Oatmeal is sticky

Mark makes good oatmeal and the kids suck it down like candy. The trouble is it sticks to everything - clothes, floors, chairs and curls. Here is a little piece that stuck itself to Claire's hair. She was partly playing with it and partly trying to get it off.

October so far

We are enjoying fall. School, soccer, rain, and visits with family have filled our month so far.


Saturdays are for soccer. Audrey is hot and sweaty, mom is pretty comfortable, Papa is riveted by Redondo current events.




Claire in between excursions to the nearby park.



Audrey won the "Best Player of the Day" award two weeks ago. We were very proud.




Cousins Kayla and Alexis came from Idaho for Disneyland and the beach and lots of quality time together. Grandpa Rick and Grandma Nancy brought them.



Audrey's portrait of the Minnie doll Grandma Nancy bought her.




Claire and the allure of the pitted olive.



Just hanging out at home.



Rainy day.

Newport camping

We decided to sneak in one last summer camping trip while the weather was still warm. We spent two eventful days in Newport Beach and have now officially had enough sun and swimming to hold us for a few months. We had a great time being together, swam at the campground's pool for most of each day, cooked out on our little camp stove, fought the kids to sleep - especially Claire who turned out to be coming down with a cold - and Mark and I took turns sleeping in. One of us would rest and the other would take the kids to the playground by the beach.
The most exciting event of the trip was Audrey losing her first tooth. It had been loose for a week or so, but I did not realize how loose because every time she showed me I wanted to throw up, so I just pretended to look and be very impressed. There is something gross about watching a tooth detach itself from somebody's jaw, but it wasn't just that. I was secretly afraid it really hurt, because it looked so gruesome, and I knew I had to hide my concern and nausea from Audrey.
So we weren't on tooth watch because we hadn't actually seen the tooth hanging by a thread. We were eating our dinner, chowing down on chili and corn muffins, Audrey said her muffin was not acceptable. Then Audrey starts telling us some story and Mark and I notice, in the same instant, that her tooth is gone. We both jumped and looked at each other and then asked Audrey where had her tooth gone. She did not even know it had happened. I was absolutely positive she had swallowed it. It certainly wasn't sticking out of her corn muffin. We asked if she had felt it or seen it fall. She had no idea. Then she says, "Ohhhh, maybe it was that gross thing that was in my muffin." Yes, maybe - what did you do with it? "I threw it on the ground."
So now I am thinking that tooth is lost forever because the sand under us is almost the same color and consistency of a little baby tooth. But Mark actually found it and we all celebrated Audrey's first lost tooth (and my relief that she hadn't swallowed it and we wouldn't have to explain how the tooth fairy was going to come for it in her stomach). We rewarded her with ice cream and the tooth fairy came to our tent and left $2 under her sleeping bag. Very exciting stuff. She used the money to by taffy, a good way to lose more teeth and get more money, I'm sure that's her tactic.
It was so great for it to happen when we were all sitting around the camp table together. Later, I felt pretty sentimental about that little tooth that's been with us for about 5 years and gave me so much trouble on its arrival. I lost at least a week of sleep for the sake of that tooth and probably have two crows feet and 20 gray hairs on my head directly related to the stress of Audrey's teething.
It is fun watching Audrey grow up a little right in front of our eyes. Too bad we did not get our family portrait done before the toothlessness set in.
I know I'm going long, but this whole losing a tooth thing has been pretty funny all along. Audrey first noticed her tooth was loose while eating pizza with my mother. She was all ready to be upset and afraid of the process when I explained to her that the tooth fairy actually leaves MONEY for lost teeth. After that she was gung-ho and every day asked us to pull the tooth out for her.
She wanted to hear all our stories about losing teeth, and ironically, Mark told her the story of how he lost a tooth and it fell into his soup. And on the day of her soccer game she said "What will I do if my tooth falls out during the game?" And I could tell her I knew just what to do because that had actually happened to me. My tooth fell out during a soccer game and, knowing it was against the rules for me to leave the field during play, I walked over to the referee and tugged on his sleeve. I told him I had lost my tooth and didn't know what to do with it. He had a good laugh, and so did the parents on the sideline when he explained, and told me he would keep it in his pocket for me until the game was over, which he did. I played the rest of the game and collected my tooth at the end.
Well, we are proud of Audrey and watching the rest of those teeth very closely. We all had a fun trip. Here are a few pictures: Audrey and her new smile; Claire so hungry she needs to eat with two spoons, and me and Audrey after swimming.