The Parlier Picnic

As a kid, I always looked forward to the Parlier picnic... running races and getting prizes, ice chests full of soda and BINGO!  As it turns out, our kids have quickly caught on to how much fun it is to attend the Parlier Picnic.

Ben loved running in the races so much that he passed the finish line and kept on running and running, until he got close to the parking lot and we yelled for him to turn around and come back.

Last year, Jason was not able to fully participate in the races, but we have been practicing at home for months and he did not disappoint!

And after the excitement of the races, he took a quiet little stroll...

and enjoyed some Grandma-time.  Which Grandma also enjoys :)

Uncle Todd even came back for the fun and chaos.  I know everyone will sleep well tonight... and will eagerly await next year.

Hunting everywhere!

Kara and Ben had spring break, so we headed to Parajro for a few days on the beach.  The last time we we there, Jason was just a year old, so this time, he was able to enjoy the sand and sea.

Jason loved the freedom of being outside and just crusing around.  Like the big kids, he took his bucket and shovel to hunt for treasures... shells, rocks and yes, sand.

Everyone was happy to play in the waves and search the beach for perfect sand dollars, dinosaur bones, and little jelly fish.

So much fun!  Jason got his first Pajaro sweatshirt on this trip now that he's finally big enough to fit into one.

We were on storm watch because the kids were very excited to hunt for Easter eggs.  Since the forecast was for rain on Easter, we decided to have our Easter egg hunt on Saturday while the weather was nice.  Jason loved finding all of the eggs and he refused help when his bucket was overflowing, eggs dropping at each step.

Ben and Kara were kind to let Jason start the hunt first and leave some for him to find... but they made sure their buckets were also full.  The big kids tried to keep count of how many candies belonged to each of them, while Jason was happy to "feed" the alligator bank with the quarters from the eggs.  

We had the craziest thunder and rain on Saturday night, but Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day... Even though no one needed any more candy or treats, we could not resist allowing the kids to experience the excitement of another hunt so we indulged them in a second Easter egg hunt at Pampa and Grandma's house.

We reminisced that when Kara was little, she loved hunting for eggs so much that we had a hunt in the house every day after her nap for a month.  The anticipation of the hunt was enough to make her nap.  That's a good life... treats and a nap every day.  I told them to stay little for a as long as possible.

Pinkies! Popcorn!

It seems like spring has come early... all of the blossoms are out and it is my favorite time of year in the Central Valley.  And since some of the blossoms have already turned to leaves, I find myself pointing out all the "pinkies" and white "popcorn" blossoms to the kids.  I recently told my mom that I don't think I appreciated this as a child, but the kids definitely know about the blossoms... So before it started to rain and before Kara's Jog-a-thon, I made the kids stand in the spot where we took our New Year's card photo to capture them with the blossoms...

And then it was off to the Jog-a-thon!  The kindergarteners had been practicing running laps and in her practices, Kara seemed to run a consistnent 8 laps.  I've always said, our kids might not be the fastest runners, but they sure do look like the happiest!

Kara really loves her school... and really wanted to raise money for her school... She must have been sandbagging or just really inspired on Thursday, because she finished 15 laps!!

French fries! Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

Since China Peak is so close to us, and since Sho and I (used to) snowboard, we figured it was time to get the older kids on skis.  We were a little worried about how they'd do... but for several days leading up to the trip, they would talk about how excited they were to ski and how much fun it would be.

We signed them up for a two hour lesson and crossed our fingers...

The instructors explained that when they said "french fries", their skis should be straight, like fries and when they said "pizza", they should make a triangle shape with their skis.  So you can imagine how many parents are yelling "pizza, pizza" on the mountain!

Both of the kids did great... they were able to ski down the bunny hill and were very proud of themselves.

On the day of the lesson, we stayed for a few minutes, then did a couple of runs and came back to check on the kids.  Ben said, "I was crying because I didn't know when you'd come back, but then I said to myself, 'you can't give up' so I kept going."  By the end of our second day, thanks to Daddy, Ben was able to do turns down the little mountain.

I consider this a very successful trip since both the kids had fun and Sho and I suffered no broken bones, just a few nasty bruises for me.

While we were away, Jason spent the weekend with Grandma and Pampa.  Grandma sent us this picture of Jason who apparently has moved on from his little toy trucks! 

So we all had a great weekend... but it sure is nice to all be together at home again.

Happy Valentine's!

We prepared for Kara's Valentine's Day party by making a little marshmallow goody-bag for each of the kids in Kara's class... Kara had fun decorating each one and writing all of her friends' names.

And she had so much fun going through all of the Valentines that she received.  Kara said, "Valentine's Day is for being friends.  I have two Valentine's... you and Daddy."

We were so glad that Ben was finally feeling better and could go to school to have his own Valentine's Day party with his class.  After several days of only feeling "medium", he knew that today was a do-not-miss school day.  Ben said Valentine's Day is "for giving love."

Even Jason got to have a little treat... and he was all smiles!  This day is all Jason - he is so friendly, waving to everyone he sees and he loves to give big, wet kisses, which only a Mommy loves.  I'll take 'em!

Hope you enjoy a day of friendship and love...

What January Has In Store For Us

Jason is proving to be quite the curious one.  It seems like it's never a dull moment with him!  Why leave the bowls neatly stacked in the cupboard when they can line the floor and be noise makers?



One morning when Sho was not home, I found Jason on the table.  And being a good mother, before I removed him from the table, I had to snap a quick photo with my phone to send to Daddy.




Kara started Kingsburg's Junior Viking basketball program on Saturday.  She and her friend, Kiara, had fun and did well.  Of course Daddy made sure that she had the appropriate footwear for her first basketball practice... 'cause who wouldn't want to sport the purple and turquoise Jordan's?



While Kara was dribbling and shooting, Ben kept himself occupied by taking photos of himself... He also loves playing Star Wars Angry Birds.  Our iPhones definitley come in handy.  And my guess is this is just the beginning of our time sitting on gym bleachers...



And with the very cold mornings, we do what we can to keep warm and toasty.  They warm our hearts instantly. 

Happy New Year!

We were invited to spend New Year's Eve at the Arakawa's house and to our surprise, Kara and Ben stayed up until midnight to ring in the new year!  The afternoon naps probably helped a little, but I think it was all the kids and their energy that fueled our kids to stay up til midnight.  Sho and I didn't know if we were going to make it, but with a little peer pressure, we all watched the ball drop and did a big family hug!

And within minutes of getting in the car, they were out.

Even though Grandma had planned not to do a big New Year's Day celebration, the "scaled down" version included all of our favorites and we enjoyed it all.. a few times.  Isn't that what New Year's day is about?  Eating and being with people you love... and eating some more.  Here's to a wonderful new year!