Catching Up

I have a lot do since I haven't blogged for July and August. These were exciting and BUSY months. We went to Newport Beach for a week, then Christensen's stayed with us for a few days, Elsa and Ava started swimming lessons daily for a month, Discovery Camp, beach trips, Disneyland, a trip to Utah with Bear Lake, ID crammed into it, along with visits to the Hogle Zoo, Ogden Dinosaur Park, picking and canning plums, swimming at the country club and Roy Aquatic center, and lots of play time with cousins! I spent two weeks driving all over the Wasatch Front. Now the drive to Disneyland seems like nothing! Further details and pictures coming.

We have started our busy fall schedule with school starting this week. Elsa and Ava also started soccer practices. Their first game is on Sept. 11th. I crammed every fun activity in before school started. We arrived home from Utah Tuesday night, August 24th. The next day, Elsa and Ava went to the library movie, "Hotel for Dogs." Thursday, we hit a few back-to-school sales. The girls got to pick out a few things for school, when it gets cooler. Ava picked jeans! Yeah. She hates anything with a waistband, so the fact that she likes jeans now, super skinny jeans too, is amazing. Her wardrobe will be so much more versatile now. Elsa picked jeans, which she always loves to wear, a hot pink biker jacket, and a beret (this will probably go back). Their fashion sense is emerging -- and in funny ways. (Elsa told me that after a few weeks of going to school that she wanted to change "her look." No more skirts or dresses, and she wants to cut her hair short and dye it black! I'm fine if she wants to cut her hair, but not dye it. Goodness!) Friday, Ava went with her friend, Charlie, to lunch at the American Girl store in LA. Just for fun! She also got to pick out stylish new glasses (aqua frames) for Ruthie. I'd say she is lucky. Elsa swam with the neighbors at our house, while I tried to catch up with cleaning and unpacking. Monday, we went to Disneyland and met up with friends and neighbors. Elsa got to run around with Sydney and was able to go on every big roller coaster and fast ride. Ava got to hang with her friend and neighbor, Charlie. Greta and I enjoyed the rides in Fantasyland and Toon Town. At one point in the day, I was child-free. Sydney's older sister, Allison, took Greta to see the Pixar Parade, Elsa was on roller coasters with the "big kids," and Ava was with Charlie. Wow! I went on Soarin' which is my favorite ride. Besides being fun, it was perfect weather in the 70's, and wasn't very crowded. Tuesday, we all went to see "Beezus and Ramona," which is a darling movie. We gorged on popcorn, Swedish fish, M&Ms, and juice boxes. Afterwards, we hurried home for Elsa's soccer practice and then to the school to find out who Elsa's and Ava's new teachers would be. It was exciting for Ava to have Charlie in her class again, but she was disappointed that her other best friend, Callie, isn't. Hopefully, they can be together next year. They still get to all play together at recess and have lunch together.

It has been busy and after scheduling the next three months, it will be busier. Brian will be traveling for work a few days every week in September and a few weeks in October. Elsa and Ava have swimming Monday and Wednesday evenings, soccer Tuesday and Thursday, activity days and Daisy scouts Wednesday afternoon, and soccer games on Saturdays. Brian is Elsa's coach, and I am the team parent for Ava's team. Between our responsibilities, we will be at the soccer fields for most of the day. Friday is our only open day, which will be play dates and date nights. And...next Friday is Elsa's birthday!!!! She is going to be 8 years-old. I can't believe I have a child this old. She wants a "plain birthday party" with "regular party games." Nothing fancy or with a theme. I guess she has to clarify with me as her mother. (This actually surprised me because throughout the summer Elsa and Ava have spent hours discussing party themes from a fruit party, bug party, swimming party, American Girl party, etc.) Elsa is excited to get her ears pierced (to Brian's chagrin). Brian offered to buy her a dog (yes, a real one!)if she promised to wait until she was 18 to get her ears pierced. I nixed that agreement since I'm already cleaning up urine messes from Greta's potty-training mishaps. We are still figuring out the details for her baptism, but it will most likely be in November and take place in Utah. Elsa is excited to get baptized with her cousin, Jack, and he turns 8 in October.

What else, oh, yesterday, I had about 5-6 inches of my hair cut off into a short a-line bob (just when it had gotten longer). And it is blonder too. I was totally inspired by my friend, Holly. I met up with her in Utah, and she had cut her long locks to a short bob. I loved it. Of course, she can pull it off better than I can. I love having my hair short again. I might hate it when I have to always style it, but it was in a ponytail 90% of the time and lacked style. This bob is more of a summer style, but hey, I live in California. It will be summer for a few more months.

I think that is all I can think of for now. Hopefully I can get back into a routine that includes blogging (and exercising). Pictures coming soon.