Week in Review

Cora was invited to her friend Chris's birthday dinner, so Stace and I let Violet choose where we had dinner Saturday. She picked MOD Pizza; her choice was pineapple and bacon pizza, and Stace convinced her to add ham, too.

We were all invited back to Liz and Max's house for cake, so we enjoyed the evening with drinks and chit chat while the kids had a Nerf war in the cul-de-sac.

On Sunday, Violet went with Grandma and Grandpa to the water park for Grandpa's annual union picnic. Cora stayed back with me and Stace; she still isn't a fan of long car rides. 

Instead, we went to Placerita Nature Center, where SClarita historian and writer John Boston gave a talk on interesting tidbits from the valley's past. We all enjoyed it; I knew John back when he had a regular column in the Signal, and I freelanced for that paper.

We then took a little walk through the canyon.

Violet started using a new backpack, a really good one that might take her through to junior high. Yes, it's nearly as big as she is. But I still see her looking so much older in this photo! It must be the hair, with her longer locks and her bangs.

A month ago, when we were getting Cora's hair cut for back-to-school, Violet declined a trim.
"I'm growing my hair out so people at school don't recognize me," she informed us. When we asked why, she explained, "Everybody knows me and likes me and goes to talk to me!"

OK, then! Another Violetism, from this week... She overheard Stace and me talking about a family member with car troubles, and she said, "That's why I don't want a car when I'm older. I want a horse."
Stace replied: "What, you're going back in time?"
"No," she said, "I'm going to live in England!"

She then said she wants to live on a farm in England, where her horse would be reasonable transportation.



Cora has football practice twice a week, and though we don't all need to be there, Stace and I have enjoyed making it a family event. Violet brings books - she's reading through the second Harry Potter book at the moment.

Also this week, Cora got her retainer for her teeth, to keep those newly straightened top teeth in line.

Cute, huh? She chose this watermelon design from a long list of possibilities. It also glows in the dark. She takes it out to eat; let's cross fingers she doesn't lose it anytime soon.

Go Chiefs!

So far, so good with Cora's football experience - her team won 30-15 on Saturday, so they seem to be a pretty good group of players.

This week, Cora faced off against the team of her buddy James. In the top photo, they're actually facing each other.

And here, James is going after Cora's quarterback, Deven; all three were in Mrs. Shafarmans' class last year.

Touchdown Chiefs! See Cora celebrating? I'll have to bring a better camera to a game for more detailed photos.

Here, James and Cora are high-fiving one another after the game.

And, a congratulatory high-five from Dad.

Go, Chiefs!

Nothing hits the spot after a great game like Gatorade and Doritos.

Cora is picking things up well. Stace and I are slowly getting the hang of it, with the other parents on the sidelines explaining the referee's calls we don't understand.

Fun with Friends

Violet is signed up for Kidz Love Soccer this fall, and she had her first class on Thursday afternoon. It was fun watching her play a sport again - it had been a while. Plus, it's always good to catch up with the guys who run Kidz Love Soccer.

Cora's friend Cooper came out to play, since he lives nearby, and he let Cora and Violet play on his electric scooter. Yes, I'm sure Cora wants one of these now! She had so much fun zooming around.

On Friday, the kids all went to Sophia's house for a big group playdate. We gave Trent a gift to help distract him from his arms - Cora made him a clay elephant, because elephants are his favorite.

We also gave him a trio of Calvin and Hobbes books, after Cora introduced him to our favorite boy-and-tiger over the summer. He was really pleased and appreciative.

The playdate featured a marshmallow-eating/marshmallow-face-stuffing contest.

It was quite amusing to watch.

The kids also played hide-and-seek, freeze tag and had a water balloon fight.

Violet was so happy to be invited! She even thanked Sophia a few days earlier after getting her invitation.

Accomplishments

Wednesday was a big day for Cora - she got her braces off!

Dr. Megan and Dr. Pete were so pleased that Cora wore her orthodontist shirt to the office, they made sure to take a photo with her.

Here, Dr. Pete shows Cora the tool he was using to clean the glue off her teeth, after the brackets were removed. She said having her braces off hurt a bit; of course it was worth it in the end.




















It was a nice touch that they gave Cora a candy bar and Cracker Jack, a caramel popcorn treat, as a congratulatory gift. The candy bar contained caramel - both treats were forbidden while she was wearing her braces.

Such a gorgeous smile, Cora! She is truly a beautiful young lady.

Violet also had a big week - she's been saving for months to buy this Lego Elves dragon and castle set, and it arrived in the mail this week. She was so excited for it to come!

After working on it for several days, Violet completed the 833-piece set Friday night. It's great watching her work, and then watching her play.

And also this week, Cora gave Mrs. Shafarman a copy of her book she wrote from her gold mining project. Mrs. Shafarman was thrilled!

I was so happy to see her teacher's words on Facebook a couple of days later: "This week I received one of the coolest, most special gifts ever! This marvelous young lady took the story she wrote for her Miner's Museum 4th grade project and, over the summer, turned it into a book. I'm so grateful for students like her. This is what makes it all worth it. Thank you, Miss Cora (and Lisa) for something I will cherish always! (Pam, check out the dedication)."

