Top Gun

Me:          So, did you like it Aust?

Austin:    Well yeah, obviously it was a good movie. (so nonchalant, like "uh duh, if you didn't think       
               that's a good movie, you must be dead.")

Me :       It's an AWESOME movie!

Austin:    Exactly. (Pause) It might be right up there with Star Wars.

Me (thinking to myself ): Wow, STAR WARS???  I was a little afraid you'd think it was totally 80's. But come to think of it, Top Gun is more current than the original Star Wars  movies.

Me (talking again): Did it make you scared at all? ( I kind of forgot people die in the movie...that must be the 10 year old girl in me just waiting for the "Take my Breath Away" scene)

Austin:   No way. It just makes me want to do it more.


So, by "it", I just hope he meant the movie in general and not the scary danger and dying parts.


Also, two more things:


1. In 1986, "PG" meant something totally different than it does now.


2. Watching this movie through 33 year old eyes...still awesome, but freakin' killed me.  Don't die Goose, you have a wife and CHILD!

Roughin' it, Take One

Scott decided that before our Labor Day Weekend camping trip we should do a test run in our new tent, so that first, he could figure out how to set it up, and second, we could see if how Harlie would sleep. On Friday, Harlie helped daddy put up the tent and then after dinner and the 45 minutes we spent in vain looking for sleeping bags and air mattresses, we posted up out back in our tent. We watched a little Monsters, Inc. on the laptop, read a few books and listened to Harlie chatter until about 10:30 when she finally passed out. In a shocking turn of events, Austin opted to forgo the camp-out and play video games inside all night.

Not sure what look Harlie's going for here. 

Waiting for the gaming to begin.

We hauled Harlie's crib mattress outside.

We slept on about 6 blankets.

Flashlight Fun

At about 3:45am Harlie woke up cold and ended up in bed between Scott and I, which is always a mixed blessing. I slept even worse than I already had that night on our still very hard bed of blankets, but waking up to this was just so sweet:

I Left my Heart in South Lake Tahoe

Thinking back, I believe the last out-of-town getaway that Scott and I went on was our delightful trip to the Russian River with the Creegers in May of 2008. It was a beautiful place and super relaxing, but I also remember it being studded with bouts of morning sickness for me and Keri's heart was a little achy because she had never been away from Mazzy (who was not even 2 yet) for that long before. The time before that, I believe it was our five day San Francisco adventure in June of 2007.  Needless to say, we were long overdue for some extended alone time and with limited funds, we were desperate to plan a little trip, just the two of us, without breaking the bank. I would have loved to stay at the beach for two nights. I miss the ocean and being lulled to sleep by the sound of nearby waves is something I've been craving badly. However, I just couldn't find a place that seemed charming enough at the right price. So, I put my ocean dreams to bed and settled on finding a place to stay in South Lake Tahoe.  Tahoe is a longtime love of mine and holds sentimental value for both Scott and I (Der Ingwerbrot Haus!). The scenery is beautiful, the air and cool blue water is clean and crisp, and it smells like camping.  After finding a cheap place to stay, I decided that I wouldn't plan the heck out of our 2 days together. This was mostly because we didn't have the money to book lake cruises and zip line trips, so I knew we'd have to take advantage of what nature had to offer fo' free, which doesn't require reservations.

Below is a photo journal of my favorite places and activities -  some free, some cheap and most definitely including food:

1.  Wild Wednesdays at The Beacon Bar & Grill.  We come here for the atmosphere, view and Rum Runners (just $5 on Wednesdays)!

 

2.  968 Park Hotel.  Lake Tahoe's "green" hotel.  A quaint and quirky hotel offering character and comfort.  Their "Summer Special" (30% off two or more midweek nights) brought our nightly rate down to $76! And we learned at checkout that repeat customers automatically get 20% off future stays.

3.  Taylor Creek Visitor Center and the Rainbow Loop Nature Trail. My sister and I love to take our kids on this trail because it's an easy 1/2 mile walk with a Stream Chamber Profile halfway through that shows a diverted section of the stream underwater (Like a HUGE aquarium). For Scott and I it was a great way to stretch our legs after lunch and take in some beautiful sights.

4.  Lakeside Beach.  It's privately owned with access to those who live and stay in the surrounding neighborhood (we received passes from our hotel).  This is an amazing place to view the sunset.  When we arrived, just before our reservations at their Grill (not recommended), there were so many people parked on benches with their cameras waiting for the grand event.  It was truly beautiful. Reminded me so much of Hawaii, the way the whole beach just glowed.  They also have a playground on the beach which I thought was great for those with small children.

5.  Lam Watah Trail to Nevada State Beach.  A 2.2 mile long (roundtrip) hike/walk through beautiful meadows and forest to a lovely beach and campground.

6.  Freshie's Restaurant. Tasty good-for-you food, nice beer selection, wonderful view and al fresco dining on their rooftop deck make for a very enjoyable dining experience.

Sesame Chicken Salad and Fish Taco

Fish Taco Plate

7.  The Brewery.  With an inviting outside dining area, I've always wanted to try this place.  Unfortunately, when we arrived and were seated outside, the sun was low and staring us right in the face, so we opted for a cooler table inside instead.  It didn't matter though, the "Bad Ass" pizza  was so delicious and the drinks were good too!

Bad Ass Ale and Mai Tai

Spicy white sauce topped with garlic, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, Canadian bacon, Parmesan cheese, chicken and fresh basil

 

8.  Magic Carpet Miniature Golf.  Mini Golf and a photo booth...just plain ole' fashioned fun!

Happy Birthday Mazzy May!

