Hot Summer Days

It's been a little warm here. 

I've spent the last few evenings at the pool, floating and hoping that the lukewarm water would somehow eliminate the swollen existence that has overtaken my legs. (It hasn't).

Yesterday, on the way home from the gym, I saw two girls in a Toyota Corolla, with a giant raft strapped on top. I wanted to honk and give them a thumbs up of approval for heading to the river at nearly six o'clock in the evening, but I didn't.  Instead, I crouched down and snapped a photo.

Then, I went home and made ice pops. I received an ice pop mold for my birthday, and it is absolutely delightful. I've been experimenting with different flavors and fruit combinations. My new favorite is watermelon-strawberry-mint. They are delicious, but more importantly, they are a wonderful distraction from this miserable weather.

It's Here! It's Here! Springtime, that is!

I feel that spring is the forgotten season in this part of California. For some reason, it always seems as though the cold dreary days of winter drag on until one day, we wake up and its 90 degrees and remains that way for an awful 4 months.

But, not this year.  Nope. This year is different. We've had temperatures varying from 60 to 75 for the past two weeks, and although there's a bit of rain forecasted for this weekend that just means the current mellow temperatures will continue for a bit longer. Which gives me more time to just sit on the back patio and enjoy all of the green color that spring has brought with it.


The beautiful weather has encouraged buckets of flowers, including these delicate flowering trees that arch over our driveway. Since we moved into this house in January, and at the time, the branches on these trees were bare, the flowers were a pleasant surprise.

And of course, my favorite sign of spring: the armfuls of daffodils available at the market.  The price for these blooms was $1.25.  I feel guilty paying so little for something that brings me so much joy.

Christmas in the Village

Earlier this month, we attended our neighborhood's giant Christmas party. It was held "downtown" which is really just a large park plaza with some old timey shops along Main Street (yes, it is really called Main Street).  Lola's favorite part involves the parade, which really starts the fun. Here is a photo of Lola and I, holding hot cocoa, waiting for the parade to begin.

After the parade, we walked around the plaza, visited a few community booths, and then picked up our candles from the local lions/rotary/kiwanis man. We held our candles, as everyone gathered around the base of the old pine tree and the neighborhood choir (which consists of forty people ages 17 - 80, all of whom play the ukelele) led everyone in a few Christmas carols.

When the sun dropped behind the buildings, we all counted in unison, and then the old pine tree lit up the sky.

As cheesy as this all sounds, community events like this make me happy. Here we are, brought together because we live in this tiny neighborhood, holding our candles and singing Silent Night to the sound of ukeleles. Totally glorious.

Easter in the Park

I know that Easter was nearly two weeks ago, but I finally downloaded the photos. I would like to also take this moment to say, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY APRIL. Mid-April, at that. Practically end of April. Please enjoy these photos from our neighborhood's "Easter Eggstravaganza", while I hunch over a yellow note pad and write a giant to do list for the rest of the month.

Hunting for eggs.

Victory!

At the 4-H booth, visiting the goats.

Not so into the pig. 

Lola begged and begged to go on the little train (i.e., tractor pulling train-like cars).  We waited in line for nearly 20 minutes, which is probably the longest I have ever waited in line for anything with Lola. I was shocked by her ability to be patient. I really need a small train at my disposal so I can get her to put away her toys.

  Also, I have no idea who the guy was that was driving the train (volunteer parent, park groundskeeper, homeless guy sleeping in the park), but let me say that once we boarded, I realized that this man should not have been driving the train.

This Bunny sequence is possibly my favorite Lola-with-giant-character-in-a-costume ever. It has awkward all over it. 

Christmas in the Village

A few weeks ago, Lola and I attended our neighborhood's Christmas in the Village celebration.  We met Lola's BFF, Zoe, and Zoe's mom, Kacie, at the clubhouse for a community theater production of "Winnie-the-Pooh." 

Then, we walked to the park and saw a tow truck full of people playing ukeleles and singing Christmas songs.  

I think it is obvious that I wasn't the only one who got a serious kick out of the ukelele band. (I don't know that woman, but I think we could be friends.)

We stayed for the Christmas parade, and Lola was very excited about high school marching band.

Zoe was not impressed.

The parade was full of characters. We saw our U.S. Senator. (Doesn't he look like a Senator?)

As well as some llamas.

And even a group that is committed to using light sabers. 

 We even saw a car that I am pretty sure is on Josh's wish list.

The highlight of the parade was Mr and Mrs Santa Claus. However, I don't have any photos of them because as they driving by (on their tractor"sleigh"), they were simultaneously tossing out lollipops to the kids. I opted to hold onto my squirming two-year-old than get a photo of Saint Nick.

Lola and Zoe were very pleased with their lollipops.

It was a great afternoon.

