lost didn't win:

Whatever happened each season after the first, when LOST won for Best Drama Series, people always said or assumed the show would have a major awards sweep in the final season.  Not that awards are perfect indicators, but they're nice to receive.  There is no denying the talent of Emerson (Ben) and O'Quinn (Locke).  Even Fox had some of his finest moments as the series progressed.  The music was always moving, composed by Oscar winner Giacchino(sp?).  I usually don't tune in to the Emmys, so I only read the winners' list after all is said and done.  And I read it twice this time, thinking I'd missed something.

I didn't expect LOST's last season to win for best series, even though it should have/could've/would've had it in the bag.  Perhaps if Season 6 were on par with the previous two seasons, it would've swept, but many say it was too choppy and disappointing.  However, I was surprised that the show didn't win a thing.  Not that I've watched enough of the other shows to judge, but particularly in Emerson's case, there was some superb acting.  I think they've won before, so I guess it's okay,

Well, I think we're pretty much done with LOST (Manny certainly put a fork in that delicious ham and called it a day after the finale).  We figured the island was a purgatory, everyone guessed it, so then they had to move in another direction to prolong the show.  Then they decided to go back and change it from purgatory to some similar storyline that would lead to Abrams' original ending, throwing away the fantastic build-up and mystery of the previous seasons.  That probably rubbed some of the Emmy voters the wrong way as well.

So, what to watch/follow now?  Manny (and Kevin) recommended 'Fringe.'  The couple episodes I watched were pretty good, but I wanted to throw up.  We might give 'Undercovers' a try and hope for the best with another Abrams series.  It's like the M.Night thing--he had one good movie, and no matter how bad the rest are, you keep giving him another chance.  Haha.  Actually, I liked Unbreakable and Lady in the Water.

misc update:

Last Thursday--Parent orientation meeting for Naomi's ISP.  Took Lucas; Naomi went to friend's house.  Excited about the school year!  Sometimes Naomi acts up after coming home from someone's house.  She wants to respect them more and us less.  It's not uncommon, but I'm not always sure about the solution.

Friday--We finished our first week of kindergarten.  It went well overall!

Saturday--Costco trip, then Manny went to pick out tuxes with Chris and his fiancee.  Chris was a groomsman at our wedding; now Manny will be one in his.  I've never been a bridesmaid, and I admire anyone who has.

Sunday--Manny met with B for their bible study early in the morning.  We went to church, the church luncheon, then Target and the drugstore.  Naomi was picking out and pairing up clothes at Target.  She's into fashion, but she's so good about not begging for stuff and understanding what we can't afford.  Makes you want to buy it for her, actually.  (Not that she's never acted spoiled in other ways--refer to last Thursday)

swimming at last:

The temperature is in the upper 60s today, a far cry from earlier this week when it was in the triple digits.  We went swimming twice in the evenings, when Manny was able to get off work a little earlier (which is still later than most).  Even after the workout, we all still couldn't sleep from the heat.  Lucas went to bed one night at 1:30 a.m., but he still got up at 9:30 and functioned fine during the day.  The kids love the water!  

last day of soccer / first day of kindy:

...seemed like the first day of summer.  It's been hot!  Naomi had her final class on Monday.  She didn't make a goal, but she pushed herself hard, while being a real team player.  She scolded her teammate, though, for not passing.  :/  Naomi started turning purple, so I had her sit out a couple minutes in the shade for a break.  The coaches were cool.  I think in her classes, Naomi's enthusiasm causes her to be both a teacher's pet and a class clown.  Maybe I was a little like that.  Manny was MVP in his soccer league for many years.  Just throwing that in there because I like talking about him.  :)

Naomi probably won't return to soccer for a while, since it's harder for us to handle outdoor activities during the rainy seasons, but she will be starting in an introductory indoor basketball class.  It was that or karate, in terms of indoor community rec classes not coincident with Lucas's nap.  She said she wasn't ready for karate.

Her last day also coincided with her first day of homeschool.  I know it's not for everyone, but it suits our situation for now.  She's enrolled in a public school ISP, but I can do my own curriculum.  Starting next week, she'll be going to class once a week, so she'll get the whole teacher/whiteboard/lunchbag/recess/group-instruction/field-trip experience there.  I also now qualify for teacher discounts.  :)  I started a homeschool blog, but you will need to be invited (and set up a blogger acct, I think) to view it.  If you're interested, please send me an email.

