Hooray for the Red, White and Blue!

Summer is all about the fun (which for us usually happens AFTER summer school) and this summer has been great! It came to mind, while viewing and editing our most recent thousand pictures, that the colors of summer are not actually those of the tropical places very few of us visit or, if we're lucky enough to go, for any great length of time. Tropical colors are marketed on everything from Crayola markers to Starburst candy during the summer - I'm sorry, 'Special edition' candy?- Yet when out and about, the prominent colors are as plain as the flag in your face. Red, white and blue- they're not just for The Fourth of July anymore. True we have coordinated in order to have those simply stunning photos to send the grandparents, but we are just mirroring what is already present in the surrounding scape.

July began with a trip to the Los Angeles Zoo for the girls and Anna's first day at preschool. She, of course, was thrilled (still is, as those of you who know her can imagine) At the rate she's going - two days a week with only two weeks having been complete- she should get used to it by the time she's ready for the 2 year old room. Alright, it's not that bad. She actually is adjusting pretty well considering the infrequent schedule. I guess you could count her face when being left at the school as our first 'red' of the summer. Well, okay, her dress was red too.

The girls are always hearing how much their daddy likes his girls in red and, in the steel trap that is Hallie's mind, the logical thing to do was to 'take a red picture of us' since he couldn't be with us when we bought our fireworks. Little did she know she would be the inspiration for a theme. They had fun at the stand - Hallie selecting the quietest possible explosives and Anna peeking through the windows, and pointing at everything while saying 'ooh, ooh'... Anna even convinced Grandma to buy an extra one because she just kept going back to the same item. Now that Hallie was brave enough to stay on the lawn and watch, Anna was, as you might guess, in the house with her daddy. So, fireworks, not the favorite but the kids did enjoy the playtime and barbecue at Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Mike's and had fun with the goofy child friendly 4th goodies I bought them. And, they do look good in red.......

The clouds of the San Diego sky aside, white, for us was first gleaming in the brief photo trip to the beach. We had planned on taking a few photos and then letting the girls play and splash and get acquainted/reacquainted with the heat of the sand and the power of the waves. As is our luck however, the day we set out to do so, was cloudy and gray until about noon. The days on either side BLUE, BLUE and more BLUE. Alas, one can only Photoshop so much. So, by the time we arrived, though Coronado is not a crowded beach on a summer Tuesday, there were too many people to stay out of my artsy pictures.

We brought our buckets and sand toys in addition to the three different cameras, and after a few pictures in the dunes - and the realization that the sand was REALLY hot- we headed toward the water and the blanket was unfurled. It would be boastful to make note of the glances and expressions the sundress clad sisters drew as they ran to the water so it will be left to the imagination. Forget it. Everybody thought they were adorable, pointed, gasped and waved. We pretended not to notice all this attention aimed at these ordinary kids. Anna was fearless as she sped toward the waves. She didn't care about the sand squinching between her toes or the cold water crashing against her legs. Every time Dad headed back to the blanket, she turned around and tried to toddle back. Hallie has been to the beach only a handful of times and never to do more than wade. She knows that the first time we brought her to that spot when she was 17 months old, she was knocked down by a HUGE 2 inch wave and ended up with a mouth full of water. This time, and sadly undocumented as I was back turned and reaching for the video camera, she was fresh and sweet in her white dress one minute and soggy, sandy and stunned the next. If you ask her, she will tell you that a wave got her once again. We keep telling her not to turn her back on the waves. You be the judge. Quickly we reassured her that we planned on the dresses getting wet and a little muddy (of course, not that early on) and she went about her business once again. They both had fun with the sand and when Anna had had her fill, and Hallie's dress was too heavy, we headed off. The beauty of living in Southern California is that we can probably take them back until early December and they still can comfortably play in the sand and surf. It's a whole new experience for us too as we've NEVER had to take so much stuff with us for a day at the beach

We were also lucky enough to view that same beach from across the water while exploring the Point Loma Lighthouse. We were so glad we did! Mom and Dad couldn't remember if they'd ever actually been, other than out to the peninsula. It is always amazing to see the dry desert conditions complete with cactus and succulents while standing at the edge of the Pacific ocean. Hallie had recently seen the movie Pete's Dragon
so she was very interested in examining the paraphernalia she had seen in the film. She decided it would be lonely living there and too crowded in the house though she enjoyed ascending the spiral staircase and seeing the 'old fashioned' things. She liked looking through the display pane of glass and was interested in seeing the museum. We weren't able to but, on the way out, she wanted to choose postcards for her teachers to show them where she was when she was not at school.


