We made it to San Clemente!

We are finally on vacation!  After a long drive we made it to San Clemente.

We started our trip off by forgetting Austin's bubba.  Whoops!  Fortunately, we were only a couple blocks from the house.  Then about 30 minutes after our trip started again.  Poor Lincoln got car sick.  Not pretty and it certainly didn't smell good.  And finally Austin decided that he did NOT want to be in the car anymore.  Haha!  All in all a great ride.  :o) 

We all love coming to San Clemente.  We have so much fun going to the beach, swimming in the pool, and visiting the local frozen yogurt shop.  :o)

Once we all got settled we decided to take a walk down to the beach and pier to watch the sunset.

We also visited the swings on the beach.  Always lots of cute photo opportunities.

So fun!  What will tomorrow bring?

Gilroy Gardens

I had the great idea to go to Gilroy Gardens between picking Payton up from her sleepover at Amma's house and going to our friend's birthday party.  I didn't realize when I first mentioned it that it was going to be 115 degrees outside.  Yikes!  Dave had the great idea to bring a spray bottle, it is amazing how much that spritz of water helped.



 

Thank goodness for the water features at the park.  It took being miserable to having fun in no time flat.  Even Baby Austin joined in on the fun. 

 I loved the action shots if you couldn't tell.  Haha!

Grandma's 80th Birthday Party Invitations

My Grandma Maddix is turning 80 this year!  We have started planning the celebration and I have to say that I am super excited for it.  :o)

Today mom and I got together and made the invitations.  We started with a couple ideas I had in my head and came up with this.

Mom and I were super excited and thought it turned out really cute.  But then came the reality that it took over a half and hour to cut out the red embellishments and even longer to try and peel them off the cutting mat.  Boo!  So we went back to the drawing board and picked another corner embellishment.

I think they turned out super cute and I am so glad that we got them done.

The new thing I learned during this project is that spray adhesive works WONDERFULLY with frilly little pieces.  Just spray the back side and voila it is just like a sticker...well kind of.  Haha!

A is for Archery

In an effort to keep my kiddos busy this summer I am trying to come up with some fun learning activities.  One of my ideas is to think of activities for each letter of the alphabet.  I haven't thought this all the way through the alphabet yet but hey, knowing me I will make it to "c" and then run out of steam.  Haha!

A was for archery.  I finally finished making their PVC pipe bows.  Those things shoot fast and far, definitely only to be used with parental supervision.  But we all had fun.

And no the helmets were not a requirement.  They found them and just HAD to wear them.  So funny.

Lincoln did take a video of me shooting the bow and arrow but unfortunately only got a video of my backside.  Umm, I am not posting that one.  Haha!

Rainy Days

Today was the first day of the second session of swimming lessons.  It was rainy and a little chilly.  I was a little surprised that they still had lessons today.  I just hope the water was warmer than it was on the deck.  The kids were a little apprehensive to start because their new teachers, Miss Valerie and Cory.  But were quick to warm up to them.  Thankfully.  They were great!

Monkey Crawling

After swim lesson we went over to Jessie Kilger's house for our very first "Make It Monday".  Our goal was to come up with some crafts or activities for the kids to do at least once a week.  Jessie planned for the kids to decorate cardboard cutouts of the first initial of their first name with scraps of fabric and ribbon.  Some lasted a little longer than others.  Haha!  Lincoln glued about 10 pieces on and Payton covered the majority of hers.  I think they turned out super cute.  I even got to make one for Austin.

Open Swim

I bought some workbooks for the kids and I to do over the summer.  Today was the first day I pulled them out.  The kids really enjoyed themselves and asked for more worksheets when we were done with the ones I set out.  One of the worksheets was a cut and paste activity.  I wasn't sure how it would go with Lincoln because I don't think he has ever used scissors.  He loved it and did really well with both the cutting and the pasting.  I loved watching him cut because he would be cutting with one hand and the other hand would be phantom cutting.  It was so cute so I recorded it.  Watch Lincoln cutting here.

Playing at the pool has been so much fun.  Payton and Lincoln have been getting so much more comfortable in the water.  Yay!

After I recorded Lincoln jumping off (or should I say being thrown off) the diving board yesterday, Payton wanted me to take a video of her to share.  She said, "Hey mom, take a picture of me jumping in the pool to send to Daddy."  Yay!  The excitement! See Payton jump into the pool here.

Mommy's Shoes

I love these pictures!  After church Payton stole my shoes and took a stab at walking around in them.  So cute!

Dave and I were in the mood for BBQ.  Tonight Tri Tip, Chicken, and Filet Mignon were on the menu.  Everything was delicious!  Nothing like spending time with family and eating good food.

Playing school with her cousin Caeden.

Superman

Our favorite place to spend the day has been the club pool.  Payton and Lincoln have been taking swimming lessons there so we have been there everyday.  Today Dave got to go with us and the kids showed him all that they have been learning.  Austin loves being in the pool too. 

Somehow Payton has four swim cover ups or swim robes and poor Lincoln has only one from last year and it is way too small.  I had no idea he grew so much over the past year, the sleeves go to his elbows.  Anyway, I told him a while ago that I would make him a swim robe if we couldn't find one we liked.  Never found one we liked and so I set to work on the Superman Swim Robe as requested.

