Hovander Park

Saturday afternoon we went to the Ludtke Pacific Trucking picnic. It was at Hovander Park in Ferndale. Sam had blast looking at all the animals...
she wasnt to sure about the goat though!

Namy took the twins for a little walk and they fell asleep.


There was a little river you could walk to. Sam and her Daddy found it but when I tried to find it I ended up taking the wrong trail and it just ended. Sam thought it was fun though walking through the forest and climbing over the trees.


We ended the day with a quick little ride in the back of Papas truck...Sam wanted to go all the way home driving like that!

Daddy came

Jon flew in really late Thursday night so when Sam woke up Friday morning so was so excited to see her daddy she had to let him wear her new crown.
Sydney and Courtney were being very smiley all morning.


















Alyssa also came in on Thursday night so Sam was in complete heaven. We stuck around the ranch most of the morning then went into town for lunch at Bobs Burger and Brew. Then to Kohl's as you know my favorite store. Sam went with Alyssa to get Alyssas eyebrows waxed by Auntie Leah then went and visited Auntie Theresa.
Jon was out playing around with the golf clubs for part of the afternoon. We all just played around and didnt really try and get the kids to take a nap that was a huge mistake. By 430 they were all hitting a wall and we had to be in town to meet up with Gina and Nick for dinner. Sam was a complete pill and only wanted me to take her for a drive...that was only way we were going to get her to sleep so at 450 I am wearing a robe and makeup halfway done driving down the road and she's telling me how pretty every thing is and telling me to look at the horses she finally fell asleep. We were only 15 minutes late meeting our friends. That night was the beginning of the festivities for the high school reunion. Bar night.. lots of 38 year old drinking like we were inhigh school again. I am so bummed because my I brought my little camera and the battery was dead. Alot of people are probably glad it was!Fun times.

We arrived Tuesday night around 9 pm. Sure was nice to see the Ranch! On Weds Sam we got up and did the usual feeding and morning naps, Sam wanted to leave all morning to go visit people so when the girls finally had there lunch we got ready and Sam was sound asleep on the couch. So I took the twins in to meet Aunt Theresa. She thought they were the cutest things! By the time we got back Sam was awake but had a fever of 101.8 so I drove up to the everson pharmacy and got her some childrens tylonel (I bought infant tylonel too for the twins but they never got the fever--if I wouldnt have bought it they would have though) Cousin Mitch came out that afternoon to meet the twins and see sam.

Sam sure has been funny up here...she doesnt like men. She did go outside with mitch to play ball but wouldnt let him touch the ball because it was hers. She totally freaks when she sees Max. Uncle Lex and Uncle Lance nope! It's weird!! On Thursday afternoon Namy and Papa watcheds the girls while I went to Leahs place, Tart Beauty, to see where she works and get my eyebrows waxed. It's a cute little place downtown. She has it decorated all nice. She did a great job then we went to sushi for lunch. It was nice not to have kids with me! Sam slept for 5 hours that afternoon and pretty much kicked whatever she had. Aunt Leah and Unlce Lex came out for dinner on Thursday night and Auntie Leah brought Sam a princess crown and ear rings...Sam loves them and is still wearing them!

Drive

Napping!

Sam watching her movies...

The drive is taking forever even though these kids are doing such a good job sitting in there carseats. It's a little over 900 miles from my house to Namy and Papas and we've got 45 miles go! Namy bought Sam a Kidsongs dvd and I think we are on the 7 showing of it! We all slept in the motorhome last night and Sam really wanted to sleep in the porta crib I brought for the twins and after a half an hour of crying I finally gave in and let her...which woke Sydney up (Cj was sleeping with Namy and papa) then Sam didnt want to sleep in there anymore so I jsut ignored her and she ended up crawling out of it and sleeping on the floor at the foot of Namy and Papas. I slept w Syd who slept sideways and if I would have known Sam wasnt inthe crib I would have put Syd in there. Sam got me up at 530 and wouldnt go back to sleep so we all pretty much got up 630! But I do have to say for being in this motor home for soo long they are doing quite well. Looking forward to finally getting there!

packing

This is how happy they were before bed last night. Syd thinks puzzle pieces taste good!
Courtney fell asleep again all snuggled up to her Daddy this morning

Morning snuggles...Cj slept in!

Jon gave Syd a sweet pepper today...she really liked it!I spent most of today packing for our trip to WA. I think I packed enough clothes for us not to have to do wash for the month! I am so glad we are driving up. It makes the packing so much easier then trying to pack everything in only a few suitcases. This way... what the heck we have the room. If it was up to Sam we would be on our way now. All day she wanted to go to Washington. I have a feeling about an hour into the drive she's going to be saying "I want to go back to my house"

Courtney got a tooth!

