Lassen National Park

After we dropped Dill and Ko off at camp, the little boys and I headed up to Lassen Park. My mom and step-dad Phil were going to be camping there for the night with my niece, Rynn, so we went up to join them. They made it really easy for me: I just needed a tent and sleeping gear. The little guys pushed their big trucks all around the campsite, and Hayden had a great time "fixing" things with Papa Phil's hammer. I won't say I got the best night's sleep, but the little guys did a decent job. 

The next morning Papa Phil headed home and mom, the kids and I headed to King's Creek Meadow and spent a few hours splashing in the creek and lounging in the sun. 

Just because.

Dillon Turns Eleven

Today our biggest boy turned 11. I've heard all of the cliches about how quickly the years pass, but it's still astonishing that we actually have a "tweenager" in our house. Dillon continues to be a great student, an outstanding athlete, and a helpful big brother. Every day we get to enjoy his quick sense of humor and his creativity, and we're excited to see what this coming year holds for him. 

It just felt like a Jolly Cone kind of a day

There are lots of things I miss about living in West Sacramento: my friends, that lovely house and giant yard, the Nugget Market, our favorite Chinese restaurant, the amazing Little League fields, and Whitey's Jolly Cone--just to name a few. The little guys and I had to drive to Sacramento the other day to pick Koen up from the Amtrak station. (He had ridden home from my mom's house on the Amtrak Thruway bus driven by Papa Phil.) We were all in need of a quick snack before the long drive home, and it was still 93 degrees, so Whitey's seemed like just the spot!

October Break Camping Trip 2014: Butano State Park

This year I missed the chance to make our usual Yosemite reservations for October break, so we ended up going instead to Butano State Park in Pescadero, CA. The campground is in a redwood grove about 15 minutes off of Highway 101, and it's been one of our favorite places for many years. Kirk and I used to camp there in the pre-kid era, so it's fun to have those old memories blend with new ones.

This year we were blessed with absolutely gorgeous weather, which totally contributed to the best family camping trip we've had in years! The boys and I went over on Wednesday evening and set up camp (Quite a challenge, I'm not going to lie...), and then Kirk joined us when he got off of work Thursday morning. 

A few highlights: Dillon & Koen spent some time practicing with the flint & steel sets they received for Christmas last year; Hayden and Lawson pushed their giant Tonka dump trucks all over the campsite; Hayden was the best banana slug spotter in the crew; Lawson used the "bear potty" (also known as a hole in the woods) A LOT; we all played a plenty of ladder ball; we were kicked off of our side of Bean Hollow Beach to make room for a film crew. All in all, it was a truly wonderful trip. As we were breaking camp, I was surprised to hear myself say to Kirk: "Let's go camping again soon!" 

Labor Day Adventure

I always get a little antsy when the boys have a 3-day weekend and Kirk is on shift. It's already challenging enough entertain them for the weekend alone; sometimes that extra day will put me over the edge! This year, Kirk had to work Labor Day weekend and the weather was supposed to be unbearably hot at home, so I decided an adventure was in order.  (Don't I always, though?) We don't get to visit Kirk at his station often enough, so I decided that definitely needed to be a priority.  Everything else was just spur-of-the-moment fun.

 First, we had lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory and finally saw "Planes: Search & Rescue." Then, after a swim at our hotel, we headed over to SMFD Station 21 to visit with Kirk.

 This was one of the sweetest moments of our trip (possibly of my life). We were walking back from buying our dinner and Kirk was carrying Lawson on his shoulders. A little boy shouted from a passing car, "Look! That firefighter has a baby!" 

 As always, the boys all had a wonderful time at the station; and, as always, I took too many pictures of them having fun. 

I'm not going to say I got a lot of sleep that night, but the big boys did. Thank goodness I had the iPad to entertain the little boys for a bit in the morning. I think I scored an extra 20 minutes of sleep... 

The next morning, we headed over to Santa Cruz, expecting the Boardwalk to be a madhouse. I'd already warned the boys that it would probably be too busy and that we'd likely just head north to one of the quieter beaches. It was surprisingly un-crowded, so we made a day of it. 

 The little guys even took a snooze on the beach, so I had a chance to relax a bit and the big boys had a chance to go explore the boardwalk at their  leisure. 

And when your kids look like this, you know it's time to load up and head home!

Lawson & Hayden's First Day of School

After having a great experience last school year, I'm teaching at the local community college again this fall semester. This time around I'm teaching two classes (Mass Communication and Public Speaking), so I have to be on campus all day Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. When I was first offered this schedule I was very anxious about how I'd manage child care, but we were fortunate to have Hayden & Lawson both accepted into the on-campus Child Study Center. (You might remember that Dillon & Koen attended the child care center at SFSU when I was in grad school there, and they had a great experience!) 

I am so excited to have them on campus with me, and it will be really valuable for them to have some time with non-family caregivers. The center actually has low enrollment this school term, so they are basically going to receive one-on-one care, which is unheard of in group care settings anymore. Fall semester Hayden will be in the infant room, and Lawson in the 2/3 year-old classroom. 

When I dropped them off on their first day, Lawson adjusted immediately. Hayden, however, cried & cried. I'm sure it will wear off quickly, though. We're looking forward to a great school year!

Walking up the path to school, lunch boxes in tow.