Tuesday, September 13, 2011

First Day of First Grade!!

Our little Owen started first grade this year; I guess that doesn't make him so little anymore! I can't believe how quickly time flies! I think it was just yesterday that I was taking his first day of kindergarten pictures and just last week that I remember bringing him home from the hospital...

Well, no more nostalgia! Here he is being silly before we walked to school.

His teacher this year is Ms. Porter, who the principal swears to me is not anything like the teacher he had last year-this is a good thing. So far, he says school has been kind of boring (going over rules, reviewing stuff from last year, etc.) but he seems to be doing alright! No crying after school that he doesn't want to go back or trying to stay home in the morning because he doesn't like his teacher. Phew!
The bad thing is he doesn't have very many friends from his class last year, but he will just have to be good at making new friends! And he does get to see his old friends on the playground in the morning, at recess, and at lunch. I think he'll be just fine.

More silly faces from Owen---I couldn't get him to make a normal face all day!
That night we went out to dinner, our first day of school tradition. That way he can tell Scott (he has already told me) about his teacher, his classroom and his friends. Going out to eat makes it seem special instead of just repeating the same things he already told to me. Owen loves to eat and eat and eat; and he can never seem to make up his mind what he wants. Solution?? Eat at Souplantation! Then he can get what he wants, as much as he wants, and still have an ice cream cone at the end of it all.

And a silly one of Emme---why not!??! Everyone else got a silly face picture. (Oh, and she is wearing her new "first day of school" outfit. Couldn't have her feeling left out, right?)

The ice cream cones he loves. Had to do something funny here too!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

El Matador


Ahhh...one of our last adventures of the summer.
We asked Owen what kind of adventure he wanted to do (beach, mountains, museum, etc.) and he voted for another beach exploration. On this little adventure we found one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California---El Matador State Beach! On our way up there (it is just north of Malibu before you enter Ventura County) we stopped in Malibu for lunch at a local cafe sorry I can't remember the name of the cafe but the burrito I had was awesome!) and grabbed some drinks to take to the beach. I did a little research on El Matador before we went there and I was a little concerned about how we would get down to the beach...everything on Yelp stated that you have to walk down a really steep path, then some stairs, more steep path and then more steep stairs. Reviews all said to not carry too much stuff down, since you have to carry it out all back out, etc., etc., etc...but you know what?!??! It wasn't that bad at all! If little 2 1/2 year old, 23 pound Emme can walk down and back up the path on her own, then all those people online are wimps! After spending all afternoon at the beach we drove back home through Malibu, stopping to get ice cream at another local little place (where Scott found one of his favorite childhood ice cream flavors). Another fun day---next time we go to this beach we want to take some friends with us too---no point in finding something amazing if you don't share it with others, right??


Scott and Owen exploring.
Emme loved digging in the sand!
Can you tell how HUGE this rock is? Owen is so little standing right next to it!

Our little beach babies.  
Owen destroying one of his beach castles (Emme called them "temples" not "castles")
I love my family!!