Acorn wars

Last Saturday we drove up to Palomar mountain. The plan had been to go up to Julian for a day of apple picking. Luckily when I looked online for directions the website declared in large writing "Apple picking is over for the season!".

It was nice to learn that before we drove all the way out there. It's normally my style to get the kids all fired up about going somewhere, get them in the car, drive to the destination only to discover that it's out of business or closed for the holidays. My children are well aware of the that oh so fabulous feeling of pure and utter disappointment. I figure it's a good life lesson that will come in handy during those pesky teen years, a time ripe with disappointment! Instead of the apples we opted for a refreshing mountain hike.

The highlight of my day was the road side fruit stand that sold 2lbs of persimmons for a measly $1. I love persimmons. The highlight of the boys day was the spirited acorn war the whole family got into before piling back into the car for our long drive back home. Acorns are fairly painful when in the hands of determined 5 and 7 year old boys. We spent a good 30 minutes chucking acorns at each others heads much to the shock and dismay of a perfectly normal looking woman out for a hike with her dog. I bet she does weird stuff when no one is looking.


Here are some photos:

Jake being serious

Amelia is kind of dressed like David Bowie

This is the face Amelia makes when she laughs! I love it!

This is about the moment Andrew realized that Acorns should be thrown, as you can see Jake is mulling the idea over.

they are plotting....

jake made this face a ton during the acorn war. That's his signature war face. Andrew's war face is a lot more cool and collected

They crashed on the way home!

Mullet Free

After viewing some photos I took at the park yesterday I decided that Amelia's mullet had to go!

This is her yesterday:

This is Amelia during the hair cutting process:

The look on the hairdressers face is priceless. That's the look of someone who spends why too much time with cranky toddlers.

This is Amelia afterward:

She wasn't too excited when they put those bows in her hair. I think she looks like the fair haired version of Anais and Maelle. Of course Aaron had to make a comment about her looking like the guy in dumb and dumber so now I am partially regretting chopping the mullet.

And the award for worst human being ever goes to

I forgot my mother in-laws birthday. This is the 2nd year in a row. I am officially the worst daughter in-law ever!

I realized that I had forgotten yesterday while in the produce section of the grocery store. At the moment I realized that I was two days past due on a phone call/card/gift I said "shit!" rather loudly to the disdain of a woman and her toddler near by. I didn't take her glare too seriously because about two seconds earlier her son was running around screaming "I hate you, I hate you!", talk about awkward!

Amelia, who has become a parrot, said shit too. Not only am I a birthday forgetter but I also teach small children how to curse. It was a proud moment for me. As I tend to do, I am blaming this on my own mother who had no idea about Amelia's birthday until a few weeks afterward when I sent her the birthday photos. I am lucky if I get a card within the same month of my birthday from my parents. That's how things roll in my family. Our birthdays are always acknowledged just not quickly. I plan to make this up to my mother in law with a really cool present, one that has yet to be bought.

I called my mother in-law as soon as I got home from the grocery store. I bribed the kids with Halloween candy to belt out "happy Birthday to you." Of course after Jake was done singing he said "can I have my candy now Mom?" My mother in-law was still on the phone. Let this be a lesson that bribery always erupts in your face!

I am hoping that Aaron's brothers marry someone a bit more organized then me. Donna has always wanted a daughter and I am clearly not cut out for the gig. I am messy, absent minded, and am constantly sticking my foot in my mouth. She is soft spoken, put together, and carries a first aid kit among other things in her purse. She is the kind of woman who is prepared for anything. I am lucky if I remember to pack diapers in my purse. I am definitely not the ideal daughter in law. All I can do is try better next year.



Further proof of how miserable I am at being an ideal daughter in law, I let my children get filthy and take incriminating photo's of them. Also, Amelia has a mullet.

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