Waterfront Picnic Pals

Every year the girls' preschool has an annual picnic. First it was just Dillon, then Dillon and Quinn, and now just Quinn. Time flies, but these girls have fun.

We took the trolley downtown.

Waterfront Park fun.

Mermaids with Reece.

SoCal vibe on lockdown.

Moonlight Beach Construction Project

Going to Moonlight Beach on my birthday didn't quite work out as planned. But I got a chance for a re-do over winter break when Dillon was off of school for a few weeks. We had a great time digging a water tunnel with Sydney, a girl we met who was visiting from Tahoe. And we stopped by Handel's afterwards for a tasty scoop of ice cream.

Big shovel. Big hole.

With her construction partner, Sydney.

As usual, every inch of skin is covered in sand.

Leap!

A close up of the tunnel.

My view.

Ice cream to celebrate the tunnel!

A quick vid of the tunnel's grand opening. [Song is "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" by Arcade Fire.]

The Art of the Belly Flop

Sometimes it's hard to tell if Dillon is actually getting any better at swimming or not. I think she wouldn't sink if she fell in a pool, but I'm not sure she could find her way to the side. At any rate, she loves going to swim class, belly flops and all.

Kaboom!

You can judge her swimming skills for yourself. She swims with gusto, that's for sure. [The song is "Storms in Africa" by Enya. I timed the thunder perfectly with her big splash!]

Birthday Party Round-up: Millie and Soraya

Dillon's preschool BFF, Millie, had a super fun, retro birthday party at the roller rink. Dillon was a champ her first time on wheels. She fell a lot but always got back up. She also dragged me down with her once and gave me a giant bruise on my leg--the hazards of parenting!

Roller rink selfie.

Wheels up!

And a short video of Dillon in action. [Song is "Watching the Wheels" by John Lennon.]

Another preschool pal, Soraya, also turned six. We went to her house for a pool party and tasty treats. Birthday wishes were sung in English, Spanish and Farsi!

Gang's all here!

(Dillon's the one in the swim cap.)

Dillon seems to have some cupcake-related aggressions to work out:

The Sunshine State (4)

We ended our time in Florida by staying at Disney for a few days with Craig's parents. We didn't actually go to a park (just like last time we visited Orlando) but the kids enjoyed the pool and boat rides and we got to see grandparents, cousins, and kids of cousins so everyone still had a great time.

Craig and Robbie.

We can't pass up a carousel.

We had dinner with Belle.

She poses for photos with fans.

Dillon made friends at the LEGO store.

The girls say hello.

Important to stay hydrated.

An alien followed us home.

Octopus and sesame noodles.

Here is a super short video of a super short water slide.

The Sunshine State (3)

One of the fun things we did while in Florida was visit the Kennedy Space Center. I'm always awed by our ability to leave the planet and land on the moon!

It was SO HOT! Ava and Dillon cooled off on the splash pad.

Ready for blast off.

Looking up at Saturn V.

The rocket garden.

Sweaty but happy.

This kid loves to jump.

Adventures in Learning: The Fate of the Furious

These kids won't stop growing up!

Kissy face.

Chillin' with BFF Lulu.

Re-enacting a scene from "Run, Lola, Run" with Karim.

Giggles.

Splash!

And a quick snap from Dillon walking to school (from the parking lot across the street).

Have Fun Today.

Muddy Puddles

I must have been crazy when I agreed to let the girls stomp around in the mud. They got filthy and soaked, but had lots of fun. Worth it...?

Started out innocently enough...

Mid jump!

Pretty darn messy!

The funny part about this video is that Quinn thinks she's jumping but her feet never leave the ground.

Pool Par-tay

Over the summer, Dillon and her gal pals got together for a pool party. It's so nice to keep in touch with these sweet girls even though they're not at preschool together anymore.

Midair!

Snacks with Valeria and Natalia.

Yummy corn on the cob.

No surprise here.

And a super quick video of the big splash:

Water, Water Everywhere

Between the bath and the pool and the beach (alas, no rain) these kids are in the water all the time! And they love it.

First, Quinn enjoys bath time:

Next we have Dillon and BFF Millie Mills hanging at the community pool:

Millie in midair!

And finally both girls in their own pool:

Blast off!

Mini pool for mini kid.

Splashy Times at the Park

As you may know, life in San Diego is tough. There's so much sun and water everywhere...ugh. We recently had to spend an entire day at the waterfront park by the marina for the annual daycare picnic and for a birthday party. As you can see, the girls hated it.

Girl time.

Sun protection is a must!

Soccer time with Karim.

Hanging with BFF Lulu.

So happy in the water.

Also so happy in the water!