We Built This City On Hills

First day destination was Catalina Island, CA...isn't it gorgeous? Because the port was small and not very deep they had to anchor the ship still out in the water and we would take little boats into the island. I have a strange dislike of small boats--not that I don't know how to swim (the opposite actually- I love water and swimming) but I hate little boats because I feel like I have no control over what is going on and that the boat is going to tip. It was a fun day, Sonia and I went shopping! while everyone else went geocaching and exploring. Sonia bought a beautiful ring and I found a flower hairclip that matches the color and style perfectly of a shirt that I purchased a couple of months ago. I also bought another souvenir but it has been used and is gone. Because of naps everyone else headed back to the ship but Mom and I spent a little more time shopping, she bought one of those floppy hats in a purple color-love, I can't wait until this summer when she can wear it while doing her gardening :) 

Meeting back up after we had done some shopping and they had done geocaching.

Gorgeous!

They had these awesome looking "caramel" apples, I hope this fall to copy some of their ideas (and hopefully not pay as much as they were charging for them).

Dinner for Tuesday night was fancy night, it was fun to get a little more dressed up than normal. We figured out that we should all have a meeting spot to gather before dinner so that we could go in together and be sure to sit with each other. We picked the library as our gathering spot. Some of us got there a little early so they picked up the board games and played a little until everyone was there.

Uncle Kyle taught Jacob how to play chess while we were waiting and he loved it, he even asked Kyle to go back and play with him after dinner.

Look at that beautiful girl-- she is getting so big (will be 11 next month!)

It cracks me up, they were sitting in the exact same pose.

So serious and concentrated on what he is doing.

Our family took the dressing-up serious, unlike this girl behind Jacob that is dressed with a lace shirt and you can see her bra underneath.

Such a silly Claire, she was showing her belly button.

Yeah our first towel animal! I was more than a little excited/happy when I came back to our room after dinner and found this on my bed.

Oops these are in the wrong spot but I'm too lazy to move them--getting ready!

I straightened my hair and then Libbey did it for me...I'm wearing the flower that I bought in Catalina.

Adventures As a Child-Napper

With all of my time spent with kids (young to old) there is something that I've learned...there is good, bad, funny, not-so-funny, happy, irritating moments. And you have to learn to smile and laugh through the good and take deep breaths (and remember the good) during the bad. As I watch Allisyn 3 days a weeks and Emily/Addy 2 days a week I have many opportunities for funny things to happen. I'm sure that there are many more but these are some of the ones that I can remember at the moment...

...several weeks ago Allisyn started making a new noise, it sounded like she was choking (which of course greatly concerned me). Every time I would look over at her she would stop making the noise and act like everything was ok, I picked her up to make sure that everything was ok. I told her that she shouldn't make that noise, it made me concerned that something was wrong and that she couldn't breathe. Her response...sticking out her tongue at me :)

Yesterday I discovered while playing hide and go seek it's probably best not to play right after it has snowed outside (unless playing with a 2 year old like I was), the snow is a dead give away to what direction you have gone for your hiding. But because I was playing with a 2 year old it was probably good because it made it a little easier for her.

With little girls your purse is free game. A couple of weeks ago I was sitting on the couch minding my own business when Elle (friend of Emily) took my purse and every item somehow became a gift for Emily on her birthday (each item was taken out one at a time and given to her and they would talk about each thing).

I forget the things that are said while little girls play dress-up...(heard from Elle while she and Emily were playing pretend several weeks ago---Elle had a pillow under her shirt so that she looked pregnant), "Pretend that I heard the baby crying in my stomach and I started bouncing up and down because I knew she liked it."
While on campus with Allisyn we stopped in the bathroom and as we were walking out there were two girls sitting by the couch's talking, as I passed them one randomly turned to me and complimented me on my stroller. I kindly said thank you and as soon as I was out of the bathroom started laughing (*no offense to Erin and J.J.'s stroller, it is cute but it just made me laugh).