SoCal Summer

Summer is under way here!

Lots of porch sitting by this little girl.

POOL AND PARK HOPPERS
We find ourselves at the pool or the park every afternoon.  We have some great parks here and we're going to try to hit all of them :)

FRIENDS
My friends do way too many fun things, it's hard to keep up!
We had a 30th bday party for my cute friend.

Here's a dramatic/sad/dumb article from HuffPost written by a lady who says she is just sooo lonely as a mom and desperate for a friend.

Luckily, I've never had to go around target looking for a friend.

 But I guess I do feel bad for the lady.

Some friends and I went to Hollywood and saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.  If you remember Ace and Diana from American Idol (they eventually got married), they were the lead roles.  Ace did not hold up to my Donny Osmond standard, but it was a really great production.  And plus, Hollywood is always a pleasure, since you see so many weirdo freaks, it makes you happy to return to your little bubble.

It was at the Pantages theater (Hollywood Icon).  Its a really pretty theater.  Outside there is a patio with all the movie posters, and so many lights and an ornate ceiling. 

Inside is just as ornate!

Friends are important.  It's way easier NOT to go do things.  It takes effort to find a day on the calendar, get a babysitter, arrange everything, get out of your comfort zone, etc. 

 

But make yourself do it every once in awhile and balance it out with your at home time.  

HOME TIME | MY BABIES

 Me and my little girlies, they are so cute and we are in a "good behavior" phase right now so I'm just enjoying it because I know a "meltdown phase" is right around the corner.

Amaryllis is getting really confident about walking/holding the baby but gosh oh goodness it still freaks me out.  She has more confidence then actual upper body strength.

Maybelle, 9 months already wahhhhh! Stop growing!

As you'll recall, the magic black dress from exactly 9 months ago.  Stretched to the max.

PATIO PLAYTIME

And my anniversary present to myself...the double papasan cuddle chair.  We have literally the BEST most gorgeous weather in the USA and I haven't felt like I've been able to soak it up because I couldn't find the right patio furniture.  I didn't want a table and chairs.  The wicker love seats...not comfy.  I wanted something to lay/lounge/snuggle/read/nap.

Imagine me sitting here watching trashy tv with the ipad, kids tucked in bed for the evening, I got the twinkle lights on, a jug of milk, a box of apple jacks, as the sun slips behind the mountain.
Come and join me some time :)

We had some baby birds hatch on our porch and I think they have just decided to stick around in the area, so we have cute little sing-song chorus of birds chirping all day long, kids running in and out doing various projects, food and crumbs all over, and a cute baby that just watches all the commotion on the porch.

What was worth the money, the patio chair or the boxes that it came in?? 

They have been playing with these big boxes for days!

INDOOR PLAY

We are trapped at home for 2 chunks of napping so they get creative.

I'm always finding random things around the house that Amaryllis has constructed.  Above is a hang glider, and a barbie backpack made out of a toilet paper roll.  Below is chef barbie.  The fabric was from my barbie box when me and my sisters would try to make homemade barbie outfits 25 yrs ago.

 

Maybelle is not using her little sleeping head rest properly.  The past 2 days I walk in, and she accidentally has it on her leg or arm.

I've been trying to have them do some school work a few times a week.  Just very casual things.

Nothing can contain the Bartlett Masher Toes:

I guess if you wait until your child is 6.5 yrs old, then take off the training wheels, they already know how to ride the bike.  She picked it up in a matter of minutes and is cruising now.