April Post

Hello May! What did we do in April?

With the weather nicer, we've been sprucing stuff up outside. I ordered some retro inspired outdoor furniture I've been eyeing for a while. We also got an umbrella to make outdoor dining more enjoyable. I'm still planning to stage it nice enough to belong in a magazine. Maybe sometime before Everett's birthday party.

We also got the oak over our house and the liquid amber out front trimmed. That was a pretty exciting day.

Brian's been working a lot in the yard: gardening, weeding, weed whacking, laying down chips, and he's growing a new little lawn out front.

More sweet kids and retro furniture.

Lydia loves to paint with Grandma Kathie, Rozzy wears clothes with lace and gem stones, we enjoy a zoo puppet show at the library, and I crocheted a baby blanket for a good friend (real baby for scale).

The kids love that Phil and Gion planted wild flowers in their yard.

TBALL! We've been having a lot of fun with Tball. The kids have improved so much and they are adorable to watch. Brian's been helping Coach Anna sometimes. Our friend Anna is such a wonderful coach. We're very lucky to have her.

Messy beanie baby. And Everett's open house! He was so proud to show us his class. The writing on his drawing says "I am Everett C.. I like to go to my grandma’s house. Me and my grandma playing a different game of monopoly." How sweet is that?! And he used several different colors of crayon to mix the right hair color for Gion.

The kids have been playing outside more. I was sitting on the porch, and they were quiet in the side yard, I went over to check on them and they were sweetly swinging together. Everett took some compost from the pile to put on a peach pit he's been trying to grow.

Celebrating Brian's birthday with Grandpa George and Grandma Kathie after dinner at Sylvester's. Phil and Gion also took us to Street Side to celebrate, but I didn't get any pictures.

Rozzy's monthly glamour shots. 8 months. She has seven teeth now, four on top and three on bottom (she's working on that eighth!). She started clapping at Playtime Discoveries this month and it's become her favorite trick. She loves bobbing her head or whole body to the music. She's started waving, and we're working on signing "milk" and "all done." She loves to climb things and will get dangerously high if you let her.

Attending Grandpa George's puppet show at the library made me realize how easy it is to get to library story time, since it starts right after Everett gets dropped off at school. We're already out and needing something to do. So we've started going on Wednesdays. It's a really fun group. 

At the library, Lydia found this Martha Stewart Kids craft book, and I've been surprised by how interested the kids are in doing the projects, Everett especially. 

Lydia's verbal skills are improving so much. And she's been learning letters, numbers, and shapes. It's so exciting to watch her learn. And we look forward to all that she will learn in preschool starting in the fall. 

It was eye appointment month! The kids and I all had appointments. Brian goes this month (May). Everett doesn't need glasses, but we had fun trying some on. He looked so cute! Someday he'll need them. He's nearsighted like his mama. 

Just some train building on the deck. We love getting to spend so much more time outside.

Until next month! May should be a fun one!

March Post

I find it funny how my blogs are always late when Brian's off work. I have more free time, but we're busier! Fun!

Let's talk about March!

Rozzy's a goofball. She fits in nicely. She's modeling a bandana bib made by our friend Heidi!

We were prepared for a rainy day and helped Everett order this awesome Lego train set. It took him literally all day one day and an hour or two the night before to build. Quite a process to behold.

We love these strong, chunky thighs. We sometimes call her a muscle. She's so dense and strong! I know I'm using that word again, but Baby Girl is STRONG! Don't let her get a hold of your hair!

And she's so physical/mobile! Crawling at 5 months, pulling up at 6 months. She's SO FAST crawling! She's also HUGE! Off the charts for height and weight. Sometimes I feel like we skipped a bunch of little baby time. But she's so healthy, mellow, and happy, it's hard to feel too sad about that.

Everett wanted a picture with pirate's booty dust on his face, but I want to say, "those eyes!!" Roz isn't the only Cisneros kid with gorgeous eyes.

Everett had been bringing up how he wanted to try a gyro. There's a decent Greek restaurant in San Luis Obispo, so we thought we would head over there for lunch. He like the meat of the gyro but not the sauce. Afterward, we went to Islay Park, which has a path that winds behind the houses there. It was a fun little adventure.

