7th Grade Gray

Gray started 7th Grade today! I have to admit I had tears in my eyes as I watched her get on the bus (thankfully I can spy from my house and she didn't start the day embarrassed that her mother A. walked her to the bus stop and B. was crying like a fool). Gray is so amazing and I am so proud of her. Lalu Gray :)

Jelly Belly Factory

Of course we had to go to the Jelly Belly Factory, how can you not? Gray tricked Holden in to eating the earwax jelly bean and his face was so horrified and disgusted! Joel willingly tried the barf one and I thought he was going to wreck the car once the taste hit him. Gray tried the baby wipes one and I think that was the least offensive of the three. Ridge and I (not being one for adventure sports) stayed out of the taste testing.

Visiting GG

GG (Great Grandma Valerie) and the kids

While visiting GG the kiddos had fun at Crab Cove playing in the sand and checking out the visitors center. Thankfully the sun came out while we were there so it was a warm(ish) and beautiful visit.

Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman Ridge

what the what? Holden was enthralled by the street performers and naked protesters

Converse


Gray watching the SF Bay swimmers, that water is so unappealing... swimming caps off to the people that brave it

sandy boy

there's no other love like the love for a brother... so they say

Rain Forest Cafe with Brian, Judi & Inna

Holden's secret handshake with Thomas

Gray & Inna pre-bungee

bungee Inna

bungee Gray

mac daddy of macaroni on Pier 39, Holden's favorite

Chinatown SF

Chinatown was the destination the kids picked to spend money that GG gave them. We spent hours going from store to store looking at everything. We stopped and had dim sum for lunch and made it through the language barrier. No surprise that the boys opted for white rice only... maybe next time they will be more adventurous, Gray was a good sport although I think she would have loved to eat Panda Express orange chicken instead.

Beach

Driving up Hwy 1 we stopped at Scott Creek Beach to play in the ocean. We saw a pod of dolphins and a seal having fun in the waves. The pictures look warmer than it was, the kids were braving cold gusts of wind that had me wrapped up in blankets. Joel ended up having to take frozen blue lipped Holden back to the car moments after he was levelled by a wave. "The coldest winter I ever spent was the summer in San Francisco" quote came to mind while my blanket and the kids towels got soaked by a big sleeper wave... note to self don't take your eye off the waves when trying to keep dry.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Joel promised 6 yr old Gray that he would take her to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk if she let him pull out one of her loose front teeth... 6 yrs later he made good on that promise :)

Gray and Ridge posing in front of the 85 yr old roller coaster, that thing was a brutal ride for my old bones

Holdy taking in the aerial view of it all

Joel and the kids coming out of the scary ride, look at Holden's face! Classic!

Ridge was allowed to ride solo although he really was just shy of being tall enough.

Sleepover at Sam's

On our way in and out of the Bay area we were lucky enough to stay with our old friends Cari, Matt and Sam. The sleepover thing is still a novelty for our little guys so they had a blast rolling out the sleeping bags. Sam's cockroach went missing and I am pretty sure I snuggled up to it in the middle of the night, creeeepy.

Auburn Bridge

Rumor has it that people jump off this bridge with parachutes, thankfully there is a call box for those tempted to jump without a parachute... we were not tempted although I can't speak for Joel he might have been. We trekked to the bottom and played in the American River Confluence, what a great way to kick off our week in Nor Cal.

Park City Art's Festival

My mother's western hat fetish wore off on Sheridan and I as we cruised the shops at the festival, we ended up being the cowgirl hat triplets (well quadruplets if you count Marty Moose and I think we should)

Sheridan, Me, Gray and Elicia posing as artists... okay maybe one of us really is an artist, next year you better have your own booth Elicia

Me patiently waiting for my mother to shop for her western wear



Gray donning her fetching butterfly bouffant

Sheridan taking a bite out of the best caramel apple on the planet, seriously that thing alone is worth the trip up the canyon (you are welcome Sherd for posting this pic... I wouldn't have done it if I thought you ever looked at my blog) :)

Crazy storms

We have had some crazy storms lately which have made for some beautiful skies. The kids found themselves rolling in mud after one of the storms... not so easy to clean up but they had a lot of fun so I went with it.

Cari's visit

Cari, Matt and Sam came to visit and we visited Thanksgiving Point with them and hiked Stewart Falls (Joel and Matt biked the Alpine loop and were done well before we were done with our hike). The kids did so well on the hike I was impressed and so happy because their was no way I was going to be able to haul them down the mountain. I will admit I had the brilliant parenting skills to let my brood hike in their water shoes... they made it and it was fine but not my finest moment :)