San Diego recap, part 2!

So, Saturday morning, our amazing friend/hostess Julie had a brunch and had some our favorite San Diegans over :)  It was so great to see everyone!   Didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked from this (too busy enjoying Julie's delicious food- oops!), but here are a couple with the kiddos who came.

 

Saturday afternoon, E and I went to go visit with E's adorable little sister, B.  B turned 3 in March, and omg, she is the cutest little thing...Not sure how much I've mentioned B here on the blog, but she was adopted as a baby by a super nice couple in San Diego.  The girls have gotten in several visits in over the past 3 years, but not nearly as many as I'd like, since we live so far apart.  B actually deserves a post all of her own, which I will get to soon :)  E had a great time with her little sis, and really seems to get that B is someone special, and was a great big sister to B, helping her on the swing and being very sweet and attentive to little B.  I could not take my eyes off the two girls together, and watching them got me very choked up...lots of feelings for me there, again, another post all it's own...



I love these two girls together...

After our visit with little B, Elizabeth and I went to one of my old haunts, and just about my favorite place in the world- La Jolla Shores.  I could not be in San Diego and not go here.  It was a short, but very sweet visit:)

Sunday morning came way too fast, and it was time to leave...Julie's great-niece (who had spent the night) and E had a great time playing (and eating) together:)


Enjoying a yummy last breakfast together

 And then we were off to the airport...Bye bye, San Diego, we love you!  We'll be back soon (I hope)....

 And Thank You Julie, for taking such great care of us during our visit.  We love you!


PS: Don't forget to vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs by clicking the brown banner up above.  You can do this once a day:)  Pleeeeze??  Thanks!! :) xoxoxoxo

San Diego recap, part 1!!

We are back from our lightening fast trip to San Diego!  I was hoping to blog while we were out there, but it didn't work out.  So, here's a recap of the first part of our little trip....

Wednesday night, E and I stayed over at our friend Maria's house, and M very nicely got up early and drove us to the airport (thanks M!) Thursday morning.

 

Waiting in line at Logan (blurry- sorry!)

Loving having a window seat :)

 Let me just say, I didn't need to worry about traveling with E.  She was a rock star on the airplane.  She loved looking out the window and taking everything in.  Quite a difference from the last time I flew with her!!  She also loved her new e-reader that I got her for the trip :) 

We arrived in San Diego mid afternoon, and our friend Julie picked us up and wisked us to her house.  It felt great to see Palm Trees again...Boy, I've missed SD...

E in front of Julie's house

 Julie has a little studio apartment behind her house that she used to rent out, but is currently vacant, so E and I got to sleep there.  Julie is an amazing hostess, and had the apt. all set up for us.  E and I both loved having our little home away from home there :)  Anyway...Thu night we just hung out with Julie, had a yummy dinner and then crashed..
Friday, Julie took us shopping (love you Target!), where she spoiled E and me by buying us outfits for school/work.  We also went out to lunch and on of our favorite little Mexican restaurants  :)
Friday night, E and I went to visit my friend Jeanette in Chula Vista.  Her daughters' school was having a festivsal so we all went to that.  So much fun for E to get to play with kids and run around after sitting on an airplane all day Thu, and shopping all day Friday!

With Jeanette's adorable daughter G, who was so great with E :)

So great to visit with friends and be back in my beloved San Diego...!!!!

I feel like I should throw a party or something

Oh, do I feel like celebrating...Something monumental happened today...

I made my LAST Day Care payment!!!

Maybe this isn't real appropriate to talk about on a public blog, but I'm going to anyway.  Because I know others out there have felt the same way.  Here's the thing.  The cost of Day Care was KILLING me.  Every month for the past 4 + years, it killed me.   As a single parent, it was really a struggle.  And I was in the position of making too much $ to qualify for any assistance, but not enough to not struggle every month with the tuition cost.  Don't get me wrong.  I love where E has gone to Day Care.  I am grateful that we have had a place where I can leave her every day knowing she's safe, happy and learning.  The teachers are great, and I know they don't get paid as much as they should.   But man...none of that makes it easier to afford the astronomical tuition cost.  And the place E goes is not even as expensive as some others around.  It's just crazy.  I wish with all the campaign rhetoric going on, someone would address this issue.  I haven't heard either of the presidential candididates talk about this-our country needs affordable quality Child Care.  Don't get me started on this!!

