For the holiday weekend, Ben and I decided to get out of the cold (yes we are Arizona wimps) and go to California for the weekend. Guess we should have checked their forecast first! California was freezing! We left Thursday, after Aubrie's voice lesson, and arrived there around 10:00pm California time. The trip out there went well. Sophia cried a little here and there, but nothing Aubrie couldn't handle in back! She is a life saver on trips! Little mini-Mom! We stopped at McDonalds for dinner around 8:00 and let the kids burn off some energy. Afterwards, I put all the kids in their PJ's and they all fell asleep within 10 minutes of being back on the road. Of course, once we got to Danny's they were all fired up again!
Friday morning we spent some time around the house and then we headed up to Newbury Park to show the kids where I lived, went to school and church. It was kind of cool for Aubrie, since she was able to see where I lived when I was in 2nd grade. After "driving" down memory lane, we went to check out the Oaks Mall, a mall that I grew up with when I lived there. Pam said they were redoing it and that we should check it out. We walked around and and then took the kids to the new play place. 
The play place was so dumb! The old one was one of my favorite play places ever, and now it was turned into this "soft play", not like the one in Arrowhead, in which Ethan was almost to big to go and play. Aubrie took Sophia around on the toys for awhile, and Boston was too tall, so he had to sit around. Finally we left and got some food. The kids ate Hot Dog on a Stick and they gave them these hats with their kids meals. Of course, Aubrie didn't want a hot dog, Ben didn't hear her say that, so she ordered some Mexican Grill with us, quesadillas of course. 
The play place was so dumb! The old one was one of my favorite play places ever, and now it was turned into this "soft play", not like the one in Arrowhead, in which Ethan was almost to big to go and play. Aubrie took Sophia around on the toys for awhile, and Boston was too tall, so he had to sit around. Finally we left and got some food. The kids ate Hot Dog on a Stick and they gave them these hats with their kids meals. Of course, Aubrie didn't want a hot dog, Ben didn't hear her say that, so she ordered some Mexican Grill with us, quesadillas of course. 
After that excursion, we headed back where Aubrie and I met up with Danny to go to Cassie's soccer game. It was a pretty aggressive game. The coach was in a bad mood and gave Cassie's coach a yellow card for something Danny did. He grabbed the ball when it was going out of bounds, and gave it to their team. I guess the coach thought it was the others team ball and so he got mad at Danny for doing that and therefore the yellow card. After the game, we grabbed some ice cream at 31 flavors, like old times, and headed back. Aubrie was having a fun time in Danny's car, asking him to go fast and to spin out...something he had done earlier (YIKES!). That evening we got some dinner at the Aloha Grill ( a new OVERPRICED place in town). The service was so slow and Sophia was way past her bedtime. Amazingly she did so well, sitting in our laps most of the time. I was really impressed how well she did the whole day. After dinner, we played Jr. scene it? and then we went to bed.
Saturday morning I woke up sick and after waiting it out through the morning, I still wasn't getting better. We decided to leave for home:( The kids did great on the trip, Sophia only cried the last 15 minutes, only b/c she was hungry and we didn't have any warm water to make a bottle. It was such a short trip, but luckily the traveling wasn't miserable. It felt good to be home. I climbed in bed and watched some TV with Aubrie while Ben got the boys to bed.
Sunday morning I slept till 12:30! I told Ben that I think I hadn't done that since college. I guess my body needed the rest! After I got showered and ate something, I went on a walk with the family . They rode their scooters to the park and Ben and I followed behind with Sophia. The park has a windy path that goes downhill to the park. The kids had fun taking their scooters down that path. AT one point Boston was going down, and he was goofing off making funny faces. He totally wiped out at the bottom and instantly picked himself up, nodding his head and putting his thumbs up, saying "I'm OK, I"m OK"! What a character! After the walk, I was very tired. I probably shouldn't have gone, but I wanted to spend time with the kids. Ben took the kids to his parents for dinner while I rested up at home with Sophia.
Yesterday the kids were out of school. Luckily they all slept in...Sophia the latest (9:30!), so I was able to get some more rest. After they got their chores, reading and piano done, they played with the neighbors until Ben came home at 1:00 to catch a late lunch. We were so looking forward to Olive Garden, only to be disappointed with a 45 minute wait. ARGH! We ran next door to On the Border...it wasn't the same!:( When we got home I took another nap ( I sure sound lazy, huh?!), while Ben put speakers in our bathroom and bedroom! After my nap, he worked on Aubrie's room some more and then we had family home evening. We did it on the Lehi's dream. At the end of every Sunday School lesson, they have an application for the family. Most of them are great ideas, so when they are appropriate for the kids I will use them. This week they said to blindfold one of the kids and have them find a picture of Christ randomly taped on the wall somewhere. After not being able to find it, we were to have them hold to a rope that ended up at the picture. The kids had fun with it and got the idea! 
After the lesson, it was time for bed. Aubrie was cute, and wanted me to sleep with her. I told her I couldn't and she said, "That's fine! What if I scratch your back and then you can scratch mine." I said it was a deal. I then pretended to fall asleep to see what she was going to do. She covered me up and then started to go to sleep. I pretended to wake up and then I started to scratch her back. She told me when I was done she would scratch mine again until she fell asleep. Guess she wanted me to stay with her really bad! :)
I forgot to mention that last week Sophia turned 9 months old. I can't believe how fast time has gone by. She has matured so much in just a month. She now crawls everywhere and pulls herself up on everything. She can entertain herself for a few hours now, which is great! Of course, I have to keep an eye on the stairs!! She still hates the baby food, so that is still a challenge. She is also starting to phase herself into 2 naps a day. I could still get 3 out of her if I wake her up at 7:00, but that's when I'm working out! She still sucks on her thumb when she is tired or hungry, or bored! One of her new favorite things is to be upside down. When you sit her on your lap, she throws herself back and over! What a funny thing, huh? Also, her favorite toy is a little fish toy that came with one of Boston's Spiderman bath toys. It has a string attached to it, with a little ball on the end. She can play with that for a good 10 minutes!
She is tall, but still on the light side! Maybe a future model! Not if I have anything to do about it! LOL! OK, maybe for modest clothing lines..Ha! Anyway, 9 months have gone so fast! Before I know it we will be celebrating her first year!!! YIKES! 
Sophia
at
9 months!
Upside down!
