Exploratorium Fun

Every year Ian takes the day after tax season off. Sure he isn't a tax accountant, but it is technically the end of his busy season. This year he wasn't able to take the day off. So, he took last Thursday off instead and we took the kids to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. I have to say, going there on a weekday (non-holiday) is amazing. The place is practically empty. And by mid afternoon, it literally is empty. It makes it so easy and nice to be there. The kids had fun running around and exploring and so did we. 

^^ A lady actually asked permission to take Isla's picture in these chairs. It cracked me up and Isla totally hammed it up for her.  

 

 

^^ For some reason this bubble exhibit is one of my favorite things. I consider it a challenge to make it as far up as I can, while wielding off kids trying to pop the bubble. It certainly is a challenge! 

^^ I posted a picture of this on instagram and everyone thought the kids were playing with dead fish. Eeek! Definitely not. Just black sand and a pipe. This keeps the kids entertained forever every time we come. It's so simple too. 

We had a good day. It was totally chill. No crowds and practically no traffic on the way home. I would definitely call that a win.

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17/52

Connor: This kid loves to have fun, be around people and never wants the party to stop.  Of course, he cries when it does stop. 

 Isla: This girl loves her some flowers, princess dresses and all things sparkle…and a little (or a lot) drama as well. 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015."

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A Glimpse Into the Home Coffee Roasting Business

As I mentioned before, Ian started up his own home roasting business. The roaster itself, which is about 5 feet long and 3 feet wide, is in our kitchen. We moved the lockers we had in the kitchen into the playroom and had it installed there. We had to have a dedicated gas line run for the roaster, as well as ventilation that goes through our roof. The business is fully legit, meaning we have a business license and a health food license. Having the health department come out and inspect my house about sent me crazy. I really should have just hired someone to clean my house rather than go crazy deep cleaning everything myself. Oh well…next time, right?!

We* launched a website a week ago and it has worked out well because people can just order and pay straight from the website. Due to cottage food laws, we cannot mail the coffee. At first we were delivering most of the coffee to people, but we have moved to having people pick it up at our house. We got this cool old army chest that we set on our front porch. Ian bags up the orders and writes the person's name on the bag, then I put them in the box in the morning and people come by and grab their coffee. So far, it has worked out really well. 

Ian roasts coffee once a week, on the weekend. He usually roasts about 15 pounds of coffee. He does light, medium and dark roast, as well as a dark roast decaf. 

 

 

We were just talking about how we are excited to see where this goes. So far, we have put almost no effort into advertising, but it has definitely taken off. Since launching the website last week, we have even had customers that we don't know. Kind of exciting! 

I thought I would mention, we don't intend on this becoming Ian's day job. Just a fun side business to have. Plus, it gives us great, fresh coffee to drink all the time! 

* I use the term "we" loosely as this is Ian's baby and I really just provide him back up. 

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Love Modesto

This past weekend, we participated in Love Modesto. It is basically one day where the whole city gets together and does various projects throughout the city.  It's a pretty cool movement that started in Modesto a few years ago and now is done in over 50 cities. This year Ian's work sponsored a project, which was making bears for kids in crisis situations. In one morning, we made more than 200 bears (cut, sewn, stuffed, the whole deal) that are being distributed to police, fire, hospital and CPS. And, it was a project our kids could get involved in! Though, truth be told, they both lost interest in stuffing bears pretty quickly. I was impressed though, because the workers quickly learned Connor's name and put him to work handing out stuffing and collecting finished bears that needed to be sewn shut. And then, toward the end, Connor and Isla took to rolling around the floor in the stuffing. But I gave them a break because 3 hours making bears is a long time for little kids.

^^ Connor wrote his own name tag. I was proud of him because he has problems writing in small spaces and he is getting so much better at it.  

It was a fun morning, doing something for others and chatting away while we worked. I even sewed some of the bears shut…sewing definitely isn't my strong point, so lets hope they stay shut!

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16/52

Connor: This kid is so full of life. Everything he gets in trouble for was "an accident" and he always wants to help out. I can't help but smile having him around. 

Isla: This girl had a rough week (really a week and a half). She finally seems to be coming out of it a bit. She was sick, then mangled her lip. It was hard on her. It was hard on me.  

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015."

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Loooong Week

It's been a rough week around here. Isla has had a bad cough for about a week and hasn't slept well since. She gets these coughing fits that literally last minutes and obviously wake her up. They happen numerous times a night. It's been exhausting. If she is sitting up, she doesn't get them, but she isn't a fan of sleeping sitting up. Then, because she isn't sleeping well, she has been sleeping in and I have had to wake her every single day and I feel like it is torture to wake a sleeping kid…especially one that needs the sleep!