The Beloved Pumpkin Patch

Oh how she loves the pumpkin patch.

There is a farm in our neighborhood, literally walking distance from our home, that opens up to the public every October. A woman homesteaded this farm in the 1880s and she passed the property onto her great-nephew, who is now 92-years-old and the current farmer. He works on the farm every day, and if you saw him, you wouldn't believe that he is in his 90s. He doesn't look a day older than 60. 

In addition to growing hundreds of pumpkins and other squashes, there is a play zone set up with a small hay maze.

 Various rope swings hang from the century old oaks. Lola begged us to put her on the rope swing, but once she was on, she wasn't very happy.

There is also a snack bar where everything is a $1, and they give away free lollipops and stickers to kids.

Lola's favorite activity is the tractor hay ride out to the pumpkin fields.

He has a few farm animals too. There are 4 pigs, 6 goats, 2 peacocks, and a lot of chickens. A few weeks ago, Lola saw a small gap under the fence that was set up in goat field and before I could stop her, she held up the wire and yelled, "C'mon goats!" and two pygmy goats escaped. The goats were super friendly, but my future PETA member certainly created a commotion. Luckily, the farmer laughed and herded the goats back into their field.

Pumpkin Patch

Last week, we headed down the street to the old farm in our neighborhood. During the months of October and November, the owners open their property up to the public and host a pumpkin patch.

Lola refuses to smile on demand, but she will give you her "look" if requested.



There was a hay maze, and it practically took an act of Congress to get Lola to stand on the hay for a photo. There was something about the hay that she didn't like. I'm not quite sure what it was, but once her feet were finally on it, she seemed to be fine.




She decided to enter the maze with Josh. Then, Josh spent the next five minutes directing preschoolers through a tunnel.



Lola was obsessed with the old tractor on the property.



Then, the one photo where she is looking into the camera, I am squinting. Of course.



Lola also attempted, over and over again, to pick up the giant pumpkins.



The fact that some were almost as large, and potentially as heavy, as her didn't stop her from trying.



She is so strong-willed and determined to do things her own way. She may look like Josh on the outside, but she seems to be just like her mama on the inside.

These last few days of summer

The temperatures are beginning to drop, and so we are enjoying more time outside. Even though Lola's spoken vocabulary is expanding each day, she is also still signing. In fact, she recently created her own sign for "outside." It involves her crossing her arms and shrieking while looking at a window. Sometimes she crosses her arms, shrieks, and then runs to the front door and pounds on it. (You know, just in case I missed the arm crossing and shrieking the first time around.)



Lola is still in love with her little house. Recently, she decided to take up indoor mowing.



Just about every day, we go for a little walk in our neighborhood. She loves these little walks.


The other day, when I was home alone with her, she signed that she wanted to go outside. I told her that we couldn't go out right then and there because I had to finish washing the dishes/ fold laundry/clean something. So then, she walks over to stroller and starts pushing it around while signing and shrieking. I explained again that we weren't going outside.

Then, she goes and finds Archie's dog leash. She places it on his back. He starts howling, jumping, and whining, excited at the prospect of a walk. She runs to her stroller, pushing it while shrieking. I just stood there, incredulous. I couldn't believe that she did that. She used Archie against me. They totally outnumbered me. I couldn't mentally handle both a shrieking signing toddler and a howling beast. Somehow they figured it out. THEY ARE ON THE SAME TEAM.

So, I caved and took them outside. I was totally manipulated by a dog and a toddler, but it was sweet and it wasn't like I fed them giant ice cream sundaes.

Danger Baby

One of our summer morning rituals involves sitting on the front porch and watching the sprinklers water the lawn. They are set on a two-tiered system where the grass closest to the street is watered first, and then, the grass closer to the house is watered.

Last year, when she was still stationary, Lola would sit in my lap and the size of her eyes would vary depending on how close the water would reach us. Lola used to find the entire 7 minute show to be quite mesmerizing, and I loved having a few peaceful minutes in which I could consume my morning coffee.

Now that she is one, Lola no longer believes in stationary activities. A few days ago, right before the second watering set was to begin, she wiggled off my lap. I told her, "You need to stay with Mommy," but she looked at me like, "I have places to go," and I was like, "OK, you go, but I bet you'll be coming back."

(We have many conversations like this.)

She toddled a few feet away, and then heard the underground rumble.

Whhhooooooooossh.

The sprinkler head popped up. Lola looked at me. "Ut-oh!"

The water started. It was like a scene from a war movie. Lola started to run, but there was no where for her to go.

Whooooooomp.

Right in the gut.

She looked at me, unafraid. I expected her to start crying. Instead, she looked a little dazed. Then, she smiled and ran in for a hug.

I began to laugh. I laughed so hard that I felt bad. My pajama-clad, soaked, but smiling, 20 pound baby.

So, I let her play a little more.