Kayaking Fun

I have always wanted to go kayaking. I know, some may be thinking that doesn't sound like me. However, trust me kayaking is nothing like trying to ride the silver bullet at Lake Havasu (mom and Melissa). At first, I thought it would be scary being out on the open ocean in a little boat...Jaws came to mind. However, when we got to Morro Bay and saw the tame little harbor we were going to be in I was instantly relieved. Aubree, Sydney, and I went with a group from 4-H. Jennifer, Brooke, and Zach came too. Everybody doubled up and off we went. Aubree went with Jennifer and me. She loved it and of course was not afraid at all. It was really neat. We saw jelly fish, a seal and a sea otter. Some of the others saw a sting ray up close and personal. We just saw it splashing, I saw a part of it come out of the water. It was gone, though, by the time we paddled to the where it was.





Paddling wasn't exactly easy. I wouldn't say it was hard either...we just couldn't seem to keep the dang kayak in a straight line. So we did a little zig-zag pattern where ever we went. Plus, we were always behind because we had to stop from time to time to get something for Aubree or take a picture. We were like Sunday drivers. We were the last ones to get to the private beach. Jennifer and I were making jokes about being the "special" kayak, like the "special" bus. I pointed out that the kayak was in fact yellow like a school bus.

When on the beach, Aubree had to go pee, of course. There were no bathrooms so she was going to have to pull up some drift wood and squat. This did not please HRH (Her Royal Highness). She finally conceded to the squatting on the beach, however was then not too sure about putting sandy feet through panty holes for fear of getting sand in panties, thus getting sand in her "coo-coo". So, I shook, shook those panties out and put them on as carefully as I could to avoid the whole "sand in the coo-coo" scenario that she did not want to play out. Operation No Sand In The Coo-Coo was a success.





After the beach, we got back in the kayaks and paddled around some more. The current picked up and our zig-zag pattern got even more zig-zaggier. It seemed like no matter how hard we tried that stinkin' kayak kept heading the opposite direction, back to the dock where we started. It was like a horse going back to the barn or something. So, we decided to go with it and let the current take us back. It was a good time to take in the sights around us and the jelly fish. There were so many of them. The water was too dark to get a good picture of them however.

We had a really good time. I'm glad we went and how lucky for Aubree she's only 3 and already been kayaking!!!

A Little Bit of This...A Little Bit Of That

Well, let's see...

Liam lost his front tooth. Now the gap (thanks to some messed up maternal genetics) is GI-NORMOUS. He is really looking like Billy Bob. Oh well, the best I can hope for is that one BIG front tooth will grow and fill in most of the gaping hole. We'll see






We had a THRILLING time at the dedication of the new tractor barn at the San Lorenzo Museum. "WE" meaning Liam and Dad because the rest of us were there out of sheer obligation. But hey, we got free food and cake so I'm not complaining.






Finally, we just spent the last part of last week at the fair. Sydney showed a pig again. This was her fifth year in the project. There was some good fair drama of course and it was Africa Hot, of course!! Poor kids, the average price for a hog was somewhere around $5-$6 a pound. Please imagine me saying that with the ut-most amount of sarcasm you can possibly fathom.









All in all it was yet again a busy couple of weeks. I am certainly looking forward to the last day of school and my summer vacation, which will turn into a fall vacation, then a winter vacation and so on.

I Think We Moms Can All Relate

I love this commercial! It was originally posted in May 2008. Well it's back! I don't know about you but this is sooo my family. Plus, I think it is especially appropriate since I am spending my Mother's Day shaving a pig. What! you say? Yes, the Salinas Valley Fair begins on Wednesday and the little piggies have to be "show ready" before they go to market. Man, all I have to say is, Will better be waiting at home with 12 dozen long stem roses, chocolate dipped strawberries, and massage oil. Wait...who am I kidding? How 'bout he AND the kids just NOT be there when I get home. Then I can just quietly sit and read a book or write silly stories about them on the computer, or better yet, lay on my bed and just stare at the ceiling without hearing, "MOOOMM, I NEEEEDD YOU." because you know what that means. If you don't, scroll down some and read the post What Happened To Me?...I Used To Be Kind of Cool!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! Be sure to pause my music before you play it.