Then on Tuesday Isla got a small filling and ended up biting her lip while still numb. She woke up Wednesday with the biggest, nastiest fat lip ever. Between that and the coughing, she wasn't a happy camper.

Here's to hoping she heals up quickly and we all get some sleep again around here…and that that sleep puts Isla in a better mood!

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Connor's First Tball Game

 

Connor had his first tball game on Saturday morning, kicking off his season of two games a week. We went and picked up his uniform on Friday night and he was so incredibly excited. He was telling anyone that would listen about it…including showing the worker in the In-n-Out drive thru! Saturday morning, he woke up excited and ready to go to his game. It was really cute. 

I didn't know what to expect out of a tball game. Basically all the team goes on the field. There is no one on the outfield, just a gaggle of kids in the infield…all running for the ball at the same time. In each inning, every kid gets to hit. There are no outs and all the kids run all the bases. I guess they really are just learning. They only played two innings. The first one was coach pitch and took pretty long. The second they used a tee and it went a lot faster. Connor bats left, even though he writes with his right hand. He also golfs left too. He did a good job hitting and running the bases…and even enjoyed playing with the chalk lines on the ground when he was waiting at the bases! When Connor was out on the field, he mostly just distracted the other kids by putting his glove in front of them and talking up a storm. He certainly is a social butterfly! 

^^ Evidence of Connor playing with the chalk lines! 

^^ Saying "good game" to the other team.

I'm glad that Connor is having so much fun playing tball, even if he isn't as into playing as he is talking with the other players! They don't keep score anyway and he already knows he gets a trophy at the end, and is super excited about that. Don't get me started on giving trophies to all the kids...

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15/52

Connor: We went to the beach this week. I couldn't believe how unafraid of the water Connor was. For a kid that doesn't want his face wet when he gets his hair washed, he was running in farther than I was comfortable with. He had so much fun. 

 Isla: She wasn't as into the water at the beach, but had a ball flying a kite, playing with her friends and rolling around in the sand. 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2015."

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That Time I Lost My Mind

…and signed my kids up for every activity. Somehow we ended up with things FOUR evenings out of the week. I almost lost my sanity there for a bit. Thankfully ballet ended and the pool pump broke for swim lessons. But, I am getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning. 

I should probably start out by saying I am not super into extracurricular activities…most of my distain is for sports. I feel like they are such a time drainer for the family. I hate how practices are always at dinner time and games are usually twice a week. Just so much commitment. Now that I got that out of the way, I can continue. Ian really wanted to sign Connor up for tball this year. After a discussion that went something like me explaining practice type scenarios are the worst for me because I always feel awkward about being around other parents (I am a total introvert), Ian agreed to make it to the practices, even though it was the middle of his busy season. And it's been fine. 

Then this opportunity for Isla to take a little ballet course came up. I literally signed her up on Thursday and she started Monday. Monday, the same day as Connor's tball practice…and there is only 45 minutes between them and they are completely on the opposite sides of town. But ballet with her friends. I knew she would love it, so I bit the bullet. And it was totally her jam…and I plan on signing her up for a full season in the fall. 

I had looked into private swim lessons for the kids, but not only were they ghetto expensive, but they are like impossible to get in to. Well, a mom recommended I look into lessons through the city. Like ballet, it was a circumstance of me signing my kids up only a couple days before lessons started. And, what's a few more activities added to the growing list?!

All the sudden, we had things going on FOUR evenings a week. I seriously thought I was going to loose my mind. Trying to make sure the kids ate big snacks before their activities, then a super late dinner after. It was just all stressful for me. I felt so incredibly relieved when I was called and told that the pool pump broke so the rest of swim lessons were cancelled (which I do intend on reenrolling them again in the future…maybe after tball is over). And that happened the same week as the end of ballet. So we went from things being four nights a week to only two and it feels so much more manageable. 

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Right Now

I love capturing pictures that will help me remember exactly how my kids were at certain ages. Not pictures that are taken with the perfect clothes and the perfect background. But pictures like these, taken in a stained shirt, with Isla's hair a mess and her rain boots on. Because, this really is how she is most of the time. Sure, there is like two minutes in the morning when her hair looks nice. And I kid you not, that girl literally rubs her head on the ground and messes up her hair, not on purpose, but just being a kid. And she can stain clothes like no other. No joke. She is way worse at that than Connor. It's not always her rain boots on her feet, but it generally is some random form of footwear, generally princess shoes, but also sometimes dress up (like nice ones, not princess) worn with a really casual outfit. And her shoes are always on the wrong foot. It's stuff like this I want to remember.

I want to remember how she is still small enough to curl up in my lap. I want to remember the feeling of her holding my hand. I want to remember how somehow her face is always dirty. I want to remember how she tries to copy Connor at things. I want to remember it all. I really do. Unfortunately, I realize it will all be a distant memory far too soon.

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