Fair

Over the weekend we took the kids to the Holy Family Fiesta to visit my grandpa (who was working in the BBQ booth) and to let the kids go on rides, play games, etc.

We made the mistake of telling them that they could go on the train ride, the carousel, the ferris wheel, and a car ride before realizing that the rides were OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive, and Camden did not meet the height requirement for most of the rides.

So after the two of them took one train ride, and Avery took one carousel ride while Josh distracted Camden, we were out of cash and had to try to explain to them through their wails that we had no more money and would have to come back tomorrow.

Soooo... The next day they were very anxious to get back, mainly to the train ride...

But the waterworks kicked on again when Camden had to face the reality that at some point the ride stops and it is time for other kids to have a turn. 

Camden was too small for the bee ride, so Avery rode with cousin James...

At the end of the day we went to watch the bands, and Camden took the opportunity to creepily stare people down on the dance floor.

Back to School Night

Avery had her final "Back to School Night" of preschool last night... She insisted on wearing her princess dress, which is one of those battles I just didn't care about winning.

You might be surprised to know that the shy little clinger I drop off in the mornings is quite the social butterfly once I am out of sight. Avery has an entourage of kids that follow her around. Some are in her own class, and some are in the younger classes.

Here's an example:

Avery was also very proud to be the Star of the Week this week, so her poster was on display for Back to School Night, which she was beaming about. We worked very very hard on that poster. [And by "we" I obviously mean "I." She answered the questions and I did the rest].

Avery is also the line leader this week...

And brought home her very first homework packet this week! She will have weekly homework from now on, which I think pretty much means that Josh and I will be assisting with homework every night for the next 20 years. Sigh.

And Camden can't wait to start preschool, so he can spend more with this vacuum that he likes to get his hands on every morning while I am signing Avery in.

Second Annual Auntie Train Trip

Today was our second annual Auntie trip down to Solana Beach... Except this year we didn't miss our stop! 

Five minutes after we had arrived, we let Avery dig in the sand with one of our empty champagne bottles since we forgot her shovel and bucket, and immediately got busted by the lifeguard for having glass on the beach. Oops.

Later on Avery and I took a walk down the beach, and collected all kinds of colorful rocks and shells. 

...And then Avery and Auntie Jennifer made a sandcastle and decorated it with rocks and a ducky that we found too.

Of course our day was not without aggressive seagulls trying (and sometimes succeeding) to steal our snacks!

The highlight of the trip was when Avery and I stumbled upon a little pool full of Brittle Stars. I quickly realized that two little girls were collecting them off of a big piece of uprooted kelp that had washed ashore, and trying to save them from baking in the sun.  They were dumping water on the kelp roots to keep the creatures wet, picking them off the kelp one by one, storing them in the temporary pool they had dug, and then transferring them into a bucket and returning them to the ocean. We joined their efforts, and eventually I helped the older girl detach the entire root ball from the kelp, and drag it back out into the water so the Stars would have at least a little bit more of a chance for survival. I know it will wash back up eventually, but we didn't like that the Brittle Stars were dying in the heat. It was neat to see so many of them in their natural habitat, and Avery was excited that she got to hold so many of them.

It turned out to be an absolutely perfect day. The weather, and the water, couldn't have been better.