San Francisco Day

We went to the City for clam chowder and shrimp sandwiches...then walked around the wharf and Pier 39. Alyssa had to leave tonight and it's always sad to see her go but will see her in WA on Friday! the best fed pigeons in the country~
Sydney had her first taste of San Francisco Sourdough! I dont think she liked it very much.
Our Family!
Cousin Alyssa and her three girl cousins... Good thing Syds strapped in!
Alyssa and her favorite cousin!
What good looking girls
Sydney really wanted Courtneys bice
The merry go round
to cute!
silly hats!

long day

Kids got up way to early today...5:30 am Sam rolled off the blow up bed then decided it was a good time to watch Dora and Cj wanted to play! I wanted to sleep...Namy took Cj while I dealt with Sam. We ended the day with some cute playing then the twins went to bed and Sam watched a Dora. She wanted to snuggle w both Lys and me but she ended up playing instead so we left her. I went to check on her and she had turned on the the twins light and crawled up into Syds crib and they both were smiling all cheesey like...Sam got in trouble and Syds still awake at 11pm!! But Jon is home now... yay!!

I got my hair done today

Poor papa had to spend the day (& night) in Livermore. The motor homes hydraulic hose for the slide out and the stabilizers blow on the way down here so he has to get them fixed before the ride home. He stayed with the workers to make sure they didnt slack. They worked on it all day but it didnt get done so he is staying the night out there and they'll hopefully have it done first thing in the morning. We went out and had dinner with him (at Chili's which Sam was adamint that it was called Mac & Cheese she didnt want to go to Chili's!) This morning I got to go get my hair done. It was fun to chat w Michelle. She's such a good friend but life just gets so hectic that getting together is hard! The twins & Namy napped pretty much the whole time I was gone while Lys took Sam for a walk down the the village. Samantha insisted on getting 4 different colors of nail polish. She is such a girlie girl in that since but boy she sure likes to climb things and play in the dirt! I took Sam to the Doctors today for her 2 1/2 year check up. The doc said she is doing fine but she's on the verge of being overweight...which I think is absurd she's 32 lbs (75%) 36 inches tall (80%) and her head is 19 1/2 inches. She runs a round like crazy and since Jon and I have been on the South Beach Diet we havent had hardly any sugar in this house for months plus she's always eaten very healthily. He did say she was just a big girl. I told Jon what the he said and he said that the doc is crazy you can see her rib cage! I think that BMI table is a little out of whack if she's overweight!

Here are a few photos of us all hanging outside after lunch--which consisted of McD's because Sam wanted a hamburger w cheese (not a cheeseburger) of course she didnt eat it since Alyssa is here and she just wanted to play!

Namy & Papa made it here

After a very long drive they pulled in at 5:30 this evening! Wahoo! Samantha was very excited, Cj jsut gave big smiles but Syd just stares at Namy. They left after dinner on Monday and took there own sweet time getting here. They spent pretty much all of yesterday in Oregon. when I called them this morning Papa said "You werent suppose to call us yet...we are still in Oregon" they called around 9:15 and they finally made it to California. Sam spent the day at Debbies. I met another twin mom this morning with her sons. We went for a walk around the CV village a couple times then her boys were ready for a nap. Her boys are 11 months old and identical. Very handsome boys! Watch out Sydney and Courtney!! I came back home and pretty much spent the day just cleaning the house up and playing with the little girls. Alyssa is flying tonight and she just called and her plane is leaving late so I wont get her until 1030. It's really nice that my folks are here or I would have had to make Lys take a cab here!

more twins and sibs playgroup pics

Courtney rolled herself up!
Syd loves using her new teeth to chew on whatever she can get her teeth into!
The girls with Miranda and Elizabeth

Fun times!

Thanks Ebba great shots... I stole these pics from her blog!

Twins and Siblings playgroup

Today was my twins and sibs playgroup. We met at Rachel's in Oakland. My twins were a little cranky for most of the time. I think it's because I didnt let them really nap this morning. Sam had fun playing with Parker and Lincoln. We also got a new member today and she's the opposite of us...she has 2 year old twins with a 7 month old singleton. It sure is nice to get out and relax. I am so glad that I found these women. I think we all have pretty much the same feelings on raising kids and it's just nice, no judgements.
Parker and Sam in the hammock, when we were leaving today Sam was yelling "I love you Parker" big change from when we got there and she didnt want to be there!
Peek-
-a boo with Lincoln!
Rachel with a bunch of babies & Sam!

lots of babies everywhere!

for more photos of today click "here"

When we got home the twins went pretty much back to sleep. None of my kids have been very good transferers. Again I had a nightmarish time getting sam to fall asleep. I put her down at 2 I thought she was going to go to sleep. She was quiet for a long time. But No, she didnt so I ended up doing the 10 minute hold twice and the second time she went to sleep but it wasnt until four so I'm going to have to wake her around 5. I have a babysitter coming tonight so I wanted to take a nap so she wasnt hell for the teenager! I sure hope this babysitter thing works out. I am having her come an hour and half earlier then I need her to hoping the transition for Sam will be better...plus I wanted her to play with Sam while I fed the babes. My brother called me and told me an old roommate was trying to get ahold of me so he gave me her number and we had a nice chat. We were roommates at Christ College Irvine (Now called Concordia University) She has 4 kids and married her college sweetheart. It sure was nice to talk to her. It's amazing how friendships come and go but the ones you didnt mean to lose come back to you!