Good Times - March

Catherine & Chloe try out a ride simulator at Chuck E. Cheese during their brothers' birthday celebration. Chloe is warming up to rides.
Harrison in his normal outings pose.
Cousins came for a visit before Spring Break. We went to the children's science museum with them.
Being silly in the room of mirrors.
Taking a break in the elevator before heading for more fun.
My brave sister-in-law rode the suspended bike.
Seth blows bubbles. He was so cute doing this.
Cousin Gabriel makes a perfect bubble.
The H-L and D-L cousins. What a group! They play so well together and click instantly. Thanks for the visit guys!
Chloe the road warrior
Papa stopped through last week for an overnight.
Brothers are SO happy with their Geotrax trains! Their sisters are pretty happy too!

Milestones

Harrison is on a roll...literally.

Our little guy has metamorphosed from a happy-go-lucky observer of life into a curious little roly-poly with a love for his toes and his sisters' hair.
Yes, at the ripe age of 5 months Harrison is trying new things, like the swing in the backyard, and loving it. I can't believe I'm actually encouraging this but who can resist that smile of triumph a child gives you when they've accomplished something new.
Harrison is also in the early stages of sitting up. He often can't decide if his toes need further exploration or if his back needs additional strength training. Either way, he has done some amazing things all in the span of a week give or take a day or two. What will next week bring?

Adventure #4: Last Day at the Beach

We spent one last day on the beach before packing up and heading home. Mark took the boys out for their morning pep talk and ocean etiquette instructions. Sam bails out before the cold waves nibble his toes.
Seth loves the waves but gets knocked down easily. After one such wipeout he came crying out of the surf. I asked if he was hurt. He said, "No! Water yucky!"
Chloe shows off the wet sand she was using to make a sand castle.
Harrison happy to be outside with his family.
The long road home. We took the scenic route north of Joshua Tree National Park. It was a lovely but slow drive home.
We've now spent 19 nights in our trailer, about a third of what we have planned for the year. We are loving our new found ability to escape whether for two nights or nine.

Adventure #4: The San Diego Zoo

We spent a very warm Day 7 at the San Diego Zoo. You know it's world famous, right? It's so famous that just by going you become famous too. We got our picture taken or at least offers to do so around every corner.

We started the day with a 40-minute bus tour of the zoo. It really is a lovely zoo with a sound commitment to the environment. We had a great bus driver who gave us a peek at the majority of the zoo's animals. She spoiled us really. We had to do some serious cost-benefit analysis later in the day when deciding which hills were worth pushing two strollers up in order to see the animals up close and personal.

This picture of the giraffes was taken from the bus. Would you have walked back to see them again? Us either!
We went to the sea lion show. It was fun although Madelyn was bummed she wasn't picked to be the kid who got to feed the sea lion squid and get a kiss from him.
This was my favorite exhibit. Children in nature, but be careful because they're prone to ask for drinks, food, and demand rides even when all four stroller seats are taken.
A highlight of our zoo visit was seeing the panda bears. Well, sort of. This poor girl was in heat. I'm thankful our kids were too tired to ask what that meant or consider the panda's pacing behavior unusual.
Madelyn took over the camera for the cat walk. Most of the cats were sleeping but she got this good shot of a duck.
Our second zoo 'moment' came at the koala exhibit. A handler brought this guy out and placed him on the tree right in front of our eyes. He was so cute and fuzzy, you just wanted to squeeze him. I settled for giving Harrison an extra squeeze instead. He's not as fuzzy but his nails are much less threatening.
Seth was fixated with a kelp snake for several days of this trip so we decided to take him to see some real snakes. I hope to never see Seth carrying one of these around.
The first five visited the petting zoo with Mark while I tended to Harrison. Chloe made friends with a goat.
Next was the aerial tram. It was refreshing and fun because any vehicle suspended above the ground is exhilarating. We had to take two trams because there is a 4 per car limit. We're finding that more and more often we are filling things like cars and tables to capacity.
Our last stop was souvenir shopping with the six kids. Yes, we're scheduled to have our mental health checked. Going into the experience we rationalized it by telling ourselves that it's good for children to have choices and to meet budgetary expectations. It really wasn't that bad other than our children's painful inability to make a decision about spending money, which Mark would say they inherited from me.