Naomi with the ball.

There she goes, right before the steal by the opposing team.

little joys:

Naomi decided to start keeping a journal.  The first entry says, "I like to play Little Big Planet.  I like my mom.  I love her."  :)

Manny's coworker heard that we liked the golden melon they served, so he went to Costco and bought us one!  Honeydews and cantaloupe haven't been too sweet lately, and this was the perfect answer.  So generous of him.

Naomi recalled today how a teacher really liked a flag she made, and said, "Why do I get all the luck?" and then corrected herself and said, "I mean, why do I get all the grace?"  I didn't teach her that, and it was a good reminder to me.

lucas, 25 months old:

Lucas seeking comfort from Naomi after getting in trouble.

Lucas went No. 1 all by himself Sunday night for the first time!  I know No. 2 will take longer; he usually doesn't tell me in time.  :P  I'm not pushing it at all; I learned my lesson with Naomi.  He also stayed in the church nursery without us having to be paged out.  His eyes were puffy when we picked him up, but he had actually stopped crying.  They said he was very helpful putting all the toys away where they belonged.

I'm happy to report that he hasn't bitten anyone in a while; instead he's been petting Naomi and blowing her kisses.  He gave her a kiss on the nose yesterday that just made her day.  When he's sad, he goes to her for hugs.  He still wants to wrestle, though, and plays a little too rough sometimes.  If Naomi sets up her tea party, restaurant, orphanage, school, doctor's office, or whatever else, it's almost certain that he will destroy it in a tiny fraction of the time it took her to set it up.  He's improved a lot, but I know it's hard for Naomi.

His vocabulary is growing, although he still doesn't like to say much.  He puts a few words together into partial sentences and phrases.  He's taken up roaring at people, whether playful or serious, but I'll take that over the biting.  He feeds toy/stuffed animals or makes them watch railroad crossings on You.Tube with him.  It reminds us of Naomi at 10-12 months.  The age gap between our kids seems even bigger than it is.  However, he doesn't remind me of Naomi when he crashes his cars into toy animals or sends them over a cliff (a table/chair/ottoman).  Manny reassures me that's normal for a boy, and soon he might be burning ants with magnifying glasses.  Ugh. 

He still likes music, lining things up (often for destruction), and copying his sister.  He will usually share or give something back when told, but I hear a lot of "mine, mine, mine" throughout the day.  It had been hard getting him out the door or keeping him safe because he was fighting me whenever I tried to dress him or hold his hand.  He'd say "mine, mine" and pull away.  I would have to force it and then listen to him scream for a long time afterward, sometimes for an hour.  Now I've found that he will let others, especially Naomi, put his shoes on for him or hold his hand.  She likes to be helpful and wanted, so we all win.

He seems to be becoming even pickier than before with food, but occasionally he'll have a protein binge or surprise me.  He actually drank some chocolate milk yesterday.  Not a lot, but better than nothing.  He has a lot of quirks, but I can't always recall or describe them.  It'll be interesting to see how much of it stays with him over time.  Definitely want that desire to clean to stick!

weekend with coworkers:

On Saturday, we went to a playdate-turned-party at Manny's coworkers' house.  Our family had a blast, and I met some very nice people.  Manny was happy to make the Saturday plans for a change.  :)   Sunday after church we met up with one of my former coworkers and his daughter.

The host family for Saturday's gathering served hot dogs, pizza, and fruit.  The rest of us brought salads, chicken sausages, and desserts.  Someone (the coworker who joined our family one Thanksgiving) brought Beard P.apa's cream puffs.  I was the first to make a beeline for them and help myself to one.

It was cool that all the kids were the same age, either 5 or 2.  They all behaved, and most were pretty quiet.  By most I mean everyone except Naomi.  She never seemed to stop moving, talking, and devising games for everyone.  One boy finally had enough of her telling him what to do and told her so.  I was glad to hear her change her tone in response.

