he's home

We picked up our son today.


After five nights and six days away.


As I guessed, he showered, um once.


Oh boy.


He did write me though.


We got a very cute letter.


He smelled a bit like a homeless person.


You can see by his shirt, that he wore nearly every day.


Lots of fun, lots of stories, and lots of junk food.


He had just about every sugar loaded cereal he has ever wished for that mommy has never allowed.


He told me he checked ingredients and saw that there was corn syrup in things. 


A big 'no no' in our house.


And when I asked if he ate it anyway, he said, "Yea of course I did."


I guess at least he's honest, and at least he's aware of the fact that it's not good for him.


He's pretty bummed out that his five frogs are now four.  He has a little habitat for them.


He caught them at a stream where he goes to watch a friend's dog sheepherding.


We fed them while he was gone.


But this was the smallest one.


And apparently the frogs will eat the little ones if they can.


We looked it up online.  He's bummed for his little guy.


On another note...

The girls are both officially swimming.

Ava already had lessons, but now she's comfortable enough to dive off the diving board.

 You have no idea how huge this is, that Audrey is fully under water. 

Today was their fifth lesson.


For the first three lesson lets just say the protests from Audrey were very loud and very adamant.


She tried to control the situation.


Each day stressing about the next saying, "I will not go under water, you just tell her I will not.


Mom I will never swim. Never, ever." 


And the screaming and protests were so intense.  I had to walk out of sight, so she wouldn't see me laughing.


It was one of those things where you had to be there.

But that little nose in between those goggle eyes.  And the screams of protest.  It was just so darn cute.  I coudln't handle it.  She was bound and determined to not swim.


She told me and everyone who would listen how summer break wasn't very good because she was not liking swim lessons and she would never, ever swim.


But after the last lesson we turned a corner and she decided she was used to it now.


She actually said to me mom, "I'm used to it now.  What does used to it mean?"


And today, wa-la.. she is fully going under water.


Tonight she happily showed daddy over and over again how she can swim.


We went in the jacuzzi amidst the loud helicopters hovering to cover the shut down of the 405 to the 10 freeway.  They're calling it carmageddon here in L.A.  People are hunkering down and not going anywhere this weekend.


But we're taking a chance and actually having a pool party here.


Hoping that because most people won't be on the road, it'll actually be smooth sailing on the side streets.


I also got a new high tech blender for my birthday and made some chocolate mint smoothies 

that we also turned into popsicles.

We used 24 ounces of almond milk.
A handful of mint leaves from our garden.
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
A handfull of prunes (only because I didn't have any dates)
2 bananas
and 2 Tablespoons of cacao powder

The girls loved them.

My son wasn't so sure.

But his taste buds have been tainted by Trix, and Coco Puffs and such.


Happy Weekend Everyone!