palm springs with my people

These two were separated at birth, brothers from different mothers, twins raised by different families. . . need I go on? It cracks Jane and I up every time these two get together because we roll our eyes and laugh at how alike they are. I mean if you get rid of the ethnicity, language, state they grew up in, education, and career, they’re almost identical. Not knowing until after we married these men did either Jane or myself realize that we married extreme men. Jane explained this to me, and I doubt I can put it in terms as easily understandable as she, but basically, all men are not like our men. This information was shocking. I thought all men are pretty much the same. Especially since we both married the same type of man, it was clear to me that most would fall into this same category. Nope. Pretty much NOTHING can gross them out. They will eat ALMOST anything, take any dare. They are both slobs and don’t mind being dirty and gross. Sometimes they both need reminders to brush their teeth and shower. And did you know, not ALL of men are like that? Apparently there are some men, who Jane and I must’ve been oblivious to, that enjoy being clean, neat, tidy, and sanitary.

Not these two.

And these two. Can they make my heart melt any more? The fact that they wake up and can’t get to each other’s rooms fast enough. That when one has to go the bathroom, the other goes. every time.  And when one girl isn’t eating, all it takes is one bite by the other and all of a sudden they’re both hungry. Or the fact that if one is wearing a skirt we must dig in the suitcase to match the other, heaven forbid they wear different things!

Aaron knows I hate when he makes this face. He likes to force and accentuate all the wrinkles he has on his face.

Not sure how Gunnar managed to dodge every single photo I took. The weather was perfect. Perfect weekend. Just way too short. . .

Photo Essay- Camping

I think pictures are better than words for this trip.

last shots of del mar- holga & diana

It’s kind of like the never ending vacation. Maybe because I didn’t want it to end. Maybe because I LOVED it so dearly. Maybe because this weekend Greta told me she would like to go back. Ummmm, me too.

Holga had a little bit of an issue, but I still love her for who she is. She took the ones with the bright lights around the edges. Diana came through for us in a big way.

And this next one I HEART big time!

Is she a poser or what? And Greta definitely gets the award for best beach hair. It’s ridiculous how cute her curls look in saltwater.

we’re alive

If I could choose one photo to illustrate our weekend this would be it. My children were born for nature. Especially this hippie chick. She couldn’t have been more comfortable in her element. Barefoot, no barettes, dirt, water, nature. She became one with the land. I was fearful of her hair turning to dreads at one point. More photos to come. But for now I will go bathe for several hours and turn on every piece of electronic equipment I own.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

mini vacation

maybe not. i don’t think camping can be qualified as a vacation. but we’re taking a few days off to go camping with our friends. it’s hot here. hot as in 95 degrees hot. and where we’re going won’t be much cooler, except at night it’s in the 50’s. how do you like that for a temperature change?

a few updates. greta completed her first week of preschool. i was sick on monday and sadly missed her first day of school. first day of school of her whole life! and i missed it! thank goodness tati was there to replace me. and happy to report no tears. slowly through the 4 days she got more clingy and attached. but there were no tears shed. today i think she was tired and over the whole 4 days in a row of school thing and didn’t want to be there. it worked out that i had to pick her up early to go to her tap/ballet class so she managed pretty well.

the boys are loving school. they’re doing fantastic, and we have back to school night tonight. i am finally making appointments that i have been putting off for years. things like seeing a chiropractor for the first time when i’m NOT pregnant. getting my teeth cleaned(this one is not so bad, we’re going on 10 months). seeing my orthodontist to get a bottom retainer. boring stuff like this, but it’s pretty exciting to go anywhere by yourself i have to admit. even things like the post office are terribly thrilling! i just park and shut the car door. you heard me right. park. exit car. that’s it! no seat belts or sippy cups or bathroom runs or tears. it’s pretty fantastic.

aaron’s youngest brother is headed out here for a visit for a few weeks and the boys couldn’t be more excited. i too am mildly excited, another hand to help and someone else to take greta to school for me to avoid the tears and separation anxiety. although ultimately it’s me who has to take her to school every day so she has to go through it with me, it’s just so hard to watch them. when i leave i hang out by the window and watch for about 5-10 minutes, and she just looks so sad. it’s momentary because whenever i pick her up she’s all smiles and talks a mile a minute.

i promise to post some photos of greta tap dancing next week. but for now i am off to pack. happy weekend everyone!

beach in del mar, california

Jane finally sent me some beach photos from her camera from when we were in Del Mar. They met us for the day and the kids had such a blast. They brought the life saving beach umbrella for poor Aaron, my white husband. And Gunnar boogie boarded for the first time. The beach in Del Mar is awesome because it’s only about 30 yards from the street to the shore. There is no long trek from your car to the water. Jane also brought a kite and the kids absolutely loved it. Perfect kite flying weather.

holga, how i love thee. or wait, maybe it was diana.

