A Little Family Fun

We have been trying to mix things up a bit. You know, brake out of the normal routine. Luckily, four year olds have countless ideas for new ways to spend your time. One night, we decided to make an obstacle course. Mia and I both drew our own. Mine was a little more concrete in theory, but Mia's was definitely chalk full of imagination. A hybrid of both courses was in order. Tiago busily set up the cones for my kick and weave soccer ball portion while Mia explained her first obstacle.

The tree situation soon metamorphazied into mermaids swimming through the yard. I gave many a great dinner conversation to those walking by since I am the only one tall enough to be seen over our fence.

The adventure continued around our neighborhood balancing on brick walls, hiding in pine trees as tickle pirates, and finally back home to attempt the classic doughnut on a string game. Life couldn't be better.

If you Haven't Got a Penny

We have been trying to take in all that DC has to offer before we move in less then a year. We tried to attend a PowWow Native American dance show at the National Museum for the Native American, but found we weren't the only ones interested in attending. Unable to get into the full auditorium we decided to look around the museum itself. When that proved a little too much for Tiago and Mia, we headed to the cafeteria to try some Native American food. The only "affordable" menu item was a $3 Flat bread. You know that bottom layer of the Navajo Taco. This one however was coated with honey and powdered sugar laced with cinnamon. Sticky and somewhat full, we ventured to the amazing exterior of the museum. The water you see in the background of the previous picture comes from a waterfall cascading off the side of the building and created a series of mini waterfalls and streams. Mia and Tiago found it a bit strange that there were so many pieces of money on the bottom of the pools. I had to explain the idea of why people throw money into water, but found that letting them try themselves worked a little better. The next lesson was teaching them the principle of leaving the money after you throw it.

Berries the Size of your Face

Once again we headed to our local PYO farm in order to try the blackberries. This was a first for all of us. I was surprised to find rows of Goliath tall plants full of enormous berries. Like always, Tiago and Mia moved quickly and efficiently shoving in berries almost mechanically. I tried to keep up in order to out weigh their eatings, but to no avail. Mia had to explain to Tiago a few times that she was not his napkin and to wipe his juicy hands on the grass (an exact parody of the mother one row over). Tiago finally was too full to press on and opted for his truck instead.

California or Bust!

As if a road trip wasn't enough fun, we decided to squeeze in a trip to California to visit our family for a few days. (see the next post for more details of the first part of our vacation) Our adventures getting to the airport would have been perfect for one of those tv reality shows. Not to bore you with too many details, but it involved illegal parking, Fernando running through the grasslands of the airport, and catching our bags before they went to the unknown world of luggage to stow Fernando's Leatherman (super pocket knife) avoiding any possible confusion at the security check point. The trip on the plane should be forgotten.
The first few days were spent with Mama Clara, Papa Juan, and Aunt Tirsa. To beat the heat of the desert, we stopped for a swim at Edwards Air Force Base. Mia surprised all of us by intentionally venturing underwater multiple times. This is a far cry from last year's Introduction to Water Class that Mia took in order to be more comfortable being in the water.



The next day we decided to head to the hills to see the Sequoia National Park. The trees were amazing. We hiked on the Trail of 100 Giants. It was incredible to see these enormous Sequoias twisting around each other. Tiago and Mia loved the echoes produced in the park. The were quiet the little trail blazers. With all the walking about and make believe playing, we didn't feel as bad about locking the kids back in their car seats to head over to my sister's house in Camarillo.

We loved having the chance to see her new home. They have done amazing things with the place and would inspire anyone to do a little DIY improvements. Though are main goal was to see Chris, Emily, and Ethan, we also got a chance to see what life in Paradise would be like. I say Paradise because we could be outside at any given time during the day and feel more than comfortable. When we went to the beach, I could actually sit on the beach. Going in the water was just for fun not for cooling off! Mia and Tiago were loving the chance to play outside without getting heat flushed cheeks as they are accustomed to in Maryland. We also got the chance to see a fantastic magic show at their library. I don't know what was more amazing the magic or the fact that the magician never used a dirty joke once. While the kids took a nap, Fernando and I found new games we want to purchase as is the case each time we are around the Woidka family.
Although we had to leave, we at least had some fun ahead of us back with the Tovar family. What kid doesn't love two birthday parties two days in a row? Even without the party time, the Tovar's have a veritable petting zoo at their house. The kids literally had their hands full of dogs, cats, and baby chickens. When we finally were driving to the airport, Mia sadly bid California City goodbye and said "I wish we could live in California. It is so fun."