I am really impressed with myself,  I threaded and used my serger for the first time...and it worked!  Made my own pattern.  Broke a few needles.  And finished it all in one day.  Haha!

Lincoln loves it but wishes the Superman symbol was on the front so he could see it.  So he put it on backwards.  I wish I got a picture of him.

The Diving Board

Today was the last day of swimming lessons.  The kids have both done so well and really neither of them cried at all.  Yay!  While they didn't pass to the next level, they have become a lot more comfortable in the water, which is AWESOME!

For a special treat, at the end of the lesson the teachers asked the kids if they wanted to jump off the board.  I didn't think either of my kiddos would ever do it and I had already decided that that was something I would never force them to do.  After all, whether or not they go off the diving board does not affect how well they swim across the pool.  Well, when they asked Lincoln he marched right up there.  I don't think he knew what he was getting into.  Haha!  Poor kid went off the board anyway, with a little help.  He may have been terrified to do it but he bragged about it for the rest of the day.  So cute!  Watch Lincoln jump off the diving board here.

After swimming lessons we came home to host our Gilroy play group.  We set out all the baby pools and water table so the water fun could continue.  The kids had a great time.  We set the slide in the pool so when you slide down you end in a big splash.  The kids have really had fun with it this summer.

Today we got happy mail!  We ordered an activity table for Austin, he is to a point where he is trying to pull himself up and we thought we would give him something to do while he is standing.  :o)  I set it up as soon and it came and I am happy to say he LOVED it.  He was so cute !  See Austin standing at his activity table here.

Another fun thing that happened today was that Austin ate pizza for the first time.  Yes, I am a wonderful mother.  Haha!  We picked up Little Caesar's Pizza for dinner on the way to Dave's soccer game.  After I took a bite of my first piece Austin decided he wanted to try it and took it right out of my hand.  He ended up eating about half the piece!

 

Love these guys!

Test Day

Today was test day for session one of swim lessons.  Both Payton and Lincoln have really done so well this session.  From day one to now they are so much more comfortable in the water.  They are not quite ready for the next class yet but I hope another session will continue to build their confidence in the water.  Look at that smile!

 

 

After lessons we decided to stay and play for a little while.  Love the kids pool.  So fun!

Jump In

Today the kids promised me that they jump in from the side at least once and that they would work on their back floats.  Those are the two things they are having the hardest time with.

They did great!  So proud of them.

 



My little buddy.  He wants to get in so bad.

 



First Day of No School

It is summer vacation!  I can't believe it.  What are we going to do with ourselves?

 

Today was a pretty great day.  The kids got to wake up when they were ready and they all seemed to be a in good mood. While I was fixing breakfast, the kids kept themselves busy with a little target practice.  They started out with just the dart guns and before I knew it Spiderman joined us with his web slingers.  They seemed to have a lot of fun and even let me play.  :o)

 

 

Payton got a Barbie Game as a belated birthday gift yesterday and was so excited to play it.  With very little persuasion Spiderman (Lincoln) was ready to play as well.  Goal of the game was to collect four different charms for your bracelet and return to your home space.  Both were very excited to wear their bracelets.



 

Off to the circle pool!  Payton and Lincoln's cousins Ethan and Grace are in town visiting and they are having such a great time playing with each other.  I am so glad they love playing with each other, I remember loving to visit and play with my cousins. 

 

We love this little pool, it is so great.  It is usually quite calm and the kids love how deep or should I say how shallow it is.  We were here for about 2 hours!  They will sleep well tonight!

 



School's Out for Summer

I can't believe today is Payton's last day of Begindergarten.  She has had so much fun this year and has grown so much.  She is outgoing, confident, a leader (bossy?), and has made lots of friends.

 

While I am sad that I wasn't able to help out in the class more during the year, I am grateful that I was able to finish the year strong by helping out in the class room a couple of days, driving for a field trip, and taking a few of the kids around the carnival.  It makes me so happy that she gets so excited to have me around.

Last Opening Circle

 

The Begindergarten Room

 The carnival was so much fun.  I loved watching them decide what they wanted to do.  They had so many games/activities that the kids could choose from.  My favorites to watch were the spin painting and Payton going down the big slide.  I was actually surprised when she said she wanted to go too after her friend Kelsey had said she wanted to go.  I have always had to take her to the top and slide down with her but today she did it all by herself.

 I also loved the face painting.  Payton and a few of her friends all decided they all wanted to be puppies.  They were all so cute!



 Payton has been asking for cotton candy for a long time.  Whenever we go to a theme park she always asks and for one reason or another I always say no.  Boo!  I know, I am no fun.  Anyway, they had all kinds of carnival food and she got her cotton candy, as well as, a snow cone.  Love the colored tongues.  Haha!

 This year has been wonderful.  I am so, so grateful we are able to send Payton to Almaden Country School and hope that we will be able to continue to have her and Lincoln and Austin go there.  It is such a great school and atmosphere.  While we are going to miss Mrs. Drucker and Miss Day we are looking forward to what Kindergarten will hold next year.



Last Closing Circle