Family Time and Milestone Birthdays

 My Dad is turning 70 this weekend! To celebrate, we're having a small party on Sunday, and Uncle Bill and Aunt Patty have come down to attend. With our new Murphy bed, they're staying with us! 

On Friday, we had charge of Ellie, and it was warm enough to enjoy the pool (though the water wasn't heated, so it was *very* "refreshing"). 

Here, Ellie is leading Aunt Patty in a water ballet dance. 

Stace and Cora did a bit of soccer in the yard, and then they started hitting the punching bag, with Uncle Bill. 

We bought this beautiful tomahawk steak, which Aunt Patty handled masterfully on Saturday.

Also Saturday, Liana and Sofia came over to play D&D in a campaign with Violet that Cora is DMing (being the Dungeon Master, or game leader).

THIS was a dinner worth savoring!

We enjoyed dinner and the evening outside, talking and thinking about a possible trip to the UK for Bill and Patty. They'd love to see where Stace grew up, so we told them all of our favorite places.

Stace pulled up a Martock visitor's guide on the TV.

On Sunday, it happened to be the annual Queen's English car show, so we four went together.

Once back in town, we got a coffee and walked around Newhall. We noticed an old payphone stand on Lyons - funny it's still there. No phone, though.

Later on Sunday, the big event! Dad's 70th birthday party!

We had about 17 people at my parents' house for food and fun. 

Posing with our dog, Maverick. (He insisted on being in the photo!)

Here is the photo card I made Dad. Lots of love to a wonderful father and grandfather, Dad! 

Week in Review

On Monday, the girls' first day of school, I had Ellie with us for a few hours while Melanie and Nick went on a little trip to pick up their new kitten.

Ellie came with me to pick up Cora, take her to her singing lesson, and get a third estimate on repairing Grandpa's car. We then made a quick stop to see the ducks at Bridgeport Marketplace.

Later that night, I picked up my parents from the airport, and Ellie spent the night at their house.

Stace has been begging the girls to come up to the swimming pool with him, and one day this week, even Cora agreed to come up. She threw the ball while Stace dove in to catch it. 

Happy Dad.

Violet and I went to see Liana play in her first high school volleyball game! This game was at Santa Clarita Christian School, where I went from the middle of 4th grade through 8th grade. It was cool to show Violet where I spent a few years, and even better to see Liana on the court.

She's in the back, far left side, here.

Careful on your morning walks, you never know what you're going to run into!

Also this week, we watched Our Town, the play Cora will be doing this fall, on television with Paul Newman as the lead. And on Saturday we saw a mystery play at the Main theater with my parents, and went out to a new brewpub after. 

Summer Fun

I heard about a new outdoor "escape room" taking place in Old Newhall, and since we have a lot of free time this summer, signed us up.

It's put on by an outfit called City of Mischief, and we were met by a young man who gave us a backpack full of goodies, including locked boxes. 

We figured out the clues, going up and down Main Street to do so. It helped that we are pretty familiar with the scenery here - some of the clues came from wall murals and window signage. 

The storyline in the pamphlet had a mystery that we solved by finding the final clues. And we did so, in record time! 

Liana came over and the girls made nectarine sorbet with our crop.

On a different day, we made a nectarine crumble. So good with vanilla ice cream!

Our friends Liz and Max invited our friend group over for a pool party. So fun! Here, you see Cora holding up Violet for a game of chicken.

Tidbits

Violet decided she wanted to improve her ramen-making skills, so looked up tips online. We then went to an Asian grocery store in Canyon Country - this was the noodle aisle! We also bought a couple of the many varieties of dried boba, so she can make it at home.

Here was one of her improved soups.

I found this sweet baby oak tree on my daily walk.

Nick and Melanie housesat for my parents when they were away, so we had them over for dinner and swimming on Thursday. Cora shared her Sebby with Eloise.

We found this poor lizard squashed in our screen door - I guess we can't blame Spencer for this death!

We had Colleen, Rigo and the kids over for swimming and dinner on Saturday, and pool time. 

We forced the kids to recreate some old photos we have of them. 

My own kids refused to smile. 

Just a few years ago! Cora in the middle in black, Violet in goggles. 

Summer Fun

So, we're in a new world of summer life, with two girls who would be happy to be home all day, playing video games, or watching things. They're not anxious to see friends, and they resist leaving the house. It's weird because I value our time together and would like to DO more fun things while they're off school, but they don't have a lot of interest.

Anyway, on one late summer day, I "dragged" them to the ice rink, where we had a fun hour-plus, getting exercise and enjoying the cold air.

We then went to the mall, where I'd recently spotted a kiosk selling genuine Dole Whip frozen dessert. Since it's now been well over two years since I've had one at Disneyland, I was anxious to treat the girls to a big one for us to all share.

Over the weekend, we donated a lot of old quilts to a high school fundraiser, where they were getting paid by the pound of cloth. I finally decided to donate the adorable Classic Pooh Bear curtains a friend made us for baby Cora's bedroom. They'd been up high in the closet, forgotten, but obviously it's past time for them to move on. I got very sad though, looking at them for the last time. 

Melanie and Ellie came over and Ellie was very gentle with Barley! 

Stace took a day off during the girls' last week off school, when he woke up not feeling well. Later, we all went out to lunch, since I had a coupon for Buy One, Get One rice bowls.

Then, we all went to play in the pool, even Violet, who has decided she doesn't love playing in the pool. 

Look at these lovely synchronized swimmers!

...Oh. 

Violet had a horrible night of sleep shortly before school restarted, and said she was up basically all night. This was how I found her at 8:30 a.m.; she napped for about two hours.

Fun fact: these couches in the game room belonged to my grandparents, who had them custom made because of their height.

Back Home - Week In Review

We got home and took a couple of days to get settled in, and on Sunday, Stace and I went to visit Colleen and Rigo at their Ventura beachfront campsite. 

What a view!

This week, it was just Cora and me at home, while Stace worked, because Violet was at summer camp with Lucas and Liana. 

While we were in England, our HOA put in this gazebo at the pool area - we are impressed!

On Friday evening. I got a call from Stace asking me to pick him up at the Home Depot, where he'd pushed his MG after it had broken down. After 10 years, this was the first time he needed a tow! 

That morning, Stace had driven it to work for the monthly Woodward cars 'n coffee morning.