Blue in the sky, blue in the ocean, and blue in the eyes of two beautiful girls. Adding to the blue of our summer were the tanks and pools of Sea World. Hallie was excited to show me around since I was home with her new sister when she last visited. At about the same age and stage as Hallie when she first visited, Anna was equally as engaged. She would have preferred running around just about anywhere rather than sit in a stroller but she seemed to be enjoying herself. She enjoyed sharing my club sandwich and fruit anyway. Hallie surprised us both by wanting to go on the Journey to Atlantis ride(not our video). Yes ride (we still can't get over Anheuser-Busch owning the park) It is definitely worth asking her about it if she's in the mood. From arrival to just before we left she kept reminding us to see if she was big enough to go on the ride and she was. So after asking her about a hundred times if she REALLY wanted to do it, we got in line. I texted Dad to let him know when we boarded and he had the video camera ready. By the time we are again in focus, you can't see me talking her out of her tears. Who knew the big flume was at the beginning?
We still had the coaster part to go. I heard a scream I've never heard before and when asked if she will go on it again she wavers from when she's nine and when she's a grown-up. Overall, we think she's a little proud of herself and she recovered very quickly. Maybe she was just so happy to be off the ride. We saw penguin, manatees, and dolphins, had a Shamu ice cream bar and left for the call of dinner, the hotel swimming pool and a movie before bed.

Summer is not over, of course, and we have a month packed with activities to complete before school starts. More zoo, Disneyland, Anna's first birthday, a Dodger game (Go BLUE..er, I mean more blue) to name a few. These, followed by one more trip to San Diego and days of helping Mom set up her classroom (at a red, white and blue school) should round out a very full (and colorful) few months in the life of our family. Every summer, the street banners in Coronado proudly proclaim "A Star Spangled Summer" and we did our best to hold up our end. Hooray for our red, white and blue!

The Subs are Back!

We decided to brave the crowds - Sunday's are usually empty - and experience the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.  Apparently, others had the same idea and, oh yeah, it's summer. Never mind the 45 minutes it took to get from freeway to front gate.  I know...let it GO! (But, we used to park and walk and we could even hang out in the shops before the rides were operating-just held back by some ropes)

For the last two years or so, we have been passing a brightly painted wall which hid the 'imagineering' going on in the Tomorrowland lagoon. It was so disappointing when the submarines sailed for the last time somewhere in the 90's. True, the fish and coral needed some paint and there were more than a few strings from which the plastic fish had loosened themselves but it was a fun thing, a family thing.  

I remember my sister, at age 3 or 4, being riveted to the window the whole time saying, "Look at all the curious fishes".  It was sweet and I can remember how excited she was.  As time passed, the person accompanying me to Disneyland was someone with whom I would most likely share 

children and I began to see things in a different way.  I thought about how fun it would be to watch a child discovering things and therefore, experience my own re-discovery of so many things. That has definitely come true - to see things through the eyes of your children is one of the most joyful things in life.

Anyway, as noted last entry, the week prior had a reasonable line but we opted to leave. This time, we were greeted by a line that was getting longer by the minute.  Now, seeing a four hour line through the eyes of a child is not a joyful thing.  Dad decided to wait with Anna so Hallie and I could ride and run around until it was closer to the time of our voyage.  

Now it can be told, since Dad told everyone in line, that he was the one who made the choice to leave last week.  I didn't say a word or give an indication of 'I told you so'.  Thought about it...but I knew he'd be taking care of it himself.  By the time of our first check-in, he had shared with his line mates and probably had kicked himself a few times too. It wasn't a bad wait for them. The weather was cool, Anna was very pleasant and had a nice nap while waiting. Hallie and I checked back frequently, brought Dad a churro for sustenance and a short three hours later we wormed our way in to be loaded into the Neptune 707.

We boarded first, which gave us a little extra personal space and an additional surface for Anna to pound.  Aside from the bright blue interior, the ride had all the familiarity of the old subs.  And, with a new Aussie type narration and fresh things floating in the lagoon, we were under way.  The technology is bright an fun and it really wasn't too scary (Hallie had previewed it online so she knew what was coming).  Anna, too little to be scared, was 'oohing' and trying to catch the bubbles.  We all enjoyed it.

It was a great ride and when it only takes 30 minutes or less to wait, we'll ride it again!

Father's Day

See, some of you thought Dad just needed someone to buy him a new shirt.  Hopefully, now, you can see there was a method to the madness.  It was ART. OK well, not art exactly but, a fun experiment that has proven to be fascinating to us as the years have gone by.  The 'Father's Day shirt' is pulled out of the drawer one day each year for a few hours of fun and photos at DCA (Disney's California Adventure) to chronicle the growth of our sweetie pie.  Each year, my job is to find her a light blue shirt so she can age beautifully on film with her dad.  Pretty nice results, dontcha think? 

We had a great time and, of course, wished we were headed back to the Grand Californian instead of to the parking structure.  We spent most of our time in A Bug's Land  riding the 'Bug's Life' themed attractions but made it around to a few other attractions as well.  Hallie particularly enjoys the  Sorcerer' Workshop where she can visit the Beast's castle to find out what character she's most like and dive into the grotto where Ursula steals her voice and puts it in a Disney

 film. 