A coworker of Manny's once told me that he is the glue that holds his group together, because he is someone people can confide in and is genuinely nice.  He's developed some great relationships over the years.  I see the value now in him having to stay late so often at work.  I don't just say this because we're married, but I know he's fair, humble, and trustworthy, and most of all, a good listener toward others.  They know he's a Christian and I get the impression they feel comfortable talking to him about it.  I doubt this is how my former coworkers would describe me.  I often was stern at work to protect myself or give a professional appearance.  But even beyond that, I wasn't always wise or tender-hearted toward my coworkers.  I don't know how they say to live life without regrets.  I think I have quite a few, yet I know my sins are covered, and I've lost and learned.  Over time, God allowed me to demonstrate love toward them, and my relationships with many of them are still intact or strengthening.

Our frozen yogurt/Japanese market run with T and his daughter was fun.  I only give the kids a little bit now that they get their own.  T's daughter, who is 8, carried Naomi around piggyback.  She also pretended to be a bee and sting her, which made Naomi upset.  Even though she stopped right away, and Naomi seemed to forgive her, later on Naomi told her she would continue to remember what she did.  On the way home, I reminded her that she had done something similar to a friend recently, thinking she wanted to play something that she didn't, and how her friend showed her love by forgiving her completely as God calls us to do.  It was a good reminder to me, too, as we all can fall into hypocrisy.  Once we deal with our plank, then we can remove the other person's speck.

Choo-choo!

The kids having lunch.  Lucas even sat and ate with them.

At Yogurt.land with A & T.  

lucas 2-year appt, more photos:

Lucas had his 2-year appointment today while Naomi hung out at a friend's house.  We waited till after the last road trip.  He's about 40th percentile height, 6th percentile weight, still not wanting much to do with any type of milk.  Everything is fairly normal, but we have to return in 6 months to check for growth and a possible speech delay.  The doctor's not too concerned but just wanted to check.  It was a rough morning for Lucas.  I had to hold him face down on the padded table (I don't know what they're called--the thing the patients sit on) to get measured.  Then he had to have a not-so-fun examination, but he hung in there.  Then the shot.  He kept saying, "No more."  Then I had to take him to the lab to draw blood to check for iron deficiency/anemia, because Naomi and I have had it.  A lot of tears and "ouch!" and "boo-boo!"  As we left, Lucas yelled, "Bye Bye!" at them, and the lab workers were all, "Awww, how cute, he said 'bye'."  But what they don't know is that he says it in that tone when he's really mad at someone.  Haha.  Pobrecito.  He was pretty happy when we got to the friend's house.  They had trains and cars, and she fed him lunch.

Below are some more photos a friend took at his birthday party.  He had a furrowed brow almost the entire three hours, but she managed to capture his happiest moments.  :)

it's a cool, cool summer:

It's mid-August and right now, at noon, it's only in the mid-60s. This summer's been pretty mild. We didn't swim or play in the water too much, so it made the summer seem a little shorter than usual. Many kids have started school already, too. A lot of people were sick this summer, maybe with weakened immunity, or maybe it was the constant weather changes.

goc alumni retreat:

We traveled to Manhattan Beach this past weekend for a retreat celebrating 25 years of Grace on Campus, my college bible study. It's hard to believe it's been 13 years since I graduated. Some of my sweetest memories involved the GOC retreats, and this was just icing on the cake.  God be magnified.

We arrived and saw a few familiar faces right away. I didn't expect to know that many people there, but it really was nice that a number of people Manny knows attended. We took a walk and went to eat at Taiko, which was one of my favorite places to eat in college, although the one I went to was in Brentwood and not this one. The kids usually do well with Japanese food.

The event was organized with excellence. Love and joy permeated the weekend, as it always did at GOC.  The only slight disappointment was that we missed two sessions due to lack of sleep (the first night adjusting to the sleeping arrangement and the second night having extremely loud neighbors partying till 6 a.m.). However, the remaining sessions we attended, the picnic at the park, and the free time we spent with an old friend, H, made our hearts full. The kids had a great time, too, except when we tried to put Lucas in childcare. They came to get us to retrieve him. We kept him with us in the sessions after that. Naomi met many of my friend's children and hit it off with everyone.  One of the (might I add fabulous) childcare workers asked if she could keep her.  Naomi doesn't even want me to talk about it right now because she wishes she could go back. Lucas gave H a kiss on the cheek, the first time he's done that to anyone.

