Saturday, October 30, 2010

Happy Halloween


From Iron Man, two witches and a cockroach.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Lamest Trip to California Ever


Last year during Fall break, we made a last minute decision to drive to Newport Beach, CA.  It ended up being a magical trip and we hoped to relive it this year.  Tuesday night, we checked the weather forecast on about four different weather sites and they all said, "90s and sunny" for Thursday (the day we would be arriving) and mid 80s the rest of the week.  The weather appeared to be even better than our last year trip, so we made hotel reservations and packed the car.  (We had said over and over, we are not going if the weather even has a chance of looking bad.)  

  So, we packed the kids in the car on Wednesday.  Our almost running out of gas in downtown Las Vegas, should have been a warning to us.  (We decided to not get gas in Cedar City, because it was late and we were tired and Taco Bell didn't taste as good as it sounded when we stopped there for dinner.    We both said, "As long as we don't hit bad traffic, we will be fine."  We hit bad traffic and were sweating it until we made it to a Chevron.)  

As we were driving into Newport Thursday morning, it was dark and cloudy.  We kept on checking various weather web-sites and while the temperature forecasts were now in the mid 80s, they all said afternoon sun, through the weekend.  Here we are in the hotel, very hopeful the sun will come out.  

At the beach with no sun.  

Still having fun

Resorting to sand fights because the water was too cold.

The next day, it was raining in the morning (even the local weather people hadn't predicted that.)  So we headed to the Discovery Cube in Santa Ana.  We had a great time there.

Saturday was supposed to be cloudy in the morning and sunny in the afternoon.  No such luck.  It rained all day.  We did go to the beach to watch the die-hard surfers.  My kids couldn't stand being so close to the water and not get in.  

Chasing seagulls

It was all fun until they started getting cold.


The day redeemed itself with a trip to Chipotle




So what was supposed to be a fun, spread summer out to the last possible moment vacation to California, turned into a very lame, rainy cold trip.  We made the most of it.  We still ate at the Crab Cooker, got Balboa bars and played in the sand.  We did consider heading to Legoland or Disneyland but the weather worse in San Diego and we ran into some other out of staters, who said Disneyland was packed and cold.  We would have gone and visited some friends of ours in LA but the weather channels kept on saying, "Afternoon sun and warmer" and the whole purpose of the trip was to enjoy the beach, so we just waited it out.  Oh well.  At least we don't have cable at home and my kids got to watch all of the Sponge Bob they wanted to in the hotel.  Oh and sadly, in Utah, it was sunny in the high 70s while we were gone.  We came home to rain.  :) 

Next year will be better right?  Right?  :)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

A Red, Red Rose - Mulholland - 1990 Arkansas All-State Choir



For the last few days, this poem, in particular this musical arrangement of this poem by Robert Burns has been in my head.  As I have often posted, I sang in many choirs growing up.  I love singing in choirs and hearing all around me the moving notes of the various parts work together to create beautiful music.  I have always loved listening to a beautiful tenor line and this arrangement really spotlights the tenors.  And, as a 1st soprano, this was a fun one to let my high notes soar.  I also think the music really does this poem justice.  What a treasure Robert Burns gave to the world when he wrote this poem!  (And to be clear, I am not singing in this choral arrangement.  I found it on-line and they did a great job.  Go Arkansas All State choir!)


1.
O, my luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O, my luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
2.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my Dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
3.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun!
O I will luve thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
4.
And fare thee weel, my only Luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!


Friday, October 8, 2010

Because she insisted . . .

This is Toothsome #4's best friend.  She lives up the street.  They go to the same dance and pre-school and her older sister is good friends with toothsome #2.  They play almost daily and are a delight to behold.  Best friend was really excited about toothsome #4 birthday.  More so, I think than toothsome #4.  


Here is how we celebrated toothsome #4's birthday.  An early, wake-up, "It's Your Birthday" by her older siblings.  (She was in our bed because she came in at 4:00 am, asking if she was four yet.  We were too tired to make her go back in her bed, so she was in ours.) 

She saw and ran through her birthday banner on her bedroom door.

We opened presents at 7:00 am.

She got her "horsey with a hat" (unicorn) Pillow pet.

So, we were done with her birthday at about 7:15 am.  However, best friend, was not.  They happened to have dance together that day, and she kept on leaving dance to come to me and say, "I need to go to your house for Toothsome #4's birthday.  I want cake and balloons."  (Toothsome #4 kept on telling her that her birthday was over and that made best friend very upset.)  She also brought it up when I drove them both to pre-school and when I drove them home from pre-school. She was very adamant that toothsome #4 have a birthday party, where there were balloons and a cake and she was going to be there.  

So, because she insisted, I pulled one together in about a 1/2 hour.

Here we are having a birthday party that toothsome #4 didn't really care about, but best friend did.  We invited another friend (who they both adore who lives close by) as well.


Here they are in a very messy bedroom (cringe) having a great time.  

I'm so glad best friend insisted she have one.  It ended up being a really fun party! 

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

It's October in Our House

For me, October is the most glorious of all months.  Honestly, I live the other 11 months, happy but anxiously awaiting the return of Fall.  So around here, October is big news.  

We have done the annual painting of the Halloween ghosts on our front window.  For a past edition and an explanation, go here.


My kids and I are wearing our new Halloween shirts daily (which I wash nightly, so yes, most of the month, my kids are wearing the same shirt.)  And yes, I did succumb and buy matching Hannah Andersson ones for the girls again.  Honestly, how could I not?  

And today, I purchased these from Pottery Barn Kids.  I can just see so many fun meals on these plates the whole month of October.

In an unrelated note, last week, my daughter's pre-school had "Howdy Day" which meant, the kids could dress up as cowboys.  Obviously, cowboy themed items are not big in our house because look at this pathetic attempt at a cowboy outfit for Toothsome #4.  It was even too hot to wear jeans, so again, pathetic attempt.  (She did have sandals on when she went to school.  I am not completely lame.)