August Post

Holy moly! It's the beginning of September, and I just today realized I needed to write a blog. So I started looking though pictures, and we did SO MUCH last month! A fact that makes me really happy, but makes blogging a little overwhelming. Maybe September will be boring? Not likely!! 

So, the big news for last month was . . . Everett started preschool!! I'll talk about it more later, but that was a big deal!

Brian also had to go back to work, which was also a big deal, and a bummer.

Lydia's just been getting cuter and cuter! Here she is wearing her big brother's hand-me-downs, even his first shoes, a gift from the Hunters.

Auntie Katie came to visit early in the month, which was very exciting. We mostly hung around Phil and Gion's house and ate their well-prepared meals the whole time she was here.

Of course, Everett loves another person around to give him attention, read him books his parents and grandparents are tired of.

Right after Katie's visit, Cousin Bob came to stay!

Cousin Bob is so good with kids. I'm glad Everett and Lydia are getting to have fun with him like I did as a kid.

Then, overlapping Bob's stay a bit, Dixie and Jason came to visit! It was nice to see them. So much family in so little time. Exhausting but fun. Above: we went to Sylvester's for Dixie's free birthday burger.

Brian's been reading Everett lots of stories every night. And, during the summer, every nap too. It's very special. Everett's favorite has become The Hobbit graphic novel.

Some pictures of the ladies. I don't get in the pictures much.

The rest of the month, we tried to cram in all the stuff we still wanted to do before the summer ended. Like, the Santa Barbara Zoo!

We went on the day Lydia turned 6-months-old, and she had just started to do that silly smile. Proving to us she could totally smile intentionally.

I guess this shot has become a tradition. I promise to get in the picture next time.

Lydia started to almost not hate baths last month.

We couldn't fit in an actual camping trip, so Brian and Everett camped in the backyard. I love that first one. He was so happy to be in the tent.

Of course, we had to roast marshmallows. I swear, every unhealthy thing that's passed those girl's lips has been given to her by her father. A MARSHMALLOW?!? (;

At around 2 am, Brian and Everett came in to use the bathroom. I was still awake in bed (I kept thinking about them out there!). I heard Brian ask Everett if he wanted to just go to his bed and sleep the rest of the night inside. NO! Everett was determined to sleep in the tent!

Lydia in skeleton jammies. Everett's from his first Halloween.

We rode the train from San Luis Obispo to Paso Robles! Phil was so generous to drive us there, drive home, then pick us up. Lydia stayed with Gion, but they walked down to the track near their house to wave at us going by! Above: Everett saying "all aboard!" and getting his ticket checked.

It was pretty fun for the first 30 minutes, but of course Everett wanted to visit the engine and the caboose. This wasn't the perfect type of train for him to ride. Amtrak is too comfortable for him, like a moving building.

But he had fun. We were glad we did it. Unfortunately, he left his conductor hat on the train, and we weren't able to go back and get it. He was very sad when we were leaving, and it's still the first thing he mentions when we talk about the train ride. The second thing he mentions, all the American flags we saw along the route.

Everett's been playing a lot with Gion and Phil's neighbor girl Alyssa. Here they are eating popsicles. Oh wait, Brian's not the only one who's fed Lydia junk food. Everett let her eat some of his popsicle that day! Ugh!

As much as I'd like this awesome picture to be an example of challenging gender norms, Everett was pretending to be Dusty from Planes here. Luckily, colors aren't gendered for him yet.

Siblings being silly together.

Lydia did great at her 6 month appointment! Hardly cried at all. So sweet and smiley. > 97% for height--29in., 69% for weight--17lbs. She's stretching out a bit.

Cutest picture ever?!? Lydia in a sailor suit Brian wore when he was a baby (and Everett too).

What Everett does when I tell him to be quiet, Lydia's sleeping. He was also playing the piano with his feet.

We went to Cruise Nite on the 16th. It was pretty loud and stinky for Everett. The car show at the Lake Park the next morning was more his speed. Little narcissist checking out his reflection in a classic.

Our friend Max had his 5th birthday at the movie night in Sunken Gardens. The rotunda looked so awesome back there! Also, I love how Paloma, Everett, and Hunter were running around (playing dinosaur) in that same orange/pink color!