In related news, I know the name of E's assigned Kindergarten teacher.  When I told E, she said, "Oh, she's a bad teacher!  She said no seconds on Goldfish!"  Apparently Miss E remembers the teacher from Orientation.  Lol! 

So next Wednesday 8/22 will be E's last day at Day Care, then the next day, we jump on an airplane to go to San Diego!  Can't wait!

Just a little over a month until...

Elizabeth and I go to San Diego...Whee!!  So excited...we haven't been there since we moved east almost 3 years ago.  Can I just say that I still have a little PTSD from that particular flight?  Elizabeth had recently turned 2.  Need I say more?  OMG, it was...bad...She was not happy about being made to stay her seat, despite all the snacks and toys I had.  I even tried to bribe her with my usually forbidden phone.  She looked at it for about 20 seconds, then threw it over the seat in front of us.  There was a lot of screaming and crying (and Elizabeth had a hard time, too)...It was so bad that after the flight, in the baggage claim area, an older man who'd been on our flight patted me on the arm and said, "It gets better..."  I was so tired and frazzled by that point, all I could manage was a wan smile at him in return. 
Well, obviously, Elizabeth has grown and changed in the past three years.  There is a huge difference between 2 and 5 years, right?  I am anticipating a much better experience this time.  And just to insure that things will go better, I've bought her a kids e-reader, which can be loaded with apps for games, etc.  It was going to be for her birthday, but I may wait until we fly out to give it to her. 

What about you?  Any travelling-with -kids horror stories?

Blackberry photo dump and update

1) Trying to catch a snow flake in this past week's minor snow storm

2) The temperature went up today and turned the snow to rain...

3) Our friend Maria with Elizabeth and another little friend B.

Wow, it's been two weeks since I've posted. Things here have been pretty good, kind of busy. I'm trying to excercise more and eat healthier. E and I are going to visit San Diego in August (!!!) and I want to look good!

Miss E is doing well. In just two weeks, I'll be registering her for Kindergarten (yikes!!). She is just growing up so fast. She started swimming lessons at the Y today, and did great! I am soooo grateful to my sister and Mom for getting us the Y membership for Christmas, it's truly been such a great thing for us.

I've taken Elizabeth to the hair salon a few times now. We all quickly realized that E does MUCH better without me there. She is totally cooperative, with no fussing while they do her hair when I'm out of the picture. When I'm there, she cries, complains, whines, etc...So, while Miss E is getting her hair done, this Mama gets to go to the cafe next door and chill. :)

I guess that's all the news for now...

xoxox

Hello!

Wow, it's been a little while...So...just to catch this blog up a bit...

* I went to to Texas for 5 days to visit my friend Chris, who I've known for 23 years, but haven't seen in over 9! Without Elizabeth! It was a great trip, very relaxing. It is seemed so easy to travel by myself! And I slept til 10:30 one morning...can't remember the last time I did that, it was pure heaven...As for Miss E, she did great with Maria. We spoke a couple of times each day on the phone, and she was fine. I missed her way more than I thought I would. We were very happy to see each other when I got home. :)

Chris & Me

*Elizabeth and I are going to San Diego in August!! I am sooooo excited! My brother had some award miles he passed on to my mom, who passed them on to me. Thanks Mom and John!! We are only going for a few days, but it will be such fun to see all our friends there, go to my favorite beach ever- La Jolla Shores- and see Elizabeth's little sister, I hope!

*I'm looking forward to a nice Thanksgiving with the fam at my parents' house. Love short work weeks :)

Not much else new at the moment. Here are just a few pics of Elizabeth in the playroom after Church this morning...Sorry they aren't the greatest...