free treats:

Free scoops and free donuts were a nice treat the last week of May.  Our fitness class actually went to get ice cream right after the class.  😆  I wasn't going to have any originally, because I can't have too much dairy.  But I got some jamocha almond fudge for nostalgia's sake.  They had a BR at UCLA, and on the very rare occasion I went, that is what I'd get.  I didn't used to like nuts or even chocolate chips in my ice cream, but I'm okay with it now.  Lucas isn't a huge fan of ice cream (yes, really), so he didn't want any at first, but he came around.  Isaac probably would have had five scoops if we let him.  It was actually a little bit on the cool side that day.  Another ice cream party on a cold day!

The next day Krispy Kreme was offering free donuts, so we were back at it again.  We waited for Naomi to get out of school first so she could have one, too, but surprisingly there wasn't much of a line like last year.

Jamocha almond fudge for old time's sake.

Free ice cream!

Lucas got one eventually.  He likes the sugar cones, and Isaac likes it out of a bowl.

 

Free donuts!

happy hollow field trip:

Our last trip of the school year was to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo.  We went with a different homeschool group, so I only knew one other family, but I didn't mind, because time was limited, and I wanted to do our own thing that day after the class.  The class covered the different animal classifications with petting opportunities for each type.  It's perfect for the next cycle of the CC curriculum.  I'm thinking of coordinating some field trips in the fall just for our campus to go along with what we're learning.

I am not sure the boys got everything that was taught in the class, but it'll be a memory I can build on when we learn about animals this fall.  The boys had a great time, even though some of the rides weren't open.  I was just happy that Isaac is starting to outgrow his sensitivity to animal smells.  At first he protested going to the zoo, but I told him to give it a try, and he got the best surprise--his favorite animal, the red panda, was there!  Lucas said it's a good park, because it's set up well.  I think he means because it never feels too crowded.  It's spread out nicely, but it's also not too hard to get from one end to another. 

The boys spent a lot of time at the giant playground.  Now that Isaac's a little older, he's not scared of the tall tunnel slides anymore.  It used to bother Lucas a lot that his brother couldn't/wouldn't go down certain slides.  Naomi went to a friend's house after school, and I picked her up after we got back. 

Entering the classroom.

We learned about the different kingdoms of animals.

Students got the opportunity to pet a dove, a snake (well, Isaac didn't want to), a rabbit, and a giant cockroach.  No fish, which makes sense.  I didn't want to be near the roach, though.  Yuck.

Lucas petting the rabbit.

Lucas' favorite ride.  The boys were disappointed they couldn't ride together because Isaac is too young.

At the Redwood Forest Playground.

They could ride this one together, though.

Exploring.

At the Crooked House.

The slide starts on the second floor and goes through the house.

Upstairs.

Through the maze.

Isaac got to ride his favorite, the red panda.

More red pandas!

And, surprise--the real thing!

Isaac up close to the meerkat who was seeking some shade.

Uncovering dinosaur fossils.  The boys have always enjoyed this.

One more glance at the red panda, this time while it was roaming around outside.

good memories weekend:

Memorial Day Weekend seems so long ago now, even though it was just a few weeks.  Manny was off for the weekend, except having to check in briefly, and Naomi actually did not have any social events to go to.  It was nice to go out as a family again for lunch.  We thought of going to Red Robin, because we still had a giftcard to use for it.  I couldn't find because I forgot which one I had and was expecting it to look like the old ones.  I passed right over it.  It is not cheap feeding three kids.  Thankfully they ate all their food.  Naomi, due to her GI issues since childhood, is accustomed to smaller meals, so she will take the rest home and finish it over the course of the day or evening.  She can eat any kind of cuisine, though, and Lucas does well with various cuisines, too.  I miss the times when it was just the two of them and we could go anywhere to eat or we could actually fit comfortable at a table.  Naomi and Lucas also didn't fight like the boys do, often over said limited space.  And yet we would all agree Isaac has brought a ton of joy and love into our lives individually and as a whole.  I mean, just look at him:

He said the mac and cheese tasted better than ice cream.

Sometimes we actually take pictures together...

Naomi's gigantic nachos.

Afterward Manny surprised us and took us to Vampire Penguin to try dragon's breath, which are cereal balls dipped in liquid nitrogen.  They were fun to try once, but not something I'd eat again and again.  However, the taro and coconut snow ice (the Taiwanese kind) was so good.  The boys had one that was mango and cotton candy.  It's like they designed that one for Isaac.

At Vampire 

Taro and coconut snow ice.  A+; would eat again.

Manny looks like he's vaping.  It's like the modern version of those bubble gum cigarettes and chewing tobacco we had in the 80s, but a little more painful.

Naomi loves her boba.

On Memorial Day, we went out for lunch.  Lucas said we were here last year at this time.  I had my doubts, but Manny looked at it, and yes, we indeed have eaten at this same restaurant on Memorial Day in the past.  Yes, I let Isaac play on the tablet during the meal.  I don't always, but it's hard for him to sit still in restaurants with strong odors because he has a sensitivity issue with them.  And this place serves stinky tofu.  Whether we ate out or not, we had a nice weekend together.  I wish we could have more like it.

Taiwanese food.  

Still happy a week later.  The tattoo did not come off in the shower or with rubbing alcohol, so I eventually had to scrub very hard with a washcloth to get it off.

Lucas at his tennis class.  This may be the last time he was glad to be there.  Things were going well until the main coach couldn't make it anymore, so the sub had to take over the class.  One of his classmates kept misbehaving each week.  That tends to bother Lucas to the point of complete distraction.  I'm hoping to switch him to another time if I can, or we'll take another break from it.

color run 5K:

Having my Saturday mornings open before 10 am has been life-changing.  For my personality type, even though I love people, I cannot function without alone time.  When I'm have to be socially "on" for too long without time to process it all and introspect, I go a little crazy.  The problem is that people closest me think this means I don't care about them and demand even more from me, but it's more that if I can have that time to think and breathe (very hard as a full-time mom of three very different-aged children and a homeschooler), I will appreciate and love them more.  But there is a balance and a compromise, and having these Saturday mornings has been a good solution.

One thing I find worthwhile early on Saturday mornings is running.  However, I do not like to run around the neighborhood alone.  I am so glad I was invited to the Big Bunny Run for my friend's birthday, and then being invited to this year's Color Run by a friend who teaches faith-based fitness classes.  She just had a baby, too!  She had the stroller, so she walked this year.  A couple of her friends and her husband were with her other kids up ahead.  I walked the first mile or so with her, but got a little antsy and decided to run (more like run and walk) the rest of the way.  At various intervals, people holding sprayers spray you with colored cornstarch.  The first time I went through, I ran through and found I didn't get much color.  So after that I walked, spun, stopped, and got a bit more.  It sprinkled at times and was pretty cold for that time of year, but that helped my stamina.

When it came time to run alone, I got my chance to talk to God about running the race here on earth, to be introspective, and to observe what others were saying or doing and appreciate more about the city we ran through.  This is how I thrive the most--when I get to enjoy the moment and place I am at while still moving.  As I was lost in thought, and my sunglasses were murky from the powder, I missed the 2-mile marker completely.  So I'm thinking, "I'll take it easy and jog or walk this second mile, and then at the marker I'll run the entire last mile."  So I see a marker, start running, and the next thing I know, it's the end!  The marker turned out to be the 3-mile marker.  Oops.  Even though I was sore from the exercise class and it was that time of the month, I got through it fine and didn't really feel that tired at the end.

Video of the color toss we did at the end.

I put my happy tattoo on that came with my pack (and a lightning bolt tattoo on my leg).  I will never get an actual tattoo, especially with my skin elasticity issues, but temporary is fine.  I was surprised it didn't come off with rubbing alcohol, but Manny said to keep it on anyway.  So I did for a week after.

I got there about a half hour before my friend, so I'm waiting in the car because it's cold.  My pack included a T-shirt and buffer as well.

The start line.  We were the first group in, and there was a DJ keep us entertained with everything from Neil Diamond to the Black Panther soundtrack.

Some people wore capes for the superhero theme.

My phone was in a ziploc to keep the dust out, so some photos are a bit blurry, but here we are looping back around while the group that went after us are going through the first leg.

This is where you get a lot of color.

Entering the unicorn bubble zone, which was really fun.

Just crossed the finish line!

My friend wanted to get a photo of me jumping off the trampoline (i.e., mid-air), but the line was really long, so we just took this one here.

On the way back to my car, stopped here to pay tribute for Memorial Day.

The "after."

Even my hair is colored.  Red seemed to be the color that really stuck.

My unicorn medal.  I gave the unicorn pin to Naomi for her collection.  I think she would have enjoyed this run, but she passed this time.