Carwasher C

C helped J wash the car this weekend. It's hard work, so you get really thirsty doing it. Too bad the spray nozzle on our hose is so strong. Injury ended his career as car washer before it had even really begun. So sad. We hope this can be a lesson to those of you reading this, don't let this tragedy happen to your little loved ones. Fill up a sippy cup or something instead. And if by chance you don't and they are forced by dehydration to attempt this, please...at least take some photos. Because this is pretty funny for the rest of us.

Camping is fun!

Before our big trip to Oregon, we were able to squeeze in one quick camping trip to Yosemite. The real luck was in finding a night to book in Crane Flats, which is really pretty close to the valley floor. Apparently they start taking reservations in February and they fill up fast. Must have been a cancellation, or maybe it was just a sad, lonely Wednesday night; stuck between two long weekends. Lucky for it we snapped it up!

Aside from it being a very (very very very) long drive for one night (four hours each way) and the smoke from the forest fires making us all a bit wheezy, it was a wonderful trip. We got to go up to Glacier Point, which we missed last time, and the view of the entire valley floor -- Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls -- was breathtaking. The kids loved the huge boulders that they were able to "rock climb" on.

We were there just as the sun was beginning to set; its one of those moments when you really feel that all is right in the world and we are beyond fortunate to be alive to witness such amazing, natural beauty. If you've never been, you absolutely must start planning your own trip now. You and your family will forever cherish the memories!

Back at the camp we enjoyed cooking over the fire and making s'mores for dessert. We left the top rain fly off the tent, so we were able to watch the stars as we fell asleep. So amazing. During this time, C declared his love (over and over) for camping. His enthusiasm was infectious, and hilarious. He kept planning a trip for the following week, T would remind him that we would be in Oregon with his cousins, to which he would respond "Me cousins?! Me soooo lucky!" The whole thing was so fun and funny and full of love. One of those moments that remind you to slow down and take more moments with your children; because they are pretty spectacular beings.

The second day we packed up our camp site after breakfast (and more s'mores) and headed back to the valley floor to check out the river and hike up to the Lower Yosemite Falls. We picked a spot at random (more or less) to stop and play in the river. It was very shallow so we all waded in to the very cold water, which felt pretty good in the crazy heat of August. C somehow fell early on and we held our breath waiting for him to scream or cry (that water was icy) panicking about the clothing options we did or did not have for him back in the car (he had gotten the previous day's clothes filthy).

But to our surprise, and ultimately joy, he loved it. The fact that he no longer had to worry about getting his clothes wet (because he was soaked through) meant he could splash and play, wild and free. He and Rhys enjoyed themselves to no end, and we have the pictures to prove it. B did fall in just as we were leaving, so we had to change both their clothes (rather creatively).

The next stop was Yosemite Falls for a very easy hike. Well, it would be easy if you didn't have two tired preschoolers fighting you the whole way and if T weren't prone to heat induced migraines. We didn't get to spend much time at the falls, which is a bummer because it looked like fun. Note for future trips: pack swim suits! There is a cool little natural pool at the base of the falls.

These rocks were stacked in so many tiny towers at one point along the hike to the lower falls. We wondered if one person built them at one time, over multiple trips or if individuals continued to add towers of their own over time. It was pretty cool. C and Rhys were not exactly helpful to the installation...they were curious and a wee bit destructive. Oops! Who is charge of those two anyway?

A garden we will grow.

We've finally taken the first steps to growing our own vegetable garden! This is something we've wanted to do for many a moon, so it feels great to finally be making some progress.

First we had to clear a space for our garden. When we moved in to the new place, there already was an old, overrun garden in the yard. So we had to clear out some of the massive, invasive mint that was growing there.

This, as it turns out, was a much bigger job than anticipated. It really didn't want to be torn out; and the roots were so thick, and so deep. T got a real workout doing this job. 

The brick dividers were a pain to get out at first too. They were more than half way in the ground, and the dirt was very firmly packed against them. And they're heavy! Fortunately, the more she took out the looser the remaining bricks became; so it got easier as she went.

Justin worked on building a garden box so we can have a raised bed. He improvised a design based on some photos of gardens we'd seen and liked. We tried to find a video or template showing how to make it, but none of them looked quite the same. So we had to hatch our own plan!

B the builder helped with some of the manual labor, hammering in dowels. Most of the time she acted as the foreman of the "instruction site" and gave us orders. That was pretty funny. (At first.)

 C continued to watch movies after his friends left, in our impromptu outdoor theater.

Our Saturday project bled over into our Sunday, and since we had plans to go to the planetarium we had to work double time. So T started painting while J finished up the detail work. Looks pretty good if we do say so ourselves.

Lucky for us, our friends the Evans came over for dinner the next night and Morgan was able to help J move the box into its rightful place. That thing turned out to be heavy! No way could T help him move it once it was completed.

So now we just need to find dirt. A lot of it. And figure out what fall and winter veggies are best to plant now. Before you go saying we're too late in the season to start a garden, we beg to differ. According to our handy, dandy Sunset Gardening Guide we happen to live in a wonderful little pocket of the world that allows for year round produce. Lucky us!

Preschool Faves (for posterity)

Our friend Kaia turned 4.

And we helped her celebrate by riding ponies, jumping in a bouncy house, riding a [creepy] train and eating cupcakes. That's right, we partied at Lemos farm for Kaia's birthday. It was a beautiful day, warm for the area -- Kaia must have invited the sunshine too. Good thinking Kaia Pea! We had a wonderful time and are happy to celebrate the day the world was blessed with Miss Kaia. She's simply fabulous and we are delighted to be friends with her!

Here is a taste of the fun we had: