Back to School Picnic

Mallory and I tagged along with Jamie and Kaylee this evening to Kaylee's back to school picnic. We got there not too long after it started and there were already lots of other families spread across the grass. After picking our spot and spreading out our blanket, we quickly ate our Subway sandwiches as not to delay play-time any longer than necessary. Mal wanted nothing more than to follow her BFF Kaylee around wherever she went but because there were so many other kids vying for Kaylee's attention as well, monster elected me to be her sidekick when cousin was too busy. We all enjoyed ourselves this evening, especially when they started handing out ice cream cups with the fun little wooden spoons - memories relived and memories created.

Cousin Time: Duckie-Style

Frozen Trance

After picking Mal up from daycare this evening we jetted over to the bank before they closed. In the same shopping center as the bank there is a Jamba Juice, one of monster's favorite places to visit. I don't give in to her pleads often but because it was so hot outside, and because she was being so patient inside the bank, I decided to surprise her by saying yes when she asked for it as we were leaving the bank. She was in a frozen trance for a good 10 minutes; only breaking her silence a few times to tell me how much she loves Jamba Juice.

So Stylin'

Saturday Evening Stroll

She Seems to Agree

Monster came down with a bug of some sort yesterday so we've been laying low to rest up and get better. And with outside temperatures over 100° what better way to keep Mal's fever down than with an ice cold Popsicle. She seems to agree.

I Hate That Hound

I have always loved animals. Like most kids declare at a point in their young life, I wanted to be a vet when I grew up. Obviously that didn't happen, but my adoration for animals still holds true. And if you were to ask me, "Are you a dog-person or a cat-person?", I would simply say, "I'm a person who loves animals*." (*not to be confused with reptiles or bugs)

However, there is this lady that lives a few houses down from us who has an older beagle that I don't love so much. In fact, I hate that hound. She takes him on early morning walks every day (weekends included) and crosses in front of our house both coming and going. The ENTIRE time she is walking that dog, he is barking/howling at the top of his lungs. Not at anyone or anything, just does it. Constantly. And it's awful sounding. Mallory doesn't like him either; he's woken her up many times and she always cries when it happens. Stupid dog.

In more positive doggie-related news, how intelligent does Leo look with glasses on - I think it fits his breed well. He puts up with a lot of shenanigans from this family!

Who Wore It Better: Stripes

Pickles

Weekend Getaway to the Bay

To say that Jody's work schedule has been hectic the past couple of weeks is an understatement. So last week I decided to try and make our plans to see the A's game on Saturday more of a weekend getaway to the Bay. We already had monster set up with Mamaw and Poppa for the night so it was only a matter of seeing which one of my hotel contacts could get me a free overnight stay. And even though getting a comp room in San Francisco can be almost impossible - especially on the weekend - I was able to snag one, and our last minute escape was complete.

Sitting in the familiar but unwanted I-80 traffic, we made it to Oakland Coliseum only missing the first couple of innings. After observing the game we drove to our hotel to freshen up and then headed over to Embarcadero to act like true tourists, exploring the plethora of shops that the lovely Pier 39 has to offer. It was so nice to be dismissive to time and responsibility for an entire 24-hours; and it was awesome to soak in the cooler temperatures that many people love about the Bay. While the trip was quick, we still very much appreciated the time away and are thankful that everything ended up working out to our advantage.