Finishing our Week in Kirkland

We had an amazing trip.  Here is a quick run through of the things we were able to squeeze into a week!

Grandpa let Emily drink coffee . . . again.  They have a little understanding.  If Grandpa has coffee, Emily gets the coffee.


The kids love going to visit Nonna at work!  Even though they are on summer vacation, schools in Kirkland are still in school for a couple of weeks!  Nonna just loves when we visit.  The kids get to go into the Principal's office (she's a good friend of mine) and Nonna gets to show everyone her grand kids!  It's always a lot of fun!

Damien thought it was a brilliant idea to teach Michael how to put out a flame with his fingers.  I suppose that every kid has this moment in their life (I know I used to do it) but it just seemed a little crazy to me!  It is different to see your child touch a flame.  I don't care if someone elses kid does it, seeing your child touch fire is nuts!   Luckily, Michael survived with all of his fingers.

While the adults chatted upstairs, my kids and their cousins created a beautiful word board on Nonna's easel.  Definitely a proud moment.

Jill and Clairey wore matching shirts one day when we went out.  It was funny because there is a picture when Jill is pregnant with Kyle and she and Claire were wearing matching shirts!


Michael got stuck in a baby swing.  Even though we warned him of the probability of getting stuck- he proceeded to do it anyway.  Don't worry about him though.  He's not really crying here.  He is just laugh/whining which of course made us all laugh.  Michael eventually did get out all on his own!

Matthew pretended to play chess with his serious face.  We finally just settled on checkers.  And yes, he used his serious face.

          Nannie decided that Michael is 'officially' too heavy to hold like a baby.  You should have heard the audio on this one!

Emily asked Nonna nonstop if they could go and water her flowers.  Nonna could never resist her Emmy.  I mean, really.  I couldn't resist her if she looked that sweet all the time!

It was a great trip.  It was a great start to the summer and it left us wanting more!  We'll be back for two weeks in August and will look forward to meeting our newest baby cousin (any day now!), making more memories, and relaxing with the family.  I love summer.

Lemonade with Love

You know what they always say . . . "When your Nonna gives you lemons, make lemonade!"  Emily and Nonna shared some special moments today as they made lemonade together.  Emily absolutely loves a good project and loves it even more if she thinks that only big kids get to attempt it!  She sat at my Mom's counter for probably twenty minutes or so squeezing lemons and using my Mom's plastic juicer.  One by one, she patiently twisted the lemon making as much juice as she could.  Once she was done, Nonna and Emily added sugar and water to make the most wonderfully delicious lemonade!  They made a sign for their lemonade and then served it to everyone at dinner.  It was a huge hit and certainly a wonderful moment for both Emily and her Nonna.

Kirkland Cousins

While we are all patiently awaiting little Gracie's arrival- the other six cousins took this week to do as much as they could together!  All seven range in age from 11-3 years old.  Michael 11, Claire, 9, Morganday 8, Kyle 5, Tiernan 5, Matthew 5, and Emily 3.  And yes, you read that right.  Three five year old boys.  We have been busy!

Jill owed Emily a shopping spree to Toys R Us and Emily was not going to let Jill forget it!  Never mind that Jill is nine months pregnant, Emily wanted what was promised to her!  All the kids loved the trip there.  Auntie Sugar (Jill) managed to get them all a candy and Emily got her birthday gift! 

After toy shopping, we headed over to the mall because doesn't shopping with a nine month pregnant woman and six children sound fun?  We bribed the kids with McDonalds so luckily- it wasn't too bad.

The following day, the cousins met at an awesome pool up in Lynnwood near Jill and Jake's house.  It had an indoor water play structure and also had waterslides.  Funny, the website neglected to let us know that the slides didn't open until 1 p.m.  We showed up at 10:00 a.m.  The older kids were not amused but soon forgot about their disappointment.  Maybe they distracted by the elderly water aerobics class that was in the pool next to us being led by th00e most amazing, long legged, energetic, young man I have ever seen.  He was above water and doing the movements he wanted to older ladies to do under the water. Jill and Jake can attest to the mind boggling entertainment!

