Sunday, April 26, 2015

Miles turns four!


Technically, the interview happened one week and a day after the actual birthday, but I feel it's pretty accurate.

What is your name?  M - I - L - E - S
What is your favorite color?  Green
What do you want to be when you grow up?  A grown up
Who is your best friend?  All of them.  Like Savi, Savina, Clara, Adrian, Ella, Brady, my brother is my best, best, friend.  
What is your favorite food?  Basghetti and Mac and Cheese
What is your favorite thing to do?  Help my daddy.
Who is your favorite animal?  Rocky our horse.
What is one thing you don't like?  Sushi
What can you do now that you are a big boy?  Listen and help.
What was your favorite part of your trip to San Francisco?  Opening my presents.
Where do you like to go to eat?  The pub.  






Instead of a party, we took off to San Francisco for Miles' 4th birthday.  After a LOOOONNNGGG tball game on Thursday evening, we took off in the Subaru.  The boys woke up just in time to go over the Bay Bridge under the lights.  We awoke Friday morning, ordered some chocolate milk from room service, and enjoyed a nice breakfast (read pancakes and bloody Marys).  










From there we hopped on a Big Red Bus and began our whirlwind day. The first stop was in Chinatown.  Armed with $20 each, they made some interesting purchases in the trinket filled shops.  For Miles it was a Golden Crystal and a tiny Thimble.  Carter chose a Ninja costume.  Packing our new treasures along with us, we took in more sights from high in the sky and ended up at the Wharf for lunch.  We wrapped up our time at the wharf with sea lion sightings and street performers.  A small nap for all of us made sure we were prepped for the Giant's game.

Bradley scored sweet seats for Friday evening, only 11 rows behind the Giant's bullpen.  This seating was ominous as we were able to watch at least four pitchers warm up.  It was a terrible game - Giant's lost 0-9, but the fireworks at the end were nice.  By the end of the game, the bright lights of the stadium were triggering a headache for me.  Unfortunately, this morphed into the worst migraine I've ever had.  I had no medication on me, but our insurance allows for a doctor to phone in a prescription.  This was good in that I was able to get it under control, but unfortunately the prescription was sent to what would nicely be described as the ghetto.  Bradley had the boys with him and chalked it up as another cultural experience.

We made a trip to the hotel pool before heading down to the Ferry building for some lunch.  A ride on an old street car was enjoyable.  We made our way back down to the wharf where the highlight of the afternoon was some time at the arcade.  This was NOT the adults' highlight, but the kids enjoyed it.  Another nap was enjoyed before we took off for Miles' fancy birthday dinner.  Our restaurant was overlooking the water, Miles got to enjoy basghetti, and the kids were well behaved.  I brought some party hats, a number four candle, and we got to sing to the birthday boy.  After we finished dinner we walked down to the beach.  Miles let a homeless man know it was his birthday, and the man replied with, "Happy Birthday to you, put a bill in my shoe".  This jingle is still being sung at least once a day, a week later.  We walked further down and found some live music in a restaurant.  Miles danced away for over an hour in front of people he didn't know.  What a way to cap off your birthday evening!

Sunday morning was full of surprises.   We walked on the Golden Gate Bridge and took a tour of the Jelly Belly factory.  Carter was adventurous and tried "booger" and "stinky socks" flavored Jelly Beans.  

The birthday celebration rounded out on Monday when Miles enjoyed a pinata and cupcakes with his friends at Eileen's.  I really can't believe that he is four years old.  I do believe it was an amazing birthday for Miles, and our whole family.  You can't put a price of life experiences, that is of course unless it's your birthday and you need to place a bill in a homeless man's shoe.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Spring Break 2015!

The motto of Spring Break 2015 was "Work Hard, Play Hard".  It was ten blissful days of chores, Spring Cleaning, baseball, riding bikes, snowshoeing, Easter Egg dyeing, yard work, playing in the snow, double ear infections, fixing warranty issues on car, movie theaters, shopping, family movie nights, haircuts, organizing, and birthday parties.  More importantly, it was a week to be home and enjoy each other.  A week to appreciate each other and our home.

Of course the week had a few highlights.  Easter was fun, and better than Easter Eggs was the fact it snowed lightly.  The cousins had fun together and memories were made.










I earned another "Mother of the Year Award" towards the end of the week.  I was ambitious about getting out into the snow and enjoying the outdoors.  The boys were pretty whiny all day and rather argumentative.  I pushed onward and ignored their moods.  The Subaru was loaded with snowshoes, a kid carrier, and sleds.  We didn't make it all the way to Hidden Lake, but we did enjoy a breathtaking view about a half mile in.  I was very proud of Carter as he went snowshoeing for the first time and nailed it.  The kids did a few sled runs when we got back to the car.  As soon as we got home, I asked them to paint the fruit trees and I mowed and fertilized all of the lawns.  Again, they were cranky and grumpy, but I pushed them on.

That night both boys complained of their ears.  .  .  The next morning I had to take the Subaru up to Medford to get something replaced and I was able to squeeze them in at our Pediatrician.  Yep.  Both boys, double ear infections.  Oh, AND Miles threw up in the car on the way up.  I was carless, roaming the streets of Medford, with two boys who had been pushed too hard by their mommy, and were sick.  
Like I said, Mother of the Year.

The boys rounded out the week with a birthday party for Miles' four year old friend Clara.  At the party, Clara's dad asked me if I had heard about the "lip-lock" he had witnessed between his daughter and Miles.  No, I had not.  Apparently, upon picking up his daughter he witnessed the two of them kissing.  Eileen had walked to the kitchen for one minute and came back to find the same situation.  I had a long talk with Miles about how we showed our friends we liked them by giving hugs and compliments, and furthermore he wasn't allowed to kiss a girl until he was A: 15 and B: he asked her permission.  Carter was listening intently and chimed in, "Yes, Miles.  Plus, it wasn't polite of you to kiss her because you knew you had a cold".  





Let's not get too judgmental there Carter, shall I remind you of this.  .  .

Following the birthday party we enjoyed an evening out to dinner at the Pub.  While we were sitting and waiting for our food, musicians began arriving and Miles caught the eye of an older gentlemen with a mustache.  Turns out his name was "Cowboy Johnson" and he shared a business card with Miles.  Miles spent the next hour dancing up a storm to the live music and ended the evening waving goodbye and giving thumbs up to Cowboy Johnson.  At least he didn't try to kiss him.


To finish I'll leave you with Mr. Baseball's first hit of the season!