On the lighter side, they had the laughter-inducing skits and introductions we'd come to expect. During Mortal Kombat Family Feud, Lucas got very worried (about Kano's eye and the host getting pummeled at the end). Poor Lucas. The worship sets were full of familiar favorites and I think a couple songs written by GOCers. I took home a lot from the speakers, ranging from the original shepherds (Bobby Scott, Scott Ardavanis) to a missionary/professor/pastor to GOC alumni who had suffered tremendous trials such as being brutally assaulted or becoming a widow and single parent at a very young age (I've shared the blog before). I can't rewrite all that was shared here, but Christ was the focus, and everything said was reaffirming and refreshing and exactly what I needed.

During our free time, H took us out to the Manhattan Beach Pier for a short outing. We had ice cream at the Creamery, even though the weather was pretty mild. We've had a lot of trips this year, so I've learned to over-pack for weather changes, which helped. H helped make the retreat a vacation. We didn't get to visit her and J's place, because Lucas had to get back and nap before dinner. We had to wake him up for dinner, and I think the entire hotel heard him in the lobby.

Here are some family photos. The slideshow below shows more of our friends that attended. I didn't get to take photos of a number of people we spoke to, like Sherie or Uel, but we did get one of the Craigens. Dr. Craigen retired last year. I have many fond memories of them as well. You'll get to see better shots and the large group photo once J publishes them.


Lucas with the ducks at Polliwog Park before the picnic.


Naomi and A (D&E's eldest daughter).


Us at the picnic.


Manhattan Beach Pier (with H).


Us with Kev (wife was with their sleeping baby).  Naomi was super tired and falling asleep, and then got her second wind the minute we were back in the room.  :/

big apple:

Well, not the city, but the company.  We went to visit a friend at Apple today and got to eat at Caffe Macs.  I've been to some great corporate cafeterias across the country, but this one tops them all.  The food is mostly organic, hormone-free, very fresh, and there are some vegan options (not for me).  The variety of international food was almost overwhelming. Good thing I had the kids there, so it was easy to choose a made-to-order wood-fire pizza and a turkey dog (which came with 3 sides--sauteed greens, sweet potato salad, and a fire-grilled peach).  My friend E had a shrimp Creole dish which looked fantastic.  We topped it off with a delicious light chocolate dessert.  It's probably not for everyone, but it was like the prepared food area at Whole Foods but with much lower prices.  And of course they offer free organic Fuji apples to everyone.

Here's a story I saw online from another friend that works there--his daughter asked him what a Big Mac was, if it was some kind of computer.  :)

The kids in front of the "raining" apps display.  I was kind of embarrassed when Lucas took his shirt to clean it.  I guess I've done that with glasses or my cell phone before.

Me and gorgeous E.

The cafe is next to an open grass area for the kids to run around in.  They managed to find the one muddy spot and get covered in it, so we ran over to the restroom to get at least their shoes cleaned.

mistaken identity:

I've been getting a lot of emails lately from employers and recruiters, but they're not for me.  It appears someone interested in sales posted her resume and indavertently included my email address.  I tried contacting the online job search company where she posted her resume to get a hold of her.  This isn't an uncommon occurrence.  People accidentally sign me up for Petco or Myspace or other mailings, but I can undo or delete those.  This one is sad, because this person will probably lose a number of job opportunities.

Manny also has been struck with insurance claims that aren't his.  Apparently someone has the same name, birthdate, and lives in the same area.  What are the odds?  I guess pretty decent, when you have a name like Hernandez.  :)  With the other Manny going into ER and not reporting a social security number, the hospital just looked into an insurance database and found a possible match without verifying the identity.  Now that person is able to obtain Manny's insurance benefits (not that he did it on purpose, but it was probably more the hospital's negligence).  All follow-up visits have also been charged to Manny's insurance.  So double-check your claims.

the wounded:

A somber report about lives changed forever. Some of you might know--Alice's brother is the trauma director interviewed in the beginning of the video.

weekenderoni / great a.merica:

The kids had their annual portraits taken on Saturday.  Naomi was very cooperative, but Lucas cried almost the entire time, about 45 minutes.  He stopped for all of 10 seconds, maybe, and those were the shots we went with.  At least choosing was easy!  They no longer print on-site, so we have to wait a couple weeks to go back and pick up the photos (so I'll post them then).

