getaway weekend in the desert

i'm back in the 'real world' after a mini vacay with
two of my dear friends, connie and franka.

i've been friends with these girls since our early 20s.
and because we all live in different cities now, we don't see each
other nearly as much as we'd like.  we were due to get together (pas due),
and this trip was worth all the effort it took in planning!

we each have two kids now so there was a total of 9 of us.
we shared a casita and though it was spacious enough, at times it was a bit chaotic.
regardless, we found creative ways to make it all work.

my wonderful s-i-l helped me arrange for a sitter one evening so us girls could go out.
that was so appreciated!  another treat, the hilton made an exception to their rules and allowed
3 year olds (scoutie and ryan) into their coyote camp for half days. with the boys in camp, us moms
were able to enjoy several hours together without interruptions. i was even able to sneak away and
exercise at their gym and get a little reading done. what a treat!

some highlights:
- franka announcing she was pregnant with #3!
- running out of gas on the way to the phoenix - just before the off-ramp which led to a gas station
  (a good samaritan stopped and quickly and got us on our way)
- hotel waterslides
- paige (the baby of the bunch) calling all the older boys 'babies'
- getting a speeding ticket on the way back to san diego (no i wasn't driving)
- mom's night out at aunt chiladas
- game night (dirty laundry)
- evening margaritas
- LOTS of talking and laughing

photo highlights:
below: ryan (3), finn (6), scout (3) and reece (4.5)

so long summer

i can't believe summer is over already!
it came and went before i ever realized it was summer.

part of this must be because it has been an unusually mild summer for san diego.
i think there were a handful of days it reached 80 degress at the beach so it simply
didn't feel much like summer. i can't complain when so much of the country was hot and
miserable, it was just unusual is all.  we usually get 2 weeks of hot weather.
since we didn't, i really welcomed the recent phoenix trip.

another reason i feel it flew by? we didn't go on a family trip anywhere this summer.
we usually squeeze something in and the summer of 2010, well we didn't.
c was buried at work, we were both preparing the beach cottage to sell and
preparing for our 'temporary' home.  things were far from 'status quo' at the house.

at least the little guys enjoyed their summer.
brooke entertained them with trips to museums, the zoo and sea world and because finn needed
a little more than just that, we put him in science and tennis camp for a week as well. 
science camp of course was his favorite!  there's *very* little that excited him more than science.
(no joke). finn oliver would have been perfectly content being there all summer

next year, he's requested 'robotic camp', however here's the hitch.
children have to be 8 years old to attend.
finn however believes "is very intelligent" and thinks the director
might let him."  i've promised to ask. :)

besides the move, i had to be sure to get a picture of brooke with the boys
and also finn on his first day of kindergarten.
actually it was his 2nd day. i forgot my camera the first day. *smile*

a visit from lindsey

my niece lindsey is here visiting from orlando!!
it had been years since her last visit,
so this is a treat for her as well as for all of us.
the last time she visited, she came with her mom.
she was 13 then. she's 18 now and there's no mom in sight.
i still can't believe how grown up she is - doesn't seem possible.

as a high school graduation gift,
my sister valerie purchased her a plane ticket to come out to san diego
and visit for a week.  this trip had been in the making for months,
long before we decided to sell our little beach house.

so lindsey is here and it couldn't be a more crazy time. 
well i guess we could be packing - that would be crazier.
still, things are hectic. up until sunday afternoon i was still driving around
meeting with owners/property managers to see homes/condos, apartments.
christopher said i was being too picky so i lowered my standards a bit
reminded myself this is just a rental - for a year. on sunday, we (or i) finalized
on a place. (more to come on this in another post)

now that this is taken care of, i can focus on some fun with my sweet niece.
last night, jen, lindsey and i jumped on beach cruisers and biked around mission bay at sunset.
shortly in, we stopped off at crystal pier and watched the hundreds of surfers fight for a wave.
it was beautiful and fun to watch.

i snapped a few photos and told the girls i dreamed of staying overnight at one of the
cottages on the pier and then we took off around the bay. what a great workout! 
i think we rode 8 miles.

today lindsey joined brooke (nanny), finn and scout at the birch aquarium.
all reported back to me they had a terrific time today. was glad to hear it.
tomorrow i'm taking the day off and spending a full day with her and the little guys.
i was thinking we'd go to la jolla for a good chunk of the day.
we'll walk around, bask in the sun, visit the seals and have a picnic.

house hunting headaches

this image describes exactly what i've been feeling lately.

almost every night for the past 2 weeks, c
and i have been on craigslist looking for a temporary place to live. 
it's all consuming and literally could be a full time job.
since i can't let it be, i've been getting to bed much too late and waking up
much too early in hopes of securing a place for the boys and i.

escrow closes sept. 9th and the new owners (our friends) are anxious to move,
so we really are trying to be out of this little beach cottage by then.
i just never imagined it would be so hard to find a decent place to rent.
i thought it would take a week or two maximum.

i was wrong.

there is alot of inventory out there,
but we are being *very* particular about the area we want to live in.
originally, we weren't going to venture away from the coast,
but i'm finding many of the rentals out there aren't suitable for families.
those that are, well, we might as well be buying the home.

we've expanded our search to a few communities close by
some areas include point loma, liberty station, mission hills,
we certainly will be able to get more 'home' for our money
if we live anywhere other than the beach, but even living centrally,
homes are short on square footage compared to the burbs.
a BIG home is 1,600 or 1,800 sf.  it's all relative isn't it? *grin*
if i'm really lucky, i might find a 3-2 and even get a walk-in closet.
now that would be a real treat!

i did find a cute home just south of balboa park tonight.
the community is appropriately named south park.
this home is a 2-story craftsman, built circa 1920.
it has 4 bdrms/2 baths, built-ins, and hardwood floors.
it's charming in the photos, but c swears it's in the ghetto. 
thanks to google maps,  i was able to actualy view images
of the home and the homes surrounding it. 
it doesn't appear to be in the ghetto but i will drive by it
tomorrow and drive the neighborhood to see for myself.

i hope not. i'd like to be done with this.
actually, i NEED to be done with this!

my niece is flying in from florida on friday for a week and i need to be a good auntie and do fun things with her.  i'm sure driving around looking at properties isn't what she had in mind.  shopping and hanging out at the beach is probably more like it.

staying positive here.