The six cousins also managed to go and visit Nana!  She loved seeing all of their smiling faces!  My favorite part was when all seven of them sang her You are my Sunshine.  Nana loved seeing Jill and her pregnant belly, too!  It even brought Nana to tears.  We love you, Nana!

I was able to take my kids to go and see my Grandma, too!  She loved the visit.  A long time ago, we brought flowers and cookies over to my Grandma's house when we went and saw her.  Now- the kids basically insist that we stop at Metropolitan Market to get her the same treats!  I know my Grandma loves it, though so I go along with it becuase it makes the kids so happy to bring her treats!  My Grandma is so amazing.  She always has treats of her own waiting for the kids!

On our last day, we went down to one of the beaches in Kirkland and fed the ducks.  I swear, if there is one thing that Emily makes sure we do each trip, it's feed the ducks.  She talks about it all the time.  One time, my Mom made candied popcorn that had some pink sugar on it.  We brought it to the lake and fed it to the ducks (I sure hope they can digest pink sugar).  Since then- she has been obsessed with feeding ducks pink popcorn.  Obsessed.  The older kids could care less if we feed the ducks- they just want to play on the toys!  We did sneak in a quick trip to Kidd Valley (an awesome hamburger joint) across the street after our fun at the beach. 

The cousins thoroughly enjoyed their time together this trip.  They are getting to know each other so much more and genuinely care about each other which is so sweet.  Now, if only that sweet Gracie would make her appearance.  The more the merrier!

In Kirkland, Celebrating my Dad!

We flew up to Seattle today for our week long June trip.  Now that the kids are out of school, they are excited that they get to stay at Nonna and Grandpa's a little longer.  What made the day extra special was that today is my Dad's birthday!  What more would he want than to be able to drive to the airport and pick us up?  Okay, I can think of a few things he would prefer but my Dad was nothing but smiles.

When we got back to Nonna's house, the kids wanted to go out to my Mom's garden and see how the carrots they planted months ago were doing!  They were pleasantly surprised to see them flourishing and even got to pick and eat a few!  Nonna has been sending them pictures of the carrots periodically and Michael and Claire have really taken an interest in their progress!

We were also excited to see Jill and her growing belly!  Jill was due to deliver any day and we were hoping we would either get to see her before she had the baby or be there when she gave birth to the baby.  She looked amazing!  Emily couldn't get enough of her belly and loved feeling her baby cousin kick her hand.  Jill is more than ready to have her new little girl and we were so happy to see her and feel more a part of the process!  I loved seeing Kyle with Jill.  He is so delicate with her- making sure he is kind and gentle to his little sister in her belly.  I can't wait to see him become a big brother!

For my Dad's birthday dinner, my Mom cooked up a feast.  She is such an amazing cook.  I am so blessed to be able to look up to her and learn from her daily.  My Dad was really happy tonight.  Good food, good wine (Gina and I gave him two bottles of wine from Coppola Winery and some short stemless glasses), and family.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Happy Birthday Dad and here's to a great trip in Kirkland!

Pretty in Pink . . . Heels

Tonight we went out to frozen yogurt and wandered over to Ross to look around.  We didn't need anything, we just thought it would be fun to see if there was anything we fell in love with!  We are heading to Hawaii in a few weeks and thought would would look at luggage, the kids played with the toys, and I managed to find a pair of heels that were too much of a cute bargain to pass up!  Claire and Emily stayed by me while the boys were with Damien looking at the guy stuff.  Claire absolutely loves the shoe aisle now that her feet are big enough to actually fit in women's shoes.  She loves to try on the brightest and highest of heels and you can just tell that she is in all her glory!

Well, tonight she convinced (although it didn't take much convincing) Emily that she should try on the same shoes with her.  I was busy trying on my own shoes and got quite the treat when I finally looked up at my two beauties.  Oh my goodness.  It was too much for me to take in.  Fushia pumps and white purses.  And apparently the identical look on their faces was rehearsed perfectly!