We had lunch and then some frozen yogurt.  Yum.  I like ordering swiss mushroom burgers.  They aren't necessarily my favorite burger, but the husband and kids like neither swiss cheese nor mushrooms, so when I'm out, I like to order whatever I don't get to eat at home.  Every now and then I'll buy one food item that's just for me that no one else likes, like roast beef or a papaya.  Indulging myself once in a while helps my energy level.  :) I feel for Manny, though--there's so much he can't have since he can't eat onions at all. I made meatballs from scratch for him today.

Manny spent the afternoon clearing out the patio area.  The kids were happy being out there with him, so I got to mop.  I like to mop, but it seems illogical sometimes.  The mop just smears the particles around and doesn't pick them up adequately.  I sweep often, and sometimes I try vacuuming the tiles.  I started taking wipes to the floor, but I know that's a waste and just adds another film.  So this time, I mopped the floor with Lysol, and while the floor was still wet, I took a few heavy paper towels and scrubbed and wiped.  Best results ever.  The paper towels were all gray.  Yuck.  Microfiber cloths probably would have worked, too.  I haven't tried the Swiffer or steam mops.  We don't have enough square footage of tile to justify the purchase, I think.  P.S. Check the seal of your fridge door--it is so nasty to clean that, but it's a common source of mold.

Sunday we went to church.  Naomi had a blast, but Lucas wouldn't go into the nursery, so we kept him with us.  He did pretty well, but I had to take him out at the last part of the sermon.  He wasn't loud, but I'm self-conscious about disturbing others who are trying to listen.  We chatted with some people afterward, and then went to lunch at a fast noodle place.  After that we made a quick stop (or so I thought) over at Great A.merica.  We saw the Xtreme sports show, got on some rides, and had a snack.  Everything was cool, at first.  What was supposed to be just a couple hours in my mind (we have a pass) ended up being four hours.  I am still learning I need to speak clearly rather than just making hints to my husband.  "Do you want to just take Naomi?" =/= "I think Lucas needs his nap."  "Let's put Lucas in the stroller with his snack" =/= "I think it's time to go."

While Manny and Naomi went on a ride, Lucas had the worst meltdown in the history of Lucas meltdowns, which is pretty bad.  This happened in a very crowded public place, too.  No amount of discipline, distraction, diversion, etc was going to stop him.  He continue to bite, claw at, and punch me as I tried to carry him every few feet and maneuver the stroller as well.  If I let go, he'd run away.  He's a very strong toddler, and I don't want to injure my back again.  Twice I had put him in the stroller and he flipped it by pulling forward with all his might.  And he knows how to slither out of arms very well.  Often the only thing that makes him stop is if Manny or Naomi take over, since he's so mad at me.  I had to call Manny to come back from the exit to peel him off the ground.  He was just fine after that.

Stunt show--skateboards, roller blades, bikes, tumbling.  Lucas was amazed.

Naomi on the pumpkin patch ride waving to Manny and Lucas down below.  I'm scared of heights, but it was fun being with Naomi.

The kids and the Snoopy statue.  No character meetings this time.

junior museum and zoo:

We went to the Junior Museum and Zoo yesterday.  Their theme this year, like many other places, is green machines.  We ended up having the same group of friends as the last time we were there, two years ago.  The little girls are older now, so Naomi can play with them.  Lucas cried and clung to me most of the time, since he doesn't like crowds and chaos.  The one time he let go of me was to go clean up the stuffed animals kids had thrown out of a cave.  Then he jumped right back in my arms.  lol  Poor thing, he wailed sadly all through our picnic lunch and wanted to go.  When the kids all left to go play in the playground, he settled down and ate happily by himself.  Total opposite of Naomi.

Naomi made new friends, because she never seems to have enough.  One of the kids was with his nanny, an older Chinese woman, and she wanted to get together in the future because her boy liked Naomi so much.  We live pretty far from there, and she can't give out her employer's address and phone, so we couldn't connect further.  I still speak Mandarin with older people I meet since that's what they prefer.  Speaking of which, an old man stopped us (the nanny and me) to talk about how Chinese people had invented equipment similar to several of the machines on display, like how some of the pulley machines were similar to what people used in the rice paddies.  He sounded like my dad and late grandfather, so I knew to just nod my head and answer only when spoken to.  :)

The girls watch the ducks and goose go under the bridge.

Naomi and B on the...cougar?  (Need to brush up on my wildcats)

This raccoon was very entertaining.

