Lucy G Strikes Again

So I thought of it!  You know, the one thing better than cleaning my house since the kids went back to school?  Lunch.  Going out to lunch of course.  The only thing is, I bring my little Lucy and Lola with me because we're a packaged deal.  Nice, right?

But after Lucy eats for 3.5 minutes, she's bored (even with all the things I bring for her to do).  So she's decided she likes to take pictures with my phone.

First things first...her lunch, the ultimate grilled cheese from Zupas.  It's a very grown-up grilled cheese for a very too-big-for-her-britches little girl.

 Of course, who doesn't want to take a picture of the baby?  No one, that's who.   Hello Lola!

 And then me, drinking my Lemon Dasani water.  Can I say, this is my FAVORITE beverage of choice and it is very difficult to find.  In fact, I think Zupas is the only place I can consistently get it.  I just want a case of it, is that too much to ask?

 And then the money shot.  And all I could think while flipping through her photographic masterpieces was, "Is that what I really look like?"  Yikes!  I think Lucy is on her way to a lucrative carrer as a photographic journalist...hard hitting stuff like, how long can my mom talk while out to lunch?  Good stuff.

School....Yes!!!

So did you hear a slight sigh of relief sometime last week, when all Mothers sent their lovely children off to school?  No?  Well I did.  Loud and clear.  The beginning of school is bittersweet, only in that now I have to do homework again, and figure out ratios of things, and answer questions like, "Where can I find a rolly poley bug for science class?"  That last question I thought was a given...because I see rolly poley bugs all the time.  Except, of course, on the actual day that you really need one.

 It was so nice to send Grace and Spence off to the Junior High together.   I must admit it's because now I have an Informant on my side.  Okay, not really an Informant, but Grace is SO much better at telling me what's going on at school/on the bus/at lunch than Spencer.  Now I think I'll finally get some real information.  I love girls for many reasons, but that is by far one of my favorites...they talk, a lot.

And Sophie went off to elementary school by herself, but clearly she doesn't look too upset by the notion.  She LOVES her teacher, and her friends, and her class, and her homework, and her new school clothes.  Right now, life is really good for our Sophie.  Yay.  So glad someone is happy.  Actually, Grace is happy too.  It's only you-know-who who has to complain that he has the WORST math teacher, and the WORST locker, and the WORST lunch on B Day, etc. etc.  What does that boy like about school?  Uhm.  Lunch (on A Day).  The library.  Art class.  And being a Peer Tutor.  Well, that's a start.

But the best part now is that I can actually clean my house.  Wait, did I just write that sentence?  That's the best part?  If that's the best part then I'm pretty pathetic.  But actually, my house has not been truly clean since Summer began, so it will be nice to get things clean and organized, but I must think of something better than that. 

The best part of school back in session?  The quiet.  Now sometimes it's actually quiet around here (aside from the fact that I do have a 4 year-old and a new baby).  I am a fan, of quiet and of school.  God Bless School!!!

Summer (Piano, Swimming Lessons, Seven Peaks, 4th of July, Family Reunion)

Piano Recital!

Swimming lessons for Lucy Lu...She accomplished the very scary task of putting her face in the water!  Hooray!  That is a huge thing for our Lucy, who since birth has panicked with anything over her face, and of course that includes water.  Way to go Lucy Gayle.

Seven Peaks (gotta love The Pass of All Passes) with Grandma and the cousins.  We decided we liked Seven Peaks in SLC much more than Provo.  Provo is crazy crowded and extremely vigilant in the examining of strollers and bags before entry (no outside food). 

Dad brought cool gifts from Bali.

The 4th of July Fireworks with our cousins Noah and Brody.

And a Family Reunion with Adam's Petty side of the family.

Two Dollar Tuesday at Thanksgiving Point

So maybe you've heard of Two Dollar Tuesday and Thanksgiving Point during the month of August?  Sounds like a great deal, right?  Especially considering the entrance fee to the Dinosaur Museum is $14 a child!  Pretty expensive considering you could see the whole museum (walking slowly) in less than an hour.  So we jumped at the chance to go for $2.  First we went to the Farm. 