A lot of people will see my girls and say to me, "Ooooh, you are in so much trouble!"  I have to admit, I am in a bit of trouble with my adorable girls!  But I have full faith they are going to be good girls.  I've heard, "I am so happy I don't have girls" as if fearing the future with daughters is worth not having them.  NOT SO!  Having daughters is such a blessing.  They have taught me so much and have taught their Daddy so much!  They soften him.  They challenge him to look at things in a different way- much the same as me trying to understand my boys.  Life is too short to worry about how things are going to turn out in the future.  After all, we aren't even guaranteed tomorrow.  These girls make life so fun, so pink, so hilarious.  Well worth any potential of worrying.  I say, be a kid.  Wear heels.  Dream big.    

And no, I didn't buy those shoes for Claire even though she wanted them. 

Dinner is Ready!

After a long weekend, we did a lot of relaxing today.  After all, it is summer!  I was doing some laundry and came out to see Emily in the kitchen barking fake orders at her imaginary friends.  "Make sure to set the table!"  "Someone get the milk."  "Dinner is ready!"  There she stood, all by herself, ready to serve dinner.  A single plastic, I mean real and tasty, chicken breast.  And god love her.  She had oven mitts on because the plate was hot! 

Both of my girls have taken a liking to imitating what Mommy does over the years.  They love to help me out in the kitchen.  They like to help me with the laundry.  They love to go grocery shopping.  They like to wear high heels and prance around the house.  The phrase 'Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery' couldn't be more true for me.  I still idolize my Mom and without realizing it- try and do things the exact way she did/does them.  In my opinion, it is just what the vast majority of girls do.  They love their Mommies and hope and pray to be like them one day.  And if by chance my girls want to be as much like me as I wanted to be like my own Mom- then I am one lucky lady.   

Happy Father's Day!

We have a lot to celebrate today.  There are a lot of amazing fathers in our life who make us so incredibly happy and blessed!  Today, we had a relaxing day planned.  Swim, eat, swim, gifts, swim, dessert. 

We started the morning in a perfect Damien Way by bringing him chocolate donuts in bed.  Then the kids one by one gave him gifts that they had either made or helped me to buy.  Claire made Damien a rocket ship she had made in school that said, I love you to the Moon!  Michael gave his Daddy a card that was ridiculously hilarious.  Michael and Damien share the same sense of humor so it had Damien in stitches!  Matthew and Emily presented Damien with gift cards for their own dinner date.  This time Matthew picked IHOP while Emily wanted to share a sandwich with him from Subway. 

We then ventured over to Marlene's house (from the cottage) where the party planning started!  Marlene was going to loosely incorporate the theme of neckties into the party.  She had necktie bottle openers for all the Dads, necktie centerpieces, and I made paper ties to go around A&W Rootbeer bottles that said, "Dad- You're A&Wesome!" 

The day held such a relaxed vibe throughout.  It was just what everyone needed!  We love Damien so much.  He does so much for our family and it doesn't go unnoticed. I can honestly say that Damien puts his full attention, 100% of his heart, into being a fantastic Dad.  I see him continuously agree to play with the kids when they ask him, even though he is usually super busy with work or just plain tired!  He gets it.  He sees this precious glimpse of time where he can make memories with his kids, play with his kids, while being able to have such a positive impact on their lives.  I am lucky to have a husband who loves parenting as much as I do.  Today, I thank Damien for all that he does because it certainly is a lot!

Happy Father's Day to all the AMAZING FATHERS in our lives.  Both Damien and I are so lucky to be able to celebrate our own fathers today!  My Dad and I have such a special bond.  My childhood memories with him will be something I cherish forever.  We were able to spend so much time together, make amazing memories, and he supported me more than I could have ever dreamed a Dad to do!  That is why it warms my heart to see Damien father my children the way he does.  Damien's Dad not only raised Damien, but also his ten siblings.  He worked so hard for all of his children and holds such a special place in Damien's heart.  He showed Damien the value of hard work while also holding true to your beliefs.  We are so incredibly blessed.  Happy Father's Day everyone!