Bobcats cuddling while they nap.

The kids having lunch at the neighboring park.

Lucas liked the hydropower machine.

Naomi with the solar power machine.  I couldn't figure out that the light was on a timer and kept trying to switch it off.  Yep, a Master's in Engineering from Stanford and I can't figure out a light bulb.  :)

Lucas finally decided he wanted to play as we were leaving.  They have a log/stump path out front.

Boys chasing after Naomi.  Yikes.

moving is the best medicine:

Check out these moves:

shoes:

My feet are shrinking, or so it seems. After losing the baby weight, and then losing more in the toddler-chasing stage, I found that a lot of my shoes were slipping off my feet. With my lace-up shoes, I just tightened them, but with sandals, it got to be where they wouldn't stay on at all.  I decided to purchase three pairs of shoes for the summer--gold metallic ballet flats, silver strappy sandals, and this dress shoe I found for $13.99 on sale.  I wear mostly flats now because the foot I broke last year is still weak and hurts on occasion at the weak spot.  My shoes are mostly size 5.5 now, which makes finding a good selection in stores difficult, so I often shop online.  I know men don't understand it, but yes, we need that many different types of shoes.  However, I only buy neutral and refrain from buying all the cute designs I see.  The kids' shoes cost more than mine, but as long as I stick with the basics and accept that their shoes won't always match what they're wearing, it's not too bad.  I remembering suffering as a kid in cheap shoes that were often too small (because parents didn't check, we were dirt poor, and I didn't speak up), like when I had these canvas shoes with cute crayons all over them--and my big toe sticking out through a hole and tons of blisters.  As long as I can find a good sale, the kids won't be going through that.

goat yelling (or singing?):

Watch in order.  Audio necessary. 

faux cream / dentist:

Strawberry Banana Faux Ice Cream (by marezone) -- must try.

Speaking of sweets, Naomi went to the dentist yesterday.  The new assistant couldn't stop remarking how pretty she was and how she didn't look like me (that happens a lot--do people realize that's an insult to me?  haha).  No new cavities, but the filling in her front tooth fell out again.  At this point, they can only either put a crown on it or wait for it to fall out.  She has two teeth that are significantly smaller than the others, and they're the ones with the fillings.  Too small to drill and refill.  Naomi's four upper front teeth are jacked up from constant vomiting and intrinsic staining (antibiotics and fluorosis) as a baby.  It's so sad to see it, and she's such a smiley kid, too.

photo time:

July photos - 4th of July wknd at Grandma's, Lucas's birthday celebrations, playdates, soccer class, Discovery Museum, San Francisco.

There are some nice ones of the kids at the museum and Lucas's party.  I get prints and put them in albums every 2-3 months, whenever there's a print sale.  Some moms tell me that's impressive.  I don't know--I just do it for the sale price.  The thing I haven't been able to do since having Lucas is scrapbooking, although I tried photobooks for a couple vacations since.  Manny prefers the scrapbooks over the photobooks.  I am about 80% done with Lucas's 1st-year scrapbook after spending over a year on it.  I'll get it done.  I have to take baby steps nowadays, but I still like to finish everything I start (unless it's best not to).  The setback was losing all my caption text when our desktop crashed, and now it's hard for me to remember that much from his first year.  Good thing I can go back through blog entries.  Too bad I forgot to back up all Manny's financial files before reformatting the hard drive, though.  Ugh, I'm so lame.

santa cruz, day 2 (trains):

We were actually in Felton and not Santa Cruz, but I tend to say "Santa Cruz" because more people know where that is.  So, the second day we boarded the Thomas train.  The seats were selling out as I was trying to order, so I was only able to book tickets for Sunday morning.  The kids were a little groggy and it was really cold, but it was nice that it wasn't too crowded and the weather was good for photos.

The train ride was pretty expensive at $18/person, and it didn't go all the way to the beach.  When I told Lucas to wave bye-bye to Thomas afterward, Manny jokingly said, "Bye-bye, eighty dollars!"  When Thomas' train whistle made its trademark choo-choo sound, Manny said it was really saying "Cha-Ching!"  After the train ride, our aunt and uncle joined us for a bit more fun.  We went to the cool visitor center where there's a picture of the preservationists, including Uncle Gerard, and then to the gift shop that had a model train and railroad crossing signal.  We had another barbecue lunch before heading home.  It was the best weekend, although we were sad to miss my father-in-law's retirement party.  We'll have to celebrate later!