After lunch, we stepped over to Disneyland to find the personalized brick we bought for the walkway.  Since it was pretty empty we thought we'd check out the line for the newly re-opened submarines.  It was a little less than a two hour wait so we headed out by way of the B&W Mickey cartoons Hallie loves so much.  The weather was perfect, the girls were pleasant and we couldn't have asked for a lovelier day together.

Be sure to check back in a few years to see the Mother's Day pictures of Anna and me!

Pomp and Circumstance

On Friday, June 15th, bearing balloons and dressed in her finest, Hallie arrived at school for her last day of preschool.  It was graduation day!  After two months of practice, the families of the Children's Center students piled into the church hall to bear witness to the first of many school milestones their little ones will meet. Sharing in Hallie's achievement were Grandma, Grammie, Grampa, Aunt Charlotte and Auntie as well as friends Jeff and Alex (her 'other' family). This was not merely a cute ceremony - it was an EVENT - designed in a way that afforded every child his or her own moment to be seen, heard and shine a little in the individual spotlight. With about 30 children, it was no short affair.  

It began with two slide presentations (we won't get into WHY there was a second slide show) that chronicled the fun and learning the kids have experienced throughout their time at preschool.  Then, Hallie and her classmates marched in one by one and found their seats on the stage.  After the last child took his place, the audience was greeted by students and asked to join in saluting the American and Christian flags. Hallie and two of her classmates donned special hats and, accompanied by the rest of the graduating class, sang America the Beautiful.  She even had a line! (but-proud parent mantra- no one was more special than anyone else...) After Hallie asked everyone to be seated, we were led in prayer and formally welcomed.

The children sang a Christian song in honor of Hallie's teacher who passed away at the first of the year and who always chose a song with a

Christian theme for ceremonies past. They signed as they sang Step by Step and followed with We are the World*.  

The ceremonial diplomas were given and while returning to their seats, the children each stepped in front of the microphone to announce what they would be when they grew up. Only one child hesitated... yup, it was ours. 

Ordinarily, one would just assume that she was nervous or stage struck but let me provide a little background here so you can understand that neither was the case.  You see, during the course of those two months of rehearsal, Hallie shared her thoughts with us.  She was going to be a teacher or a dentist or a scientist.  We told her she could be whatever she'd like.  Well, about a week before graduation she came home and announced she wanted to be a nail painter. Now, all parents should encourage their children to be whatever they want to be and I didn't mean anything by it when I asked her 

'what happened to being a scientist?'  Other than asking her who was also choosing that, I let it go. Please don't be offended if you or your best friend are a 'nail painter'.  It's just that I don't paint my nails often and not since I became pregnant have I used the stuff so what does Hallie know about the occupation of manicurist - especially since she doesn't know the word? So, when it came down to it and she paused, albeit seconds, I thought 'Oh, that's my fault-my first (and by the way, recorded evidence of) scarring and crushing the dreams of my child.  I later asked her if she forgot what she wanted to be and when she said no. I asked if she tried to answer what Daddy and I wanted and held my breath.  She said 'no'. Hmmmmmm.  Then after a minute she told me that another student (who went before her) copied her.  I asked her if he had been saying scientist during all the practices, too. She said, 'No, he wanted to be a builder or something.  I was trying to remember one I didn't hear yet.'  Lucky for us, but what a mind on her!

The ceremony ended with remarks and the presentation of flowers to the parents.  Upon handing off their flowers to parents they were hard pressed to find, the graduates were handed balloons and sent to the courtyard.  
The balloons were let go with wishes and hopes and dreams for the future in kindergarten and beyond.

Ultimately it was the greatest testamentto how much those children are loved and cherished by their teachers and evidence of the truth that may be forgotten in future ceremonies - that no child is better or more significant than any other. No one child was going to be the star. Every child was the star. Each had a role to play and each had a chance to be heard. Each was a gift for us all to share.  It was innocent, sweet and endearing. It was one of those times that leaves you wondering when you stopped thinking you could be a robot (uh huh, someone said that) or a rock star when you grew up.  It was one of those times we will cherish and keep.  So yes, it was lengthy but, it was a beautiful thing.

* What kind of children of the 80's would we be if we didn't include the original? This was HUGE!  On the radio, it was a game to try and guess the artist, at school half the students were walking billboards with their USA for Africa shirts and on TV well, if you didn't have MTV (back when they actually played 'M') you felt like you were part of the problem.  Aside from being amazed that we can remember something over 20 years old, we laugh at the clothes and hair we witnessed in Jr High/High School and how good everyone looked before all the plastic surgeries.
(original We are the World)

9 month (and 54 month) portraits

They're finally here! As always, it's almost time for the next sitting but they're always cute (and VERY telling)!