Galaxy Date Night

My first professional soccer game is in the books thanks to a partner at James' firm with front row season tickets to the LA Galaxy and a busy schedule. Gosh, I'm grateful she's willing to share! It may have been late notice but must have been meant to be because Rach and Sean were free and we both found babysitters just hours before kick-off. The energy in that arena was unmatched and the extrovert in me was in heaven. The cheering, the crowds, the camaraderie and let's be honest, the nachos were all enough to make me a diehard fan. I mean, where do I buy my scarf? I even danced my way to a free t-shirt that I wore throughout the game. Needless to say it was a blast and I can't wait to go to another game.

If it looks like we're happy it's because we're seriously happy! Anytime spent with these two is a good time.

Oh, did I mention WE WON???! I seriously lost my voice from cheering so loud.

I've put a huge emphasis on dating this guy this year and it's been amazing. We've always been more of a watch-a-movie daters because it's easy and cheap and I still love a good night in, but it's been so refreshing to get a babysitter and get out of the house. 11 years later and I still really love him.

Discovery Cube and Kids Club

On my last post I said we had completed our LA Bucket List and obviously that's not completely true. There is so much to do here and I don't think we'll ever truly be done finding new fun ways to explore our city. Another Spring Break adventure was Discovery Cube children's museum, which we had never visited before. We went with Rachel and Co., our partners in crime, and had such a great time. So great, in fact, that we bought a membership so that we can visit the other Discovery Cube's and other affiliate museums in our country. I'm a sucker for a deal, and with a family as big as ours this somehow felt like one!

Ginny is two and a half years older than Coco but they are nearly the same size, look like sisters and are the sweetest of friends. Ginny is nurturing and loving and Coco eats up all of her attention and concern. There was rarely a time we were in the museum that these two weren't holding hands and walking together. 

There was a Hot Wheels exhibit and you'll never guess which one of my children was obsessed. Well, all of them, but Talmage's eyes were bugging out of his head! Still hasn't grown out of his love for cars and I think it's so sweet. 

Somehow these two best frienemies look like twins in this picture, at least size-wise. They are the cutest little pit crew duo, especially when they're getting along. 

T was reminded that being a goalie is not his thing after pretending to be an LA King and have pucks slung at him!

I'm not going to name names, but not everyone finished that pully on the far left--the hardest one--but my girl Quinn definitely did. That girl will move mountains someday--literally and figuratively!

Can you spot some Wiggy inspectors on this board?!

Mama's holding babies...and cheetahs, binkies, blankets and chocolate, haha!

The day after visiting the Cube us little Wig's headed to the Grove for a Kids Club puppet show. I somehow got talked into staying for both shows and so what I thought would be an hour trip ended up lasting three and a half. Haha, these kids have my crazy stay-all-day genes, that's for sure! We had a really good time together.

The marionette show was great, but this was the highlight! We were the first people on the trolley, which Coco was sure came from Daniel Tiger's neighborhood, and got to ride on the bench up front. The ride was approximately five minutes but it made their day and therefore made mine. I love them.

Descanso Gardens

We Spring-breaked in Los Angeles this year for a number of reasons and even though we missed Utah and cousins and our traditional Easter adventures it was fun to be grounded and explore this city we love so much. At this point in our LA life we have pretty much conquered our Bucket List and now our adventures are repeats from past fun. Isn't it crazy that we've lived somewhere long enough to be locals?! That being said, we decided on Descanso for our first Spring Break adventure and I couldn't help but comment like a broken record about how different it looked in the spring (I've only ever visited in the fall and summer). The gardens were lush and green and the flowers were breath-taking and bounteous. I'm so grateful to experience new and wonderful views in our same, sweet city. 

This crew ran around Descanso like they owned it, and don't tell them they don't! The weather was cooler than we realized it would be--we even got rain--but they were such great sports and somehow didn't complain at all about being cold. How is that possible when it was almost all I could talk about?!

It's still hard for me to believe I have a ten-year-old, and I'll probably feel like that with him at every age. He is my oldest and there is something that will always be special and stretching in our relationship--because we are learning through life and parenting and maturing together, me and him. I'm grateful for our mutual patience and endless adoration, and also for those moments where it's crystal clear that we understand each other's best intentions. I really love him and am so grateful he's forever mine...especially when he sits on a ledge and asks me to take his picture. Say what?!

This picture reminds me so much of my Noni. Even before we left for the gardens I put this hand-me-down sweater on Quinny for the first time and thought, "Noni would wear a pull-over like this!" Isn't it funny how a simple sweater pulled out of a bag could elicit such memories, such emotion. And not just the sweater--the flowers! I don't think it's a bad thing for people to see Mother Earth's beauty and think of someone, what a compliment, and she is exactly where my mind turns when I see new, colorful growth. When I saw this flower bed of blossoms I knew Noni could name because I've seen them in her yard I desperately wanted a picture of Quinny right in front. Actually, I desperately wanted Noni to be here, to be walking through these gardens with me and admiring their beauty, to see my home and my life in LA and to shower us with her goodness, but a picture that reminded me of her was the only suitable second. Quinn Isabel is named after Noni's mom and I love to look at this little girl and remember that so many of the qualities of the women I love is found in her. Ours is a rich history of strong women who saw and see blossoms while standing in weeds and I'm grateful to be apart of their legacy. 

That full-face dimpled smile gets me every, single time. She IS joy.