 

Dear Mazzy,

Today you turn 5 years old.  You are growing into such a lovely young lady and Uncle Scott, Austin, Harlie and I love you so very very much.  I just wanted to take a moment to wish you a Happy Birthday and list (Auntie Erin LOVES lists) just some of the many things that make you so special.

Your big bright spirit could light a thousand football stadiums.  And boy do you love to perform.  The way you hold that one leg up when you dance, like you created that signature move is THE best. What's even better is that Harlie copies her big cousin and tries to do it too.  But I'll tell ya, nothing beats the original.  You were born to be noticed and taken seriously.  I can't wait to see more.

Gosh darn creative is what you are!  Watching you play pretend and receiving your beautiful handmade cards is always a special treat.  There is one particular drawing you made of a ladybug and I think you were replicating one of your storybook covers. It's one my favorites and in the picture that your mom took of you with it, you can tell that you're pretty proud of it too. I hope you always remain so confident and self -assured.  It will serve you well in your adolescent years I promise...and your mama will back me up on this one.

The other day at your party, you crawled into my lap as we were all watching the play at Fairytale town and I couldn't believe how big you were.  My little Mazzilicious with eyes like huge pools of chocolate pudding that I just want to dive into, and those sweet little dimples...I've always said you were the first little baby to steal my heart.  And now along with your little brother, you two bring me such joy.   Thanks for being such a wonderful cousin to Harlie...and the best little niece ever!

XOXO

Auntie Erin

What's that you say?

Since I basically stopped recording in Harlie's baby book when we moved out of Woolwich (I think it's actually still in the back of my trunk), I wanted to make a note about some of the words she mispronounces here on the family blog. I'm too lazy to go dig the baby book out and want to make sure I write it down somewhere, because these are the ones that sound so cute when they come out of her mouth that you don't want to correct her for fear she'll stop saying them. So in typical bullet point fashion, here's the list so far (I'll be adding more as they come to me):

• Mello-melon (Watermelon)
• Smoovie (Smoothie)
• Poople (Purple)
• Tomato (for Potato)
• Fwag (Flag)
• Bam-baid (Band-Aid)
• Straw-wa (Straw)
• Lello (Yellow)
  
• Strawberry Cake-cake (She STILL doesn't say Strawberry Shortcake)

On a Wing and a Prayer

Austin's big dream is to become a commercial airline pilot. In addition, he hopes to fulfill the flying hours requirement by joining the Air Force or Coast Guard Academy after he graduates high school. This will take a lot of hard work and dedication on Austin's part, and he seems up for the challenge.

For his 15th birthday his Grandma Florence or "G" as Austin calls her, signed him up for a week-long aerospace summer camp at McClellan AFB. Oh Boy, did Austin go nuts about this. He loved it so much. He soaked up all the information and said he knows for sure that this is what he wants to do for his career. On the last day of camp, he was even able to go up in a plane with one of the instructors, and wear the headset, and hear all the pilots communicate with the control tower. So cool, right?!

Here are a few pics from the CD of photos they sent home with him.



(Also, can you BELIEVE this boy has never seen Top Gun?! This one is going to the TOP of our Netflix list, fo sho'!)

A Perfect Summer Evening

Last week's highlight was a bbq at our neighborhood park with some childhood friends and their families. Kaelin was in town visiting with her little boys, Joe and Benny and it was SO great to see them. Watching the little gang of tiny tots run around made me so happy. I have never appreciated summer as much as I have this year, and that Friday evening was just oozing with what I love best about it: the smell of charcoal in the air, our trusty Mather breeze to blow the heat of the day away, the sun slowly sinking as the sky glows a fiery orange, and the dampness of the lush green grass under the bare feet of those little souls we cherish most.

High on the Pot (Not that kind)

A few days ago while waiting for Harlie to finish on the potty, I'm kneeling down next to the toilet (sometimes she likes to hold my hands for support...sorry, TMI?) so that we are face to face.

She looks at me for a minute and then in a soft voice says 'I love you Mama. You have green eyes.'

An unexpected gift during an ordinary moment. Those are the best.

Slippery When Wet

Untitled from Erin Wilson on Vimeo.

Mama is still getting the hang of it.

Untitled from Erin Wilson on Vimeo.

This is a little better.

Untitled from Erin Wilson on Vimeo.

Daddy shows how its done. Evidently, we need a longer Slip and Slide.

Slip Slidin' Away

Oh Summer, how I love thee this year! This past weekend was maybe one of the most relaxing and fun weekends I've spent at home in a long, long while. The weather being a BIG factor, how could you not smile about the oh-so-not-July-like balmy breeziness. On Friday, after Scott and I picked Harlie up from daycare, we stopped at Chipotle for dinner and as we sat outside Scott said "Man, it feels like San Diego weather!" I don't think it's reached 85 degrees all week.

One of the highlights of the week was a Slip and Slide that Scott picked up at Target for a whopping $3.50. Harlie was a little tentative at first but quickly warmed up to gettin' her splishy splash on. A couple months ago, she started going head first down the slides at the park yelling "Slip and Sliiiiiide!" So I wondered if she had seen one at daycare. I'm thinking more than likely she picked up the phrase from one of the older kids, who had actually been on a slip and slide because when we rolled it out and hooked up the hose she just wanted to stomp and splash in the puddles. Scott had to give her a hand, the first couple times.



Even still, she just kind of runs through and does a belly flop at the very end. Practice makes perfect, I guess.



When Scott gets home I'm going to try and get a few videos off his phone of us all slippin' and slidin' on Saturday. I'll be the one slidin' in my tank and yoga pants because I gave my swimsuits to Keri for her trip. D'oh!