California

Charlie and I needed to go to California.  Do you ever need to go to California?

My parents had tickets to come visit us here in early November, but had to cancel last minute.  So I started looking for tickets for me to bring Charlie to them in California.

Paul's been really busy and I hadn't had a chance to talk to him about it until Monday, November 21.  It was his day off and that morning as he was headed to the shower I mentioned to him that I really would like to be on a noon flight to California that day.  And would he please be prepared to talk about that after his shower.

Thirty minutes later I was packing!

Do you know my husband?  He is a very understanding, kind, and loving man.


 

Relaxing in the airport.

Layover in Las Vegas where a cup of Starbucks water

provided our entertainment.

 

 Oh, did I mention my parents were camping.

At the beach.

In southern California.

Yes, we were happy to be there.

 Charlie had his first trip to the Stone Steps,

a sentimental beach for me.

And we shared an old fashion donut with chocolate icing

from Leucadia Donut Shoppe,

as is our family tradition.

"Donuts on the beach!"

Saying good morning to Korea

across the Pacific.

 This is the view from the campsite.

We just walked right out to the beach.

It was sunny and warm,

I'm just going to tell you.

Charlie and I went for two beach walks a day

for his naps.

Here the tide is out, exposing coral and seaweed.

 Here's my brother David and his son Brody.

Their family was camping too,

along with his lovely inlaws.

 Having a chip with Granpa by the campfire.

And here's a demo of how the fire was started.

By a fireman.

With a roofing torch.

 My niece Gigi

leaning back in her chair and being stoic.

 Dueling highchairs.

Charlie and Brody having chips from El Indio.

(Which I stopped at on my way to the airport to buy two bags to bring home to share the crunchy goodness of thick fresh tortilla chips with my boys back home.)

Charlie and Brody about to go for a bike ride.

Night time hats.

Brody is three months older than Charlie.

 I really wanted to go to California when I did

because it was Thanksgiving week and my dad

and brother were off work all week

and we could all just be together at the campground.

And I could eat my Mom's sage stuffing.

Thanks, Mom.

Here's Nick,

the turkey cooker.

Also known as David's father-in-law.

The turkey smoked all day while...

... they watched football.

Yep.

 Here we all are.

Thanksgiving feast at the beach.

Here's a video tour of the Thanksgiving Goodness.

 Brody was hilarious with the turkey leg.

 Charlie just wanted cranberry sauce...

... Until he took over my plate and discovered

his Aunt Nicole's amazing green beans.

Video of

The Eating of the Cranberry Sauce...

(Granny's special recipe)

 The next day another one-year-old cousin arrived.

Meet Micah on the far right.

A final stroll in the sunset.

 We camped from Monday to Sunday,

then I spent a few days at my parents' house with them.

 Charlie and my Dad having breakfast together.

More Aunts and Uncles and Cousins came over to meet Charlie.

This is my cousin Elizabeth.

 Just a few days ago

my Mom drove us to the San Diego airport

where we said goodbye.

Ten glorious days in So Cal with my faraway family.

Did you remember that I am far from fond of camping?

Aha!

I got to be a day camper.

It was great.

My brother David's house was not far from the campground.

Charlie and I got to stay at their house

and sleep in beds and take showers

and scream and cry at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, and
5:30 in the morning

without bothering anyone else.

The time change can be a bit rough for a tot.

Driving to and fro and stopping at the grocery store
and gas station and Target
gave me the dreamy sense that I lived there.

But I don't.
I did once.
But now I am here.
Which is perfectly wonderful too.

Far and Away

I am not here.


Charlie and I have been walking our toes in the sand,

putting my Mom's sage stuffing in our bellies,

pretending to be locals in a beach town,

pushing a Trader Joe's shopping cart,

applying sunscreen,

munching fresh salsa and tortilla chips,

not sleeping in a tent,

and spending many glorious hours with my far-away family.


Photographic evidence shall forthwith come hither.

Perhaps by the weekend.

Once I get all the sand out of my Birkenstocks.

Painting With Reuben

It started out as a math lesson of mixing primary colors to make secondary colors.  We were pouring blue water and yellow water into quart jars and having a great time.

Then, as homeschooling often wonderfully allows, our lesson inspired Reuben to want to try other colors and then other mediums.

"Can we mix colors of paint?"

Aha!  Yes we can!  And, oh how I love the freedom, inspiration, love-of-learning that homeschooling gives us.

To the school table to paint!

Then to the floor to paint

because he asked,

"Can I paint with my feet?"