Such A Good Helper

So, Will had stopped by the store for me on the way home to buy some brownie mix. I had to make brownies for my students because they earned their stars for good classroom behavior. Yes, good ol' fashioned bribery still works. Anyway, after dinner Aubree decided she was going to "help" clean up and put groceries away. I wasn't really paying attention because I was talking to Will. Later, Will had to pick up Sydney from one of her meetings and he took Aubree with him. I decided to bake the brownies, so I went to get a box of brownie mix out of the pantry. I open the pantry and look and...no brownies. Hmmmm, I look and look and think where did that wild woman put the brownie mix? I can't find it and I start looking in all the cupboards that are at her level...no brownie mix. Then, a light bulb goes off in my head and I found them. Can you guess where? Scroll down...








Too funny! Notice the little powder sugar container on top of the pickles too.

What Happened to Me?....I used to be kind of cool??!!

Did you ever hear or see the Bill Engvall act where he talks about the things he has to do for his kids and he gets left wondering what happened to himself and then he says, "I used to be kind of cool!!" Well that's me today. I had just finished dinner with the fam' when both Aubree and Liam disappeared. First, I hear Liam, "MOOOMMM, I NEEEED YOU!" I go in there and yup he needs help completing "the wipe". I know, I know, he is six years old, but sometimes he needs "ass"istance (lucky me). So, I let out a big sigh and commenced with the dirty task. Yuck, all I have to say is that boy ate way too many strawberries the night before...not pretty. No sooner had I finished with that butt did I hear Aubree, "MOOOMMM, I NEEEED YOU PEAS! Well at least she said please (sort of). I walked from my master bathroom to the guest bathroom down the hall where my little curly haired cherub awaited me. This time it was not near as a dramatic cleanup...thank God for rabbit turds, not near as much poop matter is left "behind". Sorry about the puns, butt I couldn't help myself.

A Day In Monterey

This weekend I took Aubree and Liam to the MY Museum in Monterey. Sydney was gone on a camping trip with her youth group. This was actually a good thing because she got to have her fun with her youth group and I could take the kids to this museum which is designed specifically for children 9 and under (obviously NOT Sydney's age range). Everyone wins. I had never been to this museum and always wanted to take the kids. It is newly remodeled and located in downtown Monterey. At first, Liam was unhappy that he was not going with Dad to work, which is what normally happens on weekends. After a little convincing we finally headed out to Monterey. Our first stop was California Pizza Kitchen for lunch-YUM. When the kids had their fill of pizza and soda we were off to the museum. The museum was pretty cool. There was a special kid entrance, and everything inside was interactive. There was a giant tree house, dollhouse, theater, fire truck, ambulance, golf course, and of course the greatest feature of all (according to Liam) was the farming exhibit. It was actually quite an impressive maze of "conveyor" belts that distributed little plastic balls (meant to represent produce) being packed in a packing plant. The only thing that stopped Liam from staying and cranking those belts round and round all day was the fact that I was parked in a 2 hour parking zone. They both had a lot of fun. I think the coolest thing was a butterfly display in which the kids stood on a mark and there was a metal hoop around them setting in soapy water. The hoop was attached to ropes and when you pulled the rope the hoop went up and made a giant bubble all the way up and around the kids. How cool is that?? What kid doesn't want to be inside a giant bubble? By the way, in case you are wondering what a giant bubble has to do with butterflies?...it was supposed to imitate a cocoon. We went down to Fisherman's Wharf after for some ice cream and of course look at the ocean and some boats. Aubree was very impressed and wanted badly to get on a boat, any boat. She saw some guys kayaking and said she wanted to go on those too. Liam being the old crotchety man he is deep down inside told her she couldn't do that because she was too little, the boats were too dangerous because they can flip...what happens if a big wave comes?, there are no motors in them, blah, blah, blah. That kid cracks me up. I can see it now...he's going to be Mr. Safety, you know don't go outside without sunblock, and she is going to go base jumping for her 21st birthday or something. So, besides the fact that I had to listen to Kidz Bop, (which by the way, is like listening to bad karaoke singers with a bunch of kids as back up singers,) to Monterey and back we had a really good time.