Pumpkin Patch 2013

This is our 4th year coming to Underwood Family Farms' Pumpkin patch. This is the first time we came on the weekend and the fun 'fair'-like' activities made it even more fun. We were able to see pig races, go on a hay ride, kids used tomato slingshot, we did make it out of the big maze too!

 

 One of the most fun activities - pig races. The boys had a blast cheering on our pig and watching them run the obstacle course.

 We did find all five finger paints in the maze (unfortunately my phone died before being able to take the picture). We actually found our way out of the maze with only two finger paints found and the kids insisted on going back in to find them all. At the end we matched our finger pattern to a silly action we had to perform - Andre had to hiss like a cat, Harper - sidle like a crab and I had to cluck like a chicken. This was boys' favorite activity.

Unfortunately my phone did not last to take pictures of them doing tomato slingshots or playing the carnival games in which they won small pumpkins. Harper tossed two out of three pumpkins into a little cutout and to be honest I am not sure if I could have done it. Andre won in throwing a softball and knocking off the coconut.

White Coat Ceremony

A midst the craziness of grad school we had an official induction of our class into the nursing rank symbolized by endowing us in the white coats. The whole event took about an hour, but the talks were definitely inspirational and got all of us pumped up about our course of studies and our future. 

UCLA MECN Class 2015

Shaking Dean Lyder's hand

The Russian speaking crew (mafia?)

Freida, Shawn, me, Luke, Masha and Lena

Being goofy - Heather, Megan and I

 

San Diego Trip

Since it was the last weekend (September 21-22) before I started my Master's program at UCLA, I decided to celebrate my last study-free weekend and treat the boys to a fun weekend trip. I booked one night at a hotel in San Diego so that way we could go visit both SeaWorld (for which we already had the tickets) and San Diego Zoo since the boys have not been to it (well, technically Andre has, but he was about year and a half so that doesn't count). Needless to say that we all had fun.

Chucks all the way!

 We visited SeaWorld on Saturday. We can never get enough of that place!

 Andre looks a bit scared in this picture of the ride Journey to Atlantis, but the lady in front of me definitely has him beat!

                                      

 Andre was tall enough to ride some of the rides on his own!!!

We Got Krispy Kreme donuts for desert after our dinner at Outback. Andre and Harper really enjoyed the 'making of the donuts' process.

 After half a day at SeaWorld and before dinner, we went to check into our hotel. I also wanted the kids to enjoy a swim in the pool while the sun was still out. 

You can only imagine the boys excitement when they found out that the pool was heated! (I did not know it when I booked the hotel). After our return to the hotel we of course went down to the pool. The hours were 7am - 10pm, but I think they let us swim until 10:30. The boys loved it. They had a blast swimming, jumping, using me as their transporter, we played catch and marco-polo. 

I thought all that swimming late into the night would get them tired, but boy was I wrong!!! Andre was up at 6:30am saying that he was ready to go swimming again. As tired as I was, I knew they don't get the opportunity to go swimming very much so I got up and off we went.

 We had so much fun in the pool. I am so glad that we went, even though it was that early.

After the pool we got ready for our day at the zoo. We went to IHOP for breakfast to fill up before our zoo adventure.

 We had a great time at the zoo. The boys really enjoyed watching the animals and learning new facts about them. 

 

 I was very proud of Andre and Harper. We spent about 7 hours at the zoo, walking almost constantly from exhibit to exhibit and not once did they whine or complain that they were tired. They acted like real men (for most part ;). As soon as we got into the car do drive back home, they knocked out. Our San Diego weekend was definitely a success.

It has been awile

I guess I realize more and more that being a single mom left almost no time for me to update my blog. Between holding a full-time job, taking pre-requisite classes (I am now accepted into a Master's Nursing program at UCLA) and trying to be the best mom I can be for my boys leaves me no time for anything else - not to mention the three knee surgeries I have had since December which took away mine main de-stresser - basketball.

I want to be better at keeping memories of my boys growing up as time flies by. As I was looking at the old pictures of the boys on my Facebook account it is hard for me to believe that I now have a kindergartener and a second grader! I feel that I did not document their lives enough over the past few years, I don't remember the funny things they used to say a couple of years ago as all of it was drowned out by the worries of everyday life. I want to say that I will be better at it, but as I am about to embark on the journey of graduate school I get more worried the closer it gets about the time management, mainly wanting to make sure that my boys get the most attention they want and need. I know I can do it. It will be a tougher couple of years but I see the bright light at the end of the tunnel and it justifies all the sacrifices on my end. And if it means staying up until wee hours in the morning to study just to be able to read books and help my children with their homework - in my mind it is well worth it.

The boys have been gone since the beginning of July and I miss them terribly. I will get them back in a little over a week and I can hardly wait!