For more California pictures, check out
http://picasaweb.google.com/rachelletovar/CaliforniaAdventure

A Quick Road Trip

Since Fernando has such limited time off, we feel the need to squeeze in all the fun we can. This last vacation proved to be the most convoluted of all our ideas. We started out on a 3 day road trip up to Niagara Falls some 8 hours away from our home. My sister Amy made the trek solo from Ypsilanti, MI across the beautiful Canadian roadways to meet us there. On the recommendations of almost all those who were polled, we headed to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. There we found a secret parking lot that cost a whole lot less then the usual $10 per hour and it only a block off the beaten path. Pushing our double stroller through the club scene and various haunted houses (strange to see in the month of July), we eventually found a quaint hot dog stand for dinner. Loaded up with greasy grub, we were off to find that perfect spot for the fireworks show they put on over the falls. The fireworks were fantastic. With fireworks starting at 10pm, we only saw a fraction of the show. Oh well, we beat most of the traffic.
A mere two hour drive the next day led us to Palmyra. The mild weather proved vital half way up the steep hike to Hill Cummorah. With two little ones freed from the bonds of car seats, it was difficult to maintain the sweet reverence of the sites. We had our special moments that only little children bring. In the Sacred Grove, Mia found a Prophet Joseph Smith pamphlet and started to "read" it. She kept saying things like, "he didn't know the Gold Plates and he understood he belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ." After the Sacred Grove we walked around the Palmyra temple. Amy found some bees in a nearby flower bush. Our curious Tiago managed to grab a hold of a bee while exclaiming loudly "bug! bug!" I don't know what perplexes me most, Tiago being capable of pinching a bee in mid air or the fact that he and the bee parted on good terms with stingers where they belong.
Drama number two came while we were making the two hour drive back to Niagara. Mia suddenly realized her "Lammies" was missing. I think that I was more concerned then Mia about its missing status as she was getting prepared to give her "It's ok. Things die, but they live again" speech. Though the gates had already closed for the evening, Fernando fearlessly searched and found the lost stuffed sheep.


Before we could leave, we had to get a close look at the falls. The best option we found was the Cave of the Winds tour. It gave us the opportunity of taking our time at the base of the falls and afforded us with quite the natural shower. The kids liked it at a distance, but the thunderous, pelting water was a little overwhelming in the end. Luckily, Aunt Amy was a willing block for them while Fernando and I stood in the path of the falls.
From this trip I learned: 1) schedule a hotel months if not years in advance if you want to stay near Palmyra during pageant season. Palmyra is our own little Mormon Mecca, 2) mosquito replant is a must near water sources, and 3) don't try to navigate your way through the back roads of Pennsylvania just because it looks like a shorter path to take with no toll roads.

More fun pictures found at http://picasaweb.google.com/rachelletovar/WesternNewYorkNiagaraAndPalmyra

Eat More Chicken

To celebrate National Cow Appreciation Day, we got dressed up and headed to our local Chick-fil-a. The taped on dots proved to do the trick because we were awarded free combo meals for looking so good! They entered us into their national contest so we'll keep you posted.

Summer Fun

The weather has been hit and miss for the past few months. Our outings depend greatly on that fluctuating temperature. Some days allow for berry picking. The summer berries of choice (ie strawberries, blueberries, and black raspberries) have come from Butler's orchard near our home. More often then not we are found walking to our neighborhood pool to keep cool on those hot summer days.

To enjoy more pictures, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/rachelletovar/SummerFun