Field Trip

Cora and her fifth-grade classmates took a field trip Tuesday to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, a trip that some students call their favorite of elementary school.

We've been looking forward to it, and Jen and I were lucky enough to be chaperones. (This is one where very few parents are able to chaperone, due to Reagan Library rules.)
Here are Cora and Trent in front of Air Force One, the official plane that carried President Reagan.

The fifth-graders take part in a special learning experience centered around the U.S. invasion of the Caribbean island of Grenada in 1983, under Reagan.

They were divided into three groups - the media, the military and the Oval Office - and given personas to act out from that period.

Cora was given the identity of a reporter from the Los Angeles Times, in the media unit. The students got to act on a tip that the U.S. was in fact preparing to invade Grenada to rescue 600 medical students.

Here, Cora is amazed to see that when she is reporting "live" in front of a green screen, it looks on camera like she's standing in front of the White House.

Later, she manned the camera while Trent, acting as the Washington, D.C., media bureau chief, gave his report.

We then got a tour of Air Force One and the rest of the museum. Here, Cora is showing off her L.A. Times badge, with her notebook. Such a proper young reporter! I love that she took a notebook to take notes with; no other student thought to do so. She is such an eager learner.

This is inside Air Force One.

We also had a look at the piece of the Berlin Wall, with the docent providing a good overview of the wall's historical importance.

This was the first time I'd visited since Mrs. Reagan's passing. We spent a moment in front of their tomb.

It was a fabulous field trip, and I'm so pleased I was able to go.

Weekend Fun

While walking down to the Mandalay Bay pool area to get cocktails Thursday, I got another anniversary present when I checked my phone - I found out I won Dodger tickets in a contest from our local radio station!

Though it meant for a long day Saturday - coming home from Santa Barbara to unpack and then prepare to head to Blue Heaven on Earth - it was nice to spend be together with the girls after being away.  This photo doesn't do the skyline justice, but it was a gorgeous evening in L.A., with pink and lavender making a sunset appearance.

Unfortunately, the Dodgers were still mired in a tailspin that began the last time we went to a game, two weeks prior. They were competitive in this loss, and even hit a home run, but the girls did resort to reading to entertain themselves.

We rested Sunday - Cora, especially, needed the rest. After a late night at Disneyland on Friday and a late Dodger night Saturday, she slept until past 11 a.m. on Sunday!

In the evening, we went to the annual Block Party at Valencia Methodist. The girls enjoyed the water slides and the rock wall, especially.

Anniversary Getaway

Stace and I don't make a big deal about every anniversary, but this year we decided to take a few days away to enjoy the beach and being together on our own.

We left on Thursday afternoon, our actual 14th anniversary, and got checked into the Mandalay Bay resort in Oxnard, right on the sand.

We were lucky enough to choose our room, and one with a "partial ocean view" was available. We were thrilled -  partial was pretty substantial!

We went down the pool area to enjoy the manager's reception, a two-hour period of time with free snacks and cocktails. This is one of the best parts about staying here.

Then we went out to the shoreline to catch sunset, before heading into Ventura for dinner at a great Thai place on Main Street, in the cool trendy area. Thanks, Aunt Patty, for the recommendation!

The resort's made-to-order breakfasts are the other best part. We went down Friday morning for awesome omelettes, which we took back to the room so we could enjoy our view again.

After checking out, we went to the mall in Ventura for some shopping and lunch, before making our way north. We stopped at the beach in Carpinteria, where it was a stunning 75 degrees and sunny. Stace had a nap while I took in the scenery.

When we made it up to our next hotel, we weren't quite sure what to expect, because I got a good deal online. The Coast Village Inn in Montecito was 100% charming and adorable, with a fountain and patio right outside our door.

The inn was built in 1935, but is completely clean and modern, and the attention to detail was outstanding. While our Mandalay Bay room had some paint peeling on the bathroom door, iffy hot water, and the stairwell needed sweeping, this place was pristine.

We got settled and went into Santa Barbara, where we walked along the beach and the pier. Then we did some more shopping on State Street, before getting dinner.

We ate at Los Agaves, the fabulous Mexican place we went to with Uncle Bill and Aunt Patty a couple of years ago. My margarita and the guacamole were so yummy.

When we got back to the hotel, we walked along the main street of Montecito, and then had a drink on our patio.

We had breakfast on the patio, too, on Saturday morning. If we'd had a little more time, we might have gone into the pool behind us. It was lovely and warm.

We checked out, and did some scenic drives, including this spot in front of the Biltmore.

We also made a quick visit to the beautiful San Ysidro Ranch, a luxury resort where John and Jackie Kennedy honeymooned and Winston Churchill stayed. We had a look in the adobe house, dating from 1825, where Stace rescued a bird that was inside and continually flying into the closed window.

For our final stop, we went back into Santa Barbara for an ice cream lunch at McConnells', a local institution that has crafted the finest ice cream since 1949.

Then it was time to head back to SClarita, where our kiddos and our kitties were awaiting our return, refreshed and relaxed.