legoland or bust!!!

My sister was able to obtain some free Legoland tickets. We had been very excited to use them. This morning we all squeezed in the car and took off!

Um...did you know Legoland actually closes some days during their "off-season"? Well, we didn't. After two ours of driving we found out that today was one of those days. Wow. :(

The kids actually were so amazing about it. I really was impressed. Luckily the aquarium was open so they could at least enjoy that for about an hour. Afterward, we decided to head down the road to the beach. The kids had a blast. It was nice and warm and deserted. :)

We literally had NOTHING for the beach. No towels, blankets, etc. I'm sitting on a grocery sack I had in the car. :)

After the beach we found a frozen yogurt shop down the road.

We made the best of the day and ended up having a great time. We sure learned our lesson about checking the website before we go! Who would have thought an amusement park ever closes??? :)

some recent pics

*Kendall and I arrived too early for a birthday party on Saturday. We stopped at Starbucks to kill some time. :)

*Chris and Cam tackled the, "Cactus to Clouds" hike in Palm Springs (Cam had been REALLY wanting to do it).

I think I want to have this picture framed. He just looks so darn cute with his back pack and that gorgeous view.  :)

*Made some cake balls without using frosting as the binder (which makes them too mushy, in my opinion).

Cake Balls Without Using Frosting

*Went to visit Jeremy and Ana's new house over the weekend. The kids had a blast. :)

the "B" word

*Every single morning I drink a cup of hot chocolate. I make it myself using water as my base. This past weekend, Chris' mom introduced me to chocolate almond milk. It adds such a yummy flavor. She even sent me home with a carton. :)

*The other night I tried a new recipe, Chicken Parmesan Muffins. They had a lot of flavor and I loved that I could stuff a whole box of spinach into the batch and the kids really liked them!

*The kids' Taekwondo promotional month ended, however we have decided to continue it for Cameron. Some of the lessons he has learned so far have already shown us that this could be a REALLY good tool for him(social-wise, confidence-wise, etc.). Kendall enjoys going also because we sit outside reading books with a special snack (usually popcorn). :)

*Last night Kendall and I were talking about a birthday party she has tomorrow. She said, "But mom, there might be the "B" word...BOYS!!!" :)

weekend

We spent this past weekend up north at my in-laws. We had a great time. One thing I love about going up there is that, despite having our kids in tow, it is always a relaxing time for me. Chris' mom treated me to a pedicure and my nights included catching up on Hallmark movies with his mom. This is always accompanied by some sort of yummy dessert. This time Debbie made the most delicious red velvet cake I've ever had. :) Dense. Rich. Yummy.

Chris and I also got to go out for a Valentines date on Sunday. Starbucks, a little shopping, and lunch made it a fun afternoon. :)

Here are a few more highlights:

Cam loved riding the stationary bike and keeping track on a notepad of how many miles he road.

Saturday morning was Valentine cookie baking.

One of the things Chris looks forward to the most when we go to his parents is relaxing with his dad while watching golf.

On our way home we stopped at the Crocs store. Every year we purchase a pair for each of the kids. They are pricey, but well worth the money as they both LIVE in these shoes almost year round. Kendall's pair are a departure from the typical Crocs, but are super cute:

Bachelor Sidenote: I'm only midway through night one of this week's two episodes. Kaitlyn and Brittney dress like they are 17. Whitney seems the best choice and most mature. :)

pinto brownies

*Saturday night we went out to the desert for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.  Afterward, Chris and the kids listened to some live music while I waited inside for our check (it was taking forever and they were getting squirmy). They only stayed a short time as the music wasn't quite up their alley. :)

I got a piece of cheesecake to take home (no, this was not a sharing dessert...it would be all mine!!). I chose the Godiva and while I had intentions of only eating half and saving the rest for another night, that didn't happen. I polished off the whole thing. :)

*Today the kids had the day off, so we went for a hike. Our goal was to go on one we've already done (Wildwood State Park) and find trails we hadn't yet been on. We ended up finding all sorts of new loops and were quite pooped by the end!

*I made some yummy "brownies" for the kids' school snacks. I actually cut the sugar and chocolate chips by half and they were still good!

Amazing Flour-less Brownies

contrasting days

*I made a decision based on the past two days:

Day 1, subbing at the high school:
--I had to call security twice for two different students
--I've never been talked to in such a disrespectful/condescending way by a kid
--I felt stressed and tense ALL day

Day 2, subbing at an elementary school:
--A little girl gave me a hug at recess simply because I was the sub
--The kids actually listened and respected me
--Most all the kids were eager to please

So with all that said, I've decided that, unless absolutely necessary, I will no longer sub for high school.  :)

*My bad day yesterday was made much better by this Jimmy Kimmel video Chris showed me. It is absolutely hilarious. Please watch this. :)

*I love this weather.

*The other night while Chris was at softball, I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's. I had never seen the whole movie. I really liked it and LOVED every outfit she wore (both her casual and dressy). I wish women still dressed like this.

five chip

*Cameron came down with a bug this past weekend and is spending one last day at home today before going back to school. We've had some marathon Harry Potter reading times, which we've both equally enjoyed. It's been nice to have an activity that can occupy so much time considering he has been on the couch most of the past few days. Sickness aside, it sure has been nice for me to dote him :)

*For February's, "Cookie of the Month" for the kids' teachers, I chose a recipe my sister had highly recommended. I must admit, these cookies are pretty amazing. They call for five kinds of chocolate chips! However, since I didn't have butterscotch, I subbed crushed pretzels, which worked out great!! Wow.

Five-Chip Cookies

*Our health insurance went up almost $100 per month. I guess we still can't complain too much since we've been paying FAR less than previous years (due to the Affordable Care Act). That is still quite a jump, though. :(

*Kendall and I went to my parents' for the Superbowl while Chris stayed back with Cam. I didn't care about watching (sadly Chris DID care, but didn't get to much because of Cam), but it sure is a bummer that we had to be so quick with the remote in changing the channel. Commercials are so non-kid appropriate now. :(