Our last, big trip for the summer was going to Gilroy Gardens! After Everett surprised us by enjoying the rides at the fair so much, we thought we'd try to go. We got lucky and our friends, The Hutchinsons, have a pass and were going on a day we were available, and it was a "bring your friends free" day! Awesome!

Above: A picture of ALL the kids, even Emery (5 weeks) in the Ergo (top left), Everett reads the map, kid loves maps.

Marshall, Miller, Jerad, Brian, and Everett on the hot air balloon ride.

On the 20th, we went to the official opening of the Atascadero City Hall!! Everett was with Phil and Gion that day, so we met them there. We all went early to get in the group picture, but didn't realize the picture would be one hour (15 speeches) later. When they took the group shot when construction began, they took it early for some reason and we barely made it in. Our two kids (ok, and all of us adults) couldn't wait that long, so we all left and came back later to tour the building.

We felt lucky to see Rachel when we came in. She was about to leave to find out who Andy's kindergarten teacher would be. But she had enough time to give Lydia a squeeze.

It's such a beautiful building. We feel lucky to live in a city with such an awesome city hall. Grateful to all the people who fought hard to save it after the earthquake damage.

Lydia has 4 teeth through, her two bottom teeth and two little incisors on top. And as you can see in this picture, lots more seem to be coming. I think the teething has really interrupted her sleep. She's not my perfect sleeper anymore. I'm sad about that. And tired.

We've started feeding her a bit! Mostly rice cereal. But a bit of beans and tortilla was thrown in. Back to her roots! 

She's in her crib now. We were dragging our heels because we had admitted to ourselves we needed to move the crib from Everett's room to our room, because they both nap at different times and for her safety (I still don't trust him not to climb in there with her or throw a blanket over her head). We had to move our whole room around to fit a gigantic crib in there (cribs are big!). But she had gotten comically large for her mini co-sleeper.

She's always having such a good time! Getting into everything.  She army crawls all over the place. She crawls through the pop-up tunnels.

Sometimes it seems like she's waving.

Here's Brian reading Everett's favorite Edward Gorey pop-up book at Phil and Gion's. Lydia doesn't seem to be paying attention.

Raising young kids is time consuming but occasionally boring. Sometimes I entertain myself in strange ways. Like dressing the baby like one of Everett's favorite TV characters: Pinky Dinky Doo! I couldn't help myself when I remembered those tights!

Losing his conductor hat was pretty awful, but I wrote an email to Amtrak, and they sent Everett a hat and a pin that says, "The Coast Starlight." SO COOL!! *I* think it's cooler than any generic conductor hat. Everett remains hopeful that his conductor hat will be found and returned to him. Even after Grandma Kathie bought him a replacement (in a bigger size so it will fit longer), he still wants the old one. Kids!

Finally it's time to talk about preschool!

I was feeling creative. I made these while waiting to hear how his first day of school went. Click on them to see them larger.

Everett's going to Cottage Montessori. We think the Montessori approach will support his leaning even into public school.

He's going two half days a week. I pick him up and he has lunch and nap (if I'm lucky) at home.

Grandma Gion volunteered to come over and help get him ready for his first day and see him off. It was very helpful having her there.

This is the barn he was talking about in the interview. He wants to play with it SO BAD. But apparently it goes with a reading activity for older kids. Oh well! He'll have to work up to it.

Lydia didn't seem to want to leave.

Apparently Everett's doing well! The fist day, his teacher said he explored everything. And it sounds as though he's participating more and more every day. Today (Sept 3) I brought home a painting he did and some cut pieces of paper. His first cutting! Yes, I'm a mean mom and haven't let him use scissors at home before!

One hard thing about preschool for me has been nap fighting. I'm currently typing this blog sitting on Everett's floor making sure he stays in his bed for "quiet time." Luckily, right now, he's reading a book. Preschool started on Tuesday. He didn't nap Thursday (his second day of preschool) or Friday. He fell asleep every day this weekend (either Brian or Gion put him to sleep those days). So, it's either school or me?!?

And here's lovely Lydia in her crib. Since she's had the room, she's started flipping to her belly right away and often gets her booty in the air like this.

Ok, till next month!