New pictures

I was looking at the pictures along the side bar, thinking they needed to be updated, but I can't bring myself to change them. So I will just add updated pics here. These kids just keep growing.

Allynn 9th grade

Sydney 7th grade

Austin 5th grade

Kelsey 1st grade

Instead of blogging, I have been.....

Crocheting. And I find it hard to type and crochet at the same time.



Butterfly

Pumpkin Hat (on Ian)

Monster Hat


I am also trying to make a sweater vest, but I have done something wrong and will most likely have to pull it out and start over. Turns out I do that a WHOLE lot. But it is fun. I have also made several other sweaters that, turns out, I didn't take pictures of before I gave them away. Many baby hats. (Julie calls for all her baby showers.)  Lots and lots of flowers for hair clips. And a few pairs of booties. And Marley's Maryjane slippers.

I am always looking for new ideas and things to make. I have been compiling a list of why I "need" an iPad and crochet patterns all in one place is on that list. But for right now, I sit with a binder on my lap or printed patterns in sheet protectors. It's just fun.

A new school year

School has been in for almost a month now. This year has been the biggest adjustment for me because all of my kids are in school all day. 

Allynn is in 9th grade and started seminary. Yes we are in Utah and there is release time for seminary, but Allynn chose early morning. (not really that early - 7:15 to 8:00 am). She is also playing trombone in wind symphony and jazz band. She is going to be 15 at the end of October and is already making plans for driving. As social as she is, I am kind of looking forward to her driving also. 

Sydney is 12 and in 7th grade. The first few weeks of school were hard for her. Now she is a pro at getting through the halls to the correct class and with the right supplies for the class. She is. Evoking a pro at time management, too. Her favorite class is math. I don't get it, but she does. 

Austin is in the 5th grade this year. He is also playing tackle football this year and loves it. He is it the most aggressive guy out there, but for now his size makes up to it. He has been playi g center and likes to snap the ball. We have had fun watching his team win so far this season. I am not looking forward to the weather changing. We will take this nice mild weather as long as we can. 

Kelsey is in the first grade. She does not like homework and wants to go back to kindergarten, but only in the afternoon after she has been at school all day. She comes home very tired. She really lives it. I think she just wants her mommy. 

Jason is doing well. In July, he started a new job with Oracle. He misses the guys from Propay, but says he is learning new things and likes the new guys, too. His commute is a little longer with having to drive to Sandy, but now he gets to carpool with our brother-in-law Matt. 

I am not at home alone. I am watching my cousin's boys. They are 3 years and 4 months old. Cute boys. They are my extras. I also substitute teach. On those days my sister takes the boys. 

We are all doing well. Keeping busy. 

Spring Break - Day 5

Today we started our day by going to the Maritime Museum of San Diego. I had found this on a travel website in January and thought this looked fun. I really had no idea just how much fun it would be. I did learn that since we had a group of 8 or more (9 and an infant) that we could get a group discount and a free docent to give us a tour. Then for $5 more, we could get a 45 minute ride in a 1914 pilot boat. OH man, was it worth calling ahead!!!! Our docent was so great. He reminded us of another friend of ours that is very friendly, so that might have helped, but he also kept the kids' attention the whole time. Even Kelsey. He was really quick to learn their names and asked them questions to keep them involved. Sydney stayed up front with the guide. She has decided she wants to come back as a guide during her summer breaks in high school.

We started with the HMS Surprise which was used to film the movie Master and Commander. It was so fun walking around all the riggings.

The next ship we went on was the Steam Ferry Berkeley. This ferry sailed from Oakland to San Francisco 20 hours a day for the Southern Pacific Railroad in the early 1900s before the Bay Bridge existed.

 Then we went on a 45 minute ride on the SD Harbor Pilot Boat . That was so fun. We didn't leave the harbor, but they showed us the beautiful houses along Coronado Beach and the Hotel Del Coronado, where they filmed Somewhere in Time. (We only saw it from a distance, it would be fun to go walk around.)

After the pilot boat, we toured the Steam Yacht Medea. If I were a sailor, this would be a cozy boat to have. After the Medea, we toured the Star of Inda.