Grandpa Stanley passed away on March 9th. Phil, Gion, and Brian were able to spend some time with him at the end. He lived a long, full life, and he will be missed.

Katie came out to have some family time the weekend after. Her visit was a nice diversion after a hard week.

When the kids get in the same outfit, I can't help comparing them!

It was a total accident! I promise I wasn't trying to recreate one of my favorite pictures of Lydia and Katie! And they just crawl around in this cumbersome porcupine costume for fun! Wasn't staged at all. *winky face*

When Katie was here, we got to try out one of Atascadero's newest eateries, Street Side Ale House. Very good!

And Phil and Everett make more paper monsters. It has become an activity they enjoy doing together. They have made so many of the monsters in the book.

7 month photoshoot, boy and baby Lego creating (or is it more boy putting up with baby near his Lego creations?), and those chunky thighs!! I can't get enough of them!

Phil and Gion took the kids to see Zootopia. It was Lydia's first time at the theater! I hear she did great!

And Roz got to spend some time banging' on P&G's pots and pans while I took Everett to gymnastics. Fun was had by all. And Everett enjoyed some rare one-on-one time with me.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!

Phil wanted to show us the trail he's been working on. It's called Three Bridges Oak Preserve, and it's beautiful! Hiking with kids is slow going but fun!

I love when Everett gets into an art project. Here he's drawing everything he can see on the deck and in the yard, in a very interesting perspective.

Pink Beats by Dre and a purple iPad cover for a 3-year-old who is always telling us "purple's my favorite color." And "pink's my favorite color." The two are not mutually exclusive to her.

Grandma Kathie brought over some early Easter gifts for the kids. And Roz examines her Easter card.

Brian really wanted to take Lydia to the movies during his break. The only kids movie playing was Zootopia, so Lydia got to see it again! She enjoyed it. She got antsy at the end, but the theater was empty besides them, so it was fine.

Early morning selfies with Mom!

Roz fell asleep in the jumper, and I let her be! We'd been having a rough time with naps. Like, no naps all day except a few minutes during and after nursing. She wouldn't transfer to the crib like Everett and Lydia would, and I was so lost as to what to do. Turns out, letting her cry in her crib for a little bit works well! This baby is a different baby! Now, nighttime is a different story. We're still working on that.

Brian sealed the deck! It looks great! We also got some new deck furniture and accessories and had the big oak above the house trimmed. I'll post pictures when everything is set up. I'll stage it like our house belongs on HGTV.

Egg dying with Phil and Gion!

Easter morning!! "The Easter Bunny" surprised the kids with a few little toys and games, seeds and tools for planting, and candy, of course.

The kids got even more Easter surprises when we went to Phil and Gion's. They were kind enough to host us and my parents for an Easter egg hunt and a delicious springy dinner.

Putting the flower on his head was Everett's idea. Goofy kids.

Easter egg hunt! These kids are getting good!

Playing in the new sprinkler with their new swimsuits!

Shooting bubbles! I think he was being a storm trooper.

Four pictures needed to capture five people well. We've taken a family Easter picture every year since Lydia was first born. Impressive!

We all enjoyed a gourmet dinner, but no one more than Rozzy!

Monopoly Jr. with Grandma Gion and painting with Grandma Kathie.

On our to-do list for Brian's spring break was a trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium!! When we got to Monterey, we picnicked at Dennis the Menace Park. The kids love it! Hopefully next trip we can spend more time playing there.

We got to the aquarium around 1:00, took a break for snacks in the car, then came back and almost closed the place down. It closes at 6:00. The kids were so good! We were really proud of them.

Practicing for Tball! I got a picture of his first catch!

Painting with Grandma Kathie. They've been painting a lot lately. Lydia likes to find her rainbow book to use as a reference. She often says things like, "green! You need green to make a rainbow."

We squeezed one last big trip into Brian's break: Santa Barbara Zoo! It was a beautiful day, and although it was busy, we had a blast. And once again, the kids did great. The aquarium was not a fluke! The picture above where I'm looking up statuesquely? Yeah, Roz was pulling my hair.

Until next month!