A Weekend Ramble

What a nice weekend we had! A bit of relaxing, a bit of nature, a bit of work.

Saturday was a great day for a hike, so we went back to Placerita Canyon. We were there last weekend, but we didn't get to go back into the canyon after Cora's birthday celebration. This time, Cora absolutely loved her time exploring!

She enjoyed stomping through puddles, climbing rocks and crossing the river. She also enjoyed some time walking through the stream, since it wasn't very deep and she was wearing her wellies.

This is the best time of year for hiking in SClarita - the weather was pleasantly cool, and there are no snakes out. We saw a red-shouldered hawk, lots of woodpeckers and a few hummingbirds and crows.

In the evening, we went out for a quick dinner and rented a movie on the way home, Pixar's "Up." Stace and I watched it after we put Cora to bed, and were surprised at how touching it was (meaning, I was in tears several times!). It certainly makes you think about and appreciate your spouse!

Over the weekend, Stace got some more DIY work done on the doors, and he finished off the interior trimwork on the living room window.

On Sunday morning, Cora went to the 3-year-old Sunday School class for the first time. Wow. Her growing up sinks in more when I see her in a class with kids who look so big!

When we went to pick her up, she had gone for a potty run with the teacher and a few others - that shows she's growing up, too! She's been potty-trained about six months, but I believe this is the first time she's agreed to go to the bathroom with a teacher, and not a parent/close relative.

After church, we got our doughnuts - Cora always is excited to get her doughnut!

When we got home, we walked down to Dink's Deli for brunch. On the way, Cora asked Daddy for the "blow flowers" she spotted near the hospital.



We've noticed a distinct change in Cora since she's turned three. She's been much more affectionate, giving out lots of hugs, kisses, and "I love yous." She's also become much more emotional - she seems to fall to pieces at the drop of a hat. It seems different than the tantrums we've seen in the past, more sadness and tears than frustration and anger.

I've heard that the Year of Three is very emotional, so I'm not surprised about this; well, maybe I am that it seemed to come so immediately after her birthday!

In the last photo, Cora was working on "thank you " letters on the fridge. We've been working on her birthday thank-yous, so she must have that on the brain. She said that a certain line of letters said "Thank you Johnny for sharing your car with me," and another said "Thank you Maya for lunch." (We had lunch with Maya and her mom Friday after Miss Diane's class.)