no schedules or commitments or school projects. It's already been the best time, and we have nine weeks of adventuring left!  

 June gloom hasn't halted our fun, but it has rearranged a beach day and a field trip--no biggie. This Tuesday on the beach was a dream. 

 This water slide bounce house tradition on the first Wednesday of summer is always a fan favorite.

  

 Noah's Ark at the Skirball because (Saint) Laura got there early and got us tickets.

The coolest day I've ever experienced picking strawberries at Underwood. It was beautiful and we left with five huge boxes of deliciousness. 

Week one, you win. Week two, let's go!

About last Sunday...

Last Sunday:

 ^^Cora went from looking like this^^

  To looking like this!!!

 ^^And our well-dressed Sunday kiddos^^

 soon resumed their natural beach-bum life.

I love summer.

Cora's Birthday

My sweet fairy princess is three years old and just as cute as they come. Her birthday was on a Saturday and I found out there was going to be a huge and free beach party at Dockweiler, #winning. I told her that LA was throwing her a birthday party and she was absolutely convinced that the bounce houses, snacks, petting zoo, face paint and balloons were all to celebrate her. And weren't they?! It was a wonderful day that started with a mountain of presents from so many who love her and ended with a Happy Meal, because that's how Wiggy's do birthdays! It was also her very first birthday interview which you will find at the end of this post...I'm so ridiculously happy that she's old enough for those now! I love you so much Corabelle, more than you can even imagine. Thanks for making me a Mama for the fourth and final time.

Ohhh, this girl was spoiled! The best part about it was she was genuinely next-level excited for every last gift. She got twirly dresses and dolls and even her own balance bike. It's so fun to see her eyes light up over the girliest of things: Fancy Nancy and Ariel and Calico Critter bunnies. I don't know how I birthed such a prima ballerina but I get all gushy about her girly preferences.  

  

All dressed up in a new outfit and with her Fancy Nancy in tow. It's been just a week since her birthday and she's worn that skirt four times and that doll is always close, definitely birthday favorites. 

 These boys are way too cool and I love their guts. 

 

She's getting so big but what can I say, she's definitely my baby! I still love carrying her around and kissing those chipmunk cheeks. She doesn't seem to mind either, haha!

The balloon lady made Coco a special big Ariel balloon since it was her birthday. Oh wow, Coco was excited and I was impressed. I took a picture just in case she fell and Ariel popped, Cora is not always the most coordinated toddler.

We've been talking for months about how three-year-olds don't use binkies at bedtime anymore and Cora has been adamant that she would be the exception to that rule! But then came bedtime of her birthday and I told her the binkies were gone because she was a big girl now, and she just climbed in bed and went right to sleep. It's been a week now and we haven't had one issue and I'm just so grateful for such a smooth transition to three. I'm a mom without binkies, diapers and bottles...it's official, my baby days are behind me.  

Cora's 3-year-old birthday interview!

What is your favorite...

Color: It’s pink and red.

Food: Uh, stwawberries and blueberries. And parties! I eat some stwawberries and blueberries at parties. Can I have stwawberries and blueberries at my party?

Game: It’s McDonald’s. Yep, McDonald’s game. 

Book: It’s, uh, bunny book. (holding up the instructions to her new calico critters). This is a new bunny book I like. 

Toy: It’s my bunnies. It’s my bunnies today. So, I love them. 

Treat: It’s granola bars. Candy, granola bars, suckers, I want to eat them at my party. I wike candy. I wike candy.

Song: Hap-hap-happy birthday (by Perry Grip, thanks older brothers!)

Thing to learn about: It’s bunnies. I want to learn about bunnies.

Animal: It’s giraffes.

TV show: It’s Daniel Tiger, and Fancy Nancy, and bunnies.

Thing to wear: It’s bunny clothes and twirly dresses.

Holiday: It’s the bunny holiday. The bunny Easter hunt. Hop, hop. Hop.

What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a princess. I always said I want to be a princess.

If someone was being mean to your brother or sister, what would you do? I would tell them no, no, no, don’t hit my friend.

Who is your best friend? It’s Grandma Winnie.

What is something you want to learn to do this year? It’s hugging Daddy.

What is something that you are really good at? It’s taking my bunnies out of their bed.

If you had a million dollars, what would you buy? I would buy Daniel Tiger.

If you were an animal, what would you be? I would be a giraffe.

What do you want someone to invent? It’s, a giraffe. It’s, a Daniel Tiger.

If you could have a magic power, what would it be? It would be an Ariel one. It’s to change her power to a fox.

How many kids do you want to have when you grow up and get married? I want four kids (holds up five fingers.) Quinn: That’s five. Coco: Oh, I want five kids!

What kind of house would you like to live in: an igloo, a tree house, a castle, a cave, or our house?  A castle!