Then we toured two submarines, the USS Dolphin and the Russian B-39 Submarine. The submarines were really fun and not as small as I thought they would be. There were a few other boats we saw that were in dry dock on a barge that we could just look at.

and the Russian B-39 Submarine. The submarines were really fun and not as small as I thought they would be. There were a few other boats we saw that were in dry dock on a barge that we could just look at.

 

  

  

We started our tour at 10:30 am and finished at 2:30 pm. It was well worth our time and our money. So fun.

From there we went to another location where we could see the San Salvador being built. And there were some barrels with ropes where we could practice tying different knots. Sydney seemed to really like that. (She is ready for girls camp.)

We found natives while we were there and decided to join them.

 And do a couple of crazy tricks.

After that we drove up to Cabrillo National Park and saw the lighthouse. We didn't realized it closed at 5 pm and we got up there at 4. So we hurried around, took pictures, and got back into the car.

 

Tormorrow so far does not have any plans. I am looking forward to moving slower.

Spring Break - Day 4

Today we went to the Birch Aquarium. We got there on a great day and at the perfect time. Wednesday is feeding day for the fish tanks. It was so fun to watch the fish. This was the individual tanks in the Hall of Fish. The fish in each tank seemed to know when the food was coming because they would start to get feisty and swim in circles. Even the moray eels that seem to only sit at the bottom or curled up in a hole in the rock would start to get excited and move around. So for an hour and a half we just moved from tank to tank watching the fish eat their food.

One of the best parts of that was watching what the fish were being fed. It looked like cut up sardines and squid. The day before, The Dad ordered calamari with his lunch. Kelsey was happy to have two bites and loved it. (We didn't tell her what it was.) Then as while we watched the squid fed to these fish, we told her that is what she ate the day before. She was not happy with us. She would have been just happy to continue in her ignorant bliss. Later she told me she would eat it again because it was good.

Most places inside the aquarium were way too dark for any good pictures. Outside there was an area of educational, hands on activities.

 While the big kids monopolized the teeter totter,

Kelsey played in the water.

After the aquarium, we drove up along the Coast Highway and found a beach to eat our lunch. Then we started to go to a train museum, but it closed at 4 pm and by the time we thought of it, it was 3:30 pm. It was OK though. We went to Walmart for marshmallows and then had take out Thai food for dinner. Then we went to the pool.

This what just another fun day.

Spring Break - Day 3

That girl did not want to smile.

Today was another great day in San Diego. We went to Old Town San Diego. This is a 6 block section of San Diego that is now a State Park. It was fun for the parents and big kids, but Kelsey thought she was going to die if she had to walk one more step during the 50 minute tour. She must have woke up too early, because she was a stinker this morning until we got to the Candle Shop. Then each child got to dip a candle. They started with a white base, then dipped it into different colors. They turned out very rainbowy.

The flash makes them look like glow sticks.

That gun was heavy!

After the state park, we walked over to the Mormon Battalion museum. That was SO fun! It was a great mix of things I love, church and Harry Potter. OK, OK, only because the photos moved and spoke to us. There is a great story shared in a very inventive way. Kelsey was also very happy once the photos started talking to her.
At one point during the tour, Austin was asked to put on the gear the men of the Mormon Battalion wore. These men were offered $42 as a clothing allowance since they were not given uniforms. They decided to send the money back to their families and just wear the clothing they already had. Austin had fun putting those things on. After the tour and presentation, there was an area where the kids could build with bricks, scrub laundry, pump water, and pan for gold. I would go back again anytime.                                                                    

      

Yes, Jason and I were there, too.

Then it was time for lunch. We went to the Coyote Cafe. It was a Mexican food restaurant. Everyone loved their food except for me. I ordered a chili rellano, it was very bland. I was hoping for some spice. But my beef taco was good and Allynn's tamale was really good. One highlight was the entertainment with our lunch. Two guys and their guitars serenaded us with La Cookaracha. It was fun and they earned $2 from us. (We are on vacation.)

After lunch we started back to the hotel when Miss K fell asleep, so we used that quiet time to drive back along the coast. Beautiful houses and coastal views.

I am annoyed that the pictures didn't go where I wanted them to go, but now it is time for bed. Tomorrow we are headed to the Birch Aquarium.