Broken Glass

If the whole Arabic thing doesn't work out for Justin I think he has a future in temporarily replacing broken car windows on holiday weekends when nobody can professionally do it for 3 days.

We were all loading up in the van yesterday. Owen saw the window was cracked (we never saw it) and touched it. It literally shattered into tiny pieces. Nobody was hurt except for a couple scratches on Owen. But still! Not the happiest moment of the day.

Can We Talk Some More about the Aquarium?

Owen, Lilly, Drew - 8/29

The awesome jellyfish exhibit is leaving soon so we went to say good-bye. This little room is my favorite. It has a a floor to ceiling jellyfish tank and the other walls are mirrored so you're surrounded by jellies.

Hot Lunch (A Long Story)

Every morning in kindergarten Owen's teacher takes roll and asks each child if they are having hot lunch (buying) or cold lunch (brought their own).

If they say hot lunch they hand her their money.

Every morning we pack Owen a cold lunch.

Owen knows this.

This last week Owen's cold lunch has been untouched. I figured he was full from snack or too distracted and wanted to play - he's never been a big eater, plus he would eat the whole lunch as soon as we got home. But I thought he'd at least eat his treat at school.

Owen told me a couple times he told his teacher, "Hot lunch." I thought nothing of it because a) he didn't hand her money and b) he had a cold lunch in his backpack.

But Thursday when he told me he said, "hot lunch" again I asked him what he had.

Him: A hamburger.

Me: Oh yeah, where'd you get the money for your hot lunch?

Him: This fat lady.

I double checked the menu and it was hamburgers for lunch. But I was still thinking maybe someone was sharing their lunch with him.

Friday I gave him $ to buy hot lunch since he's obviously obsessed with it.

I asked his teacher about him saying hot lunch and she confirmed that he had been eating hot lunch ALL week. Huh? Without money! And the teacher never even brought it up to me! I don't feel too bad cause if she checked his backpack she would've seen that he had brought a lunch. I just thought it was so funny. And she admitted that she was an accomplice cause she never did check so she told me not to worry about paying back for his free lunches.

He wasn't trying to be sneaky he probably just thought he had a choice so he chose hot lunch!

2 in a Row

It's just that I like taking sitting up baby pictures a lot better than laying down baby pictures.

And it has been such nice beach weather.

The sun (here) makes me happy.

Just Like Her Dad

Doesn't like tutus.

I think they're so cute...just not very practical.

Don't fall down in shock but I made it myself.

And yes, the bow needs to be trimmed.

Mummies and the Boardwalk

The Egyptian Museum in San Jose

We got to see a real mummy, a 4 1/2 year old girl's coffin (she was inside but we only saw the coffin), and a recreated tomb (including tunnels) to walk through.

Owen and Drew were pretty scared.

It didn't help when Justin said, "Look she's your age!" to Owen about the little girl's coffin. He was trying to get him excited, but seeing a dead girl his age wasn't top on his list.

He's more into things like taking other people's money out of fountains.

Bad luck.

Double bad luck.

They chose to sit still for a picture

over going back in the museum.

It felt good to be warm for a day!


Then we went to Santa Cruz to meet Chad & Cherisse at...

The Boardwalk

Justin made Drew do all the work,
while hogging his stroller at the same time.

Kiddie Rides!

Then good night.

Something Special for a Saturday

If I ever go to prison, please let it be in the Philippines.

They do a different routine every month.

Good Morning Ocean

This is my view every morning driving Owen to school. Not bad eh?

But by "every morning" I mean ""every now and then" because lots of times it's overcast, foggy, and gray.

But not today!

And by "today" I mean 2 days ago.

Today it's gray.

I was going to lie for the sake of this post cause today sounds better than 2 days ago.

But ya... today it's gray.


And maybe I should remove that parking receipt from my dashboard.

Competition

Ever heard of Grosgrain Fabulous? My cousin Lindsay (private blog) had this posted and I'm now obsessed with this dress. The designer doesn't sell her dresses and it's killing me cause the odds are not in my favor to win but it's worth a shot!