Little side note-I am sitting here writing little love notes to my boys to tuck into their lunch bags and snack bags for their first day of school tomorrow. Sawyer is officially a kindergartner and Gunnar a second grader. There are no tears yet. I am holding it together pretty well. And maybe that has to do with my funny little boy who insisted that I label everything in and on his backpack with both his first and last name. Because foolish mama doesn’t think of the likely possibility that another boy named Sawyer is in his class. I can tell he is just as excited as he is nervous. And my little pro Gunnar, just stands there shaking his head at little brother with a slight roll of the eyes. I guess he easily forgot that that was him only 2 years before. Cross your fingers everyone that tomorrow goes well and everyone remember where their Orange Juice money is!

I get confused when I get my photos back from the lab. I get mixed up which roll was in which camera. Nevertheless I love them. I love that they are what they are, no tweaking, no cropping, no editing. Just pure love.

I think this next one is in my top 10 photos of all time. I L O O O V E it.

del mar night swimming

On to things much funner (more fun, i know, i know) to blog about than speeding tickets. vacation. . .

The trip down to Del Mar took much longer than we anticipated. Seriously Camp Pendleton? With all that land you can’t make that highway just a teensy bit wider. And there’s no way around the base either, you have no choice but to drive through it. Back to my point, by the time we arrived it was dinner time so we went swimming after dinner. Night swimming is taboo for my kids since they know it’s past their bedtime. Thus their excitement is HUGE to do it.

Del Mar Food post

Yep. Another post of what we eat on vacation.

But first have to say what an exciting weekend we have planned. I’m taking the kids (minus Gunnar, he chose to golf with my dad instead) to the beach tomorrow for our last summer beach day. Then on Saturday we are celebrating my sister and brother in law’s 10 year wedding anniversary. 10 years. Happy Anniversary you guys! And most exciting, Aaron and I both have the day off on Monday and he’s not even on call. Hope everyone enjoys a great 3 day weekend.

The second night there was a huge New England feast. We already knew lobster was a favorite with Gunnar, but Soso and Greta had their tastings of it.

This is what we feel like after a meal.

The kids love calamari. Check out the next two photos of Greta and this octopus. The second one kind of grosses me out with the tentacles hanging out of her mouth!

The Grand Del Mar

This place was LUXURIOUS. I mean, as we’re walking through the hallway to our room the boys both turn and look at me and say, “mama, i think this place is too nice for us.” Yes, they were so right. We have stayed in beautiful hotels all over the world. But we’re talking palatial. But not in a bad way, you would think the staff would be snotty or stare at me funny as my three shoeless children run through the lobby in their wet bathing suit clad bodies. Nope. not once.

It’s set a few miles from the beach and looks like a Tuscan villa. Literally, with all the land and gorgeous trees you could possibly fool yourself into believing you were in Italy. I believe there are only 200 rooms, beautiful golf course, and fabulous spa. And you know me and spas, I can be kinda picky. It was awesome. You know how irritating it can be to go to a beautiful hotel and then be nickel and dimed while you’re there? For instance, you get charged for internet service, valet parking, water, using the spa on a day you don’t have a treatment? That kind of stuff  R E A L L Y gets under my skin. I hate it. Well, this place is not like that. In fact, we had fresh fruit or chocolate covered strawberries delivered to our room every day, fresh bottled water each night, free internet, free valet, use of the spa all day any day. You get my drift.

We spent a glorious week here and the majority of my family never left the resort except for a few dinners in Del Mar. We ventured to the beach one day, Legoland another, and then all the days in between we never left the pool. Nice segway into pool talk. Pools are important to me since I have 3 kids that think gills have replaced their lungs. There is an adult pool, right near the spa that I heard and saw was gorgeous although never personally lounged by it. Then there are 2 other pools, and a wading pool, all for kids. Next to the larger pool there is sand. Yes, sand. You don’t even have to go to the beach to build a sand castle. The poolside food was fantastic as well.

There is a huge grassy area in front of the hotel, basically like a rolling hill at a park. The kids ran on that several times before and after dinner. And all over the hotel you find fire pits.

Since there are 5 of us and we we can’t do normal hotel rooms anymore, you try fitting 5 people in 2 double beds. It doesn’t work. Especially when one of them is just like his Tati and kicks the neighboring child out of the bed. My mom foresaw this problem and got us a suite. This is not your normal suite. There was a living room with a pull out sofa and then a bedroom, but somehow there were 4 flat screen TVs. Oh, and a bathroom. How about 2 full bathrooms with a total of 4 sinks. It was perfect for us. And there were 2 sitting chairs that came together perfectly to make Greta’s bed. The first night she spent on the floor in a sleeping bag and then insisted on laying “on somethin’!” Here’s some photos of the hotel and our room just to give you an idea of what we destroyed while staying there.

The view from our room of the Adult Pool.

One of the 2 identical bathrooms.

Down this hall is the espresso/gelato cafe who also made awesome sandwiches for our day trips.

The whole crew.