Who is the cutest boy in the whole world? It’s, MAX! No, I mean, it’s Talmage.

Where do you want to go on your mission? I want to go to Ariel’s house.

What's your favorite scripture story? It’s Ariel scripture story.

Celebrating Coco at Playgroup

Cora Nicole is turning three this week and since it was our turn to host playgroup we partied hard with all her little buddies. She's been talking for months about the Daniel Tiger cake she wanted and then this week decided it had to rainbows as well. I was all set to make one but then luckily and surprisingly Costco came through for us with a rainbow balloon cake that she absolutely fell in love with. Costco, you always win. The "party" was low key, with some Daniel Tiger plates and decorations and some snacks and cake, but she couldn't have been happier and keeps talking about her fun party and pretty cake. She also says, "it's my cake and I am not shawing and I eat it all myself," but maybe I should overshare about her new three-year-old attitude another day, sigh...

Coco at {almost} three is everything princess. She's pink and purple with sprinkles on her painted nails. She's mermaids and dress ups and Fancy Nancy and twirly dresses on the reg. She's bottle-feeding babies while sneaking a binky of her own and her pink blanket is never far away. She is always singing and always talking and always moving and lately, usually telling us that we're not on our list. We're not even really sure what that means, but we can't help but crack up when she says it. "Mama, you are not on my list! Keep binkies is on my list. Candy is on my list. You are off my list." Dang, that's rough. She yells at Alexa to play Daniel Tiger music, knows how to buckle the top of her carseat and then screams at one of us to do the bottom and asks everyday if she can go to Quinny's school yet. She's ready (Palms, beware!!!) She's super tall and super thin and just super, super cute. She's the baby of the family and she knooooows it, but we love every bit of her and wouldn't change a thing...except maybe the sharing thing!

Thank you Costco for the cake, and Target for the sale on Daniel Tiger figurines!

Ash sent me a box with this little witch costume for the girls to wear at Halloween but when Cora saw it on the morning of her party she was convinced it was a mermaid princess dress and come heck or high water she was going to wear that thing! This girl knows what she likes lately and won't take no for an answer. And what does she like? Dresses! The twirlier the better. 

Trick candles caught us all by surprise so the gang all helped to blow them out. Missing a few of our crew this week but so grateful for this great bunch of kids (and their awesome mamas). 

Happy birthday almost Coco-bird. I love you bigger, bigger (more than oatmeal). 

Quisabel

Quinn as a four-year-old is just straight up perfection. Maybe it's because her first few years were a little nightmare-inducing but she just seems so interesting and fun and tame (in a really crazy sort of way) and I love her so much it hurts. It's the little things that get me lately: the fact that she sleeps every night with the baseball she got from the Dodgers game, her continuing love of Pokemon hats and construction worker vests, her inquisitive nature and endless questions. She's missing preschool so much lately and said, "I love school Mom because I like to learn all the things." She's a girl after her Mama's heart: learn all the things, do all the things, eat all the things. I'm grateful for Quinn always but I think I might be especially grateful for 4-year-old Quinn!  

My girls have never been the best sleepers, but luckily we're on a good streak lately (knock on wood). A few weeks ago Quinny had a bad dream and couldn't sleep and even though I was exhausted, I cuddled up in bed with her so that she could calm down. Something about her cheetah jammies and the way she was cuddling that baby cheetah and holding my hand gave me all the feels.

Quinny took BA to Buddy Day at school and loved showing her the ropes.

Preschool Recycle Robot

Mid-day cuddle on Bops' chair.

She rarely cries when she falls but always requests a picture of her owie, haha!

One step closer to her LAPD dream.

Always, and I mean, ALWAYS, in that tree.

Me: Quinny, what is going on in this picture?

Quinny: Oh, did you see my pirate smile?!

Me: Yep, sure did.

I see your true colors, shining through. I see your true colors, that's why I love you.

Wango Tango

One Saturday a few weeks ago my "Runners Club" was on our way to run 10 miles at 5:45 am and bought Wango Tango tickets on a whim. Am I sorry we did that? Nope! But I know we crazy. I mean, Taylor Swift was headlining so it was kind of a no brainer for all three of us, we're obsessed! But the night of the concert after being up since 3 am, running 12.5 miles, and having the busiest day I got to thinking that maybe I'm a little too old for this night life thing! Not to worry, I pumped my veins with Diet Coke and got high on the energy of the crowd and we had such a great time. Anything for Taylor (and she was SO GOOD!)

We found out a few other friends were also Wango Tangoing so we all went together.

Runners Club, reporting for duty!

Diet Coke, 13 on my hand, wristband for the floor...basically covered all the essentials right here.

Turns out K Pop is not really our thing.

We had such great seats. It was so dang fun!!! 

When I finally got to bed that night I had been up for 22 hours. Holy hannah I was tired. #worthit I'd do it again in a second with these girls!