Clearly we weren't the only people in Utah who thought this was a great deal.  The line was a 45 minute wait, and that was just to get in.  Once inside everyone wanted a pony ride.  Three turns around the pony corral...sounds exciting, yes?  But was it really worth the hour long line in the summer heat?  Lucy decided yes, it was.

Since we hadn't had enough of crowds, and strollers, and slightly grumpy people, we decided to try our luck at the Dinosaur Museum.  It would be air conditioned so that in itself had to make the experience much more enjoyable.  Sort of.

The line, while long, went very quickly...20 minutes tops.  But again, once inside it was like bedlam.  People everywhere, the stroller traffic was almost non-navigable...and when we got to the hands on sand and water play area that's where I wondered what the Fire Marshall would have to say about the situation. 

Luckily I had a doctor appointment to attend, so we ducked out through the emergency exit, just before we lost our sanity.  Whew.  I'd say lesson learned.  I've decided I am not a $2 Tuesday kind of girl.  Way too crowded...I don't enjoy it when people are breathing my air.

Even with the crowds you can see that The Little's still managed to have a great time.  I suppose it's the adults who are a little particular. :)

Post Party...What a Night!

I must report that the party for the two teens was a huge success.  They had a great time and once we got to our party destination everything was super easy.  The best part, the party wasn't at my house.  Hooray for Noah's.

They played wallyball, volleyball, soccer, and Murder in the Dark.  They also played pool and ping pong, had a dance party and watched some of The Muppets.

We had snow cones (you won't believe how much sugar is in one gallon of snow cone syrup!), candy, chips, cake, and soda.

We had a spot set up where they could take silly pictures.

What a great night!  And the best part is, we don't have to do another party like this until...when?  Maybe 16.  We'll see how I'm feeling about it in a few years.  Happy Birthday Spence and Grace!  We love you so!

City Creek...fun and foibles

So I finally ventured out of my lovely little city, to big city life to visit City Creek across the street from Temple Square. First, can I say wow. Totally impressive. The architecture? Beautiful.

The underground parking was spacious, well maintained and well lit, and since it was so early (11am) I was practically right at the doors of Nordstrom. (Which was gorgeous! Too bad I can hardly afford anything in that store.) But their Mother's Lounge and restroom were gorgeous and well appreciated since I am a nursing Mama.

We had so much fun and the Skywalk situated over Main Street was worth the 45 minute drive. We spent the majority of our time at the Disney Store, which was adorable, with it's castle with mirrors to try on things like Rapunzel's Wedding Dress (only $49.50 ;)) and modern white trees with animated fairies on them. So cute!

We even bought these ballet flats for Miss Lucy. Adorable.

The only downside...the parking was pricey...and no one validates...except for Nordstrom, Macy's and Gymboree (Gymboree? Go figure).

Also, the fountains. Let me just say, I love a good fountain. Any water trickling serenely across a beautiful surface will win my heart any time, but I was disappointed with the "Children's Fountain"---the one where The Little's can run around and get wet on a hot SLC city day. It was quite small, and to make things MUCH worse, they have mall security harassing any child who 1) has their shirt off 2) a swimming suit on 3) shoes off.

Really? Children are required to be fully clothed and shoed while running through the fountains (which are clearly designed with frolicking in mind). Might I say one can frolic away at The Gateway Fountains, sans chaffing from wearing wet jeans or concussions from slipping on wet cement. I thought the whole shoe thing was a tad bit crazy. And mall security dressed in full uniform, including velvet hat needs to rule supreme? What a horrible job. I would hate to be the person to squash the freedom of playing in a fountain, by making everyone be fully clothed. I must have watched security talk to every family who was there. A total bummer.

 AND because we were so thrown by the fully clothed thing (I had come prepared with swim suit for Lucy) I went to gymboree and bought her some sale item clothing she could get wet in, (and did get a $1 validation). But alas, in all the faldera, we left said BEAUTIFUL Rapunzel shoes at our outdoor table. Sigh. Lucy is still blissfully unaware of that fact, but I am still quite sad.

 In the end, go enjoy City Creeks beautiful scenery, picturesque shots of towering cityscape, and awesome shopping. But don't go to get wet in the fountains. Save that for The Gateway!