~ oh, highlights of 'girl's night in' to come. the teenager crushes some of the girls shared were great.  i was in tears (from laughing so hard).  we also shared current famous crushes - these were even better *grin*

things i ♥ thursdays

i ♥ this book seriously bad baby names
i have no idea where i came across it but i remembered it and dug it up to post.
there are tons of books out there devoted to helping with baby names, but i've never
seen one devoted to what not to name the baby. too funny - love this!
for kicks, i almost bought this for todd and heather but decided to be practical *grin*

i ♥ scoutie's long eyelashes.

seriously, i don't know why god would give a little boy long lush lashes.

it doesn't seem fair.

between those lashes and those big blue eyes,

i could easily get sucked into giving into scoutie's every whim.

somehow, i stay strong but they are hard to resist. 

here are those lashes...

and here are those blue eyes...

i ♥ spending time at the beach

i realize it's a favorite past time for alot of people,

and there's a reason for it - a scientific one (finn would appreciate this).

i just read research shows people are actually happier

(producing more of those 'feel good' endorphins) when they live near

a body of water. i could have told them this. *laugh*

my preferred body of water is the ocean. it always has been.

everything about it just makes me happy - the cool breezes,

the sound of the waves crashing, the sand between my toes, 

and the sun on my body - even the salt in my hair. LOVE IT!

now that the boys are older (and not eating sand),
my time at the beach with them is even more enjoyable.
i plan on spending a good chunk of this weekend here.

first crush

no love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny
without leaving some mark on it forever.
- francois mocuriac

i came across this photo today and had to post.
finn adores this little girl.
they were in the same kindergarten class together this past year,
and they are moving up to first grade together this fall.

i think it's safe to say she is finn's first crush.

not only does finn adore her, i do too.
when i took this photo of her at recent birthday party,
she asked why i was taking a picture of her. 
i responded 'because i ADORE you E.
even with all that chocolate on your face.

on the subject of first crushes,
i'm having one last girl's night in the cottage
before we say goodbye to it.

for kicks, i've asked the girls to bring a photo of their teenage crush (famous or not)
and share some memory of how they swooned over this guy.
this is going to a FuN night - looking forward to it!!

pre-show entertainment

at last weekend's outdoor movie night
finn and scout entertained the adults
as they entertained themselves
in front of the movie screen.

little did they know, their daddy was filming them.
before sharing this little clip, i feel compelled to share
the boys take after their father when it comes to dancing.
*giggle*

things i ♥ thursdays

i ♥ glee's season one music cd
if having the entire dvd series wasn't enough,
this should be.
i now sing along to all these fun songs wherever i go.
the gerblets have expanded their repetoire to
include many of these songs too. scout's latest request
defying gravity from the musical wicked.

i ♥ reading to the boys every night before bed
this book is one of all our favorites.
i think we all can relate to terrible, horrible, no good very bad days.
this author has written others and i just ordered this one from amazon.
i can hardly wait for it to arrive so i can read it to the boys.

i ♥ change and new adventures! 
i've been hesitant to share this, but now we far enough along now.
our longtime friends james and rena will be the new owners
of our little diamond street beach house (and cottage) starting sept 10th!

it all happened so fast - literally selling one week after we listed it.
it's been a whirlwind but an exciting one for all of us.
the home is perfect for this couple and it makes me smile knowing
they will enjoy it as we have.  the soon-to-be new owners are long-time
residents of pb and plan on staying in this home forever. it's not too cozy for them.
it's nice to know i can visit on occasion and see the little beach home my boys were babies in.
(yes, i'm a little sentimental)



i ♥ twilight
ok, love might be a bit strong, but i am enjoying this book.
i never set out to read it, but during a visit to the library
the cd set was right there glaring at me and i thought why not.
there must be something more to this series than what the movie showed.
i'm now on the 4th cd (of 13 i think) and am really enjoying it.
sure it's a total teenage love story but it's entertaining and sweet.
i'm almost excited about stepping into my car every day.
(i'm slightly embarrassed sharing this)

first fat lip

it's hard to believe scout has made it to age 3 practically unscathed.
so when i was greeted by a little boy with a 'fat lip' last week,
i had to be sure to take a photo and document.
i should note, this photo was actually taken the day 'after' the incident.
it looked 10x worse the day of}





























upon arriving home from work and seeing it,
scout says "i hit my lip on a riding toy at the park."
when i walked into the house, finn shared (umprompted)
that HE pushed scout too hard and fast on a riding spring toy
at the park and scout's face hit the metal toy.

i was so proud of finn for telling me the truth
and before i could share this with him, 
scout said "finn said he was sorry".

he had forgiven finn hours before and
there was no need for me to say anything.
it was over.

i hugged them both and smiled.
glad to have boys so young who can
recognize when accidents are accidents,
and glad they are good to each other
(even when someone ends up with a fat lip)\