Sticks & Stones

This Labor Day weekend, we spent 2 nights in an amazing hotel about 45 minutes away. Sunshine, swimming pools and new places to explore made it a great time. The hotel had a super fun Kids World where we dropped off the girls and took advantage of our kid-free time. The hotel also had three swimming pools which we definitely enjoyed. But the most memorable time for the girls was when Kevin took them exploring and they created a little fort in the trees by the hotel. They spent 2 hours playing & using their imagination and had the time of their lives. (Pictured are the bombs they collected to get the cannibals & the pirates...it's a Pippi Longstocking thing.....) So often as parents, we feel like we need to buy our kids toys, give them special treats, take them on all kinds of excursions when really, simple things like undivided attention and creative play can bring the most j0y.

AYSO Soccer

One of Hana's favorite things to do is kick a soccer ball back and forth with us in our backyard. She's got a strong kick too! So, we thought she'd love it when we signed her up for AYSO soccer this summer. Yeah, not so much! The first time was a disaster. I could blame the lack of nap that day or the cold weather but pretty much, Hana's mid-meltdown scream of "But I'm the one that wants to win!" sums it up. She didn't understand that hands are not allowed and took it personally when anyone else scored a goal. She never wanted to go again because she felt like she didn't do well.
Tonight was her third week and she has gotten over not being able to score. Instead, she prefers to socialize with her teammates and rest on the sidelines. Fine with us! We've quickly learned that soccer just might not be her thing and have put no pressure on her. We're just glad she has a good time.

However, Alaina shows more signs of athleticism so perhaps she'll dominate when she is old enough for AYSO!

The favorite part of this whole experience - snack time!!

Wiggly Party

We ended our insanely busy month of July with a visit to see The Wiggles. Most people know that Hana is obsessed with them and Alaina has become a fan too. The last time they were in town, tickets were a ridiculous $70 each so we passed. This time, tickets were only $10 so we were excited to take the girls. Alaina's favorite character is Dorothy the Dinosaur and she was thrilled when Dorothy came on stage.
Anthony Wiggle actually came to our aisle and waved to Hana. She was so excited! Not pictured are the stickers of the Wiggles' logo that Kevin made for each of us to wear, because we do silly things like that!

Cabo Vacay

We were so looking forward to our first international/resort vacation as a family of four! It was quite a busy summer, mostly because it seemed like Kevin was travelling for work every other week. I spent a weekend alone in San Diego with my BFF (an awesome surprise anniversary gift from Kevin!). The day after I got back, Kevin left for TX and didn't return for 6 days. We left for our amazing Cabo vacation 2 days after that and Kevin left again 2 days after we returned. Things are a bit more stressful when Kevin is away and having to pack didn't help things. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I woke up on 'travel day' with a sore throat, body aches, a headache, and worse. Our plane ride was calamitous. Travelling with young children is crazy, travelling while sick is miserable. Add the two together and you get a crazy, miserable plane ride! Luckily it was pretty short and the 45 minute scenic ride to our resort was enjoyed in a private, air-conditioned Suburban with a very likable driver.
So yes, I was completely sick up until our last night and the poor girls got sick early in the trip as well. I felt so bad for them and we didn't get to do as much as we wanted. However, if one has to be sick, much better to spend it at an amazing resort than our foggy home!
While we didn't do as much as we wanted, we had some great times together as a family. Like this great photo op of us holding iguanas. In total sucker tourist move, we paid the owners of these lovely green iguanas about $10, even though they involuntarily popped these creatures on us ;)
Through this trip, we learned that Alaina is an absolute fish! The girl has never taken any swimming/water classes but was soo comfortable in the pools...almost too comfortable. She just loved splashing around & jumping in and even held her breath when she went under water. Put a set of floaties on her arms and she will happily jump in and bob around forever.
Hana however did not enjoy swimming as much as we thought. I am sure a lot of it had to do with how sick she was but she is also our girlie-girl. By the end of the week, we sent her off to Kids Club and she loved that best of all. On a side note, Kids Club is awesome and dropping her off there and being responsible for only Alaina at the pool made things much easier. Though being sick made things a little rough for me & the girls, we still had an amazing time and I wish I could relive that week, exactly as it was!

Family Hike

Recently we went on a hike in San Pedro Valley Park which is right in our town and has some awesome trails. Such a beautiful day and fun family activity. Hana @ the view from the 'top'! A lot of people use those nifty child backpacks when hiking with their kids. In our family, if you have legs and can walk, then we make you use them! Alaina held her own and we made it a decent distance up the mountain.