Schooner's Landing

Early on the morning of July 4 we left behind the chaos of the bay area and headed north to Mendocino.  It is a rare opportunity in our nomadic lifestyle to return to a campground we have visited before.  This one is worth it though.

Make no mistake, it is just a basic campground...no miniature golf or fancy bathhouses or pools. The dirt road winds around from the ocean inlet upstream.  The campsites hug the mountain in a row.

The seals would sleep on the rock in the middle of the river--we could watch them from our campsite.

As the tide moved in, the seals appeared to be floating!  They were waiting until the last moment to disappear into the water in search of dinner.

Marshmallows roasted perfectly in the campfire.

Portia even indulged--thanks to the kids!

Crabs abound on the river bottom and keep all the "neighborhood" kids busy trying to catch them--they caught this one, but he was too small, so he was returned to the river!

Fishing off the dock early one morning, Kade and Dad noticed a seal swimming nearby and enticed him with a bit of calamari!

Even dad couldn't resist feeding him!  Just for the record the seal preferred calamari to fish :)

The seagulls would dive for dinner too!

Spectacular views greeted us as we kayaked up the river!

Blue herons abound--look closely in the treetops for this one!  They are fun to watch fish in the river when the tide is out too!

  

I can't resist sharing one more river view with a river house!

Almost legal size--crabs and boys!

A doe and her fawns were grazing near the riverbank.

The river otter was speedy, but here is evidence of him diving for his lunch!

We kayaked out to the inlet where ocean views greeted us!

Fishing from the dock is perfect for the kids!

Gliding through the water, the girls enjoyed the scenery too!

The kids loved being immersed in the natural setting--it was a discovery playground!

Options

Worthless pinterest browsing informs us that one cannot breathe in through the nose and speak simultaneously.  Of course, the kids immediately attempted this challenge.  It wasn't working well for them.

So I asked, "Why do we need to be able to breathe in through our noses and speak at the same time?"

"It would be nice to have the option," Kiahra quipped without hesitation.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

 "The itsy bitsy spider

climbed up the water spout

down came Kiahra to whack the spider out

the itsy bitsy spider never saw the rain,"

sang the adoring brother.

Spiders should not risk crawling across any floor or wall with eagle eye Kiahra in the house.

Sometimes, I hear a succession of banging upstairs, and Ron will look up unmoved and comment, "Kiahra found a spider."

Sometimes, she demands spider killing support.  She attempts to deploy her siblings first.   At this point, some of the best untaped reality tv follows.  Her brother will reluctantly climb heights to reach the arachnoid.  He has even utilized his rubber band gun to take out a spider.  Lucky for his sister, he is a very proficient shot.  Though he is known to tell his sister the spider jumped or fell just to torment her more; however, he always makes sure that she is not certain of the spider's location--in the event he may fall to her whacking.

If all else fails, she will deploy her father.  He will reluctantly participate only because it will allow him the opportunity to tease his teenage daughter (Where did you think Kade learned to torment his sister?)

In the end the itsy bitsy spider (contrary to any reported size discrepancies) never sees the rain.

Summer Begins

I am alive.  My muscles are gently reminding me I changed up my workout routine.

School has been out for two weeks today, and my daily routine has vanished, replaced by the chaos of summer.

That last day of school also marked our wedding anniversary--where we paused for a moment and enjoyed a late lunch with the kids.  Kiahra proclaimed I had been married half my life, and she was right.  I was more worried about the sewing details for the tutus and other costumes for the evening ballet rehearsal.

Father's Day was filled with a ballet performance.

A gift?   Not even on the radar...until Kade insisted that dad needed a fire pit.  A couple stores later we found a cool one, and then as I was driving home, I realized that it came in a box (not my dear husband's favorite...), so I decided Kade and I would tackle the assembly.  I would like to note here that even my son doubted me, but soon we had it set up in the backyard, and we were building our first fire.  The evening was capped with laughter and roasting marshmallows in the glow of firelight.  It was the perfect impromptu gift.

The following week found us snuggled around the fire again with an auntie from Alaska.

Today Kade is enjoying day 4 of the Sharks hockey camp.  Luckily our loooonnnng trip through Silicon Valley during rush hour keeps him entertained as he searches for "cool" cars.  His current favorite is the Tesla, but the Lamborghini or Bentley always catch his eye too!

Meanwhile, another child is nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains working as a camp counselor this week.

Despite the chaos, I have noticed she is gone, and I miss her...yes I am counting the days until she returns.

It is what mothers do.

Jelly Beans

The bundles of love are wrapped up cutely for auntie! 

That cuteness buys ice-cream for lunch--in my defense, she ate "real" lunch afterwards.

Little k ate her first potato oles with me.

She loves playing in the sandbox creating "sandy"animals...

and sharing jelly beans...as long as you eat quickly!  

This baby sweetness absolutely charmed me.  Jaxon "talks" all the time...unless he is hungry...and well there is no second guessing his displeasure then.

He loves to snuggle, and guess who loves to snuggle too?  Tough job, I know.

Then a couple days later more jelly beans arrived!  Though only the fireworks slowed them down for a few minutes so I could capture the evidence.

Auntie loves her little jelly beans--each one exploding with unique personality!

Grateful for the precious moments I shared with my sisters, but my heart wishes they weren't so few and far between! 

Arrivals

4:24 AM I woke up--six minutes before my alarm was set to start incessantly beeping.

Shortly after 5 AM I was en route to the airport.  It was a typical foggy San Francisco early morning with minimal eye contact as everyone sought out their destination.

Once in the air, I dozed.  Yesterday my sister-in-law and brother-in-law surprised us with a visit, so we were up late enjoying our brief time together.  I needed a nap, so I can keep up with my littlest niece!

I stepped off the plane in Dallas/Fort Worth to sunshine and warmth...and a slower pace...and friendly eyes and smiles.

Then one of my favorite places--Qdoba greeted me for lunch!  It really is the little things that delight me!  Oh, and I found candy for the little jelly bean!

An unexpected gate change kept me on my toes, but I am now waiting patiently because soon I will meet my new little nephew who arrived a mere 6 weeks ago.

Did I mention that I am visiting my sister too??

Moonlight

High school is out for the summer.  

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activities.

Nikela directed her play for musical theater, The Baker's Wife.  Not only did she select and manage the cast, but she had to modify the script to fit into an hour.  She accomplished it all...smoothly :)  

Her set was darling.  It captured the essence of a French cafe.  Her creativity started in the driveway, so it was fun to see it on stage!

Even the moon glows over head...well, actually the clock.

That pesky clock that keeps quietly ticking on the stage of life.

Nikela is a senior.

Kiahra is a sophomore.

Time to hold my family close.

Time to gather around the campfire.

Cherish the time.