All in all, it was a good day. We learned a lot about why the San Diego Zoo is world famous. The enclosures do seem more authentic than we've seen at other zoos and it is pretty cool that they grow food for the animals on the grounds. But the animals didn't look any happier and I was definitely not happier having to walk so far to see them, pushing a double stroller uphill, both ways. And it did seem a little too commercial. I did mention they're world famous, didn't I?

Flashback Friday: Seth & Sam turn 3!

March definitely came in 'like a lion' for us. We've been moving along at a frenzied clip of late between travel, family visits, school projects, and illness. In the midst of it all, our twin boys turned 3.

I looked back at what I wrote last year on their birthday and, well, it still applies. The boys have added words to their actions. Seth is still my snuggler, my tender hearted little sloth. He is curious, sometimes clever, and is developing a tremendous sense of humor with an infectious laugh to boot. Having a little brother was not on his list of things to do this year but hey, at least Harrison makes a good pillow. I love when Seth tries to make Harrison smile and calls him 'tooty' (cutey). Sethy makes me prove my love to him each day through helping him with clothes, shoes and food. "Mommy dude it!" is said with great frequency. I love my little guy. It has been such a joy watching him grow into a little boy this year.
Sam is still my most motivated helper. He likes to be in the middle of all family activities. Sam is thoughtful and sweet and well tolerated by his sisters. In contrast to Seth, a little brother is just what Sam ordered. He has lovingly doted over Harrison since the day he came home from the hospital. He's a little rough at times but Harrison loves when his big brother is around. Sam is eager to start reading like his sisters. Preschool Mommy-style can't start soon enough for Sam. Sammy Q, I love you!
We had a great time celebrating the boys' birthday. Seth and Sam have been talking about Chuck E. Cheese's since their sisters' birthday back in October. We went for a morning of fun in honor of them. Then, on their actual birthday, we did presents and cupcakes.





Boys, I love watching you grow and develop your own interests and personalities. You challenge me with your boy-ness at times, especially in the car, but I can't imagine my life without your sweet hugs and exuberance. Happy Birthday!

Adventure #4: San Elijo State Beach

On Day 5 we headed down the California coast toward San Diego. We decided that rather than do two animal days (SD Zoo & Wild Animal Park) as planned, we'd do two beach days with our animals. The weather had warmed up some and the beach was wider so the kids had more room to play and after Saturday's lessons, they felt more confident in their ocean survival skills.

Sam was much happier digging in the sand and cleaning his sister's seashells, and his hands, and his feet, than venturing into the waves. Remind me to keep an eye on the compulsive cleanliness of this one.
Daddy and Chloe take the first dip of the day. I love this picture of Catherine.
When I was 7, if a kelp wrapped itself around my leg like this, I would not have been happy. I'm glad Madelyn is not as prissy as me. She actually enjoyed this kelp attack and stripped its leaves to make a 'snake' for Seth.
Madelyn just couldn't get enough of the beach. She jumped waves, scouted out the best shells, and dug sand pits which she and her sisters transformed into mini-oceans.
Catherine was very sweet with Seth this day. They were wave runners together.Go, Seth, Go!
Harrison got his toes wet too. The first day we did this the cold shocked him and he wasn't too happy. On this day he seemed to enjoy the sand in his toes and watching the waves creep ever closer.
Another great day of beach fun!

Adventure #4: Disneyland

We headed to Disneyland on Day 4 of Spring Break. Mark and Madelyn participated in Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" program. They packaged 2,000 lbs. of cauliflower for the local food bank. We were super proud of Madelyn's effort. Her ticket (and Mark's too) was well-earned.

Silly boys playing in hats.
We hopped in the "Monkey" car on the Casey Jr. train ride.
The merry-go-round is a family favorite. Madelyn always wants to ride an outside horse.
Catherine and Chloe were pleased to find horses next to each other.
Daddy really gets the girls spinning on the tea cups.
We all loved the boat ride through Storybook Village. The boys were too anxious about going into the whale's mouth to smile for the picture.
Daddy gave the kids turns riding on his shoulders. Seth is always somewhat sloth-like when on Daddy's shoulders.
The girls waiting to ride the roller coaster in Toontown.
Waiting for the parade. We got front row seats for the 6:30 p.m. parade. Madelyn got to dance with Woody and all the kids took off in the congo line.
We had a great day at Disneyland! It was enough to want to go back some day but not too much that we had to deal with tantrums. Ahh, balance and harmony!