Monkey see, monkey do. 

And when we got home, tired from a long day we had hot cocoa and nachos...because why not?! Olive you, Coco, and your cute siblings too!

Weekending in San Diego For James' 33rd

For James' 33rd birthday I kidnapped him for a kid-free weekend in San Diego and we had SO MUCH FUN! I vowed after our Maui trip last year that we would get away more often, just us two, and this was me keeping myself honest! There's something about getting away together that slows (and quiets) things down and you really just get to enjoy each others company. This time together is so special and this weekend was so fun...maybe we should go away twice a year. Three times?! Do I hear four?

Our first meal was really an it-can-only-go-up-from-here moment, haha! We learned something very important: if a menu says on the bottom, "even if you don't like it you still have to pay" just leave right then and there. Ew!!! The grossest Japanese food I've ever, ever had.

On James' actual birthday I made him run a 10K with me--maybe not the relaxing morning he had imagined but such a fun way to start a new year. I'll be honest, we rocked it! I finished in under and hour which was my goal (that PS I didn't think I would accomplish) and James finished 15th overall in a race of 1000. I busted my rump and thought I might die, he barely trained and didn't brake a sweat, so it's all good and fair in the world, right?! Honestly though, this was the perfect morning and I was so grateful for a healthy body that could accomplish something hard.

The 10K crew--I love these fun friends that ran the race with us!

The race was in Mission Bay and it was beautiful! I loved running through wildflowers and by the water. 

Post-race brunch is always my favorite meal. This food from The Cottage in La Jolla may have been the best breakfast I've ever eaten, and that's saying something because breakfast is my jam!

The hilarious irony--you would not believe how many people were climbing over this sign to get to the forbidden beach!

Recreating this was one of my favorite moments of the day!

We toured the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier in San Diego, per the birthday boy's request. We were able to listen to so many docent lectures and learned so much.

Because nothing screams "San Diego cuisine" like Russian food, this is where James wanted to eat on his birthday, haha! The food was amazing, we were impressed!

On Sunday we went to Mass at the oldest mission in California and it was so beautiful. It was palm Sunday and really well attended and I felt like I was a part of something big and important. I love when good people get together to worship Jesus and I was so grateful we could be there. 

A final walk on the beach and we happened upon lifeguard shack 33...you can't tell me that wasn't lucky!

And before we knew it we were home with these four who maybe missed us a little but mostly had a blast with their babysitter, Miss Savannah. This Junior's Devils Food Cheesecake that I ordered from New York was waiting for us and our little family gathered outside to sing happy birthday to our dearest Dad-Man and dig in. Happy birthday James, glad we got to celebrate you!

Baby Ballerina

Cora at almost three is like a little mosquito constantly buzzing around my person. A tall, darling and lovable mosquito, but a little bug just the same!

She prefers hanging with the grown-ups over playing with the kids and as much as I encourage her to go find a doll or a dress or just about anything in her room she's overjoyed to jump on my lap as if I were her own personal gym and jabber incessantly. Her voice is low like her mama but also squeaky like a mouse and she's always saying things that make me swoon. Like a few days ago when someone asked what her name was and she said, "I call me Coco." It sounded so cute coming from her little mouth, especially because it was perfectly parroted from me introducing her to people. ("Her name is Cora but we call her Coco.") Or at the park when I had to grab something out of the car and she took Melissa's hand and said, "Will you be my mommy till that mommy comes back?" She loves to ask questions--so many questions--and is known to repeat herself until your answer meets her standard. "Mama, why you doing that? Why you doing that Mama? Why you doing that. MAMA, WHY YOU DOING THAT?!" That never gets annoying...insert seriously long and dramatic eye roll. For a little girl that went so long without uttering a word she sure is making up for lost time and even our closest friends frequently comment about how much she talks and how well she talks. A lot, and really well.

When we drive in the car she asks me to roll her window down so that she can say hi to people and then she proceeds to enthusiastically wave and shout greetings to fellow cars, homeless people on the street, Bird riders and even trees and flowers if there are slim people pickings. She sings all the time, mostly Daniel Tiger songs, and will often chastise her siblings with music. At the table she'll tell Everett, "You gotta try new things 'cause they might taste good" and has been known to sing a fitful Quinny the song, "When something feels bad turn it around, and find something good." If I want a few minutes of peace during the day I will sit her at the table with a coloring book and ask Alexa to play Daniel Tiger music. If I'm lucky she'll sit and sing along, if I'm not she'll follow me around and ask if I want to sing with her! (Which I do...as long as we switch Alexa to Taylor or Ariana!)

For months she's been begging me to sign her up for a dance class, ballet to be exact, and I've been all--you mean basketball?! This sort of girliness that comes so naturally to her is far out of my wheelhouse, but I finally found a class, Two-Two Ballet, and it is exceeding all of her dancing dreams. The first day the teacher couldn't figure her out because she's as tall as an average four-year-old but has the coordination and comprehension of, well, a two-year-old. #tallkidproblems But Cora is loving it and I am all gushy seeing my baby ballerina dressed in her pink leotard and flats. She is confident in her love of princesses and babies and strollers and pink and my job of late is to sit back and watch this fancy little girl sparkle!

Who gets to go to dance today? ^^^This girl!^^^ 

"I'm excited to twiwl in my dance cwass!"

Oh, I love you Coco-bird!