Thomas the tank engine.

All aboard!  Hats from Grandma (Manny's wearing Lucas's).

Going through the redwoods.  Lucas looking worried (as he does with most new experiences).

Going over the bridge.

The kids in the wagon, but only for a brief time.  Lucas insisted on pulling Naomi after this, and he actually made it up an incline.

A neat model Thomas train.  It had little oddities in it, like a Batmobile and animated circus.

Lucas depositing change to activate the railroad crossing signal.  He watches about 15-30 minutes straight of railroad crossings on YouT.ube every day!

santa cruz, day 1:

We went to visit Manny's aunt this weekend in the Santa Cruz area.  They invited us out when the Thomas train was in town.  It was a fun-filled yet laid back weekend, definitely one of the highlights this year.  The first day we just enjoyed the redwood forest where they live.  Naomi finally got to be pushed on a swing in their backyard.  I really can't do more than a couple pushes for her now that I have to chase after Lucas.  Naomi has been patient since all my attention at the park is pretty much focused on Lucas.

Manny and I went out for lunch and then watched Inception.  There are a few things about the storyline that seem amiss (this article has some of the points Manny made to me; don't click if you haven't seen it).  I thought it was good overall.  It's worth watching, but Memento remains my favorite Nolan film.  Great acting by the main cast.  I heard that a celebrity remarked (tweeted) that he/she wondered if Michael Caine watches movies he's in and says, "What?  This was an action movie?!"  

While we were out, our aunt, uncle, and cousin took the kids to see the Thomas play area.  Naomi bounced in a free bounce house.  They also fed the kids and played with them back at their home.  Our cousin is one of Lucas's favorite people. He adores her to no end.  Lucas was wiped out after I returned.  Naomi--well, it takes a lot to wipe her out.

Lucas liked their dog Buddy and cats Pee-Wee and Checkers.  He followed directions well, and didn't touch Pee-Wee, who is very old.  They had another cat, Elvis, who passed away.  Their new cat is Checkers, and she is one fluffy cat.  Very friendly for a cat, too.

Uncle Gerard grilled up some tasty hamburger patties and chicken, and then the kids joined him in collecting firewood to roast the marshmallows.  Naomi didn't want to use a stick because it was "too dirty," so they used metal skewers.  She and Uncle Gerard washed the cars (he got her scrubbing the rims with a toothbrush--I love it) and then they sat on the porch with popsicles and watched the sunset.  At night, she and Lucas got in the jacuzzi.  I gave them baths, and then I wrestled with Lucas till midnight to sleep.  He doesn't sleep well in a foreign place, plus he doesn't want to sleep when Naomi's around, and he kept trying to wake her up.  Usually they're in separate rooms.  Who would've thought Naomi would be the better sleeper these days. 

Thomas will be in the next entry.

Yay, swing!  Naomi wearing her hat my friend J made her.

I always have to get the meatball sandwich at Tony & A.lba's.

Lucas wiped out.  He was very tired already, but would only nap after I showed up.

Starting up the barbecue.

The kids with the firewood.

Mmm...marshmallows.  Lucas doesn't like them, though.

Naomi liked the jacuzzi.

Lucas, with his Thomas trunks, was more unsure.

Checkers, their new cat, rolling around as Lucas pets her.

girls' camp:

All last week, Naomi went to a summer camp in the evenings for girls entering K-2. It had a Little House on the Prairie theme, and the girls got to do a lot of bonding.  It was tough on our whole family in terms of the schedule, and we didn't really get a chance to meet other parents, so I'm not sure we'll do it again.  However, we're still glad Naomi got to make some great memories, learn about Little House, and build confidence.  She also learned some lessons about peer pressure, knowing your limits, standing up for yourself, and standing up for someone else (not taught in her camp sessions, but what she/we experienced at the playground time after camp).  I may have been the only parent in the playground supervising, but I know Naomi needs me there.  I let her play; I just listen and watch so we can discuss it later.  She made some outstanding crafts.  I was just going to take a photo, but she wanted to make a video for Grandma to explain it all. :)

The girls sliding down through the older girls' tunnels.

All the prairie girls got their photos taken (photo of their photo).