These Little Piggies...

went flying!

Two Christmases ago, my Mom gave my dad and brother and Tyson each a gift certificate to Pigs Can Fly good for a one hour flight lesson. Tyson was excited about it then, but even MORE excited to later learn that Stephanie's mom had unknowingly given Jerad the same gift... and that they could combine their lessons and go together!

Needless to say (a year and a half later!) it was tricky finding a weekend that both of them were free and the school was actually running flights (if the weather is bad, they cancel. It happened once before). But I think in the end, the anticipation of their ultimate male bonding experience just made it all the sweeter when was time at long last to spread their wings together and fly off into the ocean mist.





I think this is Morro dunes...?



They were given the option to fly over Paso, or go the coastal route. They chose to fly over the ocean, and they briefly landed in Oceano to switch spots.

Tyson came back looking like he had fallen in love all over again. I think its adorable, er... way way cool and manly that they took so many pictures of the ground and each other.

Ty even got to land back in SLO! (Sorry, Jerad....)


Anyways. Is it weird that Im proud of them? Boyscout badge of courage for both... I dont know that I would have been able to make myself do such a thing.

And thanks, Mom! Who knew it- pigs really can fly!

Happy Memorial Day, Indeed

Tyson got TWO DAYS IN A ROW off this long weekend! Yippeeeeeeee!

We had a most productive, fun, and badly needed quality family day yesterday, thanks to the countless sacrifices of our servicemen past and present.







We love America, and we are so very grateful for the sacrifice of all who make days like yesterday possible for our family.

Lifes A Beach

Tyson has been working his little heart out recently. While its a great thing to be employed these days (can I get an amen?!), we sure have been missing our family time during the weekends without him around as much (sniff).

But....

Every cloud has a silver lining... and in this case, that is to say I have SO enjoyed spending quality mommy time one on... er, two... with the lovelies. Its kind of cool to wear the 'party parent' hat every now and then!

Last Saturday, I braved the beach by alllll by myself (like a real live grown up!) with these little beach babes...

We rafted down the sludge, I mean tide water...


Explored 'mermaid caves,'


Anabelle managed to slice her foot to shreds on a sharp rock moments after I reminded her that she MUST wear her crocks in the water at all times....

(*Not pictured*... I also had to Baywatch rescue her as she accidentally stepped into a black hole next to the rocks by the tide pools... not.cool.).

We had a nice picnic lunch of sandy PBJ and carrot sticks,



Took Dawsie prisoner and buried him alive...


(don't worry, he used the force and escaped juuuuust fine...)

Made a COOL sand castle (when you're three years old, anyway)...



And just enjoyed being silly in the pleasure of each other's company.




We stayed for hours and hours, and when we left it felt like only moments had passed. That hasn't happened to me for a long time, maybe ever since being a mom.

I had to park quite a walk from the beach since it was in the triple digits inland this weekend and everyone seemed to have the same great idea of where to cool off. We had to cross several busy roads and each of the kids had to carry sandy cargo back to the car.

They were perfect angels, they never complained once.

To end our beautiful day, we stopped for an ice cream cone at the Avila Valley Barn.

They both got peppermint 'because it was pink, and they like pink.'

We called to check in on Daddy, to let him know we missed him and wished he was there...

But he was already on his way home and was waiting for us when we got there.

I wish every day were a beach day.

xo

The Unspeakable Cost of Dignity

Yesterday I devised a brilliant plan to meet up with Kari and her kids at the gym at 4:30 so we could dump them all in Kids Club ('baby jail,' as Kari calls it) while we worked out all our aggressions and caught up on our "wife time."

It seemed like a good idea in the moment of planning, but then all of a sudden it was 4:30 and time to be there, and I found myself still at home with 2 barefooted, snot faced, uncooperative, filthy kids that needed freshening up and myself still not dressed in work out attire.

I flew into action mode, wiping faces, grabbing snacks, Ipods, water bottles, running shoes... stripping clothes off frantically while multi-tasking my way to ready. When I made it to the part where I select something workout-appropriate to wear, I froze in panic, realizing that every single sports bra/ tank top/ yoga pant situation I owned was in a heaping mountain of dirty clothes at the foot of my currently crapped out washing machine that had overflowed and soaked half of the pile earlier that day.

I dashed toward the garage to brave the pile and try to salvage something un stenched and un soaked and I was just about half way into the garage when I noticed the front garage door wide open with every kid in the neighborhood out playing in the street... and realized that I was a crazy naked mom about to give them all the most exciting and educational show of their short lifetimes. I pulled back in the house and quickly hit the button to lower the door to secure some privacy while I rooted thru my pig slopped laundry...




I was only vaguely aware of the noise the door was making while it promised me it was closing as I dove arm deep into mildewed filth. I don't know what made me glance up when I did... but OH! It suddenly would appear that yes, the garage door is, in fact, on its way back UP! The Judas censor had betrayed me and I was about to be exposed... yet again!

I dropped the dripping sock I was holding and turned to sprint back into the house with all the might in my naked body... yet again narrowly managing to spare the innocence of the darling children of Apple Valley.

But this time, it was not without a price.

A terrible, horrible, fearsome, almost unspeakable price...

Yes, yes. I think unspeakable is the right word.

So I will leave you with the image of what I felt squishing beneath my naked toes as I disappeared from sight back into the house in an effort to avail myself from the eyes of the youngsters...


Thank you SO much, insult to injury.

Oh, and an extra special shout out to our wretched cat, who thinks she is doing me a huge favor by leaving these little prizes to brighten my life.

All In A Day

Tyson's new job is going to involve working Saturdays. This was the first weekend without him, and while I was a little disappointed at first that our already limited family time would become even more sparse I suddenly realized it would be a great way to spend some quality time outside the house with the just the kids.

So, here are the things we did together on Saturday. *disclaimer* Your head may start to spin, we got SO much accomplished! And it was FUNNNNN!:

1. I woke up and immediately cleaned out the fridge while the kids ate breakfast and cocoa at the kitchen table.

2. Went to step class at the gym (I've fallen in love all over again, btw).

3. Went to the bank. Did NOT have to leave early, had perfect and well behaved kids.

4. Went to Templeton farmer's market. Sampled and nibbled and wandered and visited.

5. Played on the playground. Dawson made it all the way across the monkey bars without my help. Quite a moment.

6. Picked up uncle Kyle. Bribed him with promises of....

7. A&W for a special lunch out. Root beer floats... MMMMmmmmmmmmm!

8. Straight to Fantastic Sam's for a summer "shortcut" for Dawson.



9. Braved Food4Less. Could not have managed that one without dear Uncle Kyle's help.

10. Took Kyle home, back to the house to unload exhausted kids and armloads of groceries. Into the clean fridge!

11. Made Tyson lunch and loaded the kids back in the car to deliver it.

12. Came home, washed the car in the driveway with the kids.

13. Set up the bounce house in the back yard, drug all 184 stuffed animals and nearly every blanket in the linen closet out to 'jump' with them.

14. Gave the dogs a bath while the kids continued their jumping game.

15. Heated leftovers for the kids for dinner. Tyson came home.

16. Jumped in the car and returned movie.

17. Went to Kari's to check out her awesome stats for the triathlon she just owned this weekend.

18. Came home, ate dinner (in bed!), watched movie, died of exhaustion.

Nothing more rewarding than a productive day where almost everything goes as planned. Long live Saturday!