Big Sur Wonder

We were invited by the Petersons for a weekend of camping in Big Sur and I am not sure it could have been more fun. The beauty of Big Sur takes my breath away and makes me feel lighter on my feet and in my heart. It's also refreshing to spend quality time with good friends. Here are a few shots that capture the spirit of the trip.



After we got home Wyatt said, "Mommy, I wish we had a Vanagon."
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Thank you, God, for Garbage Trucks and Cheez-Its

Wyatt's been venturing into the wondrous world of prayer and keeping a straight face can be difficult. I love that he's beginning to talk to God. Here's today's prayer before our lunch together:

Thank you, God, for making equipment. (Usually he goes through a list of every piece of equipment he knows like backhoes, excavators, dump trucks, skid steers, tractor scrapers, cranes, fire trucks, garbage trucks, etc.)

Thank you, God, for making green beans and guitars and garbage trucks and boxes. (I thought he must have learned the art of alliteration during his first week of preschool but then he threw in boxes.)

Thank you, God, for making Fidel and Humberto. (Fidel and Humberto pick up our grey trash can on Fridays between 10 and 11am and Wyatt adores them.)

Thank you, God, for Grandpa and Grandma and Jesus. (I had to check in afterwards on whether he said Jesus or Cheez-Its. Last night he corrected me when I said, "Yes, thank you for Jesus," and he said, "No, Mommy, Cheez-Its.)

Amen

It's interesting how the things we are thankful for evolve over the years. Hearing Wyatt's unedited prayer encourages me to do a little less editing when I talk with God. I'm also reminded of the gift of knowing the source of all that is good and the joy that comes through expressing gratitude to our maker.

Holly took the video below this morning. You have to turn up the volume to hear Wyatt's shrieking.

Yipee!

Today Wyatt and I both had our first day of school. As I've been explaining to him, he goes to school with kids and his teacher, Cindy, and I teach the grown-ups in another class. He's attending the Cuesta College Children's Center that is right on campus and conveniently located next to the building where I teach. I could not be more impressed with all of it and am very grateful that he gets to be part of the school.
We had a meeting last week where Wyatt got to check out the classroom and meet his teacher. He's been talking about her non-stop since. He also likes to talk about Mo the bunny who lives in the play yard. This morning he woke up at 6:30 asking if today was the day for school. I was encouraged to set aside an extra 30 minutes to stay with him on his first day to help with the adjustment. I wasn't expecting it to be too big of a deal but Wyatt has been warning me saying, "Wyatt might cry, Mommy," when we talk about school. Thanks for the heads up.
So, we get to the door of his classroom and he says, "Bye, Mommy," and waves me away. I have to go in with him to set his lunch down and help him wash his hands but he's leaning in for a goodbye kiss and hug almost immediately.
As I see friends who are parents post on Facebook about how sad it is to drop their kids off at school, I can't help but wonder if I'm the only parent who is absolutely thrilled to be in this new stage. There is no part of me that is sad or longing to go back in time. I am simply thankful that he's becoming more and more of himself and that I get to be part of that process. Seeing him walk into that classroom with a bright smile, knowing that his curiosity will be enhanced and his social skills will be developed is pretty much all this mom needed today. Thank you, God, for the gift that is preschool.

Wyatt's First (Real?) Dream

So, Wyatt's probably had gobs of dreams but this is the first one that sounds legit. Usually I ask him in the morning or after a nap if he's had any dreams and every time he says that he dreamed about dump trucks and skid steers. Every time. You can see why I'm not so sure.

Today I heard him wake up from his nap and talk to himself for about 15 minutes. I finally came in and he began telling me a very detailed story. There was a little bit of fear and wonder in his voice and on his face. He said that he was stuck in a dumpster and a garbage truck came and dumped him into the garbage truck. It was filled with lots of very gross things like poop. Finally a guy came and got him out.

He seemed genuinely thankful to be in his cozy bed and almost like he was trying to figure out what had happened. I love his sense of amazement at something like dreaming that I completely take for granted. And I'm not surprised a bit that it was a garbage truck that made the cut.

Best Weekend Ever?

