Letting It Go!

As has happened with most of our weeks lately, Saturday was our big-event day. We also attended a Labor Day birthday party, and Eliza had a couple of inches shorn from her flowing tresses. In keeping with the theme of the movie Frozen, as far as the summer and her hair are concerned, we just let it go.

On Monday, we went to the Hiji Rose Garden to celebrate Madyson’s son’s birthday. The park has a splash pad – perfect for beating the late-summer heat that invaded and stayed all week. The kids had so much fun, made new friends, and were mad when it was time to go.

On Tuesday, Hallie took Eliza for her first big girl haircut. Eliza loved every minute of being in the salon. There was bright jewelry to look at, candy to eat, and makeup to wish for. When excitement rolls through Eliza, her tongue comes out, and she could not keep it in her mouth. After her fun experience, Stacey treated her to cotton candy that was made just for Eliza. As Mom and daughter walked to the car, Eliza said, “When my hair grows long can we do this again?”

Eliza has made some new leaps in her literacy. She has been learning her letters, and now she can write her own name.  In preschool tracing circles and triangles was the name of the game the last two weeks. Hallie found a great Leap Frog dry erase system on clearance. In all of the car rides Eliza has been using this system steadily and it is fun to see her learning new skills every day.

The kids showed off other creative and academic talents as well.

Practicing their singing for next Sunday's Primary program

She's "reading" a how-to Lego manual, plus she has some classic sci-fi humor in reserve. Warms a dad's heart to see it!

We put up with another few days of heat, and then came the weekend. The girls and Grandma M. went down to the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, and the boys went on a little adventure of their own around town by trolley. They parted ways in the morning when the girls hit the road and the boys rode their bikes down to church to help clean the building.

Close to a month ago Hallie found tickets to see Frozen Sing Along at the El Capitan and thought it would be a perfect adventure for ladies in the family to partake in. Eliza and Hallie were happy to hear Grandma M. could come with them. The girls arrived at the theatre in plenty of time, and it was fun to watch tourists in our own backyard for a bit before the show started. The theatre is beautiful inside, and all of the employees (“cast members”) perform in true Disney fashion. We headed to our seats and were told our tickets included a keepsake Frozen bucket of popcorn and a drink. The look in Eliza’s eyes was priceless when she was told she could pick any of eight different drinks. The ladies took their seats and were treated to an organ show of Disney songs as people got settled into their seats. Before the movie officially started, Elsa treated everyone to a little performance. What fun it was to sing along and finally know what those crazy characters were actually singing. At the end of the movie Olaf came out and did a song dance and then the animated short Frozen Fever played, a first viewing for the ladies of our family. Lunch at Corner Bakery rounded out their fun adventure. Fun was had by all!

Meanwhile, after the boys got home from cleaning, they played some checkers and then, on a totally unplanned lark, walked over to Las Posas Plaza to pick up the Camarillo Trolley. We happen to live close enough to it to make using the trolley (which is free!) very convenient, even though this is actually the first time we’ve ridden. It makes a complete five-or-so mile circuit in about a half-hour. We started our trip at the Plaza and did some window shopping at a few of the stores before the trolley arrived. We then rode down to the Outlets before hopping off and playing with toys at Toys-R-Us. About a half-hour after we got to the Outlets, we hopped back on. A stop or two later, another ward member got on, and we chatted with him before deciding to hop off again at the Metrolink station so we could go to Rocket Fizz. About 30 minutes and $20 later, we were back on the trolley and headed home. Easy peasy!

Cooling his dogs while sipping some suds

On Sunday, Eliza sported a couple of Lego bows Dad had made a couple of weeks ago. 

We also had the chance to visit with Uncle Bryce, who is out in California for a few days for work, with dinner at Grandma and Grandpa M.’s. 

Hallie made this chocoflan cake for dessert. 

Marilyn laments that she can never get a straight picture out of everyone. Today was no exception.