Father's Day Weekend

We had one goal in mind this weekend.  We wanted to have one heck of a weekend!  We planned to go up early to Healdsburg to spend some time with E and Papa while also prepping a fun party for all of the Swendsen Family Dads.  We finished swim lessons this morning and headed straight to the halfway point between San Jose and Headsburg.  Damien was in San Francisco for a business meeting today so I drove the kids up to meet him, have some lunch, and then head north for a great weekend!

We decided to take the kids to Rainforest Cafe in the city.  Michael and Claire had been there, Matthew and Emily had not.  We approached the door to the restaurant and Emily immediately tensed up.  Normally, she is really outgoing and not scared of anything but she was giving us a clear signal that she was freaked out!  Throughout the whole lunch, she hunched down in our booth for fear of seeing any animals.  We made it through the experience but we had to do a lot of over explaining about how things weren't real, were make believe, weren't going to hurt anyone!

We walked up and down the San Francisco waterfront taking in all of the sights, sounds, and smells (some good, some bad).  It was awesome.  The kids were most captivated by the 'Bush Man' who sat on the sidewalk with shrubs in front of him- waiting to jump out at any unsuspecting passerby.  It really was funny to watch.  Matthew got the biggest kick out of it.  He was laughing uncontrollably which Damine and I loved.  We got the kids ice cream, looked in a lot of the little shops and as a bonus, got to see a lady throw up on the sidewalk.  It's the small things that my kids enjoy.

We then headed up to Healdsburg and almost immediately turned around and headed to the Francis Ford Coppola winery just north of Healdsburg.  It was such a sight.  We have been there before when it was called Chateau Souverain but it has since changed ownership and its facade and is simply breathtaking.  The food was amazing.  Some of the best pasta I have ever had!  The kids loved walking the property, I got my Dad some great gifts for his birthday, and we just enjoyed the beauty that was surrounding us. 

What a great day.  We are looking forward to a really fun weekend full of plenty of swimming, yummy bakery treats every morning and lots of planning for a great Father's Day celebration!

Big Timing

So, now that Emily is three- she thinks she can do anything.  The other night Damien and I were sitting around the table in the backyard while the kids rode their bikes and played over by the basketball hoop.  I've been a little tired lately, so if the kids aren't making too much noise- I kind of have left them alone.  Yeah.  Whoops.  I walked over to see what they were doing after a few too many moments of silence.  And there she was.  Emily.  Wearing the one pair of my high heels that are forbidden.  I got these heels from my sister Jill and have only worn them twice and I love them.  They are shiny (which is why she wants to wear them) and scuff easily.  But there she was.  My little three year old wearing the 'forbidden heels' while biking.  This should be an exciting year for my three going on twenty year old daughter.  Hang on!  Here we go!

Cousin Time

Jocelyn wanted to get her hair done today, so I had the privilege of watching my nephews.  I love them so much and enjoy each and every moment I get to spend with them!  Today, I took them straight from swim lessons to go and have some fun.  I knew that I had about three hours with them so we went on our way to having the best day ever!

First, we went and got Slurpees because, well . . . it's summer!  Then we went to Barnes and Noble.  I mean, who doesn't love to go and read books?  All the kids loved this opportunity and loved that they got to do it all together. 

From here, we went on our way to find some lunch.  We showed up at Pizza My Heart and were told that pizza wouldn't be ready for twenty minutes.  Hmmm.  I have six hungry kids and one hungry Mom.  Twenty minutes isn't going to cut it.  Don't worry.  I didn't say this out loud.  I simply made the decision to go somewhere else where I could feed these kiddos!

We ended up at a sandwich shop which was perfect.  The kids had such a great time chatting and cracking up with one another.  I loved watching them interact.  They are growing up so fast and I still can't believe how big they are!  I love Brennan and Gabe so much.  I have been lucky enough to have known them since they were little and enjoy seeing the little changes in their personality and feel so incredibly proud to be their Auntie.  They really do make me happy!

I hope there are many more days this summer where we can just hang out and enjoy one another!  Here's to summer!