Yes, my sweet creative boy.

Sit down and let me tickle your toes with a paint brush.

 Black is his favorite color.

 Taking a walk.

 Time to wash.

I felt like Jesus, washing his feet.

 

Here's some feet painting in action.

Speaking of homeschooling...

I went to a school board meeting last night.  Our school district is having to cut about $500,000 from its budget for next year.  So they are talking about closing our local school and busing our kids to another town.  Everyone is very upset about it.  So about a hundred of us went to share our comments and concerns with the school board last night.

One feisty woman stood up and threatened to homeschool her grandkids if they close the school.  Gasp!  Then another man stood up and boasted the same claim.  It cracked me up.  No!  Don't resort to schooling your kids at home!  How terrible.  I didn't say anything.  Just couldn't stop smiling at their silliness.

The Nightly Read

Here they are.  All my boys enjoying their evening read.

But watch Charlie in these next photos

to see how he got settled...

 to the right

 back to the left

 up and over the dad

back up and squat

here's a good comfy spot

ahh

cute

Back To School

Oh, it feels so good to be back on a school schedule.  I gave myself the goal of starting school with Reuben in January, but he asked if he could start now.  When a child wants to learn, go with it!  We've been learning to read, write, and count for two weeks.

And it feels so good.

Since Charlie's been home - three months - we've been completely unstructured.  It almost put me in therapy.  You think I jest.  Structure, routine... I need you.

Our routine goes like this...

Get ready for the day and meet on the couch for Bible.
Play until Charlie's first nap.
Phonics and Math lessons during Charlie's nap.
Play until lunch.
Lunch.
Read books on the couch after lunch.
Play until Charlie's afternoon nap.
Do an educational yet very fun activity during Charlie's nap.
Play the rest of the day.

See?  Doesn't that feel great?

He gets so excited reading the words on his caterpillar.

It makes him feel really good.

And once again the cape has become school uniform.

 Here's some of that playtime.

I found them under the table sharing a bowl of Cheerios.

See the smile in Reuben's eyes?

Reuben thinks he and Charlie are twins.

Singing the Days of the Week song

(with the washing machine singing backup).

Ah.  Don't you just love the smell of newly sharpened pencils?

The Nebulizer Club

Yeah!  We're in The Club!

Various friends and relatives talk about their "nebulizers" and having to "give their kids breathing treatments".

Yeah, well, us too.  Charlie got us in.

Here's Paul and Sami the Seal.

We got the cute nebulizer.

 Figuring out how it all works and such.

Our Mr. Bingley is rather sick.

He is taking four daily medicines

to remedy his recurrent ear infections, cough,

wheeziness, and snot overflow.

We do the nubulizer breathing treatments every four hours,

(see how cool that sounds)

nasal spray in the morning,

steroid at lunch,

and antibiotic at dinner.

This may be our initiation into the

My Kid Has Tubes Club.

What do apples ready to be carameled have to do with

The Nebulizer Club?

Well, we were up in the four o'clock hour this morning

with the aforementioned unwell child

to whom we then gave a breathing treatment

and since we were awake

we decided to caramel two dozen apples

for a homeschool gathering *much* later in the day.

 The caramel unwrapping crew.

I love this picture.

See his little hand snatching a caramel.

Totally caught, buddy.

 The caramel apples were delish.

Reuben dropped his first one in the grass.

And his second one in the gravel.

Next time we'll try sitting at the table and eating it.

Ha.

I greatly dislike giving medicine to my children.

I can't believe I'm giving Charlie four different ones.

Paul and I both have a feeling this will not easily be solved.

Three ear infections in two months.

Are the drugs just masking the source of the problem?

Does his former cleft lip have anything to do with this?

And the six daily breathing treatments

that got us in The Club?

Charlie cries and cries.

The directions say to "sit back and relax."

Charlie read that to mean

"flail about and fight with all your might."

The nurse said he'll get used to it.

I don't think Charlie got that memo.

Oh, but good news!

My impaled tonsils?

Miraculously self-un-impaled.

That's a relief.

Thanks for asking, Tricia.

Looking Back

I went looking in the archives for a specific picture (which I did not locate) and found these fun memories...


An old family pic taken Spring 2007.  Peter is 4 and Reuben is less than a year...

Reuben laughing in the kitchen.  Not Charlie.  Reuben...

In which Reuben needs a snack...

Cousins in August 2007...

I have many more smiley moments, but my internet connection has slowed down and I'm ready to go to sleep.  Double whammy.

Good Night.