The Rest of Mamo and Pod's Visit

Jim was working while the fam was here, so I struggled with motivation to get out on excursions knowing I had to deal with the girls (and associated prep) by myself. I really need to work on my functionality.

I wanted to do a nice little lagoon walk on Thursday, December 28, but I ended up taking us to the wrong side of the lagoon where it was not very pretty. We got outside, though.

This picture epitomizes Ever. She is very silly.

On Friday, we spent a little time at Guajome Regional Park. Ever enjoyed climbing at the playground.

We stopped to see the ducks and geese.

This is Wren and Ever in the stroller, although you can't really see them:

I had tried to donate our little baby station (the circular thing babies can stand/jump/spin around in that has toys and noise-making things all around the circle) at two thrift stores on the way to Guajome. Nobody would take it - one because of liability and the other because it was full and only accepting clothes. I ended up approaching a woman with a baby in the Guajome parking lot and giving it to her. I was very pleased about finding it a new home (and getting it out of mine). 

Saturday was the only day Jim was around, so I wanted to show the parentals a really good time and have a nice, long day out since we'd been doing so little during the week. Unfortunately the packing and girl-readying took so long that we did not get out until late. Then I realized maybe I hadn't packed enough food (I had a lot of snacks but no sandwiches or anything), so we stopped at a little store on the way to our hike in Cleveland National Forest. They didn't have much that was appetizing, so Mamo and Pod didn't get anything. Jim fed the girls an ice cream sandwich. 

Then we missed a turn and ending up having to backtrack briefly once we discovered the mistake. It was a rough time. I don't think we started hiking until about 2:00 P.M. 

Tiny wanted to walk. She and Wrenzy would not stop looking at things on the ground and playing in the dirt.

It was incredibly slow going.

The trail forked after we passed the pond pictured above, and we weren't sure which way to go. Pod spent a really long time talking to fellow hikers about the various trail alternatives. Ultimately we went the wrong way for a little while and then turned around and got back on track. 

There were some pretty views.

Pod was way up ahead most of the time. I'm not sure if he thought this ill-fated Kringel-led tour was going to result in our dying from exposure when we didn't get back before sunset or if he just couldn't bring himself to walk slowly enough to match our toddler-laden pace.

We made it back to the parking lot just before the sun went down. Although it was dry because it's California, it was kind of a nice hike. And no one died, so - success.

That was the last night on which we could squeeze in a Baskin Robbins trip, so we did. Wrenzy got blue and purple and pink and green ice cream.

Sunday after church, Tutu, Ever, and Wren baked a cake using a recipe from Ever's new cookbook. Tutu is way nicer than I am. She actually let them measure, crack eggs, etc. I try to minimize the mess and just let them pour. That is not right.

The girls convinced Papa to jump on the trampoline with them. He was a good sport.

We squeezed in a Moana viewing that afternoon. Ever had seen it, but it was new to Tutu and Wren. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Other than that, there was lots of Dominoes in the evenings. Also Ever got Pod to teach her Solitaire, so that was a highlight for her. We love spending time with Tutu and Papa!