I don't know where to begin describing last weekend. I dislike gushy and generally roll my eyes when people go on and on about their fabulous life. It brings out the cynic in me. In spite of being thrilled when my friends and family are happy and healthy, I think I just prefer to relate through reality filled with highs and lows instead of the only and always sunny. However, as I write, my cheeks ache from smiling so much and my heart is brimming with life. Be forewarned: I'm about to gush.

We had some good friends in town for a couple of days and it was a treat. One might think that four adults and three kids in our modest two bedroom and two bathroom abode would make for a challenging visit but it was the absolute opposite. The kids enjoyed each another, we ate good food and did a lot of laughing. The best part of the weekend was taking the boat on its maiden voyage.

I didn't grow up boating but my dad bought a ski boat when I was in college and I got hooked. It's been several years since I've been out on the water but as soon as the wind was in my hair it came right back to me. The rush of zooming across the lake with the warm sun in my face took me back to Garett and my dating days when we used to ski all summer. We found a little cove at Lopez Lake and swam to our heart's content. Wyatt and Ava jumped off the boat with wild abandon and all was right in my little corner of the world.

We took the boat out again Sunday evening with just the three of us and Wyatt caught his first fish. I don't think Garett could have been more proud. While they fished, I curled up in the cozy cuddy and read.

The beautiful thing is that the lake is just 20 minutes from our house. We can go up after work for just an hour or two or spend a night or two "camping" in the boat. There are three other lake options within about an hour and I foresee hours and hours of joy in our future.

Wyatt caught his first fish but he's not so sure about it. Perhaps it's the size? This fish thankfully made it back into the lake in one piece.

My beautiful friend and her equally beautiful little one.
Wyatt likes to drive the boat.
Think they are related?
The cozy cuddy in the front of the boat.
The prince slaying the dragon for the princess. We are still remembering Ava fondly when we find little bits of sparkle dust from her Belle dress that I think she'd sleep in if she could.
He's totally checking her out. Eyes up, Wyatt, eyes up.
Trying on butterfly wings in a kid's retail store.

The Road

Last weekend we took an impromptu road trip to Salt Lake City to pick up a boat. We didn't bring home a boat but we did have a good time. Here's a rundown of the highlights:

- In a moment of dire hunger and a strong desire to use a non-gas station bathroom, we settled on Cracker Barrel for dinner one night. Wyatt checked out the kid's menu, pointed to the Chicken and Dumplings picture and asked for tofu. Sorry, Sweetie, no tofu at Cracker Barrel. Yes, Waiter, we are from California.

- A 10:30pm swim in an indoor pool in Fillmore, Utah. It was our most fun family swim yet.

- We spent Saturday night in Primm, Nevada, the last stop in Nevada before hitting California, at Whiskey Pete's. As I was waiting in line to check-in behind multiple people carrying huge cases of beer, Wyatt scrambled around the casino barefoot. (We left his shoes at a cool spot between Zion and Bryce called Buffalo Grill where I had my first taste of bison and Wyatt got to run around on the expansive lawn.) Garett found him climbing up to a seat in front of a slot machine and said, "Wyatt, this seat is gross," after noticing a big wet spot right in the middle of cushion. Wyatt replied, "It's okay, Daddy. Wyatt licked seat." My stomach still churns at the thought.

- Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. I'm still in awe of the beauty of God's creation. We didn't do much other than look and take a very truncated, 15 minute walk into Bryce Canyon but it was just right.

- Spending the night at a family friend's home in Las Vegas and getting to know their two Great Danes named Prince and Jett. Wyatt called Prince "Princess" the whole time and announced, "We don't ride dogs. We only ride carousels."

- The battery life of our Macbook.

- After an agonizing decision to not buy the boat in Salt Lake City, we found another option online in Ventura and took a different route home to check it out. Three hours later we were boat owners and Garett will be picking it up tomorrow.

We spend a lot of time these days chasing around Wyatt and this trip was no exception.

I asked Wyatt to get cute and here's what I got:
We took a short "hike" into Bryce Canyon. Notice Wyatt's ideal hiking footwear, Crocs. I'm happy to report that he did not roll down the steep cliff like he wanted to.
My two handsome boys at Buffalo Grill.