Summer Swim Lessons

I like to have the kids enrolled in swim lessons right around the time that summer vacation starts.  That way, they have a little refresher course and can work on their swim strokes before we are in the water all summer!  I was beyond thrilled to find out that I could have all four kids in swim lessons within an hour time frame.  And more exciting . . . I didn't have to get in the pool!

I told my sister in law, Jocelyn, about the lessons at the Camden Community Center and she was able to sign her boys up to be in the pool at the same time as my kids!  Cousin Swim Lessons!!!  The kids were really looking forward to being in lessons with Brennan and Gabe. 

The first day of lessons were on Emily's actual birthday (June 12th).  This added even more excitement to the first day!  Michael and Claire were in a Level 4 lesson together in the deep end of the pool.  Gabe and Matthew were in the same class together in the shallow end of the pool.  Brennan and Emily got to have fun on the pool deck with their Moms until it was their turn! 

Michael and Claire did great throughout their whole ten day session.  They improved a lot and by the end, both were quite good swimmers!  They loved going off the diving board and performing near perfect cannon balls.  On the last day of lessons, they got report cards and both graduated to Level 5 next summer!

Matthew absolutely LOVED being in lessons with Gabe.  He loved it.  They probably chatted in the pool as much as their teacher tried to instruct them- but they were awesome.  Most of all, they had a lot of fun which was evident by the smiles on their faces throughout the whole session.  What was so cute about the two of them was seeing them share the same chair after each lesson.  Although it was warm in the pool and outside- they were always a little chilly after they got out of the pool.  Jocelyn and I would wrap them up in their own towel and then sit them together on the same chair.  Our little towel wrapped burritos would just sit there and talk until they were warm enough to eat a snack!

Emily, oh Emily.  This was Emily's first time in a class.  Wait.  Let me go even further.  This was the first time in Emily's life that she was instructed by anyone but me.  I was nervous that she wasn't going to go in the pool (even though she loves swimming) but lo and behold- she went right in!  Emily's class wasn't really a swimming class.  It was a class to help teach water safety and let the kids have fun while in the pool.

Emily was with her teacher for about ten minutes when she started to get upset.  "Mom!  This is not swim lessons!"  She started raising her voice and started hysterically crying and screaming, "I am in a class with babies!  They put me with babies!  I want to be in swimming lessons!"  Let me explain.  Emily does not look at herself as a three year old.  I am sure that when she looks in the mirror- she sees a mirror image of her older sister.  She doesn't want to be in a baby class . . . she wants to be in the deep end practicing her butterfly stroke!  What she doesn't realize is that she can't swim.  Nope.  She can't even doggie paddle.  But she thinks she should be doing what Claire is doing- not sitting with other kids her age (and for the record, these 'babies' were all older than Emily) on a platform in a pool blowing bubbles in the water.  She cried for ten minutes.  I knew if I pulled her out right away that she would cry every day and expect me to pull her out.  So I left her in there.  The teacher even gave me the signal to sit back and let her conquer this.  Yeah.  After the ten minutes of crying, she almost barfed so I yanked her out.

At home, we had a talk about what had happened.  I explained that all her siblings started out his way.  You have to play in the water without your life jacket before you can learn to swim in it.  She still wasn't biting.  Ugh.  She is so smart and persistent!  Then I talked about how she needed to respect her swim teacher like her siblings respect the coaches that coach them in other sports.  "Coach?  Is my teacher Terrin, my coach?" she asked.  "Yyyyyyeeeeessss.  Terrin is your coach and he wants to coach you in swimming," I said hoping she would go for this.  She thought about it for a second and responded, "Okay.  I'll stay in swimming lessons with my coach."  And just like that, Emily eased her way back into the swimming world and loved the rest of her session.  All it took was finding a way to make it seem like she was like her siblings.  She was going to have a coach just like all the rest of them have had in various sports.  Emily is JUST TOO MUCH.

Swim lessons were awesome.  We got pool time, cousin time, and I enjoyed the moments that Jocelyn and I got to enjoy the sunshine and catch up.  Ahhhhh.  Summer is here.  Life is good.  Now let's swim until our hearts are content!