Running and Me

8/14

Running and me don't normally get along, but we're trying to work it out so I can lose some pounds.

I have never ran a mile straight in my life.

My best mile time is 9:58. That was in junior high. And that included walking.

At least I can laugh while I run now (those 2 things used to never happen at the same time)... but Justin rides beside me pulling the trailer crammed with 3 kids. It's funny to look over and see their little heads staring at me. They look like triplets.

And then there was today when Owen decided to ride too... in his fuzzy helmet and pj's.
This is what happens when I take a picture while running. Does it make you think I'm going fast?

Fine Dining

In the Hollobaugh garage

First experience with baby food left her cross-eyed.

In Baby News

Sept 4th of last year my sister Karen gave birth at 37 weeks to Alice Jane, who was stillborn.

Sept 5th of this year was her due date for Gwenyth Jane...but Gwen decided to come 4 weeks early and was born last Saturday.

I just think it's cool how things work out.

Gwen's lungs weren't fully developed at birth but she should be able to go home soon.

Oh and Tami who had James the same day as Alice last year is now pregnant with #8!!!!

Meet Arabic

He eats, drinks, and sleeps Arabic.

The headphones are for the vocab words he's studying.

This picture was taken when I woke up at 6:30 this morning. And this is what I fell asleep to at 10:30 last night. He did sleep...I think.

Justin goes to class 8 hours a day. His class of around 9 stays in the same room as 8 different teachers rotate through. All the teachers are middle-Eastern so the students can get used to hearing different dialects.

He's in his 6th week. I think by week 3 it was all new material (nothing he had done in his 4 semesters in college).

Good thing he likes it!

My Upbringing

When I was born my parents lived in a trailer in a junkyard.

So I am a little bit trailer trash.

Does this explain my love for (strawberry) fruit roll-ups?

Not that fruit roll-ups are trashy, but the fact that I'm 29 and LOVE them is a little bit. And those Mother's Circus Animal cookies I love that Lindsey (not Katie) informed me are disgusting. Well I wish she told me sooner.

I think I have trailer trash taste buds.

But they're maturing a little bit ever since I had a banana/Nutella crepe at the Farmer's Market.

Have you ever had this stuff?

I hadn't even heard of it until I moved to NC and Sis Cooke made Nutella filled won tons.

YUM.

Brown. Not so Brown.

When you walk in this house you'll think you put on brown colored glasses.

Brown: couches, recliner, entertainment center, piano, picture frames (I'm a glutton for punishment - I swore I would never hang these again), and if there was room there'd be a brown table. (That small area behind the couch is where it would go, but since it won't fit it's unassembled in the garage. We eat on the floor...until I find a little, NOT brown, hopefully turquoise, table.)

And then there's my favorite 4'8"x2'7" (I measured) space in the house: Sally's crib.
That is so NOT brown (thanks to Justin, because it used to be).

It makes me so happy every time I lay her down.

First Day

Today is Owen's first day of kindergarten (the cut-off here is December so he is a YOUNG kindergarten-er).

School starts at 8. We left the house at 8:03. Off to a good start.

On the way Owen was sing-songing to the tune of A Spoonful of Sugar, "It's time to go to school! You're taking me to school!" I was glad he was calming MY nerves.

He chose the biggest kids backpack out there. As long as he doesn't want to wear character clothes he can have all the character backpacks he wants.




Not pictured (when we left): Owen wanting to cry but holding it in. Me not being able to hold it in as I walked away carrying Sally and holding Drew's hand.

I'm seriously such a wus and keep looking at these pictures over and over.

Is it time to pick him up yet?

He was a happy kid when I picked him up. He's excited to go back tomorrow. His favorite part of the day was the park. I asked him if it seemed long and he said he kept dreaming of me. Awwww.

Stinky and Proud of It

Coast Guard Pier, July 30

Sea lions stink.